diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-0.txt | 3061 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-0.zip | bin | 58757 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h.zip | bin | 2499583 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/68732-h.htm | 4118 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 605797 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/coversmall.jpg | bin | 249491 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_002.jpg | bin | 124288 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_007.jpg | bin | 22999 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_012b.jpg | bin | 127390 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_017.jpg | bin | 26345 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_026b.jpg | bin | 124262 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_027.jpg | bin | 25417 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_037.jpg | bin | 24171 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_042b.jpg | bin | 131643 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_047.jpg | bin | 17311 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_052b.jpg | bin | 103048 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_058a.jpg | bin | 133852 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_064a.jpg | bin | 134964 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_072a.jpg | bin | 124540 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_080b.jpg | bin | 111929 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_092b.jpg | bin | 128329 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_099.jpg | bin | 22863 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_104a.jpg | bin | 128905 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_112a.jpg | bin | 128702 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_124a.jpg | bin | 130777 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_130a.jpg | bin | 115683 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_142b.jpg | bin | 107702 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68732-h/images/i_titlepage.jpg | bin | 30839 -> 0 bytes |
31 files changed, 17 insertions, 7179 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5ad380a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68732 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68732) diff --git a/old/68732-0.txt b/old/68732-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 71c46e1..0000000 --- a/old/68732-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3061 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The moral pirates, by W. L. Alden - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The moral pirates - -Author: W. L. Alden - -Illustrator: A. B. Frost - -Release Date: August 12, 2022 [eBook #68732] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Richard Hulse, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MORAL PIRATES *** - - -[Illustration: THE TIDE AGAINST THEM. [_Page 23._] - - - - - THE MORAL PIRATES - - BY - W. L. ALDEN - - - _ILLUSTRATED_ - - - NEW YORK - HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE - 1881 - - - - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by - HARPER & BROTHERS, - In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - - _All rights reserved._ - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - THE TIDE AGAINST THEM _Frontispiece_ - - THE “WHITEWING” AT HARLEM _faces page_ 13 - - HARRY SWIMS FOR THE EDDY “ “ 27 - - “IF YOU WANT TO DIG, DIG. I DON’T INTEND TO DO ANY - MORE DIGGING” “ “ 43 - - THE SOUP EXPLOSION “ “ 53 - - THE BOYS BUILT A ROARING FIRE ON A LARGE FLAT ROCK “ “ 58 - - JOE IS CAUGHT “ “ 64 - - MUMBLE-THE-PEG “ “ 72 - - LIFTING THE BOAT OVER THE PILES “ “ 81 - - GOING THROUGH THE LOCK “ “ 93 - - THE FIGHT WITH THE TRAMPS “ “ 104 - - HARRY AND JOE IN A TRAP “ “ 112 - - HARRY SETS OUT IN PURSUIT OF THE BOAT “ “ 124 - - BIDDING JIM GOOD-BYE “ “ 130 - - THE EXPLOSION IN CAMP “ “ 143 - - - - -THE MORAL PIRATES. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -“The truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his brother, “I am troubled -about my boy. Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go back to -school until the middle of September. He will be idle all that time, -and I’m afraid he’ll get into mischief. Now, the other day I found him -reading a wretched story about pirates. Why should a son of mine care -to read about pirates?” - -“Because he’s a boy. All boys like piratical stories. I know, when -I was a boy, I thought that if I could be either a pirate or a -stage-driver I should be perfectly happy. Of course you don’t want -Harry to read rubbish; but it doesn’t follow because a boy reads -stories about piracy, that he wants to commit murder and robbery. I -didn’t want to kill anybody: I wanted to be a moral and benevolent -pirate. But here comes Harry across the lawn. What will you give me -if I will find something for him to do this summer that will make him -forget all about piracy?” - -“I only wish you would. Tell me what your plan is.” - -“Come here a minute, Harry,” said Uncle John. “Now own up; do you like -books about pirates?” - -“Well, yes, uncle, I do.” - -“So did I when I was your age. I thought it would be the best fun in -the world to be a Red Revenger of the Seas.” - -“Wouldn’t it, though!” exclaimed Harry. “I don’t mean it would be fun -to kill people, and to steal watches, but to have a schooner of your -own, and go cruising everywhere, and have storms and--and--hurricanes, -you know.” - -“Why shouldn’t you do it this summer?” asked Uncle John. “If you want -to cruise in a craft of your own, you shall do it; that is, if your -father doesn’t object. A schooner would be a little too big for a -boy of thirteen; but you and two or three other fellows might make a -splendid cruise in a row-boat. You could have a mast and sail, and -you could take provisions and things, and cruise from Harlem all the -way up into the lakes in the Northern woods. It would be all the same -as piracy, except that you would not be committing crimes, and making -innocent people wretched.” - -“Uncle John, it would be just gorgeous! We’d have a gun and a lot of -fishing-lines, and we could live on fish and bears. There’s bears in -the woods, you know.” - -“You won’t find many bears, I’m afraid; but you would have to take a -gun, and you might possibly find a wild-cat or two. Who is there that -would go with you?” - -“Oh, there’s Tom Schuyler, and Joe and Jim Sharpe; and there’s Sam -M‘Grath--though he’d be quarrelling all the time. Maybe Charley Smith’s -father would let him go. He is a first-rate fellow. You’d ought to see -him play base-ball once!” - -“Three boys besides yourself would be enough. If you have too many, -there will be too much risk of quarrelling. There is one thing you must -be sure of--no boy must go who can’t swim.” - -“Oh, all the fellows can swim, except Bill Town. He was pretty near -drowned last summer. He’d been bragging about what a stunning swimmer -he was, and the boys believed him; so one day one of the fellows shoved -him off the float, where we go in swimming at our school, and he -thought he was dead for sure. The water was only up to his neck, but he -couldn’t swim a stroke.” - -“Well, if you can get three good fellows to go with you--boys that you -know are not blackguards, but are the kind of boys that your father -would be willing to have you associate with--I’ll give you a boat and a -tent, and you shall have a better cruise than any pirate ever had; for -no real pirate ever found any fun in being a thief and a murderer. You -go and see Tom and the Sharpe boys, and tell them about it. I’ll see -about the boat as soon as you have shipped your crew.” - -“You are quite sure that your plan is a good one?” asked Mr. Wilson, -as the boy vanished, with sparkling eyes, to search for his comrades. -“Isn’t it very risky to let the boys go off by themselves in a boat? -Won’t they get drowned?” - -“There is always more or less danger in boating,” replied Uncle -John; “but the boys can swim; and they cannot learn prudence and -self-reliance without running some risks. Yes, it is a good plan, I am -sure. It will give them plenty of exercise in the open air, and will -teach them to like manly, honest sports. You see that the reason Harry -likes piratical stories is his natural love of adventure. I venture to -predict that if their cruise turns out well, those four boys will think -stories of pirates are stupid as well as silly.” - -So the matter was decided. Harry found that Tom Schuyler and the Sharpe -boys were delighted with the plan, and Uncle John soon obtained the -consent of Mr. Schuyler and Mr. Sharpe. The boys immediately began to -make preparations for the cruise; and Uncle John bought a row-boat, and -employed a boat-builder to make such alterations as were necessary to -fit his for service. - -The boat was what is called a Whitehall row-boat. She was seventeen -feet long, and rowed very easily, and she carried a small mast with -a spritsail. By Uncle John’s orders an air-tight box, made of tin, -was fitted into each end of the boat, so that, even if she were to -be filled with water, the air in the tin boxes would float her. -She was painted white outside, with a narrow blue streak, and dark -brown inside. Harry named her the _Whitewing_; and his mother made a -beautiful silk signal for her, which was to be carried at the sprit -when under sail, and on a small staff at the bow of the boat at other -times. For oars there were two pairs of light seven-foot sculls, and -a pair of ten-foot oars, each of which was to be pulled by a single -boy. The rudder was fitted with a yoke and a pair of lines, and the -sail was of new and very light canvas. On one side of the boat was a -little locker, made to hold a gun; and on the other side were places -for fishing-rods and fishing-tackle. When she was brought around to -Harlem, and Harry saw her for the first time, he was so overjoyed that -he turned two or three hand-springs, bringing up during the last one -against a post--an exploit which nearly broke his shin, and induced -his uncle to remark that he would never rise to distinction as a Moral -Pirate unless he could give up turning hand-springs while on duty. - -[Illustration: THE “WHITEWING” AT HARLEM.] - -Harry could row very fairly, for he belonged to a boat-club at school. -It was not very much of a club; but then the club-boat was not very -much of a boat, being a small, flat-bottomed skiff, which leaked so -badly that she could not be kept afloat unless one boy kept constantly -at work bailing. However, Harry learned to row in her, and he now -found this knowledge very useful. He was anxious to start on the -cruise immediately, but his uncle insisted that the crew must first be -trained. “I must teach you to sail, and you must teach your crew to -row,” said Uncle John. “The Department will never consent to let a boat -go on a cruise unless her commander and her crew know their duty.” - -“What’s the Department?” asked Harry. - -“The Navy Department in the United States service has the whole charge -of the Navy, and sends vessels where it pleases. Now, I consider that -I represent a Department of Moral Piracy, and I therefore superintend -the fitting out of the _Whitewing_. You can’t expect moral piracy to -flourish unless you respect the Department, and obey its orders.” - -“All right, uncle,” replied Harry. “Of course the Department furnishes -stores and everything else for a cruise, doesn’t it?” - -“I suppose it must,” said his uncle, laughing. “I didn’t think of that -when I proposed to become a department.” - -The boys met every day at Harlem and practised rowing. Uncle John -taught them how to sail the boat, by letting them take her out under -sail when there was very little breeze, while he kept close along-side -in another boat very much like the _Whitewing_. Harry sat in the -stern-sheets, holding the yoke-lines. Tom Schuyler, who was fourteen -years old, and a boy of more than usual prudence, sat on the nearest -thwart and held the sheet, which passed under a cleat without being -made fast to it, in his hand. Next came Jim Sharpe, whose business it -was to unship the mast when the captain should order sail to be taken -in; and on the forward thwart sat Joe Sharpe, who was not quite twelve, -and who kept the boat-hook within reach, so as to use it on coming -to shore. The boys kept the same positions when rowing, Tom Schuyler -being the stroke. Uncle John told them that if every one always had the -same seat, and had a particular duty assigned to him, it would prevent -confusion and dispute, and greatly increase the safety of the vessel -and crew. - -It was not long before Harry could sail the boat nicely, and the -others, by attending closely to Uncle John’s lessons, learned almost as -much as their young captain. So far as boat-sailing can be taught in -fair weather, Harry was carefully and thoroughly taught in six or seven -lessons, and could handle the _Whitewing_ beautifully; but the ability -to judge of the weather, to tell when it is going to blow, and how -the wind will probably shift, can of course be learned only by actual -experience. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -When Uncle John announced that the Department was satisfied with -the ability of the captain and crew to manage the _Whitewing_, the -day for sailing was fixed, and the boys laid in their stores. Each -one had a fishing-line and hooks, and Harry and Tom each took a -fishing-pole--two poles being as many as were needed, since most of the -fishing would probably be done with drop-lines. Uncle John lent Harry -his double-barrelled gun, and a supply of ammunition. Each boy took a -tin plate, a tin cup, knife, fork, and spoon. For cooking purposes, -the boat carried a coffee-pot, two tin cake-pans, which could be used -as frying-pans as well as for other purposes, and two small tin pails. -Harry’s mother lent him several large round tin boxes, in which were -stored four pounds of coffee, two pounds of sugar, a pound of Indian -meal, a large quantity of crackers, some salt, and a little pepper. -The rest of the provisions consisted of two cans of soup, two cans of -corned-beef, a can of roast-beef, two small cans of devilled chicken, -four cans of fresh peaches, a little package of condensed beef for -making beef-tea, and a cold boiled ham. The boat was furnished with an -=A= tent, four rubber blankets and four woollen blankets, a hatchet, -a quantity of spare cordage, a little bull’s-eye lantern, which burnt -olive-oil, a few copper nails, a pair of pliers, and a small piece of -zinc and a little white-lead for mending a leak. Of course there was a -bottle of oil for the lantern; and Mrs. Schuyler added a little box of -pills and a bottle of “Hamlin’s Mixture” as medical stores. The boys -wore blue flannel trousers and shirts, and each one carried an extra -pair of trousers, and an extra shirt instead of a coat. These, with a -few pairs of stockings and two or three handkerchiefs, were all the -clothing that they needed, so Uncle John said; though the boys had -imagined that they must take at least two complete suits. He showed -them that two flannel shirts worn at the same time, one over the other, -would be as warm as one shirt and a coat, and that if their clothing -became wet, it could be easily dried. “Flannel and the compass are the -two things that are indispensable to navigation,” said Uncle John: “if -flannel shirts had not been invented, Columbus would never have crossed -the Atlantic.” Perhaps there was a little exaggeration in this; but -when we remember that flannel is the only material that is warm in cold -weather and cool in hot weather, and that dries almost as soon as it -is wrung out and hung in the wind, it is difficult to see how sailors -could do without it. - -The boys agreed very readily to take with them only what Uncle John -advised. Tom Schuyler, however, was very anxious to take a heavy iron -vise, which he said could be screwed on the gunwale of the boat, and -might prove to be very useful, although he could not say precisely -what he expected to use it for. Joe Sharpe also wanted to take a -base-ball and bat, but neither the vise nor the ball and bat were taken. - -The _Whitewing_ started from the foot of East 127th Street, on a -Monday morning in the middle of July, at about nine o’clock. Quite a -small crowd of friends were present to see the boys off, and the neat -appearance of the boat and her crew attracted the attention of all the -idlers along the shore. When all the cargo was stowed, and everything -was ready, Uncle John called the boys aside, and said, “Now, boys, you -must sign the articles.” - -“What are articles?” asked all the boys at once. - -“They are certain regulations, which every respectable pirate, or any -other sailor for that matter, must agree to keep when he joins a ship. -I’ll read the articles, and if any of you don’t like any one of them -say so frankly, for you must not begin a cruise in a dissatisfied state -of mind. Here are the articles: - -“‘I. _We, the captain and crew of the_ Whitewing, _promise to decide -all disputed questions by the vote of the majority, except questions -concerning the management of the boat. The orders of the captain, -in all matters connected with the management of the boat, shall be -promptly obeyed by the crew._’ - -“Now, if anybody thinks that the captain should not have the full -control of the boat, let him say so at once. Very likely the captain -will make mistakes; but the boat will be safer, even if the crew obeys -a wrong order, than it would be if every order should be debated by the -crew. You can’t hold town-meetings when you are afloat. Harry, I think, -understands pretty well how to sail the boat. Will you agree to obey -his orders?” - -All the boys said they would; and Joe Sharpe added that he thought the -captain ought to have the right to put mutineers in irons. - -“That, let us hope, will not be necessary,” said Uncle John. “Now -listen to the second article: - -“‘II. _We promise not to take corn, apples, or other property without -permission of the owner._’ - -“You will very likely camp near some field where corn, or potatoes, -or something eatable, is growing. Many people think there is no harm -in taking a few ears of corn or a half-dozen apples. I want you to -remember that to take anything that is not your own, unless you have -permission to do so, is stealing. It’s an ugly word, but it can’t be -smoothed over in any way. Do you object to this article?” - -Nobody objected to it. “We’re moral pirates, Uncle John,” said Tom -Schuyler, “and we won’t disgrace the Department by stealing.” - -“I know you would not, except through thoughtlessness. Now these are -all the articles. I did think of asking you not to quarrel or to use -bad language, but I don’t believe it is necessary to ask you to make -such a promise, and if it were, you probably would not keep it. So, -sign the articles, give them to the captain, and take your stations.” - -The articles were signed. The captain seated himself in the -stern-sheets, and took the yoke-lines. The rest took their proper -places, and Joe Sharpe held the boat to the dock by the boat-hook. -“Are you all ready?” cried Uncle John. “All ready, sir!” answered -Harry. “Then give way with your oars! Good-bye, boys, and don’t forget -to send reports to the Department.” - -The boat glided away from the shore with Tom and Jim each pulling a -pair of sculls. The group on the dock gave the boys a farewell cheer, -and in a few moments they were hid from sight by the Third Avenue -bridge. The tide was against them, but the day was a cool one for the -season, and the boys rowed steadily on in the very best of spirits. -There was a light south wind, but, as there were several bridges to -pass, Harry thought it best not to set the sail before reaching the -Hudson River. It required careful steering to avoid the steamboats, -bridge-piles, and small boats; but the _Whitewing_ was guided safely, -and her signal--a red flag with a white cross--floated gayly at the bow. - -Uncle John had made one serious mistake: he had forgotten all about -the tide, and never thought of the difficulty the boys would find -in passing Farmersbridge with the tide against them. They had passed -High Bridge, and had entered a part of the river with which the boys -were not familiar, when Joe Sharpe suddenly called out, “There’s a low -bridge right ahead that we can’t pass.” A few more strokes of the oars -enabled Harry to see a long low bridge, which completely blocked up the -river except at one place, that seemed not much wider than the boat. -Through this narrow channel the tide was rushing fiercely, the water -heaping itself up in waves that looked unpleasantly high and rough. The -boat was rowed as close as possible to the opening under the bridge; -but the current was so strong that the boys could not row against it, -and even if they had been able to stem it, the channel was too narrow -to permit them to use the oars. - -Harry ordered the boat to be rowed up to the bridge at a place where -there was a quiet eddy, and all the crew went ashore to contrive some -way of overcoming the difficulty. Presently Harry thought of a plan. -“If we could get the painter under the bridge, we could pull the boat -through easy enough if there was nobody in her.” - -“That’s all very well,” said Joe, “but how are you going to get the -painter through?” - -“I know,” cried Jim. “Let’s take a long piece of rope and drop it in -the water the other side of the bridge. The current will float it -through, and we can catch it and tie it to the painter.” - -The plan seemed a good one; and so the boys took a piece of spare -rope from the boat, tied a bit of board to one end of it for a float, -dropped the float into the water, and held on to the other end of the -rope. When the float came in sight below the bridge they caught it with -the boat-hook, and, throwing away the piece of board, tied the rope to -the painter. “Now let Joe Sharpe get in the bow of the boat, to keep -her from running against anything, and we’ll haul her right through,” -exclaimed Harry. - -Joe took his place in the bow, and, pushing the boat off, let her float -into the current. Then the three other boys pulled on the rope, and -were delighted to see the boat glide under the bridge. Suddenly Joe -gave a wild yell. “She’s sinking, boys!” he cried: “let go the rope, or -I’ll be drowned!” The boys, terribly frightened, dropped the rope, and -in another minute the boat floated back on the current, half full of -water, and without Joe. Almost as soon as it came in sight, Harry had -thrown off his shoes and jumped into the river. - -[Illustration: HARRY SWIMS FOR THE EDDY.] