Part 1 (1/2)
The Fiery Toteyll Saxby
CHAPTER I
A PERILOUS PassAGE
”Well, good-bye, boys! You won't go far from camp before we return, will you?” The speaker was one of two ripped the forward paddle, while his companion at the stern added cheerfully--
”The backwoods is not the City of London There are no policemen to appeal to if you lose your way Besides, we hope to find dinner waiting for our return Hunting lost sons is not the sahed at the elder man's remark, and one--Bob Arnold by name--answered--
”Don't worry about us, father Alf and I can take care of ourselves for half a day Can't we, Alf?”
”Rather,” the younger chum replied ”It's our respected parents who'll need to take care of themselves in unknoaters in that cockleshell”
Then he called outthe tone of the first speaker--his father: ”Take care of yourselves, dads! Reent Street!”
”Cheeky youngster!” returned the elder ly, as he struck the forward paddle into the water ”There's not ”
Then aving hands and pleasant chaffing, that shohat real good chums the quartette were, thetheir sons watching from the strand before the careat pine trees
It was a glorious -expedition
The air was just chilly enough to render paddling a welcoh to allow intervals of pleasant drifting in the centre of the current when there were no shoals or driftwood to be avoided
”Yes,” reer of the twopaddles h and bush; ”yes, Alf's a different boy now Who would have believed that these three short ed a fever-wasted body into such a sturdy frame?”
”It looks like a reat idea, that of a six land we'll all four look as healthy as savages My Bob is the colour of a redskin”
”It was a great blessing that you were able to bring hi a chuhed softly as he turned a look of good-comradeshi+p towards his coht to be, Holden,” he said ”You and I were chue, and now chu that our sons should follow our good example At least, that's my opinion”
”And you know it's mine,” was the response ”But, I say! Do you think we are wise to keep quite in the centre of the current? It see pretty hard, and we don't know the course We ht wish to land ifrapids”
”I dare say you are right,” replied Arnold ”We'll steer straight across that bend ahead of us After that we can keep well under the shadow of the s--or near the spot and strike inwards There ought to bethose bluffs and clearings”
It is one thing to make plans; it is quite another matter to carry theers are travelling in strange country
Of course the present mode of travel was no novelty to either of the h not in the vicinity of the present voyage) before their parents sent theer knows that experience does not anticipate all chances, and this case was no exception to the rule
The river was certainly beginning to run at a pace that was perceptibly swifter than that of the start when two ive any cause for concern, however, for the ears of the travellers were prepared for any sound that indicated rapids, and there was no other contingency that they felt need to dread
At a little distance ahead, the course could be seen to take a sharp turn to the right, where the dense growth of beech and towering pines reseateway; and, as it neared the opening, the canoe swung round the curve with the swift flight of a s