The Outdoor Chums on a Houseboat; Or, The Rivals of the Mississippi

d Bluff, as he stood there, still hol

d looked over the whole dictionary," declared F

icking laugh, as he swept his hand around at the bare condition of the cabin's interior. "Your uncle

t happened to think of it, you know; and seemed like

where it belongs in a jiffy," remarked Will, darting inside to bring the artic

m the hammer served to fa

Jerry; and they were given with a will, much to the amus

, "I'd dip the colors to the christening of the

r, rather, ride the w

" remarked Will. "May no tempest toss her about like a chip; and may she skip

n end to further talk; and for some little time all of

g. "After we get fairly afloat we can stow them in a better way

overed ham where it would be particularly safe; for fried ham was one of hi

en aboard. Frank checked off the articles, and ann

rent, where we've got to work our passage," he obse

termed it. Whenever anything out of the usual was about to take place, Will could be depended on to show up, eager to transfer

walls, and evidently trying to locate some place of concealment where a queer old fellow would be apt to hide

t idea until the cruise came to a termination, or the

ssippi. At this point the river looked to be quite a good-sized stream to the boys; but later on they would deem this nex

ker waved his hand to the four young v

urrent took the floating houseboat in its grip, a

he river," called Frank. "It's dangerous to keep near the shore

d as they toiled at that big sweep the clumsy houseboat slowly but steadily lurched away from the shore, a

oys felt the least bit of regret. They loved th

o Will when he snapped his camera upon the last glimpse they wou

p, though!" cried Jerry; "because we

nch to handle, and saw something of life along the coast after we came out of that river," F

y everything that happens is bound to make us remember some other adventure. Hey! me to sound the well here, and see if s

f looked her all over while she was there in his basin; and he gave me to understand that there wa

best of boats will take water; and I ca

ody satisfied when I'm sailing a boat. Pump away till you're tired, if you feel that way.

long as he could get any considerable s

ought to work out still further from the shore below the city, he

ng out many a grunt and groan from Bluff and Jerry. But everything was new now, and they actually thought it fun to throw th

a little time had elapsed, and they could no longer see signs o

at, and cut down our stock of rations. Why, it isn't more'n four o'c

and for it, that's what! And I give you fair warning right now, that at five, sharp, I start the fire a-going in that stove.

up his cooking in such a way that the other could hardly wait for another meal-time to roll around; "we know there isn't a fellow aboard who can hold a

that made Frank turn to Will, and wink his eye several times. "Why, I tell you I'm a better hand a

light over the success of his little dodge, "and you can depend on it I'll never try to deceive

Frank; what do you suppose makes it?"

boat is coming up the

ut I can hear the whoof of her escape steampipes as she butts up against the stiff cur

imself where he thought he could get the best view of the oncoming river boat, so that he

g by nature, started to

a sort of condescending way; "why, the river is big, and there's plenty of room for a doz

nose around the ben

ned to be sailing down the same. Say, don't you think we ought to get a move on, and pull farther over to the shore?" and W

at it with all your m

anks do seem to be far apart; since there can be only fifty or one hundred or two hund

was doing something else in his little cage aloft, for just at the minute none of them could

!" exclaimed Will, whose face had turned white as he saw the s

nding oar with the ferocity that a bucking "tackle" might show in a battle on the gridiron, when the fate o

very energy in their frames toward doing something that would caus

nd the next instant they would be struggling in the current, away out from the

. Then he started to frantically whirl the wheel around, as if hoping to yet avert the accident that seemed so sure. The boat began to respond to his demand, but so slowly tha

he could not find room beside his chums, sprang over to his camera, and took a picture o