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -As Harry vanished, Joe’s head appeared, as he climbed up the side of -the bridge and joined his brother and Tom. Their anxiety was now for -Harry, who had been swept through the channel under the bridge, and -was manfully swimming toward the eddy where the boys had landed. He -came ashore none the worse for his bath, and was delighted to find -that Joe was not only safe but dry. Joe explained that the boat had -drifted against one of the piles of the bridge, and the current and -the tow-rope together had forced one of her sides so low down that the -water began to pour in. Joe thought that if the river intended to get -into the boat, he had better get out; so he sprung up and caught one of -the timbers of the bridge, and so climbed safely up to the roadway. -The boat, relieved of his weight and freed from the tow-line, drifted -quietly away, and was now floating peacefully on the river about twenty -rods from the shore. - -Luckily an old man in a row-boat saw the runaway _Whitewing_, and -kindly caught her and brought her up to the bridge. As the boys baled -her out, they told him how the accident happened, and the gruff old -man said it “sarved ’em right.” “When you tow a boat next time,” he -continued, “you’ll know enough to put all your weight in the stern. -Did you ever see a steamboat towing a row-boat with a man in the bow? -If ever you do, you’ll see him going overboard mighty quick. A boat’ll -sheer all over creation if you tow her with a fellow in the bow. You -just put the biggest of you fellows in the stern of that there boat, -and she’ll go through under the bridge just as steady as a church.” - -The boys gladly took the old man’s advice. When the boat was baled -out, they floated the rope down again, and when it was made fast, Tom -Schuyler, who was the heaviest of the boys, offered to sit in the -stern. His weight brought the bow of the boat out of the water, and she -was towed quickly and safely through. The boys resumed their places as -soon as Harry had put on dry clothes, and after a short and easy row -glided under the Spuyten Duyvel railway bridge, and found themselves on -the broad and placid Hudson. They rowed on for nearly a mile, and then, -having found a little sandy cove, ran the boat aground, and went ashore -to rest. After a good swim, which all greatly enjoyed, including Harry, -who said that his recent bath at Farmersbridge ought not to be counted, -since it was more of a duty than a pleasure, they sat down to eat a -nice cold lunch of ham sandwiches that Mrs. Wilson had kindly prepared; -and when they were no longer hungry, they stretched themselves lazily -in the shade. - -“Well, boys,” said Harry, “we made a big mistake at the bridge; but we -learned something, and we won’t get the boat swamped that way again.” - -“I’m awfully obliged to Harry for jumping in after me,” said Joe; “but -it’s the first time I ever heard of a captain jumping over after a -sailor. When a sailor falls overboard, the captain just stands on the -deck and looks around, kind of careless like, while the second mate and -four sailors jump into a boat and pick the man up. That’s the way it’s -done; for I know a fellow that saw a man fall overboard on a steamship, -and he said that was how the captain did.” - -“All right,” said Harry; “I won’t jump in for you again, Joe. The -fact is, boys, I oughtn’t to have done it without waiting to find out -whether there was really anything the matter with Joe. I’ll tell you -what we’ll do. Joe is a first-rate swimmer, and we’ll make a rule that -whenever anybody is to jump into the river for anything, Joe shall do -it. What do you say?” - -“Oh, I’m willing enough,” said Joe. “I don’t care who jumps as long as -the captain don’t. It won’t look well for the captain to be all the -time jumping overboard to pick somebody up.” - -“A better rule,” remarked Tom, “would be that no fellow shall fall -overboard.” - -“I move to amend that,” cried Jim, “by forbidding any accidents to -happen to any of us.” - -“But you can’t do that,” said Tom, who never understood a joke. -“Accidents never would happen if people could help themselves.” - -“Well,” said Harry, “if the rest of you will agree not to fall -overboard, I’ll promise that the captain sha’n’t spend all his time -in jumping after you. But if you are all ready, we’d better start on. -There’s a nice little breeze, and we can rest in the boat.” - -By this time Harry’s shirt and trousers, which had been wrung out and -hung up on a bush, were perfectly dry. He packed them away with his -rubber blanket rolled tightly around them, and Jim attended to the duty -of stepping the mast. Then the boys took their places, and Joe pushed -the boat off with the boat-hook. The gentle breeze filled the sail, and -the _Whitewing_ went peacefully on her way up the river. - -“Boys,” said Harry, presently, “it’s getting awfully hot.” - -“That’s because we’re sailing right before the wind,” said Tom. “We are -going just about as fast as the wind goes, and that’s the reason why we -don’t feel it.” - -“Is this a lecture on wind, by Professor Thomas Schuyler?” asked Joe. -“Because if it is, I’d rather hear it when it’s cooler. Let’s go over -to the other side of the river, where we can get in the shade of the -Palisades.” - -It was now about three o’clock, and the sun was very hot. The boat -seemed to the boys to creep across the river, and the Palisades seemed -to move away just as fast as they approached them. When they finally -did come into the shadow of those huge rocks, they thought they had -never known anything so delightful as the change from the scorching -sunshine to the cool shade. Joe and his brother stretched themselves -out, and put their blankets under their heads; presently they grew -tired of talking, and in a little while they were fast asleep. Tom was -not sleepy; but he was so delighted with the beauty of the shore, as -seen from the boat, that he did not care to talk. - -For a long time the boat glided stealthily along. The Palisades were -passed, and a long pier projecting into the river from the west shore -gradually came in sight. When the boat came up with the pier, half a -dozen barges lay along-side of it, into which men were sliding enormous -cakes of ice. The Sharpe boys woke up, and proposed to stop and get a -little ice. The men let them pick up as many small pieces of ice as -they could carry, and they went on their way so much refreshed that -they chattered away as gayly as possible. - -Uncle John had warned them to select a camping-ground long before dark. -They remembered this advice, and at about five o’clock they landed -on a little low point of land a few miles below the entrance to the -Highlands. They first hauled the boat a little way up the beach, so -that it would be sure not to float off, and then began to take the -tent, the cooking things, and the provisions for supper out of her. - -“We want to pitch the tent and make a fire,” said Harry, “and somebody -ought to get some milk. Let’s pitch the tent first.” - -“I’ll do that,” said Tom, “while you fellows get the supper.” - -“It takes two or three fellows to pitch the tent,” said Harry; “you -can’t do it alone.” - -“I’ll undertake to pitch it alone,” replied Tom. “One of you can get -firewood, one can go for milk, and the other can get out the things for -supper. Here goes for the tent.” - -The tent was furnished with two upright poles and a ridge-pole, each -one of which was made in two pieces and joined together with ferules, -like a fishing-rod. Tom selected a soft sandy spot close by the water’s -edge, where he spread out the tent, and pinned down each of the four -corners with rough wooden pins, which he cut with the hatchet from a -piece of driftwood. Then he crept under the canvas with the poles. -He put one of the upright poles in its place with the end of the -ridge-pole over it, and then, holding the other end of the ridge-pole -in one hand, he put the second pole in position with his other hand, -and pushed the end of the ridge-pole into its proper place. The tent -was now pitched; and all that remained to be done was to tighten the -four corner pegs and to drive in the other ones. - -Meanwhile Jim had taken one of the pails and gone toward a distant -farm-house for milk. Joe had collected a pile of firewood, and Harry -had lighted the fire and put the other tin pail half full of water -to boil over it. By the time the water had boiled, Jim had returned, -bringing the milk with him. It did not take long to make coffee; and -then the boys sat down on the sand, each with a tin cup of hot coffee -at his side, and proceeded to eat a supper of ham sandwiches and cake. -It was not the kind of supper that they expected to have on subsequent -nights; but Mrs. Wilson’s sandwiches and cake had to be eaten in order -to keep them from spoiling. After the coffee was gone they each had -a cup of cold milk, and then put the rest of it in a shady place to -be used for breakfast. The provisions were carefully covered up, so -as to protect them in case of rain, and then the beds were made. This -last operation was a very easy one, since the sand was soft enough for -a mattress, and all that needed to be done was to spread the rubber -blankets on the ground as a protection from the damp. Then the boys -rolled up their spare clothing for pillows, and, wrapping themselves in -their blankets, were soon sound asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -Some time in the middle of the night Joe Sharpe woke up from a dream -that he had fallen into the river, and could not get out. He thought -that he had caught hold of the supports of a bridge, and had drawn -himself partly out of the water, but that he had not strength enough -to drag his legs out, and that, on the contrary, he was slowly sinking -back. When he awoke he found that he was very cold, and that his -blanket felt particularly heavy. He put his hand down to move the -blanket, when, to his great surprise, he found that he was lying with -his legs in a pool of water. - -Joe instantly shouted to the other boys, and told them to wake up, -for it was raining, and the tent was leaking. As each boy woke up he -found himself as wet as Joe, and at first all supposed that it was -raining heavily. They soon found, however, that no rain-drops were -pattering on the outside of the tent, and that the stars were shining -through the open flap. “There’s water in this tent,” said Tom, with -the air of having made a grand discovery. “If any of you fellows have -been throwing water on me, it was a mean trick,” said Jim. All at once -an idea struck Harry. “Boys,” he exclaimed, “it’s the tide! We’ve got -to get out of this place mighty quick, or the tide will wash the tent -away.” - -The boys sprung up, and rushed out of the tent. They had gone to bed -at low-tide, and as the tide rose it had gradually invaded the tent. -The boat was still safe, but the water had surrounded it, and in a very -short time would be deep enough to float it. The tide was still rising, -and it was evident that no time should be lost if the tent was to be -saved. - -Two of the boys hurriedly seized the blankets and other articles which -were in the tent, and carried them on to the higher ground; while the -other two pulled up the pins, and dragged the tent out of reach of the -water. Then they pulled the boat farther up the beach, and, having thus -made everything safe, had leisure to discover that they were miserably -cold, and that their clothes, from the waist down, were wet through. - -Luckily, their spare clothing, which they had used for pillows, was -untouched by the water, so that they were able to put on dry shirts -and trousers. Their blankets, however, had been thoroughly soaked, and -it was too cold to think of sleeping without them. There was nothing -to be done but to build a fire, and sit around it until daylight. It -was by no means easy to collect firewood in the dark; and as soon as a -boy succeeded in getting an armful of driftwood, he usually stumbled -and fell down with it. There was not very much fun in this; but when -the fire finally blazed up, and its pleasant warmth conquered the cold -night air, the boys began to regain their spirits. - -“I wonder what time it is?” said one. - -Tom had a watch, but he had forgotten to wind it up for two or three -nights, and it had stopped at eight o’clock. The boys were quite sure, -however, that they could not have been asleep more than half an hour. - -“It’s about one o’clock,” said Harry, presently. - -“I don’t believe it’s more than nine,” said Joe. - -“We must have gone into the tent about an hour after sunset,” continued -Harry, “and the sun sets between six and seven. It was low-tide then, -and it’s pretty near high-tide now; and since the tide runs up for -about six hours, it must be somewhere between twelve and one.” - -“You’re right,” exclaimed Jim. “Look at the stars. That bright star -over there in the west was just rising when we went to bed.” - -“You ought to say ‘turned in!’” said Joe. “Sailors never go to bed; -they always ‘turn in.’” - -“Well, we can’t turn in any more to-night,” replied Tom. “What do you -say, boys? suppose we have breakfast--it’ll pass away the time, and we -can have another breakfast by-and-by.” - -Now that the boys thought of it, they began to feel hungry, for they -had had a very light supper. Everybody felt that hot coffee would be -very nice; so they all went to work--made coffee, fried a piece of ham, -and, with a few slices of bread, made a capital breakfast. They wrung -out the wet blankets and clothes, and hung them up by the fire to dry. -Then they had to collect more firewood; and gradually the faint light -of the dawn became visible, before they really had time to find the -task of waiting for daylight tiresome. - -They decided that it would not do to start with wet blankets, since -they could not dry them in the boat. They therefore continued to keep -up a brisk fire, and to watch the blankets closely, in order to see -that they did not get scorched. After a time the sun came out bright -and hot, and took the drying business in charge. The boys went into the -river, and had a nice long swim, and then spent some time in carefully -packing everything into the boat. By the time the blankets were dry, -and they were ready to start, the tide had fallen so low that the boat -was high and dry; and in spite of all their efforts they could not -launch her while she was loaded. - -“We’ll have to take all the things out of her,” said Harry. - -“It reminds me,” remarked Joe, “of Robinson Crusoe that time he built -his big canoe, and then couldn’t launch it.” - -“Robinson wasn’t very sharp,” said Jim. “Why didn’t he make a set of -rollers, and put them on the boat?” - -“Much good rollers would have been,” replied Joe. “Wasn’t there a hill -between the boat and the water? He couldn’t roll a heavy boat uphill, -could he?” - -“He could have made a couple of pulleys, and rigged a rope through -them, and then made a windlass, and put the rope round it,” argued Jim. - -“Yes; and he could have built a steam-engine and a railroad, and -dragged the boat down to the shore that way, just about as easy.” - -[Illustration: “IF YOU WANT TO DIG, DIG. I DON’T INTEND TO DO ANY MORE -DIGGING.”] - -“He couldn’t dig a canal, for he thought about that, and found it would -take too much work,” said Jim. - -“But we can,” cried Harry. “If we just scoop out a little sand, we can -launch the boat with everything in her!” - -The boys liked the idea of a canal; and they each found a large shingle -on the beach, and began to dig. They dug for nearly an hour, but the -boat was no nearer being launched than when they began. Tom stopped -digging, and made a calculation. “It will take about two days of hard -work to dig a canal deep enough to float that boat. If you want to dig, -dig; I don’t intend to do any more digging.” - -When the other boys considered the matter, they saw that Tom was right, -and they gave up the idea of making a canal. It was now about ten -o’clock, and they were rather tired and very hungry. A second breakfast -was agreed to be necessary, and once more the fire was built up and a -meal prepared. Then the boat was unloaded and launched, and the boys, -taking off their shoes and rolling up their trousers, waded in the -water and reloaded her. It was noon by the sun before they finally had -everything in order and resumed their cruise. - -There was no wind, and it was necessary to take to the oars. The -disadvantage of starting at so late an hour soon became painfully -plain. The sun was so nearly overhead that the heat was almost -unbearable, and there was not a particle of shade. The boys had not -had a full night’s sleep, and had tired themselves before starting -by trying to dig a canal. Of course the labor of rowing in such -circumstances was very severe; and it was not long before first one and -then another proposed to go ashore and rest in the shade. - -“Hadn’t we better keep on till we get into the Highlands. We can do it -in a quarter of an hour,” said Tom. - -As Tom was pulling the stroke oar, and doing rather more work than any -one else, the others agreed to row on as long as he would row. They -soon reached the entrance to the Highlands, and landed at the foot of -the great hill called St. Anthony’s Nose. They were very glad to make -the boat fast to a tree that grew close to the water, and to clamber a -little way up the hill into the shade. - -“What will we do to pass away the time till it gets cooler?” said -Harry, after they had rested awhile. - -“I can tell you what I’m going to do,” said Tom; “I’m going to get some -of the sleep that I didn’t get last night, and you’d better follow my -example.” - -All the boys at once found that they were sleepy; and, having brought -the tent up from the boat, they spread it on the ground for a bed, -and presently were sleeping soundly. The mosquitoes came and feasted -on them, and the innumerable insects of the summer woods crawled over -them, and explored their necks, shirt-sleeves, and trousers-legs, as is -the pleasant custom of insects of an inquiring turn of mind. - -“What’s that?” cried Harry, suddenly sitting up, as the sound of a -heavy explosion died away in long, rolling echoes. - -“I heard it,” said Joe; “it’s a cannon. The cadets up at West Point -are firing at a mark with a tremendous big cannon.” - -“Let’s go up and see them,” exclaimed Jim. “It’s a great deal cooler -than it was.” - -With the natural eagerness of boys to be in the neighborhood of a -cannon, they made haste to gather up the tent and carry it to the boat. -As they came out from under the thick trees, they saw that the sky in -the north was as black as midnight, and that a thunder-storm was close -at hand. - -“Your cannon, Joe, was a clap of thunder,” said Harry. “We’re going to -get wet again.” - -“We needn’t get wet,” said Tom. “If we hurry up we can get the tent -pitched and put the things in it, so as to keep them dry.” - -They worked rapidly, for the rain was approaching fast, but it was not -easy to pitch the tent on a side hill. It was done, however, after -a fashion; and the blankets and other things that were liable to be -injured by the wet were safely under shelter before the storm reached -them. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -It was a terrific storm. The wind swept down the river, raising a ridge -of white water in its path. The rain came down harder, so the boys -thought, than they had ever seen it come down before, and the glare of -the lightning and the crash of the thunder were frightful. - -“What luck it is that we got the tent pitched in time,” exclaimed Joe. -“We’re as dry and comfortable here as if we were in a house.” - -“Pick your blankets up quick, boys,” cried Harry. “Here’s the water -coming in under the tent.” - -Joe had boasted a little too soon. The water running down the side of -the hill was making its way in large quantities into the tent. To save -their clothes and blankets, the boys had to stand up and hold them in -their arms, which was by no means a pleasant occupation, especially as -the cold rain-water was bathing their feet. - -“It can’t last long,” remarked Tom. “We’re all right if the lightning -doesn’t strike us.” - -“Where’s the powder?” asked Harry. - -“Oh, it’s in the flask,” replied Joe, “and I’ve got the flask in my -pocket.” - -“So, if the lightning strikes the tent, we’ll all be blown up,” -exclaimed Harry. “This is getting more and more pleasant.” - -The boys were not yet at the end of their troubles. The rain had -loosened the earth, and the tent-pins, of which only four had been -used, were no longer fit to hold the tent. So, while they were talking -about the powder, the tent suddenly blew down, upsetting the boys as it -fell, and burying them under the wet canvas. - -“Lie still, fellows,” said Tom, as the other boys tried to wriggle out -from under the tent. “We’ve got to get wet now, anyway; but perhaps, if -we stay as we are, we can manage to keep the blankets dry.” - -The wet tent felt miserably cold as it clung to their heads and -shoulders, but the boys kept under it, and held their blankets and -spare shirts wrapped tightly in their arms. Luckily the storm was -nearly at an end when the tent blew down, and a few moments later the -rain ceased, and the crew of the _Whitewing_, in a very damp condition, -crept out and congratulated themselves that they had escaped with no -worse injury than a wet skin. - -“Where are your rubber blankets?” asked Harry, presently. - -“Rolled up with the other blankets,” answered everybody. - -“It won’t do to tell when we get home,” remarked Harry, “that, instead -of using the water-proof blankets to keep ourselves dry, we used -ourselves to keep the water-proofs dry. It’s the most stupid thing -we’ve done yet; and I’m as bad as anybody else.” - -“It was a good deal worse to pitch a tent without digging a trench -around it,” said Tom. “If I’d dug a trench two inches deep just back of -that tent, not a drop of water would have run into it.” - -“And I don’t think much of the plan of using only four pins to hold a -tent down when a hurricane is coming on,” said Joe. - -“And I think the least said by a fellow who carries two pounds of -powder in his pocket in a thunder-storm the better,” added Jim. - -It took some time to bale the water out of the boat, for the rain -and the spray from the river had half-filled it. But the shower had -cooled the air, and the boys were glad to be at work again after their -confinement in the tent. They were soon ready to start; and, rowing -easily and steadily, they passed through the Highlands, and reached a -nice camping spot on the east bank of the river below Poughkeepsie, -before half-past five. - -This time they selected a place to pitch the tent with great care. It -was easy to find the high-water mark on the shore, and the tent was -pitched a little above it, so as to be safe from a disaster like that -of the previous night. Harry wanted it pitched on the top of a high -bank; but the others insisted that, as long as they were safe from the -tide, there was no need of putting the tent a long distance from the -water, and that they had selected the only spot where they could have a -bed of sand to sleep on. - -This important business being settled, supper was the next subject of -attention. - -“We haven’t been as regular about our meals as we ought to be,” -said Harry, “but it hasn’t been our fault. We’ll have a good supper -to-night, at any rate. How would you like some hot turtle-soup?” - -“Just the thing,” said Joe. “The bread is beginning to get a little -dry; but we can soak it in the soup.” - -“About going for milk,” continued Harry; “we ought to arrange that and -the other regular duties. Suppose after this we take regular turns. -One fellow can pitch the tent, another can go for milk, another can -get the firewood, and the other can cook. We can arrange it according -to alphabetical order. For instance, Tom Schuyler pitches the tent -to-night; Jim Sharpe goes for milk, Joe gets the firewood, and I cook. -The next time we camp, Jim will pitch the tent, Joe will get the milk, -I will get the wood, and Tom will cook. Is that fair?” - -The boys said it was, and they agreed to adopt Harry’s proposal. Jim -went off with the milk-pail, and when the fire was ready, Harry took a -can of soup and put it on the coals to be heated. - -Jim found a house quite near at hand, where he bought two quarts of -milk and a loaf of bread, and was back again at the camp before the -soup was ready. He found the boys lying near the fire, waiting for the -soup to heat and the coffee to boil. - -“That soup takes a long time to heat through,” said Tom. “There isn’t a -bit of steam coming out of it yet.” - -“How can any steam come out of it when it’s soldered up tight,” replied -Harry. - -[Illustration: THE SOUP EXPLOSION.] - -“You don’t mean to tell me that you’ve put the can on the fire -without punching a hole in the top?” - -“Of course I have. What on earth should I punch a hole in it for?” - -“Because--” cried Tom, hastily springing up. - -But he was interrupted by a report like that of a small cannon: a cloud -of ashes rose over the fire, and a shower of soup fell just where Tom -had been lying. - -“That’s the reason why,” resumed Tom. “The steam has burst the can, and -the soup has gone up.” - -“We’ve got another can,” said Harry, “and we’ll punch a hole in that -one. What an idiot I was not to think of its bursting! It’s a good job -that it didn’t hurt us. I should hate to have the newspapers say that -we had been blown up and awfully mangled with soup.” - -The other can of soup was safely heated, and the boys made a -comfortable supper. They drove a stake in the sand, and fastened the -boat’s painter securely to it, and then “turned in.” - -“No tide to rouse us up to-night, boys,” said Harry, as he rolled -himself in his blanket. “I sha’n’t wake up till daylight.” - -“We’d better take an early start,” remarked Tom. “We haven’t got on -very far because we started so late this morning. If we get off by six -every morning, we can lie off in the middle of the day, and start again -about three o’clock. It’s no fun rowing with the sun right overhead.” - -“Well, it isn’t more than eight o’clock now; and, if we take eight -hours’ sleep, we can turn out at four o’clock,” said Harry. “But who -is going to wake us up? Joe and Jim are sound asleep already, and I’m -awful sleepy myself. I don’t believe one of us will wake up before -seven o’clock anyway.” - -Tom made no answer, for he had dropped asleep while Harry was talking. -The latter thought he must be pretending to sleep, and was just -resolving to tell Tom that it wasn’t very polite to refuse to answer a -civil question, when he found himself muttering something about a game -of base-ball, and awoke, with a start, to discover that he could not -possibly keep awake another moment. - -The boys slept on. The moon came out and shone in at the open -tent-flap, and the tide rose to high-water mark, but not quite high -enough to reach the tent. By-and-by the wheezing of a tow-boat broke -the stillness, and occasionally a hoarse steam-whistle echoed among the -hills; but the boys slept so soundly that they would not have heard a -locomotive had it whistled its worst within a rod of the tent. - -The river had been like a mill-pond since the thunder-storm, but about -midnight a heavy swell rolled in toward the shore. It came on, growing -larger and larger, and, rushing up the little beach with a fierce roar, -dashed into the tent and overwhelmed the sleeping boys without the -slightest warning. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -The wave receded as suddenly as it came. The boys sprang up in a -terrible fright, and indeed there are few men who in their place would -not have been frightened. The shock of the cold water was enough to -startle the strongest nerves, and as the boys rushed to the door of the -tent, in a blind race for life, they fully believed that their last -hour had come. Before they could get out of the tent, a second wave -swept up and rose above their knees. With wild cries of terror the two -younger boys caught hold of Tom, and, losing their footing, dragged him -down. Harry caught at Tom impulsively, with a vague idea of saving him -from drowning, but the only result of his effort was that he went down -with the rest. Fortunately the wave receded before the boys had time -to drown, and left them struggling in a heap on the wet sand. There was -no return of the water, and in a few moments the boys were outside of -the tent and on the top of the bluff above the river. - -“It must have been a tidal wave,” said Jim. “Oh, I’d give anything if I -was home! The water will come up again, and we’ll all be drowned!” - -“It was the swell of a steamboat,” said Tom. “There’s the boat now, -just going around that point.” - -“You’re right,” said Harry. “It was nothing but the swell of the -night-boat. What precious fools we were not to think of it before! -To-morrow night we’ll pitch the tent about a thousand feet above the -water.” - -“Then there’ll be a water-spout or something,” said Jim. “We’re bound -to get wet whatever we do. We only started yesterday, and here we’ve -been wet through three times.” - -“And Harry has been wet four times, counting the time he jumped in the -Harlem for me,” added Joe. - -“It won’t do to stand here and talk about it,” said Tom. “We’ve got to -have a fire or we’ll freeze to death. Look at the way Joe’s teeth are -chattering. The blankets and clothes are all wet, and the sooner we dry -them the sooner we’ll get warm.” - -[Illustration: THE BOYS BUILT A ROARING FIRE ON A LARGE FLAT ROCK.] - -There happened to be a dead tree near by, and it was soon converted -into firewood. The boys built a roaring fire on a large flat rock, and -after it had burnt for a little while they pushed it about six feet -from the place where they had started it, and, after piling fresh fuel -on it, laid down on the hot rock with their feet to the flames. The -fire had heated the rock so that they could hardly bear to touch it, -but the heat dried their wet clothes rapidly, and kept them from taking -severe colds. Meanwhile their blankets had been spread out near the -fire, and in half an hour were very nearly dry, and pretty severely -scorched. Two large logs were then rolled on the fire, and when they -were in a blaze the boys wrapped themselves in their blankets, and, -lying as near to the fire as they could without actually burning, -resumed their interrupted sleep. They found the rock rather a hard bed, -and it offered no temptation to laziness; so it happened that they were -all broad awake at half-past four; and though somewhat stiff from lying -on a rocky bed, were none the worse for their night’s adventure. - -“There’s one thing I’m going to do this very day,” said Harry, as they -were dressing themselves after their morning swim. “I’m going to write -to the Department to send us a big rubber bag, that we can put our -spare clothes in and keep them dry. There’s no fun in being wet and -having nothing dry to put on.” - -“If we have the bag sent to Albany, it will get there by the time we -do,” said Tom. “You write the letter while we are getting breakfast.” - -So Harry wrote to the Department as follows: - - “DEAR UNCLE JOHN,--We’ve been wet through with a steamboat once, - and the tide wet us the first night, and we got rained on, and I - jumped in to get Joe out, and we’ve had a gorgeous time. Please send - us a big water-proof bag to put our spare clothes in, so that we - can have something dry. Please send it to Albany, and we will stop - there at the post-office for it. Please send it right away. You said - the Department furnished everything. We’ve been dry twice since we - started, but it didn’t last long. There never was such fun. All the - boys send their love to you. Please don’t forget the bag. From your - affectionate nephew, - - “HARRY.” - -“This was the morning that you were going to sleep till eight o’clock -without waking up, Harry,” said Tom, as they were eating their -breakfast. - -“There’s nothing that will wake a fellow up so quick as the Hudson -River rolling in on him. I hadn’t expected to wake up in that way,” -answered Harry. - -“So far we have done nothing but find out how stupid we are,” said Tom. -“Seems to me we must have found it pretty near all out by this time. -There can’t be many more stupid things that we haven’t done.” - -“There won’t any accident happen to-night,” replied Harry; “for I’ll -make sure that the tent is pitched so far from the water that we can’t -be wet again. I wonder if every fellow learns to camp out by getting -into scrapes as we do. It is very certain that we won’t forget what we -learn on this cruise.” - -“I’m beginning to get tired of ham,” exclaimed Joe. “We’ve been eating -ham ever since we started. Let’s get some eggs to-day.” - -“And some raspberries,” suggested Jim. “It’s the season for them.” - -“And let’s catch some fish,” said Tom. - -“That’s what we’ll do,” said Harry. “We’ll sail till eleven o’clock, -and then we’ll go fishing and catch our dinner.” - -This suggestion pleased everybody; and when, at about six o’clock, they -set sail with a nice breeze from the south, everybody kept a lookout -for a good fishing-ground, and wondered why they had not thought of -fishing before. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -The sun was getting to be rather too hot for boating when the boys saw -the half-sunken wreck of a canal-boat close to the west shore, where -there was a nice shady grove. They immediately crossed the river, and, -landing near the wreck, began to get their fishing-tackle in order. - -As there were only two poles, one of which belonged to Harry, and the -other to Tom, the two Sharpe boys were obliged either to cut poles -for themselves, or to watch the others while they fished. Jim cut a -pole for himself, but Joe preferred to lie on the bank. “I don’t care -to fish, anyhow,” he said. “I’ll agree to eat twice as much fish as -anybody else, if I can be excused from fishing.” - -“If you don’t want to fish, you’d better hunt bait for us,” said Tom. - -“I never thought about bait,” exclaimed Harry. “How are we going to dig -for worms without a spade?” - -“Who wants any worms?” replied Tom. “Grasshoppers are the thing; and -the field just back of here is full of them. Come, Joe, catch us some -grasshoppers, won’t you?” - -“How many do you want?” asked Joe. “I don’t want to waste good -grasshoppers on fellows who won’t use them. Let’s see: suppose I get -you ten grasshoppers apiece. Will that do?” - -“Are you getting lazy, Joe?” said Tom, “or are you sick? A fellow who -don’t want to fish must have something wrong in his insides. Harry, -you’d better give him some medicine.” - -“Oh, I’m all right,” replied Joe. “I’m a little sleepy to-day, but I’ll -get your grasshoppers.” - -Joe took an empty tin can and went in search of grasshoppers, while -the rest were getting their hooks and lines ready. In a short time -he returned, and handed the can to Tom. “There’s just thirty-one -grasshoppers in that can,” said he. “I threw in one for good measure. -Now go ahead and fish, and I’ll have a nap.” So saying, he stretched -himself on the ground, and the other boys began to fish. - -There were quantities of perch near the old canal-boat, and they bit -ravenously at the grasshoppers. It took only about a quarter of an hour -to catch nearly three dozen fish. These were more than the boys could -possibly eat; and Tom was just going to remark that they had better -stop fishing, when they were startled by a loud cry from Joe. Harry, in -swinging his line over his head so as to cast out a long way into the -river, had succeeded in hooking Joe in the right ear. - -[Illustration: JOE IS CAUGHT.] - -Of course Harry was extremely sorry, and he said so several times; but, -as Joe pointed out, “talk won’t pull a hook out of a fellow’s ear!” -The barb made it impracticable to draw the hook out, and it was quite -impossible that Joe should enjoy the cruise with a fish-hook in his -ear. Jim said that the hook must be cut out; but Joe objected to having -his ear cut to pieces with a dull jack-knife. In this emergency -Tom proposed to break off the shank of the hook, and then to push the -remainder of it through the ear. It was no easy matter, however, to -break the steel. Every time the hook was touched, Joe winced with pain; -but finally Tom managed to break the shank with the aid of the pair of -pliers that formed part of the stores. The hook was then gently and -firmly pressed through the ear, and carefully drawn out. - -“I knew,” said Tom, “that something must be wrong when Joe said he -didn’t want to fish. This ought to be a warning to him.” - -“It’s a warning to me,” said Harry, “not to throw my line all over the -State of New York.” - -“Oh, it’s all right now,” said Joe. “Only the next time I go cruising -with Harry, I’m going to take a pair of cutting pincers to cut off the -shanks of fish-hooks after he gets through fishing. We’d better get a -pair at Hudson, anyhow, or else we’ll all be stuck full of hooks, if -Harry does any more fishing.” - -Harry was so humbled by the result of his carelessness that he offered, -by way of penance, to clean and cook the fish. When this was done, -and the fish were served up smoking hot, they were so good that Joe -forgot his damaged ear, and Harry recovered his spirits. After a course -of fish and bread, a can of peaches was opened for dessert, and then -followed a good long rest. By three o’clock the heat began to lessen, -and the _Whitewing_ started on her way with a better breeze than she -had yet been favored with. - -The boat travelled swiftly, and the breeze gradually freshened. The -whitecaps were beginning to make their appearance on the river before -it occurred to the boys that they must cross over to the east shore, -in order to camp where they could find shade while getting breakfast -the next morning. It had been one of Uncle John’s most earnest bits -of advice that they should always have shade in the morning. “Nothing -spoils the temper,” he had said, “like cooking under a bright sun; so -make sure that you keep in the shade until after breakfast.” Harry -felt a little nervous about crossing the river in so fresh a breeze, -since, as the breeze blew from the south, the boat could not sail -directly across the river without bringing the sea on her beam. He -did not mention that he was nervous, however, and he showed excellent -judgment in crossing the river diagonally, so as to avoid exposing the -broadside of the boat to the waves, that by this time were unpleasantly -high. The east bank was thus reached without taking a drop of water -into the boat, and she was then kept on her course up the river, within -a few rods of the shore. - -This was a wise precaution in one respect; for, if the boat had -capsized, the boys could easily have swum ashore; but still it is -always risky to keep close to the shore, unless you know that there -are no rocks or snags in the way. Harry never thought of the danger of -being shipwrecked with the shore so close at hand, and was enjoying -the cooling breeze and the speed of the boat, when suddenly the -_Whitewing_ brought up with a crash that pitched everybody into the -bottom of the boat. She had struck a sunken rock, and the speed at -which she was going was so great that one of her planks was stove in. -Before the boys could pick themselves up, the water had rushed in, and -was rising rapidly. “Jump overboard, everybody!” cried Harry. “She -won’t float with us in her.” There was no time in which to pull off -shirts and trousers, and the boys plunged overboard without even taking -their hats off. They then took hold of the boat, two on each side of -her, and swam toward the shore. With so much water in her, the boat -was tremendously heavy; but the boys persevered, and finally reached -shallow water, where they could wade and drag her out on the sand. - -“Here we are wet again!” exclaimed Jim. “The blankets are wet, too, -this time.” - -“Never mind,” replied Tom. “It’s not more than five o’clock, and we can -get them dry before night.” - -“We’ll have to work pretty fast, then,” said Harry. “Jim and Joe had -better build a big fire and dry the things, while you and I empty the -boat; or I’ll empty the boat, and you can pitch the tent. We’ll have to -put off supper till we can make sure of a dry bed.” - -Harry took the things out of the boat one by one. Everything was wet -except the contents of the tin boxes, into which the water luckily had -not penetrated. As soon as the fire was built, Jim and Joe gave their -whole attention to drying the blankets and the spare clothing; and -when the boat was emptied, it was found that a hole nearly six inches -long and four inches wide had been made through one of the bottom -planks. Harry and Tom set to work to mend it. They took a piece of -canvas--which had luckily been kept in one of the tin boxes and was -quite dry--and tacked it neatly over the outside of the hole. They -next covered the canvas with a thin coating of white-lead, except at -the edges, where the white-lead was laid on very thickly. Over the -canvas the piece of zinc that had been brought for just such a purpose -was carefully tacked, and then thin strips of wood were placed over -the edges of the tin, and screwed down tightly with screws that went -through the zinc, but not through the canvas. Finally, white-lead was -put all around the outer edge of the zinc, and the boat was then left -bottom-side up on the sand, so that the white-lead could harden by -exposure to the air. - -Nobody cared to go for milk in wet clothes; and so, when the boat was -mended, the boys all sat around the fire to dry themselves, and made a -supper of crackers. What with the heat and the wind, it was not very -long before their clothes and blankets were thoroughly dried; and they -could look forward to a comfortable night. The tent was pitched where -no steamboat swell could possibly touch it, and the boat was apparently -out of reach of the tide. It was very early when the boys “turned in,” -and for the first time in the cruise they slept peacefully all night. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -The next morning the boys awoke early, having had a thoroughly -good night’s rest. Tom, whose turn it was to go for milk, found a -well-stocked farm-house, where he obtained not only milk, bread, and -eggs, but a supply of butter and a chicken all ready for cooking. After -breakfast the boat was put in the water, and, to the delight of all, -proved to be almost as tight as she was before running into the rock. -A little water came in at first under the edges of the zinc, but in a -short time the wood swelled, and the leak entirely ceased. - -The boat was loaded, and the boys were ready to start soon after six -o’clock. There was no wind, but the two long oars, pulled one by Tom -and the other by Jim, sent her along at a fine rate. They rowed until -ten o’clock, resting occasionally for a few moments, and then, as there -were no signs of a breeze, and as it was growing excessively hot, they -went ashore, to wait until afternoon before resuming their journey. - -The sun became hotter and hotter. The boys tried to fish, but there was -no shade near the bank of the river, and it was too hot to stand or -sit in the sunshine and wait for fish to bite. They went in swimming, -but the sun, beating on their heads, seemed hotter while they were in -the water than it did when they were on the land. Jim and Joe tried a -game of mumble-to-peg, but they gave it up long before they had reached -“ears.” It was probably the hottest day of the year; and as it was -clearly impossible to row or to do anything else while the heat lasted, -the boys brought their blankets from the boat, and, going to a grove -not far from the shore, lay down and fell asleep. - -[Illustration: MUMBLE-THE-PEG.] - -They were astonished to find, when they awoke, that it was two -o’clock. None of them had been accustomed to sleep in the daytime, and -they could not understand how it came about that they had all slept -for fully two hours. They had yet to learn that one of the results -of “camping out,” or living in the open air, is an ability to sleep -at almost any time. All animals and wild creatures, whether they are -beasts or savages, have this happy faculty of sleeping in the daytime. -It is one of the habits of our savage ancestors that comes back to us -when we abandon civilization, and live as Aryan tribes, from whom we -are descended, lived in the Far East, before they marched with their -wives and children and cattle from India, and made themselves new homes -in Europe. - -After lunch the boys prepared to start, although there was still no -wind; but when they went down to the boat they found that the sun was -as hot as ever. So they returned to the shade of the grove, and made up -their minds to stay there until the end of the afternoon. - -“Harry,” said Tom, “we’ve been on the river three days, and we are -only a little way above Hudson. How much longer will it be before we -get to Albany?” - -“We ought to get there in two days more, even if we have to row all the -way,” replied Harry. - -“And after we get to Albany, what are we to do next?” - -“We are going up the Champlain Canal to Fort Edward. There we will have -a wagon to carry us and the boat to Warrensburg, on the Schroon River, -and will go up the river to Schroon Lake. Uncle John laid out the route -for us.” - -“How many days will it take us to get to the lake?” asked Tom. - -Harry thought awhile. “There’s two days more on the Hudson, two on the -canal, and maybe two on the Schroon River. And then there’s a Sunday, -which don’t count. It’ll be just a week before we get to the lake.” - -“I’ve got to be home by two weeks from next Monday,” continued Tom, -“so I sha’n’t have much time on the lake. Can’t we get along a little -faster? There’s a full-moon to-night, and suppose we sail all night--or -row, if the wind doesn’t come up.” - -“That’s a first-rate idea,” exclaimed Harry. “We can take turns -sleeping in the bottom of the boat. Why, if the breeze comes up in the -night, we might make twenty or thirty miles before morning.” - -All the boys liked the plan of sailing at night, and they resolved to -adopt it. While they were yet discussing it, a light breeze sprang up, -from the south as usual, and they hastened to take advantage of it. In -the course of an hour more the sun began to lose its power; and when -they went ashore at six o’clock to cook their supper, they had sailed -about fifteen miles. - -As they expected to make so much progress during the night, they were -in no hurry about supper, and it was not until after seven o’clock -that they again made sail. Harry divided the crew into watches--one -consisting of himself and Joe Sharpe, and the other of Tom and Jim. -Each watch was to have charge of the boat for three hours, while the -other watch slept. At eight o’clock Tom and Jim lay down in the bottom -of the boat, and Joe came aft to take Tom’s customary place at the -sheet. Harry, of course, steered. - -All went well. The breeze was light but steady, and Harry kept the boat -in the middle of the river to avoid another shipwreck. The watch below -did not sleep much, for they had had a long nap at noon, and, besides, -the novelty of their position made them wakeful. They had just dropped -asleep when eleven o’clock arrived, and they were awakened to relieve -the other watch. Tom went sleepily to the helm, and Harry and Joe -gladly “turned in,” and were soon fast asleep. - -Tom always declares that he never closed his eyes while he was at the -helm, and Jim also asserts that he was wide awake during his entire -watch, though neither he nor Tom spoke for fear of waking up the other -boys. It was strange that these two wide-awake young Moral Pirates did -not notice that a large steamboat--one of the Albany night-boats--was -in sight, until she was within a mile of them, and it is just possible -that, without knowing it, they were a little too drowsy to keep a -proper lookout. - -As soon as Tom saw the steamboat, he remarked, “Halloo! there’s one of -the Albany boats,” and steered the boat over toward the east shore. The -breeze had nearly died away, and the _Whitewing_ moved very slowly. The -steamboat came rapidly down the river, her paddles throbbing loudly in -the night air. Jim began to get a little uneasy, and said, “I hope she -won’t run us down.” “Oh, there’s no danger!” replied Tom; “we shall get -out of her way easy enough.” But, to his dismay, the steamboat, instead -of keeping in the middle of the river, presently turned toward the east -shore, as if she were bent upon running down the _Whitewing_. Tom was -now really alarmed; and as he saw that the sail was doing very little -good, he hurriedly told Jim to take down the mast and get out the oars -as quick as possible. Jim rapidly obeyed the order, dropping the mast -on Harry’s head, and catching Joe by the nose in his search for the -oars. By this time Tom had begun to hail the steamboat at the top of -his lungs; but no attention was paid to him by the steamboat men, since -the noise of the paddles drowned Tom’s voice. Harry and Joe, who were -now wide awake, saw what danger they were in, and they sprang to the -oars. The steamboat was frightfully near, and still hugging the shore; -but Tom called on the boys to give way with their oars, and steered -straight for the shore, knowing that there must be room for the boat -between the steamboat and the bank of the river, and fearing that if he -steered in the opposite direction the steamboat might change her course -and run them down, when they would have little chance of escape by -swimming. - -It was certainly very doubtful if they could avoid the steamboat, and -Tom was well aware of it. He told the other boys that, if they were -sure to be run down, they must jump before the steamboat struck them, -and dive, so as to escape the paddles. “I’ll tell you when to jump, -if worst comes to worst,” said he; “but don’t you look around now, nor -do anything but row. Row for your lives, boys.” And the boys did row -gallantly. Harry had a pair of sculls, and Jim had a long oar, and -between them they made the boat fly through the water. As they neared -the shore, it seemed to them that there was not more than three feet -of space between the steamboat and the land; and Tom had almost made -up his mind that the cruise was coming to a sudden end, when the great -steamboat swung her head around, and drew out toward the middle of the -river. She did not seem to be more than a rod from them as she changed -her course, though in reality she was probably much farther off. At the -same moment the _Whitewing_ reached what appeared to be the shore, but -what was really a long row of piles projecting about a foot above the -water. The boys had just ceased rowing, and Tom had given the boat a -sheer with the rudder, so as to bring her along-side of the piles, when -the steamboat’s swell, which the boys, in their excitement over their -narrow escape, had totally forgotten, came rushing up, seized the boat, -and threw it over the piles into a shallow and muddy lagoon. - -It was almost miraculous that the boat was not capsized; but she was -actually lifted up and thrown over the piles, without taking more than -a few quarts of spray into her. When they saw that they were absolutely -safe, the boys began to wonder how in the world they could get the boat -back into the river, and Jim proposed to light the lantern and see if -anything was missing out of the boat, and if she had been injured. - -“Now I see why the steamboat did not notice us,” exclaimed Tom. - -“Why?” asked all the others together. - -“Because,” he replied, “we have been such everlasting idiots as to sail -at night without showing a light.” - -[Illustration: LIFTING THE BOAT OVER THE PILES.] - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -The boat was in a shallow part of the river, between the shore and a -long row of piles that marked the steamboat channel. Harry sounded with -an oar, and found that the water was only two feet deep. “We’ll have -to get overboard and drag the boat over the piles,” said he, “and it’s -going to be a mighty hard job, too. That swell threw us over as neat as -the bull threw Joe over the fence up at Lenox last summer.” - -“When I got pitched over that fence I stayed there,” said Joe. “I -didn’t try to get back into the field where the bull was, and I don’t -see what we want to get back where the steamboats are for.” - -“That’s so,” exclaimed Harry. “We’re safe enough here. Let’s get the -water out of the boat, and keep on this side of the piles.” - -When the boat was made dry, and the lighted lantern was hoisted to the -top of the mast, Tom resumed his place at the helm, and Harry and Joe -prepared to take another nap. “I don’t want to grumble,” said Joe, “but -I wish I didn’t have to lie on the coffee-pot and a tin cup. I don’t -feel comfortable on that kind of bed.” - -“I’ll change with you if you like,” replied Harry. “I’m sleeping on a -beautiful soft bottle of oil, and some sardine boxes, but I don’t want -to be selfish and keep the best bed for myself.” - -“Oh, never mind,” returned Joe. “I’ll manage to sleep if Jim don’t step -on my face. I always did hate to have anybody step on my face when I -was asleep.” - -“Well, good-night everybody,” said Harry. “I’m going straight to sleep. -Tom, be sure you wake me up if a steamboat tries to climb over these -piles.” - -This time Tom did not fall asleep at the helm, but the wind gradually -died away, and the sail hung limp and useless. Jim got out the oars -without stepping on anybody, and rowed slowly on. In a little while -they came to the end of the shallow lagoon into which the swell had so -unexpectedly cast them. A sand-bank stretched from the shore to the -line of piles, and it was impossible to go any farther. Tom decided to -make the boat fast to the limb of a willow-tree that projected over -the water, and to go ashore and sleep on the sand. Neither he nor Jim -thought it worth while to wake the other boys; so they gathered up -their blankets, crept quietly out of the boat, and were soon asleep on -the soft, warm sand. When Harry and Joe awoke at daylight, stiff and -cramped, they were disposed to be rather indignant at Tom and Jim, who -were sleeping so comfortably on the sand; but Tom soon convinced them -that he had acted from the best of motives, and they readily forgave -him. - -Of course breakfast was the first business of the day, and after that -was finished the boat had to be entirely unloaded before she could be -lifted over the piles into the channel. For the first time since they -had started on the cruise the breeze was ahead, but it was so light -that it was of very little consequence. The sky was cloudy, and the -day promised to be a cool one; so the boys resolved to take to their -oars and try, if possible, to reach Albany before night. When the boat -was loaded, Tom and Jim each took a long oar, and Harry took his usual -seat in the stern-sheets. They all felt fresh in spite of their night’s -adventure, and started gayly on their intended long day’s row. - -By this time they had found out that, although round tin boxes were -very well to keep things dry, they are by no means handy to carry in -a boat. Their shape made it impossible to stow them compactly. Joe, -who sat at the bow, always had to pick his way over these tin boxes in -going to or coming from his station; and he was constantly catching -his foot in the spaces left between the boxes, and falling down on -them. This smashed in the covers, and tried Joe’s temper sorely. Once -he sat down so violently on the box which held the sugar, that he -went completely through the cover, and was fastened in the box as -securely as a cork in a bottle. He was only released after a great deal -of work, and just in time to enable the boys to have sugar in their -coffee at night. Harry resolved that he would never cruise again with -round boxes, but would have small rubber bags made, in which to put -everything that required to be kept dry. - -The boys took turns at the oars every hour, and rowed steadily until -noon. They gave themselves an hour for lunch and resting, and then -resumed their work. Late in the afternoon they came in sight of Albany, -and went ashore, so as to get their dinner before reaching the city. -After dinner they again pulled away at the oars, and at about nine -o’clock they stopped at a lumber-yard on the outskirts of Albany, and, -creeping in among the lumber, wrapped their blankets around them, and -dropped asleep, completely worn out, but proud of their long day’s row. - -Before sunrise the next morning, Tom was awakened by a stick which -was thrust into his ribs. Without opening his eyes, he muttered, “You -quit that, or I’ll get up and pound you!” and immediately dropped -asleep again. Somebody then kicked him so sharply that he roused -himself up, and, opening his eyes, was dazzled by the gleam of a -bull’s-eye lantern. He could not at first imagine where he was; but, -as he presently found that a big policeman had him by the collar, and -was calling him “an impudent young thief,” he began to imagine that -something was wrong. - -“I’ve got you this time,” said the policeman, “and the whole gang of -you. Where did you steal that property in your boat from, you precious -young river pirate?” - -“We’re not river pirates,” replied Tom. “We’re Moral Pirates, and we -brought those things in the boat with us from New York.” - -“Well, I like your cheek!” said the officer; “owning up that you’re -pirates. Now just you and your gang take everything out of that boat -and let me see what you’ve got. If any of you try to escape, I’ll put -a bullet into you. You hear me?” - -The other boys had been awakened by the loud voice of the policeman, -and were staring at him in utter astonishment. - -“He thinks we’re river thieves,” said Tom. “Harry, we’ll have to show -him what we’ve got in the boat, and then he’ll see his mistake.” - -Harry eagerly assured the policeman that they had come from New York -on a pleasure cruise, and had nothing in the boat except provisions -and stores. “That’s a pretty story,” said the officer. “You can tell -that to the court. Your boat’s full of junk that you’ve stolen from -somewhere; and you’d better hand it out mighty quick!” - -The boys were thus compelled to unload their boat, while the policeman -stood over them with his club in one hand and his lantern in the other. -He was not a stupid man, and he soon perceived that the boys had told -him the truth; they were not the gang of river thieves for whom he -had mistaken them. He therefore apologized, in a rough way, and even -helped the boys repack the boat. - -“What I can’t understand,” said he, “is why you boys come here and -sleep in a lumber-yard, when you might be sleeping at home in your -beds. Now if you were thieves, you couldn’t get any better lodgings, -you know; but you’re gentlemen’s sons, and you ought to know better. -Why don’t you go down to the hotel and live like gentlemen? Where’s the -fun in being arrested, and taking up my valuable time?” - -The boys assured him that they had never enjoyed themselves more than -they had while on the cruise, and after a little more talk the officer -turned slowly away. - -“By-the-bye,” he exclaimed, suddenly turning back again, “one of you -told me you were pirates. I ought to take you in after all. I believe -you’re a lot of boys that have been reading dime novels, and have run -away from home.” - -“I didn’t say we were pirates,” replied Tom. “I said we were Moral -Pirates. That’s a very different thing.” - -“Of course it is,” said Joe. “A Moral Pirate is a sort of missionary, -you know. I’m afraid you don’t go to Sunday-school, officer, or you’d -know better.” - -The policeman could not quite make up his mind whether Joe was in joke -or in earnest; but as he could find no real reason for arresting the -boys, he contented himself with telling them to leave the lumber-yard -as soon as the sun rose. “And you’d better look out,” he added, “that -you don’t come across any real river thieves. They’ll make no bones of -seizing your boat, and knocking you on the head if you make any noise.” -When he was fairly out of sight, the boys crept back to their shelter -among the lumber, and coolly went to sleep again. They were so tired -that neither policemen nor river thieves had any terrors for them. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -The policeman did not return, and the boys slept until an hour after -sunrise. They then rowed down the river to the steamboat landing, -where they left their boat in charge of a boatman and went to a hotel -for breakfast. The waiters were rather astonished at the tremendous -appetites displayed by the four sunburnt boys, and there is no doubt -that the landlord lost money that morning. After breakfast Harry went -to the express office, where he found a large water-proof India-rubber -bag, which the Department had sent in answer to his letter. At the -post-office were letters from home for all the boys, and a postal order -for ten dollars from Uncle John for the use of the expedition. Harry -had no idea that this money would be needed, but it subsequently proved -to be very useful. - -Quite a quantity of stores were bought at Albany, for the voyage up -the Hudson had lasted longer than any one had supposed it would, and -the provisions were getting low. No unnecessary time was spent in -buying these stores, for a fair wind was blowing, and all the boys were -anxious to take advantage of it. By ten o’clock they were again afloat; -and soon after noon they reached Troy and entered the canal. - -The canal basin was crowded with canal-boats, and to avoid accidents -the _Whitewing’s_ mast was taken down, and the oars were got out. Harry -knew that, in order to pass through the locks, it would be necessary to -pay toll, and to procure an order from the canal authorities directing -the lockmen to permit the _Whitewing_ to pass. The canal-boatmen, of -whom he made inquiries, told him where to find the office, which was -some little distance up the canal. When the office was reached, an -officer came and inspected the boat, asked a great many questions about -the cruise up the Hudson, and seemed to be very much interested in the -expedition. He told the boys that the water was low in the Champlain -Canal, and that the lockmen might not be willing to open the locks for -so small a boat; but that they could avoid all dispute by entering the -locks at the same time with some one of the many canal-boats that were -on their way north. He charged the _Whitewing_ the enormous sum of -twenty-five cents for tolls, and gave Harry an important-looking order -by which the lockmen were directed to allow the skiff _Whitewing_, -Captain Harry Wilson, to pass through all the locks on the canal. - -[Illustration: GOING THROUGH THE LOCK.] - -Thanking the pleasant officer, the boys pushed off. After they had -passed the place where the Champlain Canal branches off from the Erie -Canal, they were no longer troubled by a crowd of canal-boats, and were -able to set the sail again. Unluckily, the mast was just a little too -high to pass under the bridges, and at the first bridge which they met -they narrowly escaped a capsize--Jim succeeding in getting the mast -down only just in time to save it from striking the bridge. They had -hardly set sail again when another bridge came in sight, and they could -see just beyond it a third bridge. It would never do to stop at every -bridge and unship the mast; so Harry went on shore, borrowed a saw from -a cooper’s shop, and sawed six inches off from the top of the mast, -after which the bridges gave them no more trouble. - -The boys were very much interested in passing the first lock. They -slipped into the lock behind a big canal-boat, which left just room -enough between its rudder and the gate for the _Whitewing_. When the -lockmen shut the gate behind the boat, and opened the sluices in the -upper gate, the water rose slowly and steadily. The sides of the lock -were so steep and black that the boys felt very much as if they were at -the bottom of a well; but it was not many minutes before the water had -risen so high that the upper gates were opened, and the big canal-boat -and its little follower were released. - -Passing through a lock in a small boat, and in company with a -canal-boat, is not a perfectly safe thing to do; for if the ropes which -fasten the canal-boat should break--which they sometimes do--the water -rushing in through the sluices would force the canal-boat against the -lower gate, and crush the small boat like an egg-shell. It is therefore -best always to pass through a lock alone, or in company with other -small boats. The danger, however, is in reality very slight, and very -few accidents occur in canal locks. - -The wind died away before sunset; and the boys having had only a light -lunch, which they ate on the boat, were glad to go ashore for supper. -They bought some corn from a farmer, and roasted it before the fire, -while some nice slices of ham were frying, and the coffee-pot was -boiling, and so prepared a supper which they greatly enjoyed. The moon -came up before they had finished the meal, and they felt strongly -tempted to make another attempt at night-work. - -“I’ll tell you what we can do,” exclaimed Harry. “Instead of rowing, -let’s tow the boat. One fellow can tow while another steers, and the -rest can sleep in the boat.” - -“All right,” said Joe. “I’m willing to be a mule. Only I’d like to know -where my harness is coming from.” - -“We’ve got rope enough for that,” replied Harry. “I’ll take the first -turn, and tow for an hour, while Joe steers; then I’ll steer for an -hour, while Joe tows. Then the other watch will take charge of the boat -for two hours, and Joe and I will sleep.” - -“If I’m to sleep on the bottom of that boat,” said Joe, “I want some -nice sharp stones to sleep on. I’m tired of sleeping on coffee-pots, -and want a change.” - -A long tow-line was soon rigged on Harry’s shoulders in such a way that -it did not chafe him; a space in the bottom of the boat was cleared of -coffee-pots and other uncomfortable articles, and a pair of blankets -was spread on the bottom board, so as to make a comfortable bed, -which Tom and Jim hastened to occupy. Joe took the yoke-lines in his -hand, and called to Harry to go ahead. When Harry first tugged at the -tow-line, the boat seemed very heavy; but as soon as she was in motion, -Harry found that he could tow her as fast as he could walk, and without -any difficulty. - -Had the locks been open and the canal-boats been out of the way, the -experiment of towing the _Whitewing_ at night would have been very -successful. As it happened, the locks were kept closed during the -night, because the water was low; and the canal-boats, not being able -to pass the locks, were moored to the tow-path. These boats gave Harry -and Joe a great deal of trouble. When one of them was met, Harry had to -unharness himself and toss the rope into the boat, and Joe had to get -out an oar and scull around the obstacle. This happened so often that -Tom and Jim got very little sleep; and long before it was time for them -to resume duty, a lock was reached, and Harry had to call all hands to -drag the boat around it. - -This was a hard piece of work. First, all the heavy things had to be -taken out of the boat and carried around the lock. Then the boat had -to be dragged out of the canal on to the tow-path; hauled up a steep -ascent, and launched above the upper gate. It took a good half-hour to -pass the first of these closed locks, and when the boat was again ready -to start, it was time to change the watch. - -Tom and Jim had managed to get only a few minutes’ sleep, but Harry and -Joe could not sleep a single wink. They had not “turned in” for more -than ten minutes, when another lock was reached. This involved a second -half-hour of hard work by all hands, and twenty minutes later three -more locks close together blocked the way. It was foolish to persevere -in dragging the boat around locks all night long; so, after getting her -out of the canal on the side opposite to the tow-path, the boys dragged -her behind some bushes, where the canal-boatmen could not see her at -daylight. They then spread their rubber blankets on the ground, and -prepared to sleep through the remaining four or five hours of darkness. - -“Boys,” said Joe, suddenly, “does it hurt a fat woman to jump on her?” - -“Don’t know,” answered Harry. “What do you ask for?” - -“Oh, nothing,” said Joe. “Only when I was jumping from one canal-boat -to another while I was a mule, I landed awfully heavy on a fat woman -who was sleeping on deck.” - -“What did she do?” asked Harry. - -“She didn’t do anything. She just said ‘Go way wid you now, Pathrick,’ -as if she was half asleep and dreaming. Pathrick must be in the habit -of jumping on her.” - -“Well, if she likes it, that’s her business, not yours,” suggested -Harry. “Go to sleep, do!” - -“I am going to sleep; but I don’t think we ought to spend our nights in -getting run down by steamboats and jumping on strange fat women. I’m -sure it isn’t right. There, you needn’t throw any more shoes at me! I -won’t say another word.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -“Boys,” said Tom, as he was kindling the fire the next morning, “do you -know what day it is?” - -“Saturday, of course,” replied the others. - -“You’re wrong; it’s Sunday.” - -“It can’t be,” exclaimed Harry. - -“But it is,” persisted Tom. “Last night was the sixth night that we’ve -slept out-doors, and we started on a Monday.” - -Tom was right; but it was some time before his companions could -convince themselves that it was actually Sunday. When they finally -admitted that it was Sunday morning, they gave up the idea of -proceeding up the canal, and began to discuss what they had better do. - -The boat, which had been drawn out of the water the night before, was -concealed by a clump of bushes from the canal-boatmen. The boys decided -to leave it where it was, and to carry the tent and most of their -baggage to a grove a quarter of a mile distant, where they could pass -a quiet Sunday. The locks were not yet opened, and no canal-boats were -stirring, and the boys made their way to the grove at once while their -movements were unobserved. They were afraid that if they attracted the -attention of the boatmen to the clump of bushes some one would steal -the _Whitewing_ while her crew were absent. They had already seen -enough of the “canalers” to know that they were a wild and lawless set -of men, and they were not anxious to put the temptation of stealing a -nice boat in their way. - -The grove was a delightful place; and when they had pitched the tent -under the shadow of the great oak-trees, they were glad of the prospect -of a good day’s rest. Tom and Harry walked nearly a mile to church in -the morning, leaving the Sharpe boys to look after the camp, and they -all slept most of the afternoon. - -About dusk, as the fire for cooking supper was blazing briskly, Joe -returned from a foraging expedition, quite out of breath, and with his -milk-pail half empty. He said that he had met three tramps on the road, -which passed through the grove not very far from the camp, and that -they had snatched a pie from him that he had bought at a farm-house, -and had chased him for some distance. - -He had been badly frightened, as he frankly admitted; but the other -boys thought that it was a good joke on him. They told him that the -tramps would track him by the milk that he had spilt, and would -probably attack the camp and scalp him. They soon forgot the adventure, -however, with the exception of Tom; who, although he said nothing at -the time, poured water on the fire as soon as the supper was cooked--an -act which somewhat astonished the rest. Soon afterward he went into -the tent for a few moments, and when he returned he was beginning to -advise Joe not to laugh quite so loud, when the crackling of branches -was heard in the grove, and three very unpleasant-looking men appeared. - -It was fast growing dark, but Joe immediately recognized them as the -tramps who had stolen his pie. “We’ve come to supper,” said one of -them. “Let’s see what you’ve got. Give us the bill of fare, sonny, and -look sharp about it.” - -Tom immediately answered that they had eaten their supper, and that -there was nothing left of it but some coffee. “If you want the coffee, -take it,” said he. “There isn’t anything else for you.” - -“That ain’t a perlite way to treat three gen’lemen as come a long ways -to call on you,” said the tramp. “We’ll just have to help ourselves, -and we’ll begin by looking into your tent. P’raps you’ve got a crust of -bread there, what’ll save a poor starvin’ workin’-man from dyin’ on the -spot!” - -Tom hastily stepped before the tent. “You can’t go into this tent,” he -said, very quietly; “and you’d better leave this camp and go about your -business.” - -“Just hear him,” said the tramp, addressing his companions. “As if this -yere identical camp wasn’t our business. Now, boys,” he continued, -“you’ve got money with you, and you’ve got clothes, and one on you’s -got a watch, and you’re goin’ to give ’em to three honest hard-workin’ -men, or else you’re goin’ to have your nice little throats cut.” - -“Here, boys, quick!” cried Tom, rushing into the tent, where he was -followed by the other boys before the tramps could stop them. “Here, -Harry,” he continued, “take the boat-hook. There’s a hatchet for you, -Jim, and a stick for Joe. Now we’ll see if they can rob us!” So saying, -he stepped outside the tent with the gun in his hand, followed closely -by his little army. - -The ruffians hesitated when they saw the cool way in which Tom -confronted them. So they proposed a compromise, as they called it. -“Look a here,” said the one who had hitherto been the spokesman; “we -ain’t unreasonable, and we’ll compromise this yere business. You give -us your money and that chap’s watch, and we’ll let you alone. That’s -what I call a very handsome offer.” - -“We won’t give you a thing,” replied Tom; “and I’ll shoot the first one -of you that lays a hand on us.” - -The tramps consulted for a moment, and then the leader, with a -frightful oath, ordered Tom to drop that gun instantly. - -Tom never said a word, but he cocked both barrels and waited, with his -eye fixed on the enemy. - -Presently the tramps separated a little, the leader remaining where -he had been standing, and the others moving one to the right and the -other to the left of the boys. They evidently intended to rush on Tom -from three directions at once, and so confuse him and prevent him from -shooting. - -“I’ll take the leader and the man on the right,” whispered Tom to -Harry. “You lay for the other fellow with your boat-hook. I’ve given -you fair warning,” he continued, addressing the ruffians, “and I’ll -fire the minute you try to attack us.” - -[Illustration: THE FIGHT WITH THE TRAMPS.] - -The boys were standing close together in front of the tent, Tom -being a little in advance of the others. Suddenly the leader of the -tramps called out, “Now then!” and all three made a rush toward Tom. He -fired at the tramp in front of him, hitting him in the leg and bringing -him to the ground; but before he could fire again, the other two were -upon him. - -The boys gallantly stood by Tom. Harry attacked one of the tramps -with the boat-hook so fiercely that the fellow cried out that he was -stabbed, and ran away. Meanwhile Tom was struggling with the third -tramp, who had thrown him down, and was trying to wrench the gun from -him, while Jim and Joe were hovering around them afraid to strike at -the tramp for fear of hitting Tom. But now Harry, having driven off his -antagonist, flew to the help of Tom, and seizing the tramp by his hair, -and bracing one knee against his back, dragged him backward to the -ground, and held him there until Tom regained his feet, and, holding -the muzzle of the gun at the robber’s head, called on him to surrender, -which the fellow gladly did. - -“Get some rope, Jim, and tie him!” cried Tom. “Hold on to his hair, -Harry, and I’ll blow his brains out if he offers to move.” - -The tramp was not at all anxious to part with his brains, and he -remained perfectly quiet while Jim and Joe tied his feet together, and -his hands behind his back. - -“Now you stand over him with the boat-hook, Harry,” said Tom, “and I’ll -see to the other fellow.” - -The other fellow was, of course, the man who had been shot. Tom lighted -the lantern, for it was now quite dark, and found that the ruffian had -been shot in the lower part of his right leg, and had fainted from loss -of blood. Taking a towel, Tom tore it into strips, and bound up the -wound, and by the time he had finished the patient became conscious -again, and begged Tom not to take him to prison. - -Now this was precisely what the boys did not want to do, as it would -probably delay them for several days, and perhaps put an end to their -cruise. Tom therefore said to the prisoner, whom Harry was guarding, -that if he would promise to help the wounded man away, and take him -to see a doctor, he would be released. The tramp gladly accepted the -offer, and Harry unfastened the rope from his legs and arms, while Tom -kept his gun in readiness to use it at the first sign of treachery. -The tramps, however, had quite enough of fighting, and were only too -anxious to get away. The wounded man was helped to his feet by his -companion, and the two went slowly off, one half carrying the other, -and both cursing the coward who had run away. As they hobbled off, Tom -called out, “I’m sorry I had to hurt you, but I couldn’t help it, you -know; and if any of you come back here to-night, you’ll find us ready -for you.” - -It was a long time before the boys fell asleep that night, and Tom was -overwhelmed with praise for his coolness and bravery. Though he felt -certain that the tramps would not return, he proposed that a sentinel -should keep guard outside the tent, offering to share that duty with -Harry, since the other boys were not familiar with guns. So all night -long Tom and Harry, relieving one another every two hours, marched up -and down in front of the tent, keeping a sharp watch for robbers, and -preparing for a desperate fight every time they heard the slightest -noise. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -Though no tramps appeared during the night, the sentinels proved to be -useful; for as soon as the day began to dawn, Harry, who was on sentry -duty, called his comrades, and thus they were enabled to get breakfast -early, and to start before six o’clock. They had to wait half an hour -for the first lock to be opened, but after that they had no difficulty -in passing through the other locks. They rowed steadily, taking turns -at the oars, and occasionally fastening the boat to the stern of a -canal-boat, which would tow them while they took a short rest. Early -in the afternoon they reached Fort Edward, where they disembarked; and -Harry and Tom went in search of a team, which they hired to carry them -to Warrensburg, on the Schroon branch of the Hudson. - -When the teamster drove down to the bank of the canal, Tom and the -Sharpe boys began to unload the boat. Harry stopped them. “There isn’t -any use in taking the things out of the boat,” said he. “We can draw -her out of the canal and put her on the wagon just as she is.” - -“Her stern will dip under when we haul her bow out,” said Tom. - -“No it won’t,” replied Harry. - -“Let’s take the things out of the stern-sheets, anyhow,” urged Tom. -“All our shoes are there, and we can’t afford to lose them.” - -“Nothing will happen to them,” answered Harry, confidently. “It’s my -boat, and I’m going to haul her out with the things in her.” - -Tom said no more, but took hold of the bow of the boat with the others, -and they began to pull her out of the water. As Tom had prophesied, -when she was about half-way out her stern dipped under, the water -poured in, and nearly everything in the after-part of the boat floated -out. The harm was done now, so the boys hastily dragged the boat up -the bank, and then began to lament their losses. - -There was not a shoe left, except the shoes that Harry and Tom had put -on when they went in search of the team. The mast and sail and two oars -were floating on the water, and a quantity of small articles, including -the tin frying-pans and a tin pail, had shared the fate of the shoes, -and were lying at the bottom of the canal. - -“It was my fault,” said Harry; “and I beg everybody’s pardon. I’ll -strip and duck for the things till I find them.” So saying, he threw -off his clothes and sprang into the canal. Joe, who was, next to Harry, -the best swimmer of the party, followed his example; and a number of -the villagers and “canalers” collected on the tow-path to watch the -divers. - -The canal was not more than eight feet deep, but the bottom was very -muddy, and the boys had to feel about in the mud with their feet for -the lost articles. They were very fortunate, and before long succeeded -in recovering all the shoes, except one of Joe’s, and several other -things. Meanwhile three women and half a dozen girls, all of whom lived -on board the fleet of canal-boats that were lying near by, joined the -spectators, and seemed to think that the whole business was a capital -joke. Harry and Joe were now anxious to come out of the water; but they -could not come ashore while the women and girls were there, so they -swam some distance up the canal, and crept out behind a barn. - -Meanwhile Tom and Jim were busily bailing out the boat, and arranging -the wet things so that the sun could dry them. They were so busy that -they forgot all about Harry and Joe. Presently Tom said, “Hark! I think -I hear somebody calling.” - -They listened, and presently they heard a voice in the distance -calling, “Tom! Jim! boys! somebody! Bring us our clothes!” - -“It’s Harry and Joe,” exclaimed Tom. “Where on earth are they?” - -[Illustration: HARRY AND JOE IN A TRAP.] - -They looked up the canal, and finally discovered a naked arm waving -frantically from behind a barn that stood near the water. “They -must be behind that barn,” said Tom. “Why, the mosquitoes will eat ’em -alive! I’ll take their clothes to them right away.” So saying, Tom -gathered up the shirts, trousers, and hats of the two unhappy divers, -and ran with them to their owners. He found Harry and Joe crouched -behind the barn, chattering with cold and surrounded by clouds of -eager mosquitoes. “We’ve been here half an hour,” cried Joe, “and the -mosquitoes would have finished us in another half-hour. I think my -right leg is nearly gone already.” - -“And I know I must have lost a gallon of blood,” said Harry. - -“But why on earth did you come here?” asked Tom. - -“Because the canal is just lined with women and girls,” replied Joe. -“They think it’s a circus; but I’m not going to do circus-acting -without tights.” - -The boys hurriedly dressed themselves, and returning to the boat helped -to put it on the wagon; and with the wet shoes hanging from the -cart-rungs they started on their ride to Warrensburg. It was a hot and -tedious ride, and as the wagon had no springs, the boys were bumped so -terribly that they ached all over. They tried to sing, but the words -were bumped out of them in the most startling way; and after singing -one verse of the Star-spangled Banner in this fashion, - - “The St-t-tar-spangl-led-led ba-a-an-na-na--” - -they gave it up. - -About four o’clock they reached Warrensburg, and after getting some -dry sugar to replace that which had been mixed with canal water, they -launched the boat, and rowed up the river. They found it a narrow -stream, with a rapid current and a good depth of water. After their -tiresome ride the smooth motion of the boat seemed delightful, and they -were really sorry when they found it was so late that they must camp -for the night. - -They chose a pleasant sandy spot between the river and the edge of a -thick wood. The opposite bank was also thickly wooded, and they felt as -if they were in the depths of a wilderness; though, in reality, there -were houses quite near at hand. They pitched their tent, made a good -supper--of which they were in need, for they had eaten very little at -noon--and then “turned in.” - -For some reason--perhaps because the mosquitoes had so cruelly -maltreated him--Joe was not sleepy; and after having lain awake a long -time while the other boys were sleeping soundly, he began to feel -lonesome. He heard a great many mysterious noises, as any one who lies -awake in a tent always does. The melancholy call of the loon sounded -ghostly, and the sighing of the wind in the trees seemed to him like -the breathing of huge animals. After awhile he found himself getting -nervous as well as lonesome, and imagined that he saw shadows of -strange objects passing in front of the tent. By-and-by he distinctly -heard the twigs and branches crackling, as somebody or something moved -through the woods. The noise came nearer, and suddenly it flashed upon -Joe that a bear was approaching the tent. He crept carefully to the -opening of the tent, and putting his head out, saw indistinctly a large -animal moving slowly in the shadow of the bushes only three or four -rods from the tent. - -Joe lost no time in waking up the other boys, cautioning them as he did -so not to make the least noise. “There’s a bear close by the tent,” he -whispered. “I’ve been listening to him for a long while, and just now I -saw him.” - -Harry immediately grasped the gun, both barrels of which he had loaded -before going to sleep. Tom wished that he had the hatchet, but as it -had been left in the boat, he had no weapon but his penknife. Thus -armed, the two crept stealthily out of the tent to fight the bear, -leaving Joe and Jim in a very unhappy state of mind, with nothing to -defend themselves against the bear, in case he should attack the tent, -except a tooth-brush and a lantern. - -The outline of the animal could be seen, but Tom and Harry could not -make out which end of it was its head. “You must shoot him just behind -the shoulder,” whispered Tom. “That’s the only spot where you can kill -a bear.” Harry said nothing, but watched carefully to see the animal -move. Presently it threw up either its head or tail--the boys could -not tell which--and started toward the tent. Harry forgot all about -shooting at the shoulder, but in his excitement fired at the animal -generally, without picking out any particular spot in which to plant -his shot. - -The effect of the shot was surprising. The bear set up a tremendous -bellow, and by the flash of the gun the boys saw their dreaded enemy -galloping away, with its horns and tail in the air. Tom burst into a -loud laugh. “Come out, Joe,” he cried. “Your bear’s gone home to be -milked--that is, if Harry hasn’t mortally wounded her.” - -Fortunately, Harry had made a miss; and he found his whole charge -of shot the next morning in the trunk of a big white birch-tree. -The innocent cow that Joe had mistaken for a bear was, however, so -thoroughly frightened that she did not come near the camp again. - -“I stick to it that it was a bear!” said Joe, as the boys were wrapping -themselves in their blankets. “Cows go to roost at sunset. Suppose it -did bellow: how do you know that bears don’t bellow when they are shot?” - -“How about the horns, Joe?” asked Tom. - -“There’s horned owls--why shouldn’t there be horned bears? Anyway, I -believe it was a bear, and I shall stick to it.” And to this day Joe -believes--or thinks he does--that he had a very narrow escape from a -ferocious bear on the banks of the Schroon. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -The cruise up the Schroon was a delightful one while it lasted. The -river was so narrow that the trees on either side frequently met, -forming a green and shady arch. Although there was a road not far -from the river, and there were houses and small villages at a little -distance from its banks, the boys while in their boat saw nothing -but the water, the trees, and the sky, and felt as far removed from -civilization as if they were sailing on an African river. They saw -nothing to shoot, after their adventure with Joe’s bear, and there -were no signs of fish in the water; but they delighted in the wild and -solitary river, and were very much disappointed when, at the close of -the day, they reached a dam so high that it seemed hopeless to try to -carry the boat around it. - -Before camping they walked some distance above the dam, and found that -the river was completely blocked up with logs, which had been cut in -the forest above and floated down to the saw-mill. The men at the mill -said that the boys would find the river choked with logs for a distance -of nearly three miles, and that a little farther up it became a mere -brook, too shallow and rapid to be navigated with the _Whitewing_. - -It was clear that the cruise on the Schroon had come to an end, and -that it would be necessary to hire a wagon to take the boat to the -lake. Having reached this decision, the boys made their camp; and being -very tired, put off engaging a team until morning. - -When morning came, one of the men at the mill came to see them while -they were at breakfast, and advised them not to go to Schroon Lake. He -said that the lake was full of houses--by which he meant that there -were a great many houses along its banks--and that if they were to go -there they would find neither shooting nor fishing. He urged them to -go to another lake which they had never heard of before--Brandt Lake. -It was no farther off than Schroon Lake, and was full of fish. Besides, -it was a wild mountain lake, with only two or three houses near it. The -boys thanked him, and gladly accepted his advice. They had supposed -that Schroon Lake was in the wilderness, and were exceedingly glad -to find out their mistake in time to select a more attractive place. -The owner of the saw-mill furnished them with a wagon, and soon after -breakfast they started for Brandt Lake. - -When, after a pleasant ride, they came in sight of the lake, they were -overjoyed to find how wild and beautiful it was. Steep and thickly -wooded hills surrounded it, except at the extreme southern point, -where they launched their boat. It was not more than two miles wide at -the widest part, and was about five miles in length, and they could -see but two houses--one on the east, and the other on the west shore. -They eagerly hoisted the sail, and started up the lake to search -for a permanent camping-ground; and, after spending the afternoon in -examining almost the entire line of shore, they selected a little rocky -island in the upper part of the lake, which seemed made for their -purpose. - -There was a great deal of work to be done, for they intended to stay at -Brandt Lake for a fortnight. They had to clear away the underbrush, and -cut down several small trees to make room for the tent. Then a small -landing-place had to be built of stones and logs, so that the boat -could approach the island without striking on the sharp rocks which -surrounded it. Then the stores were all to be taken out of the boat, -and placed where they would be dry and easy of access. The provisions -had by this time become nearly exhausted; but the boys had been told -that they could get milk, eggs, butter, bread, and vegetables at one of -the houses which was not more than a mile from the camp, so they were -not troubled to find that of their canned provisions nothing was left -except a can of peaches. - -Of course all this work was not done in one day. On the afternoon of -their arrival at the lake the boys merely pitched the tent, and then -went fishing with a view to supper. Fishing with drop-lines from a -large rock at one end of their little island, they caught perch as -fast as they could pull them in, good-sized pickerel, and two or -three cat-fish. That night they ate a supper that would have made a -boarding-house keeper weep tears of despair, and went to bed rather -happier than they had ever felt before. - -Tom was to row over to the house for milk and other provisions in -the morning; but when morning came the boat was gone. She had broken -loose during the night, not having been properly fastened, and had -floated quietly away. A faint speck was visible on the surface of the -lake about two miles away, which Harry, who had remarkably good eyes, -said was the _Whitewing_. Whether he was right or wrong, it was quite -certain that the boys were imprisoned on the island, with nothing to -eat but a can of peaches and some coffee and sugar. - -The fish, however, were waiting to be caught, and before very long a -breakfast of fish and of coffee without milk was ready. The boys then -began to discuss the important question of how they were to get back -their boat, or to get away from the island. - -It was a mile to the shore, and nobody felt able to swim that distance. -Joe proposed that they fasten one of their shirts to a tall tree, as a -signal of distress, and then fire the gun every minute. The objection -to this plan was that the nearest house was out of sight behind a -little point of land, and that no one would see the signal, or would -understand why the gun was fired. Then Tom proposed to build a raft, -on which two boys could paddle after the runaway boat. This was a -practicable suggestion, and it was at once put into execution. - -[Illustration: HARRY SETS OUT IN PURSUIT OF THE BOAT.] - -It was hard work to cut down timber enough to build a raft, but by -perseverance the raft was finished before noon. It consisted of -four logs laid side by side, and bound together with handkerchiefs, -shoe-strings, green twigs, and a few strips from one of Harry’s -shirts, which he said was unnecessarily long. It was covered with two -or three pieces of flat driftwood; and when it was finished a piece of -board was found which was shaped with the hatchet into a rude paddle. -Then Tom and Harry proceeded to embark. - -The raft floated Harry very well, but promptly sank when Tom also -stepped on it. Either more timber must be added to it, or one boy must -go alone in search of the boat. Harry insisted upon going at once, and -as the lake was perfectly smooth, and he could swim well, there did not -seem to be great risk in his making the voyage alone. Bidding the boys -good-bye, he paddled slowly away, and left his comrades to anxiously -wait for his return. - -It was ticklish work paddling the raft. The logs were fastened together -so insecurely, owing to the fact that all the rope was in the runaway -boat, that Harry was in constant fear that they would come apart, and -was obliged to paddle very carefully to avoid putting any strain on -the raft. With such a craft speed was out of the question; and after -an hour of hard work the raft was only half-way between the island and -the boat. Harry was not easily discouraged, however, and he paddled on, -knowing that if nothing happened he must reach the boat in course of -time. - -Something did happen. When, after paddling for more than two hours, the -_Whitewing_ was rather less than a quarter of a mile from the raft, -Harry missed a stroke with his paddle, and tumbled over. He struck the -raft with his shoulder, and went through it as easily as if it had been -fastened together with paper. When he came to the surface again he -found that the raft had separated into its original logs, and that his -voyage on it was ended. Luckily the _Whitewing_ was now within swimming -distance, so he struck out for her, and finally crept into her over the -stern, so much exhausted that he had to lie down and rest before taking -to the oars. Had the raft gone to pieces half an hour sooner he would -have been in a dangerous position; for it is doubtful if he could have -clung to one of the logs long enough to drift to the shore without -becoming totally exhausted. - -The boys on the island did not witness the end of Harry’s raft, for it -was too far away when the accident occurred for them to see anything -but a little black dot on the water. They became, however, very -anxious about him as the hours went by and he did not come back. Tom -was especially uneasy, and blamed himself for permitting Harry to go -alone. He thought of making another raft and going in search of Harry; -but there were no more strings with which to fasten logs together, -and he did not quite like to tear up his clothes and use them for -that purpose. He did, however, resolve that, if Harry did not come in -sight within another hour, he would take a small log and, putting it -under his arms, try to swim to the main-land and borrow a boat, if one -could be found, in which to search for his comrade. He was spared this -hazardous experiment; for toward the end of the afternoon Harry and -the _Whitewing_ came in sight, and were welcomed with a tremendous -cheer. - -Tom took the boat and went for provisions, and when he returned -the _Whitewing_ was not only dragged on shore, but fastened to two -different trees with two distinct ropes. The boys were determined that -she should not escape again; and when Joe proposed that somebody should -sit up with her all night, so that she could not cut the ropes and run -away, Tom seriously considered the proposal. The next day a snug little -dock was built, in which she seemed quite contented, and from which she -could not escape without climbing over a stone breakwater--a feat of -which there was no reason to believe that she was capable. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -The boys had been on their island for more than a week when they -resolved to make an excursion to Schroon, which was the nearest -village, in order to get some sugar, coffee, and other necessaries. -Schroon Lake, or rather the lower end of it, was not more than five -miles from Brandt Lake; but there was a range of high hills between the -two, and the village of Schroon was situated at the head of the lake, -which was nearly ten miles in length. A long and tiresome journey was, -therefore, before them, and they ought to have started early in the -morning; but they did not start until nearly eleven o’clock. Harry, -Tom, and Joe were to go to Schroon together, and Jim was to stay at the -island until six o’clock, when he was to row over to the west shore -and bring the others back to the camp. - -[Illustration: BIDDING JIM GOOD-BYE.] - -When they bade good-bye to Jim, the three other boys assured him that -they would certainly be back as early as six o’clock, and warned him -not to fail to meet them with the boat. They then started to cross -the hills, following a foot-path, that was so little used that it -was hardly visible. Unfortunately the path led through a thicket of -raspberry bushes, and the fruit was so tempting that the boys lost a -good deal of time by stopping to gather it. After a tiresome tramp -under the mid-day sun they reached the lower end of Schroon Lake, where -they hired a crank little row-boat, and rowed up to Schroon. There was -a fresh northerly breeze which delayed them; and the spray from the bow -of the boat sprinkled them, so that they were uncomfortably wet when -they reached the village. By this time they were very hungry as well -as tired, and so they went to the hotel for dinner. It was half-past -six o’clock when they started to row down the lake, and several men -who saw them warned them that they were running a good deal of risk in -attempting to return at so late an hour. - -The trip down the lake was certainly a rather foolhardy one; for there -was a good deal of wind and sea, and long before they reached the -landing-place it was quite dark. But the boys were anxious to get back -to their camp, and for the first time during the cruise they acted -somewhat recklessly. However, they met with no accident; and when they -had returned the boat to its owner, they set out to cross the hills. - -The path was not easy to find in the daylight, and it was next to -impossible to find it in the night. A dozen times the boys lost -themselves, and were compelled to depend entirely upon the stars to -direct their course. The woods had been all cleared away for a space -of a mile or a mile and a half wide between the two lakes, except just -along the shore of Brandt Lake; so that it was not absolutely necessary -for them to keep in the path, as it would have been had they been -passing through a thick forest. Still it was not pleasant to lose the -path, and stumble over stones and stumps, and of course it made the -journey longer. They must have walked at least seven or eight miles on -their way back before they finally reached their own lake at midnight, -at the point where they expected to find Jim waiting for them. - -Neither Jim nor the boat was there. He had waited until ten o’clock, -and then, making up his mind that they had decided to spend the night -at Schroon, he rowed back to the island, and went calmly to bed. An -hour later a dense fog settled over the lake; and when the tired boys -reached the shore they could see but a few yards in front of their eyes. - -It was a terrible disappointment, but Harry tried to be cheerful. “We -shall have to stay here to-night, boys,” said he; “but we will build a -good fire and keep warm.” Tom said that he thought that was the best -thing to do, for without a fire they would suffer severely from the -cold, wet fog, and he asked Harry if he had any matches. Harry had -none, Joe had none, and Tom had none; so the plan of building a fire -came to nothing. - -The cold gradually chilled them as they stood talking over their -adventure, and their teeth began to chatter. Joe said he wished he -could get hold of Jim for about five minutes, so that he could warm -himself up by convincing him that he ought not to have taken the -boat back to the island. Harry said nothing; but he was wondering -whether he would freeze to death in the fog, and tried to remember how -travellers overtaken by the snow on the Alps contrive to fight off the -terrible drowsiness that steals over them when they are freezing. Tom -was more practical. He did not expect to freeze in July, although he -was miserably cold; and he did not want to punish Jim for a mistake -of judgment. He knew that the house where they were accustomed to get -milk was not far off, and that a boat usually lay on the shore near -the house; so he proposed to Harry and Joe to borrow the boat and make -their way into the camp. - -“If we go to that house at this time of night, we shall get shot,” -remarked Harry. “The man is an ugly-tempered chap, and I heard him say -the other day that if he ever heard anything prowling around the house -at night, he always fired at it.” - -“Then we won’t ask him for his boat: we’ll borrow it without leave, and -Jim can bring it back in the morning,” replied Tom. - -“This is nice conduct for Moral Pirates,” said Joe. “Capturing a vessel -at night is real piracy, and when Jim takes the boat back the man -will be sure to shoot him. I’m sorry for Jim; but I hope it will be -a warning to him not to leave his friends in such a fix that they’ve -either got to borrow a boat without leave, or freeze.” - -They made their way stealthily and with great difficulty to the place -where the boat lay. It was high and dry on the beach, and though the -fog hid the house where the owner of the boat lived, the boys knew that -it was very near. They launched the boat with the utmost caution, lest -any noise should awaken the bad-tempered man with the shotgun. They -had it almost launched, when Harry’s foot slipped on a wet stone, and -he fell with a dismal crash, clinging to the boat, and dragging Tom and -Joe down with him. - -It was very certain that if anything could wake the owner of the boat, -he must be awake by this time; so the boys sprang up, and shoving -the boat into the water regardless of the noise, seized the oars, -and rowed away into the fog. When they had gained what they thought -a safe distance from the shore they ceased rowing, and congratulated -themselves that they were all right at last. To be sure, Harry had -scraped his ankle badly; Tom had forgotten the coffee, and left it on -the shore; and Joe had put the sugar in the bottom of the leaky boat, -where it was rapidly dissolving into sirup; but they were once more -afloat, and expected to reach their comfortable camp within the next -twenty minutes. - -There was not a particle of air stirring, and not a star was visible, -so they had absolutely nothing to steer by. They could not even hear -the sound of the water which ordinarily lapped the shore. Still they -were not discouraged. Harry thought he knew which way the camp lay, and -so he and Tom rowed in what they imagined was the right direction. - -They rowed for two hours without finding the island, and without -reaching the shore. They could not understand it. The lake seemed to -have grown in the night, and to have reached the size of Lake Ontario. -They knew that by daylight they could row across it at its widest part -in less than an hour, but now it seemed impossible to find any shore. -Joe had just suggested that they had made a mistake in coming back from -Schroon, and had walked all the way to Lake Champlain, on which they -were now rowing, when the bow of the boat struck the shore. - -It was some consolation to know that the lake actually had a shore; -but they could not tell what part of the shore they had reached. They -pushed off again, and resumed their hopeless search for the camp. A -new trouble now harassed them. From seeming to have no shore at all, -the lake now seemed to have shrunk to a mere mud-puddle. No matter -in what direction they rowed, they would strike the shore within ten -minutes, and always at a different place. Joe said that he had never -dreamed that so much shore and so little lake could be put together. - -Toward morning Harry and Tom became too tired to row, and they lay down -in the bottom of the wet boat, and tried to keep warm by lying close -to each other. Joe took the oars, and tried to row without hitting the -shore; but he had hardly dipped his oars when the bow grated on the -pebbles. He promptly gave up the attempt, and making the boat fast to a -tree, joined Tom and Harry, and shared their misery. - -They were much too cold and wretched to sleep, but they managed to -keep from growing positively stiff with cold. The sun rose, but it -did not for a long time make any impression on the fog. All at once, -about seven o’clock, the fog vanished; and the boys found themselves -in a little bay near the extreme northerly part of the lake. They had -been rowing across this little bay, first in one direction and then -in another, during all those miserable hours when they found such an -unaccountable quantity of shore. - -Of course they rowed down to the camp, where they found Jim still -sleeping soundly, with a contented, happy look that was awfully -exasperating. They woke him up, and scolded him with all the strength -they had left, and then, putting on dry clothes, “turned in,” and slept -all day. Jim towed the borrowed boat back, but was not shot; and the -boys afterward said that, on the whole, they were rather glad that he -still lived, and that they would mercifully forgive him. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - -There was only one fault to be found with Brandt Lake; there was hardly -anything to shoot in its vicinity. Occasionally a deer could be found; -but at the season of the year when the boys were at the lake it was -contrary to law to kill deer. It was known that there were bears in -that part of the country as well as lynxes--or catamounts, as they -are generally called; but they were so scarce that no one thought of -hunting them. Harry did succeed in shooting three pigeons and a quail, -and Tom shot a gray squirrel; but the bears, deer, catamounts, and -ducks that they had expected to shoot did not show themselves. - -On the other hand, they had any quantity of fishing. Perch and cat-fish -swarmed all around the island; and large pickerel, some of them -weighing six or eight pounds, could be caught by trolling. Two miles -farther north was another lake that was full of trout, and the boys -visited it several times, and found out how delicious a trout is when -it is cooked within half an hour after it is taken out of the water. -In fact they lived principally upon fish, and became so dainty that -they would not condescend to cook any but the choicest trout, and the -plumpest cat-fish and pickerel. - -It must be confessed that there was a good deal of monotony in their -daily life. In the morning somebody went for milk, after which -breakfast was cooked and eaten. Then one of the boys would take the gun -and tramp through the woods in the hope of finding something to shoot, -while the others would either go fishing or lie in the shade. Once -they devoted a whole day to circumnavigating the lake in the boat, and -another day a long rain-storm kept them inside of the tent most of the -time. With these exceptions one day was remarkably like another; and at -the end of two weeks they began to grow a little tired of camping, and -to remember that there were ways of enjoying themselves at home. - -Their final departure from their island camp was caused by an accident. -They had decided to row to the southern end of the lake and engage -a team to meet them the following week and to carry them to Glenn’s -Falls, where they intended to ship the boat on board a canal-boat bound -for New York, and to return home by rail. To avoid the heat of the sun, -they started down the lake immediately after breakfast, and forgot to -put out the fire before they left the island. - -After they had rowed at least a mile, Tom, who sat facing the stern, -noticed a light wreath of smoke rising from the island, and remarked, -“Our fire is burning yet. We ought not to have gone off and left it.” - -Harry looked back, and saw that the cloud of smoke was rapidly -increasing. - -“It’s not the fire that’s making all that smoke!” he exclaimed. - -“What is it, then?” asked Tom. - -“Perhaps it’s water,” said Joe. “I always thought that where there was -smoke there must be fire; but Harry says it isn’t fire.” - -“I mean,” continued Harry, “that we didn’t leave fire enough to make so -much smoke. It must have spread and caught something.” - -“Caught the tent, most likely,” said Tom. “Let’s row back right away -and put it out.” - -“What’s the use?” interrupted Jim. “That tent is as dry as tinder, and -will burn up before we can get half-way there.” - -“We must get back as soon as we can,” cried Harry. “All our things are -in the tent. Row your best, boys, and we may save them yet.” - -The boat was quickly turned, and headed toward the camp. The fire was -rapidly increasing, and it was apparent that the dry underbrush must -have caught; in which case the fire would soon fasten on the trees, and -sweep over the whole of the little island. - -[Illustration: THE EXPLOSION IN CAMP.] - -“There’s one reason why I’m not particularly anxious to help put that -fire out,” Joe remarked, as they approached the island, and could see -that a really alarming fire was in progress. - -“What’s that?” asked Harry. - -“As near as I can calculate, there must be about two pounds--” - -He was interrupted by a loud report from the island, and a shower of -pebbles, sticks, and small articles--among which a shoe and a tin pail -were recognized--shot into the air. - ---“Of powder,” Joe continued, “in the flask. I thought it would blow -up, and now that it’s all gone I don’t mind landing on the island.” - -“Everything must be ruined!” exclaimed Jim. - -“Lucky for us that we put on our shoes this morning,” Tom remarked, as -he rowed steadily on. “That must have been one of my other pair that -just went up. I remember I put them in the corner of the tent close by -the powder.” - -When they reached the island they could not at first land, on account -of the heat of the flames; but they could plainly see that the tent and -everything in it had been totally destroyed. After waiting for half an -hour the fire burnt itself out, so that they could approach their dock -and land on the smoking ash heap that an hour before had been such a -beautiful, shady spot. There was hardly anything left that was of any -use. A tin pan, a fork, and the hatchet were found uninjured; but all -their clothing and other stores were either burnt to ashes or so badly -scorched as to be useless. Quite overwhelmed by their disaster, the -boys sat down and looked at one another. - -“We’ve got to go home now, whether we want to or not,” Harry said, as -he poked the ashes idly with a stick. - -“Well, we meant to go home in a few days anyway,” said Tom; “so the -fire hasn’t got very much the better of us.” - -“But I hate to have everything spoiled, and to have to go in this sort -of way. Our tin pans and fishing-tackle aren’t worth much, but all our -spare clothes have gone.” - -“You’ve got your uncle’s gun in the boat, so that’s all right,” -suggested Tom, encouragingly. “As long as the gun and the boat are -safe, we needn’t mind about a few flannel shirts and things.” - -“But it’s such a pity to be driven away when we were having such a -lovely time,” continued Harry. - -“That’s rubbish, Harry,” said Joe. “We were all beginning to get tired -of camping out. I think it’s jolly to have the cruise end this way, -with a lot of fireworks. It’s like the transformation scene at the -theatre. Besides, it saves us the trouble of carrying a whole lot of -things back with us.” - -“The thing to do now,” remarked Tom, “is to row right down to the -outlet, and get a team to take us to Glenn’s Falls this afternoon. We -can’t sleep here, unless we build a hut, and then we wouldn’t have a -blanket to cover us. Don’t let’s waste any more time talking about it.” - -“That’s so! Take your places in the boat, boys, and we’ll start for -home.” So saying, Harry led the way to the boat, and in a few moments -the _Whitewing_ was homeward bound. - -The boys were lucky enough to find a man who engaged to take them to -Glenn’s Falls in time to catch the afternoon train for Albany. They -stopped at the Falls only long enough to see the _Whitewing_ safely -on board a canal-boat, and they reached Albany in time to go down the -river on the night-boat. - -After a supper that filled the colored waiters with astonishment and -horror, the boys selected arm-chairs on the forward deck, and began -to talk over the cruise. They all agreed that they had had a splendid -time, in spite of hard work and frequent wettings. - -“We’ll go on another cruise next summer, sure,” said Harry. “Where -shall we go?” - -Tom was the first to reply. Said he, “I’ve been thinking that we can do -better than we did this time.” - -“How so?” asked the other boys. - -“The _Whitewing_ is an awfully nice boat,” Tom continued, “but she is -too small. We ought to have a boat that we can sleep in comfortably, -and without getting wet every night.” - -“But, then,” Harry suggested, “you couldn’t drag a bigger boat round a -dam.” - -“We can’t drag the _Whitewing_ round much of a dam. She’s too big to be -handled on land, and too little to be comfortable. Now, here’s my plan.” - -“Let’s have it,” cried the other boys. - -“We can hire a cat-boat about twenty feet long, and she’ll be big -enough, so that we can rig up a canvas cabin at night. We can anchor -her, and sleep on board her every night. We can carry mattresses, so we -needn’t sleep on stones and stumps--” - ---“And coffee-pots,” interrupted Joe. - ---“And we can take lots of things, and live comfortably. We can sail -instead of rowing; and though I like to row as well as the next fellow, -we’ve had a little too much of that. Now we’ll get a cat-boat next -summer, and we’ll cruise from New York Bay to Montauk Point. We can -go all the way through the bays on the south side, and there are only -three places where we will have to get a team of horses to drag the -boat across a little bit of flat meadow. I know all about it, for I -studied it out on the map one day. What do you say for that for a -cruise?” - -“I’ll go,” said Harry. - -“And I’ll go,” said Jim. - -“Hurrah for the cat-boat!” said Joe. “We can be twice as moral and -piratical in a sail-boat as we can in a row-boat, even if it is the -dear little _Whitewing_.” - - -THE END. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - - Archaic or variant spelling has been retained. - - The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber using - the original cover as the background and is entered into the - public domain. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MORAL PIRATES *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/68732-0.zip b/old/68732-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 13b119d..0000000 --- a/old/68732-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h.zip b/old/68732-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 23b5478..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/68732-h.htm b/old/68732-h/68732-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 40c80f3..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/68732-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4118 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<head> - <meta charset="UTF-8" /> - <title> - The moral pirates, by W. L. Alden—A Project Gutenberg eBook - </title> - <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover" /> - <style> /* <![CDATA[ */ - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tiny {width: 10%; margin-left: 45%; margin-right: 45%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - -.tdr {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-variant: normal; - text-indent: 0; -} - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; -} - -.x-ebookmaker .blockquot { - margin-left: 7.5%; - margin-right: 7.5%; -} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -.ph1 {text-align: center; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph2 {text-align: center; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;} - -div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} -div.titlepage p {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 2em;} - -.large {font-size: 125%;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: center;} - -.gap {padding-left: 3em;} -.gap2 {padding-left: 8em;} -.gap3 {padding-left: 2em;} - -.x-ebookmaker .hide {display: none; visibility: hidden;} - -img.drop-cap -{ - float: left; - margin: 0 0.5em 0 0; -} - -p.drop-cap:first-letter -{ - color: transparent; - visibility: hidden; - margin-left: -0.9em; -} - -.x-ebookmaker img.drop-cap -{ - display: none; -} - -.x-ebookmaker p.drop-cap:first-letter -{ - color: inherit; - visibility: visible; - margin-left: 0; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; - page-break-inside: avoid; - max-width: 100%; -} - -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; - padding: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - - /* ]]> */ </style> -</head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The moral pirates, by W. L. Alden</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The moral pirates</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: W. L. Alden</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: A. B. Frost</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: August 12, 2022 [eBook #68732]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Richard Hulse, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MORAL PIRATES ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter hide"><img src="images/coversmall.jpg" width="450" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_0"></span> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_002.jpg" alt="THE TIDE AGAINST THEM" /></div> - -<p class="caption"><span class="gap2">THE TIDE AGAINST THEM. </span><span class="gap"> [<i>Page <a href="#Page_23">23</a>.</i></span></p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_titlepage.jpg" alt="" /></div> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> -<h1> -THE MORAL PIRATES</h1> - -<p>BY<br /> -<span class="large">W. L. ALDEN</span></p> - -<p><i>ILLUSTRATED</i></p> - -<p>NEW YORK<br /> -HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE<br /> -1881</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center"> -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by<br /> -<br /> -HARPER & BROTHERS,<br /> -<br /> -In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<i>All rights reserved.</i></p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak">ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> -</div> - -<table> -<tr><td>THE TIDE AGAINST THEM</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_0"> <i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>THE “WHITEWING” AT HARLEM</td><td class="tdr"> <i>faces page</i>     <a href="#13a">13</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>HARRY SWIMS FOR THE EDDY</td><td class="tdr"> “ <span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#27a">27</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>“IF YOU WANT TO DIG, DIG. I DON’T INTEND TO DO ANY<br />     MORE DIGGING”   </td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#43a">43</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>THE SOUP EXPLOSION</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#53a">53</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>THE BOYS BUILT A ROARING FIRE ON A LARGE FLAT<br />     ROCK</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#58a">58</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>JOE IS CAUGHT</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#64a">64</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>MUMBLE-THE-PEG</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#72a">72</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>LIFTING THE BOAT OVER THE PILES</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#81a">81</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>GOING THROUGH THE LOCK</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>       <a href="#93a">93</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>THE FIGHT WITH THE TRAMPS</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>     <a href="#104a">104</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>HARRY AND JOE IN A TRAP</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>     <a href="#112a">112</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>HARRY SETS OUT IN PURSUIT OF THE BOAT</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>     <a href="#124a">124</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>BIDDING JIM GOOD-BYE</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>     <a href="#130a">130</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>THE EXPLOSION IN CAMP</td><td class="tdr"> “<span class="gap3"> “</span>     <a href="#143a">143</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span> - -<p class="ph2">THE MORAL PIRATES.</p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE truth is, John,” said Mr. Wilson to his -brother, “I am troubled about my boy. -Here it is the first of July, and he can’t go -back to school until the middle of September. He -will be idle all that time, and I’m afraid he’ll get -into mischief. Now, the other day I found him reading -a wretched story about pirates. Why should a -son of mine care to read about pirates?”</p> - -<p>“Because he’s a boy. All boys like piratical stories. -I know, when I was a boy, I thought that if I -could be either a pirate or a stage-driver I should be -perfectly happy. Of course you don’t want Harry<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span> -to read rubbish; but it doesn’t follow because a boy -reads stories about piracy, that he wants to commit -murder and robbery. I didn’t want to kill anybody: -I wanted to be a moral and benevolent pirate. -But here comes Harry across the lawn. What -will you give me if I will find something for him to -do this summer that will make him forget all about -piracy?”</p> - -<p>“I only wish you would. Tell me what your -plan is.”</p> - -<p>“Come here a minute, Harry,” said Uncle John. -“Now own up; do you like books about pirates?”</p> - -<p>“Well, yes, uncle, I do.”</p> - -<p>“So did I when I was your age. I thought it -would be the best fun in the world to be a Red Revenger -of the Seas.”</p> - -<p>“Wouldn’t it, though!” exclaimed Harry. “I -don’t mean it would be fun to kill people, and to -steal watches, but to have a schooner of your own, -and go cruising everywhere, and have storms and—and—hurricanes, -you know.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9]</span>“Why shouldn’t you do it this summer?” asked -Uncle John. “If you want to cruise in a craft of -your own, you shall do it; that is, if your father -doesn’t object. A schooner would be a little too big -for a boy of thirteen; but you and two or three other -fellows might make a splendid cruise in a row-boat. -You could have a mast and sail, and you could take -provisions and things, and cruise from Harlem all -the way up into the lakes in the Northern woods. -It would be all the same as piracy, except that you -would not be committing crimes, and making innocent -people wretched.”</p> - -<p>“Uncle John, it would be just gorgeous! We’d -have a gun and a lot of fishing-lines, and we could -live on fish and bears. There’s bears in the woods, -you know.”</p> - -<p>“You won’t find many bears, I’m afraid; but you -would have to take a gun, and you might possibly -find a wild-cat or two. Who is there that would go -with you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, there’s Tom Schuyler, and Joe and Jim<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[10]</span> -Sharpe; and there’s Sam M‘Grath—though he’d be -quarrelling all the time. Maybe Charley Smith’s -father would let him go. He is a first-rate fellow. -You’d ought to see him play base-ball once!”</p> - -<p>“Three boys besides yourself would be enough. -If you have too many, there will be too much risk of -quarrelling. There is one thing you must be sure of—no -boy must go who can’t swim.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, all the fellows can swim, except Bill Town. -He was pretty near drowned last summer. He’d -been bragging about what a stunning swimmer he -was, and the boys believed him; so one day one of -the fellows shoved him off the float, where we go -in swimming at our school, and he thought he was -dead for sure. The water was only up to his neck, -but he couldn’t swim a stroke.”</p> - -<p>“Well, if you can get three good fellows to go -with you—boys that you know are not blackguards, -but are the kind of boys that your father would be -willing to have you associate with—I’ll give you a -boat and a tent, and you shall have a better cruise<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span> -than any pirate ever had; for no real pirate ever -found any fun in being a thief and a murderer. You -go and see Tom and the Sharpe boys, and tell them -about it. I’ll see about the boat as soon as you have -shipped your crew.”</p> - -<p>“You are quite sure that your plan is a good -one?” asked Mr. Wilson, as the boy vanished, with -sparkling eyes, to search for his comrades. “Isn’t it -very risky to let the boys go off by themselves in a -boat? Won’t they get drowned?”</p> - -<p>“There is always more or less danger in boating,” -replied Uncle John; “but the boys can swim; and -they cannot learn prudence and self-reliance without -running some risks. Yes, it is a good plan, I am -sure. It will give them plenty of exercise in the -open air, and will teach them to like manly, honest -sports. You see that the reason Harry likes piratical -stories is his natural love of adventure. I venture -to predict that if their cruise turns out well, those -four boys will think stories of pirates are stupid as -well as silly.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[12]</span>So the matter was decided. Harry found that -Tom Schuyler and the Sharpe boys were delighted -with the plan, and Uncle John soon obtained the -consent of Mr. Schuyler and Mr. Sharpe. The boys -immediately began to make preparations for the -cruise; and Uncle John bought a row-boat, and employed -a boat-builder to make such alterations as -were necessary to fit his for service.</p> - -<p>The boat was what is called a Whitehall row-boat. -She was seventeen feet long, and rowed very easily, -and she carried a small mast with a spritsail. By -Uncle John’s orders an air-tight box, made of tin, -was fitted into each end of the boat, so that, even -if she were to be filled with water, the air in the tin -boxes would float her. She was painted white outside, -with a narrow blue streak, and dark brown inside. -Harry named her the <i>Whitewing</i>; and his -mother made a beautiful silk signal for her, which -was to be carried at the sprit when under sail, and -on a small staff at the bow of the boat at other -times. For oars there were two pairs of light seven-foot<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span> -sculls, and a pair of ten-foot oars, each of which -was to be pulled by a single boy. The rudder was -fitted with a yoke and a pair of lines, and the sail -was of new and very light canvas. On one side of -the boat was a little locker, made to hold a gun; -and on the other side were places for fishing-rods -and fishing-tackle. When she was brought around -to Harlem, and Harry saw her for the first time, he -was so overjoyed that he turned two or three hand-springs, -bringing up during the last one against a -post—an exploit which nearly broke his shin, and -induced his uncle to remark that he would never -rise to distinction as a Moral Pirate unless he could -give up turning hand-springs while on duty.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="13a"><img src="images/i_012b.jpg" alt="THE WHITEWING AT HARLEM" /></div> -<p class="caption">THE “WHITEWING” AT HARLEM.</p> - -<p>Harry could row very fairly, for he belonged to a -boat-club at school. It was not very much of a club; -but then the club-boat was not very much of a boat, -being a small, flat-bottomed skiff, which leaked so -badly that she could not be kept afloat unless one -boy kept constantly at work bailing. However, -Harry learned to row in her, and he now found this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span> -knowledge very useful. He was anxious to start on -the cruise immediately, but his uncle insisted that -the crew must first be trained. “I must teach you -to sail, and you must teach your crew to row,” said -Uncle John. “The Department will never consent -to let a boat go on a cruise unless her commander -and her crew know their duty.”</p> - -<p>“What’s the Department?” asked Harry.</p> - -<p>“The Navy Department in the United States service -has the whole charge of the Navy, and sends vessels -where it pleases. Now, I consider that I represent -a Department of Moral Piracy, and I therefore -superintend the fitting out of the <i>Whitewing</i>. You -can’t expect moral piracy to flourish unless you respect -the Department, and obey its orders.”</p> - -<p>“All right, uncle,” replied Harry. “Of course the -Department furnishes stores and everything else for -a cruise, doesn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“I suppose it must,” said his uncle, laughing. “I -didn’t think of that when I proposed to become a -department.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span>The boys met every day at Harlem and practised -rowing. Uncle John taught them how to sail the -boat, by letting them take her out under sail when -there was very little breeze, while he kept close -along-side in another boat very much like the <i>Whitewing</i>. -Harry sat in the stern-sheets, holding the -yoke-lines. Tom Schuyler, who was fourteen years -old, and a boy of more than usual prudence, sat on -the nearest thwart and held the sheet, which passed -under a cleat without being made fast to it, in his -hand. Next came Jim Sharpe, whose business it was -to unship the mast when the captain should order -sail to be taken in; and on the forward thwart sat -Joe Sharpe, who was not quite twelve, and who kept -the boat-hook within reach, so as to use it on coming -to shore. The boys kept the same positions when -rowing, Tom Schuyler being the stroke. Uncle John -told them that if every one always had the same -seat, and had a particular duty assigned to him, it -would prevent confusion and dispute, and greatly -increase the safety of the vessel and crew.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span>It was not long before Harry could sail the boat -nicely, and the others, by attending closely to Uncle -John’s lessons, learned almost as much as their young -captain. So far as boat-sailing can be taught in fair -weather, Harry was carefully and thoroughly taught -in six or seven lessons, and could handle the <i>Whitewing</i> -beautifully; but the ability to judge of the -weather, to tell when it is going to blow, and how -the wind will probably shift, can of course be learned -only by actual experience.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER II.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_017.jpg" width="75" height="87" alt="W" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">WHEN Uncle John announced that the Department -was satisfied with the ability of -the captain and crew to manage the <i>Whitewing</i>, -the day for sailing was fixed, and the boys -laid in their stores. Each one had a fishing-line -and hooks, and Harry and Tom each took a fishing-pole—two -poles being as many as were needed, -since most of the fishing would probably be done -with drop-lines. Uncle John lent Harry his double-barrelled -gun, and a supply of ammunition. Each -boy took a tin plate, a tin cup, knife, fork, and spoon. -For cooking purposes, the boat carried a coffee-pot, -two tin cake-pans, which could be used as frying-pans -as well as for other purposes, and two small -tin pails. Harry’s mother lent him several large<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span> -round tin boxes, in which were stored four pounds -of coffee, two pounds of sugar, a pound of Indian -meal, a large quantity of crackers, some salt, and a -little pepper. The rest of the provisions consisted -of two cans of soup, two cans of corned-beef, a can of -roast-beef, two small cans of devilled chicken, four -cans of fresh peaches, a little package of condensed -beef for making beef-tea, and a cold boiled ham. -The boat was furnished with an <b>A</b> tent, four rubber -blankets and four woollen blankets, a hatchet, a -quantity of spare cordage, a little bull’s-eye lantern, -which burnt olive-oil, a few copper nails, a pair of -pliers, and a small piece of zinc and a little white-lead -for mending a leak. Of course there was a bottle -of oil for the lantern; and Mrs. Schuyler added -a little box of pills and a bottle of “Hamlin’s Mixture” -as medical stores. The boys wore blue flannel -trousers and shirts, and each one carried an extra -pair of trousers, and an extra shirt instead of a coat. -These, with a few pairs of stockings and two or three -handkerchiefs, were all the clothing that they needed,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span> -so Uncle John said; though the boys had imagined -that they must take at least two complete -suits. He showed them that two flannel shirts worn -at the same time, one over the other, would be as -warm as one shirt and a coat, and that if their clothing -became wet, it could be easily dried. “Flannel -and the compass are the two things that are indispensable -to navigation,” said Uncle John: “if flannel -shirts had not been invented, Columbus would -never have crossed the Atlantic.” Perhaps there -was a little exaggeration in this; but when we remember -that flannel is the only material that is -warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather, and -that dries almost as soon as it is wrung out and -hung in the wind, it is difficult to see how sailors -could do without it.</p> - -<p>The boys agreed very readily to take with them -only what Uncle John advised. Tom Schuyler, however, -was very anxious to take a heavy iron vise, -which he said could be screwed on the gunwale of -the boat, and might prove to be very useful, although<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span> -he could not say precisely what he expected -to use it for. Joe Sharpe also wanted to take a base-ball -and bat, but neither the vise nor the ball and -bat were taken.</p> - -<p>The <i>Whitewing</i> started from the foot of East -127th Street, on a Monday morning in the middle -of July, at about nine o’clock. Quite a small crowd -of friends were present to see the boys off, and the -neat appearance of the boat and her crew attracted -the attention of all the idlers along the shore. -When all the cargo was stowed, and everything was -ready, Uncle John called the boys aside, and said, -“Now, boys, you must sign the articles.”</p> - -<p>“What are articles?” asked all the boys at once.</p> - -<p>“They are certain regulations, which every respectable -pirate, or any other sailor for that matter, must -agree to keep when he joins a ship. I’ll read the -articles, and if any of you don’t like any one of them -say so frankly, for you must not begin a cruise in a -dissatisfied state of mind. Here are the articles:</p> - -<p>“‘I. <i>We, the captain and crew of the</i> Whitewing,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span> -<i>promise to decide all disputed questions by the vote -of the majority, except questions concerning the management -of the boat. The orders of the captain, in all -matters connected with the management of the boat, -shall be promptly obeyed by the crew.</i>’</p> - -<p>“Now, if anybody thinks that the captain should -not have the full control of the boat, let him say -so at once. Very likely the captain will make mistakes; -but the boat will be safer, even if the crew -obeys a wrong order, than it would be if every order -should be debated by the crew. You can’t hold -town-meetings when you are afloat. Harry, I think, -understands pretty well how to sail the boat. Will -you agree to obey his orders?”</p> - -<p>All the boys said they would; and Joe Sharpe -added that he thought the captain ought to have the -right to put mutineers in irons.</p> - -<p>“That, let us hope, will not be necessary,” said -Uncle John. “Now listen to the second article:</p> - -<p>“‘II. <i>We promise not to take corn, apples, or other -property without permission of the owner.</i>’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[22]</span>“You will very likely camp near some field where -corn, or potatoes, or something eatable, is growing. -Many people think there is no harm in taking a few -ears of corn or a half-dozen apples. I want you to -remember that to take anything that is not your -own, unless you have permission to do so, is stealing. -It’s an ugly word, but it can’t be smoothed over in -any way. Do you object to this article?”</p> - -<p>Nobody objected to it. “We’re moral pirates, -Uncle John,” said Tom Schuyler, “and we won’t disgrace -the Department by stealing.”</p> - -<p>“I know you would not, except through thoughtlessness. -Now these are all the articles. I did think -of asking you not to quarrel or to use bad language, -but I don’t believe it is necessary to ask you to -make such a promise, and if it were, you probably -would not keep it. So, sign the articles, give them -to the captain, and take your stations.”</p> - -<p>The articles were signed. The captain seated himself -in the stern-sheets, and took the yoke-lines. The -rest took their proper places, and Joe Sharpe held<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span> -the boat to the dock by the boat-hook. “Are you -all ready?” cried Uncle John. “All ready, sir!” answered -Harry. “Then give way with your oars! -Good-bye, boys, and don’t forget to send reports to -the Department.”</p> - -<p>The boat glided away from the shore with Tom -and Jim each pulling a pair of sculls. The group on -the dock gave the boys a farewell cheer, and in a few -moments they were hid from sight by the Third Avenue -bridge. The tide was against them, but the -day was a cool one for the season, and the boys rowed -steadily on in the very best of spirits. There was -a light south wind, but, as there were several bridges -to pass, Harry thought it best not to set the sail before -reaching the Hudson River. It required careful -steering to avoid the steamboats, bridge-piles, and -small boats; but the <i>Whitewing</i> was guided safely, -and her signal—a red flag with a white cross—floated -gayly at the bow.</p> - -<p>Uncle John had made one serious mistake: he had -forgotten all about the tide, and never thought of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span> -the difficulty the boys would find in passing Farmersbridge -with the tide against them. They had passed -High Bridge, and had entered a part of the river -with which the boys were not familiar, when Joe -Sharpe suddenly called out, “There’s a low bridge -right ahead that we can’t pass.” A few more -strokes of the oars enabled Harry to see a long low -bridge, which completely blocked up the river except -at one place, that seemed not much wider than the -boat. Through this narrow channel the tide was -rushing fiercely, the water heaping itself up in waves -that looked unpleasantly high and rough. The boat -was rowed as close as possible to the opening under -the bridge; but the current was so strong that the -boys could not row against it, and even if they had -been able to stem it, the channel was too narrow to -permit them to use the oars.</p> - -<p>Harry ordered the boat to be rowed up to the -bridge at a place where there was a quiet eddy, and -all the crew went ashore to contrive some way of -overcoming the difficulty. Presently Harry thought<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25]</span> -of a plan. “If we could get the painter under the -bridge, we could pull the boat through easy enough -if there was nobody in her.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all very well,” said Joe, “but how are you -going to get the painter through?”</p> - -<p>“I know,” cried Jim. “Let’s take a long piece of -rope and drop it in the water the other side of the -bridge. The current will float it through, and we -can catch it and tie it to the painter.”</p> - -<p>The plan seemed a good one; and so the boys took -a piece of spare rope from the boat, tied a bit of board -to one end of it for a float, dropped the float into -the water, and held on to the other end of the rope. -When the float came in sight below the bridge they -caught it with the boat-hook, and, throwing away -the piece of board, tied the rope to the painter. -“Now let Joe Sharpe get in the bow of the boat, to -keep her from running against anything, and we’ll -haul her right through,” exclaimed Harry.</p> - -<p>Joe took his place in the bow, and, pushing the -boat off, let her float into the current. Then the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[26]</span> -three other boys pulled on the rope, and were delighted -to see the boat glide under the bridge. Suddenly -Joe gave a wild yell. “She’s sinking, boys!” -he cried: “let go the rope, or I’ll be drowned!” The -boys, terribly frightened, dropped the rope, and in another -minute the boat floated back on the current, -half full of water, and without Joe. Almost as soon -as it came in sight, Harry had thrown off his shoes -and jumped into the river.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="27a"><img src="images/i_026b.jpg" alt="HARRY SWIMS FOR THE EDDY" /></div> -<p class="caption">HARRY SWIMS FOR THE EDDY.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER III.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_027.jpg" width="75" height="84" alt="A" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">AS Harry vanished, Joe’s head appeared, as he -climbed up the side of the bridge and joined -his brother and Tom. Their anxiety was -now for Harry, who had been swept through the -channel under the bridge, and was manfully swimming -toward the eddy where the boys had landed. -He came ashore none the worse for his bath, and was -delighted to find that Joe was not only safe but dry. -Joe explained that the boat had drifted against one -of the piles of the bridge, and the current and the -tow-rope together had forced one of her sides so low -down that the water began to pour in. Joe thought -that if the river intended to get into the boat, he -had better get out; so he sprung up and caught one -of the timbers of the bridge, and so climbed safely<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span> -up to the roadway. The boat, relieved of his weight -and freed from the tow-line, drifted quietly away, -and was now floating peacefully on the river about -twenty rods from the shore.</p> - -<p>Luckily an old man in a row-boat saw the runaway -<i>Whitewing</i>, and kindly caught her and brought -her up to the bridge. As the boys baled her out, -they told him how the accident happened, and the -gruff old man said it “sarved ’em right.” “When -you tow a boat next time,” he continued, “you’ll -know enough to put all your weight in the stern. -Did you ever see a steamboat towing a row-boat -with a man in the bow? If ever you do, you’ll see -him going overboard mighty quick. A boat’ll sheer -all over creation if you tow her with a fellow in the -bow. You just put the biggest of you fellows in -the stern of that there boat, and she’ll go through -under the bridge just as steady as a church.”</p> - -<p>The boys gladly took the old man’s advice. When -the boat was baled out, they floated the rope down -again, and when it was made fast, Tom Schuyler, who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span> -was the heaviest of the boys, offered to sit in the -stern. His weight brought the bow of the boat out -of the water, and she was towed quickly and safely -through. The boys resumed their places as soon as -Harry had put on dry clothes, and after a short and -easy row glided under the Spuyten Duyvel railway -bridge, and found themselves on the broad and placid -Hudson. They rowed on for nearly a mile, and -then, having found a little sandy cove, ran the boat -aground, and went ashore to rest. After a good -swim, which all greatly enjoyed, including Harry, -who said that his recent bath at Farmersbridge -ought not to be counted, since it was more of a duty -than a pleasure, they sat down to eat a nice cold -lunch of ham sandwiches that Mrs. Wilson had kindly -prepared; and when they were no longer hungry, -they stretched themselves lazily in the shade.</p> - -<p>“Well, boys,” said Harry, “we made a big mistake -at the bridge; but we learned something, and we -won’t get the boat swamped that way again.”</p> - -<p>“I’m awfully obliged to Harry for jumping in after<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span> -me,” said Joe; “but it’s the first time I ever -heard of a captain jumping over after a sailor. -When a sailor falls overboard, the captain just stands -on the deck and looks around, kind of careless like, -while the second mate and four sailors jump into a -boat and pick the man up. That’s the way it’s done; -for I know a fellow that saw a man fall overboard -on a steamship, and he said that was how the captain -did.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” said Harry; “I won’t jump in for -you again, Joe. The fact is, boys, I oughtn’t to have -done it without waiting to find out whether there -was really anything the matter with Joe. I’ll tell -you what we’ll do. Joe is a first-rate swimmer, and -we’ll make a rule that whenever anybody is to jump -into the river for anything, Joe shall do it. What -do you say?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’m willing enough,” said Joe. “I don’t care -who jumps as long as the captain don’t. It won’t -look well for the captain to be all the time jumping -overboard to pick somebody up.”</p> - -<p>“A better rule,” remarked Tom, “would be that -no fellow shall fall overboard.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span>“I move to amend that,” cried Jim, “by forbidding -any accidents to happen to any of us.”</p> - -<p>“But you can’t do that,” said Tom, who never -understood a joke. “Accidents never would happen -if people could help themselves.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Harry, “if the rest of you will agree -not to fall overboard, I’ll promise that the captain -sha’n’t spend all his time in jumping after you. But -if you are all ready, we’d better start on. There’s a -nice little breeze, and we can rest in the boat.”</p> - -<p>By this time Harry’s shirt and trousers, which had -been wrung out and hung up on a bush, were perfectly -dry. He packed them away with his rubber -blanket rolled tightly around them, and Jim attended -to the duty of stepping the mast. Then the boys -took their places, and Joe pushed the boat off with -the boat-hook. The gentle breeze filled the sail, and -the <i>Whitewing</i> went peacefully on her way up the -river.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span>“Boys,” said Harry, presently, “it’s getting awfully -hot.”</p> - -<p>“That’s because we’re sailing right before the -wind,” said Tom. “We are going just about as fast -as the wind goes, and that’s the reason why we don’t -feel it.”</p> - -<p>“Is this a lecture on wind, by Professor Thomas -Schuyler?” asked Joe. “Because if it is, I’d rather -hear it when it’s cooler. Let’s go over to the other -side of the river, where we can get in the shade of -the Palisades.”</p> - -<p>It was now about three o’clock, and the sun was -very hot. The boat seemed to the boys to creep -across the river, and the Palisades seemed to move -away just as fast as they approached them. When -they finally did come into the shadow of those huge -rocks, they thought they had never known anything -so delightful as the change from the scorching sunshine -to the cool shade. Joe and his brother stretched -themselves out, and put their blankets under their -heads; presently they grew tired of talking, and in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[33]</span> -a little while they were fast asleep. Tom was not -sleepy; but he was so delighted with the beauty of -the shore, as seen from the boat, that he did not care -to talk.</p> - -<p>For a long time the boat glided stealthily along. -The Palisades were passed, and a long pier projecting -into the river from the west shore gradually came -in sight. When the boat came up with the pier, half -a dozen barges lay along-side of it, into which men -were sliding enormous cakes of ice. The Sharpe boys -woke up, and proposed to stop and get a little ice. -The men let them pick up as many small pieces of ice -as they could carry, and they went on their way so -much refreshed that they chattered away as gayly as -possible.</p> - -<p>Uncle John had warned them to select a camping-ground -long before dark. They remembered this -advice, and at about five o’clock they landed on a -little low point of land a few miles below the entrance -to the Highlands. They first hauled the boat -a little way up the beach, so that it would be sure<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[34]</span> -not to float off, and then began to take the tent, the -cooking things, and the provisions for supper out of -her.</p> - -<p>“We want to pitch the tent and make a fire,” said -Harry, “and somebody ought to get some milk. -Let’s pitch the tent first.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll do that,” said Tom, “while you fellows get -the supper.”</p> - -<p>“It takes two or three fellows to pitch the tent,” -said Harry; “you can’t do it alone.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll undertake to pitch it alone,” replied Tom. -“One of you can get firewood, one can go for milk, -and the other can get out the things for supper. -Here goes for the tent.”</p> - -<p>The tent was furnished with two upright poles -and a ridge-pole, each one of which was made in -two pieces and joined together with ferules, like a -fishing-rod. Tom selected a soft sandy spot close by -the water’s edge, where he spread out the tent, and -pinned down each of the four corners with rough -wooden pins, which he cut with the hatchet from a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span> -piece of driftwood. Then he crept under the canvas -with the poles. He put one of the upright poles in -its place with the end of the ridge-pole over it, and -then, holding the other end of the ridge-pole in one -hand, he put the second pole in position with his -other hand, and pushed the end of the ridge-pole -into its proper place. The tent was now pitched; -and all that remained to be done was to tighten the -four corner pegs and to drive in the other ones.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Jim had taken one of the pails and -gone toward a distant farm-house for milk. Joe had -collected a pile of firewood, and Harry had lighted -the fire and put the other tin pail half full of water -to boil over it. By the time the water had boiled, -Jim had returned, bringing the milk with him. It -did not take long to make coffee; and then the boys -sat down on the sand, each with a tin cup of hot -coffee at his side, and proceeded to eat a supper of -ham sandwiches and cake. It was not the kind of -supper that they expected to have on subsequent -nights; but Mrs. Wilson’s sandwiches and cake had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span> -to be eaten in order to keep them from spoiling. -After the coffee was gone they each had a cup of -cold milk, and then put the rest of it in a shady -place to be used for breakfast. The provisions were -carefully covered up, so as to protect them in case -of rain, and then the beds were made. This last -operation was a very easy one, since the sand was -soft enough for a mattress, and all that needed to -be done was to spread the rubber blankets on the -ground as a protection from the damp. Then the -boys rolled up their spare clothing for pillows, and, -wrapping themselves in their blankets, were soon -sound asleep.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IV.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_037.jpg" width="75" height="88" alt="S" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">SOME time in the middle of the night Joe -Sharpe woke up from a dream that he had -fallen into the river, and could not get out. -He thought that he had caught hold of the supports -of a bridge, and had drawn himself partly out of the -water, but that he had not strength enough to drag -his legs out, and that, on the contrary, he was slowly -sinking back. When he awoke he found that he -was very cold, and that his blanket felt particularly -heavy. He put his hand down to move the blanket, -when, to his great surprise, he found that he was -lying with his legs in a pool of water.</p> - -<p>Joe instantly shouted to the other boys, and told -them to wake up, for it was raining, and the tent -was leaking. As each boy woke up he found himself<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span> -as wet as Joe, and at first all supposed that it -was raining heavily. They soon found, however, that -no rain-drops were pattering on the outside of the -tent, and that the stars were shining through the open flap. -“There’s water in this tent,” said Tom, -with the air of having made a grand discovery. “If -any of you fellows have been throwing water on me, -it was a mean trick,” said Jim. All at once an idea -struck Harry. “Boys,” he exclaimed, “it’s the tide! -We’ve got to get out of this place mighty quick, or -the tide will wash the tent away.”</p> - -<p>The boys sprung up, and rushed out of the tent. -They had gone to bed at low-tide, and as the tide -rose it had gradually invaded the tent. The boat -was still safe, but the water had surrounded it, and -in a very short time would be deep enough to float -it. The tide was still rising, and it was evident that -no time should be lost if the tent was to be saved.</p> - -<p>Two of the boys hurriedly seized the blankets and -other articles which were in the tent, and carried them -on to the higher ground; while the other two pulled<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span> -up the pins, and dragged the tent out of reach -of the water. Then they pulled the boat farther -up the beach, and, having thus made everything safe, -had leisure to discover that they were miserably -cold, and that their clothes, from the waist down, -were wet through.</p> - -<p>Luckily, their spare clothing, which they had used -for pillows, was untouched by the water, so that they -were able to put on dry shirts and trousers. Their -blankets, however, had been thoroughly soaked, -and it was too cold to think of sleeping without -them. There was nothing to be done but to build -a fire, and sit around it until daylight. It was by no -means easy to collect firewood in the dark; and as -soon as a boy succeeded in getting an armful of driftwood, -he usually stumbled and fell down with it. -There was not very much fun in this; but when the -fire finally blazed up, and its pleasant warmth conquered -the cold night air, the boys began to regain -their spirits.</p> - -<p>“I wonder what time it is?” said one.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span>Tom had a watch, but he had forgotten to wind it -up for two or three nights, and it had stopped at eight -o’clock. The boys were quite sure, however, that they -could not have been asleep more than half an hour.</p> - -<p>“It’s about one o’clock,” said Harry, presently.</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe it’s more than nine,” said Joe.</p> - -<p>“We must have gone into the tent about an hour -after sunset,” continued Harry, “and the sun sets between -six and seven. It was low-tide then, and it’s -pretty near high-tide now; and since the tide runs -up for about six hours, it must be somewhere between -twelve and one.”</p> - -<p>“You’re right,” exclaimed Jim. “Look at the -stars. That bright star over there in the west was -just rising when we went to bed.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to say ‘turned in!’” said Joe. “Sailors -never go to bed; they always ‘turn in.’”</p> - -<p>“Well, we can’t turn in any more to-night,” replied -Tom. “What do you say, boys? suppose we have -breakfast—it’ll pass away the time, and we can have -another breakfast by-and-by.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41]</span>Now that the boys thought of it, they began to -feel hungry, for they had had a very light supper. -Everybody felt that hot coffee would be very nice; -so they all went to work—made coffee, fried a piece -of ham, and, with a few slices of bread, made a capital -breakfast. They wrung out the wet blankets -and clothes, and hung them up by the fire to dry. -Then they had to collect more firewood; and gradually -the faint light of the dawn became visible, before -they really had time to find the task of waiting -for daylight tiresome.</p> - -<p>They decided that it would not do to start with -wet blankets, since they could not dry them in the -boat. They therefore continued to keep up a brisk -fire, and to watch the blankets closely, in order to -see that they did not get scorched. After a time the -sun came out bright and hot, and took the drying -business in charge. The boys went into the river, -and had a nice long swim, and then spent some -time in carefully packing everything into the boat. -By the time the blankets were dry, and they were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[42]</span> -ready to start, the tide had fallen so low that the -boat was high and dry; and in spite of all their efforts -they could not launch her while she was loaded.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to take all the things out of her,” said -Harry.</p> - -<p>“It reminds me,” remarked Joe, “of Robinson -Crusoe that time he built his big canoe, and then -couldn’t launch it.”</p> - -<p>“Robinson wasn’t very sharp,” said Jim. “Why -didn’t he make a set of rollers, and put them on the -boat?”</p> - -<p>“Much good rollers would have been,” replied -Joe. “Wasn’t there a hill between the boat and the -water? He couldn’t roll a heavy boat uphill, could -he?”</p> - -<p>“He could have made a couple of pulleys, and -rigged a rope through them, and then made a windlass, -and put the rope round it,” argued Jim.</p> - -<p>“Yes; and he could have built a steam-engine -and a railroad, and dragged the boat down to the -shore that way, just about as easy.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="43a"><img src="images/i_042b.jpg" alt="IF YOU WANT TO DIG, DIG." /></div> -<p class="caption">“IF YOU WANT TO DIG, DIG. I DON’T INTEND<br /> TO DO ANY MORE -DIGGING.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span>“He couldn’t dig a canal, for he thought about that, -and found it would take too much work,” said Jim.</p> - -<p>“But we can,” cried Harry. “If we just scoop -out a little sand, we can launch the boat with everything -in her!”</p> - -<p>The boys liked the idea of a canal; and they each -found a large shingle on the beach, and began to dig. -They dug for nearly an hour, but the boat was no -nearer being launched than when they began. Tom -stopped digging, and made a calculation. “It will -take about two days of hard work to dig a canal -deep enough to float that boat. If you want to dig, -dig; I don’t intend to do any more digging.”</p> - -<p>When the other boys considered the matter, they -saw that Tom was right, and they gave up the idea -of making a canal. It was now about ten o’clock, -and they were rather tired and very hungry. A -second breakfast was agreed to be necessary, and -once more the fire was built up and a meal prepared. -Then the boat was unloaded and launched, and the -boys, taking off their shoes and rolling up their trousers,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span> -waded in the water and reloaded her. It was -noon by the sun before they finally had everything -in order and resumed their cruise.</p> - -<p>There was no wind, and it was necessary to take -to the oars. The disadvantage of starting at so late -an hour soon became painfully plain. The sun was -so nearly overhead that the heat was almost unbearable, -and there was not a particle of shade. The -boys had not had a full night’s sleep, and had tired -themselves before starting by trying to dig a canal. -Of course the labor of rowing in such circumstances -was very severe; and it was not long before first one -and then another proposed to go ashore and rest in -the shade.</p> - -<p>“Hadn’t we better keep on till we get into the -Highlands. We can do it in a quarter of an hour,” -said Tom.</p> - -<p>As Tom was pulling the stroke oar, and doing -rather more work than any one else, the others -agreed to row on as long as he would row. They -soon reached the entrance to the Highlands, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[45]</span> -landed at the foot of the great hill called St. Anthony’s -Nose. They were very glad to make the -boat fast to a tree that grew close to the water, and -to clamber a little way up the hill into the shade.</p> - -<p>“What will we do to pass away the time till it gets -cooler?” said Harry, after they had rested awhile.</p> - -<p>“I can tell you what I’m going to do,” said Tom; -“I’m going to get some of the sleep that I didn’t get -last night, and you’d better follow my example.”</p> - -<p>All the boys at once found that they were sleepy; -and, having brought the tent up from the boat, they -spread it on the ground for a bed, and presently were -sleeping soundly. The mosquitoes came and feasted -on them, and the innumerable insects of the summer -woods crawled over them, and explored their necks, -shirt-sleeves, and trousers-legs, as is the pleasant custom -of insects of an inquiring turn of mind.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” cried Harry, suddenly sitting up, -as the sound of a heavy explosion died away in long, -rolling echoes.</p> - -<p>“I heard it,” said Joe; “it’s a cannon. The cadets<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[46]</span> -up at West Point are firing at a mark with a tremendous -big cannon.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s go up and see them,” exclaimed Jim. “It’s -a great deal cooler than it was.”</p> - -<p>With the natural eagerness of boys to be in the -neighborhood of a cannon, they made haste to gather -up the tent and carry it to the boat. As they came -out from under the thick trees, they saw that the -sky in the north was as black as midnight, and that -a thunder-storm was close at hand.</p> - -<p>“Your cannon, Joe, was a clap of thunder,” said -Harry. “We’re going to get wet again.”</p> - -<p>“We needn’t get wet,” said Tom. “If we hurry -up we can get the tent pitched and put the things -in it, so as to keep them dry.”</p> - -<p>They worked rapidly, for the rain was approaching -fast, but it was not easy to pitch the tent on a -side hill. It was done, however, after a fashion; and -the blankets and other things that were liable to be -injured by the wet were safely under shelter before -the storm reached them.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER V.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_047.jpg" width="75" height="82" alt="I" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">IT was a terrific storm. The wind swept -down the river, raising a ridge of white water -in its path. The rain came down harder, so -the boys thought, than they had ever seen it come -down before, and the glare of the lightning and the -crash of the thunder were frightful.</p> - -<p>“What luck it is that we got the tent pitched in -time,” exclaimed Joe. “We’re as dry and comfortable -here as if we were in a house.”</p> - -<p>“Pick your blankets up quick, boys,” cried Harry. -“Here’s the water coming in under the tent.”</p> - -<p>Joe had boasted a little too soon. The water -running down the side of the hill was making its -way in large quantities into the tent. To save their -clothes and blankets, the boys had to stand up and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span> -hold them in their arms, which was by no means a -pleasant occupation, especially as the cold rain-water -was bathing their feet.</p> - -<p>“It can’t last long,” remarked Tom. “We’re all -right if the lightning doesn’t strike us.”</p> - -<p>“Where’s the powder?” asked Harry.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it’s in the flask,” replied Joe, “and I’ve got -the flask in my pocket.”</p> - -<p>“So, if the lightning strikes the tent, we’ll all be -blown up,” exclaimed Harry. “This is getting more -and more pleasant.”</p> - -<p>The boys were not yet at the end of their troubles. -The rain had loosened the earth, and the tent-pins, -of which only four had been used, were no longer fit -to hold the tent. So, while they were talking about -the powder, the tent suddenly blew down, upsetting -the boys as it fell, and burying them under the wet -canvas.</p> - -<p>“Lie still, fellows,” said Tom, as the other boys -tried to wriggle out from under the tent. “We’ve -got to get wet now, anyway; but perhaps, if we stay<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span> -as we are, we can manage to keep the blankets -dry.”</p> - -<p>The wet tent felt miserably cold as it clung to -their heads and shoulders, but the boys kept under -it, and held their blankets and spare shirts wrapped -tightly in their arms. Luckily the storm was nearly -at an end when the tent blew down, and a few -moments later the rain ceased, and the crew of the -<i>Whitewing</i>, in a very damp condition, crept out and -congratulated themselves that they had escaped with -no worse injury than a wet skin.</p> - -<p>“Where are your rubber blankets?” asked Harry, -presently.</p> - -<p>“Rolled up with the other blankets,” answered -everybody.</p> - -<p>“It won’t do to tell when we get home,” remarked -Harry, “that, instead of using the water-proof blankets -to keep ourselves dry, we used ourselves to keep -the water-proofs dry. It’s the most stupid thing -we’ve done yet; and I’m as bad as anybody else.”</p> - -<p>“It was a good deal worse to pitch a tent without<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span> -digging a trench around it,” said Tom. “If I’d dug -a trench two inches deep just back of that tent, not -a drop of water would have run into it.”</p> - -<p>“And I don’t think much of the plan of using only -four pins to hold a tent down when a hurricane is -coming on,” said Joe.</p> - -<p>“And I think the least said by a fellow who carries -two pounds of powder in his pocket in a thunder-storm -the better,” added Jim.</p> - -<p>It took some time to bale the water out of the -boat, for the rain and the spray from the river had -half-filled it. But the shower had cooled the air, -and the boys were glad to be at work again after -their confinement in the tent. They were soon -ready to start; and, rowing easily and steadily, they -passed through the Highlands, and reached a nice -camping spot on the east bank of the river below -Poughkeepsie, before half-past five.</p> - -<p>This time they selected a place to pitch the tent -with great care. It was easy to find the high-water -mark on the shore, and the tent was pitched a little<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span> -above it, so as to be safe from a disaster like that of -the previous night. Harry wanted it pitched on the -top of a high bank; but the others insisted that, as -long as they were safe from the tide, there was no -need of putting the tent a long distance from the -water, and that they had selected the only spot -where they could have a bed of sand to sleep on.</p> - -<p>This important business being settled, supper was -the next subject of attention.</p> - -<p>“We haven’t been as regular about our meals as -we ought to be,” said Harry, “but it hasn’t been our -fault. We’ll have a good supper to-night, at any -rate. How would you like some hot turtle-soup?”</p> - -<p>“Just the thing,” said Joe. “The bread is beginning -to get a little dry; but we can soak it in the -soup.”</p> - -<p>“About going for milk,” continued Harry; “we -ought to arrange that and the other regular duties. -Suppose after this we take regular turns. One fellow -can pitch the tent, another can go for milk, another -can get the firewood, and the other can cook.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span> -We can arrange it according to alphabetical order. -For instance, Tom Schuyler pitches the tent to-night; -Jim Sharpe goes for milk, Joe gets the firewood, and -I cook. The next time we camp, Jim will pitch the -tent, Joe will get the milk, I will get the wood, and -Tom will cook. Is that fair?”</p> - -<p>The boys said it was, and they agreed to adopt -Harry’s proposal. Jim went off with the milk-pail, -and when the fire was ready, Harry took a can of -soup and put it on the coals to be heated.</p> - -<p>Jim found a house quite near at hand, where he -bought two quarts of milk and a loaf of bread, and -was back again at the camp before the soup was -ready. He found the boys lying near the fire, waiting -for the soup to heat and the coffee to boil.</p> - -<p>“That soup takes a long time to heat through,” -said Tom. “There isn’t a bit of steam coming out of -it yet.”</p> - -<p>“How can any steam come out of it when it’s soldered -up tight,” replied Harry.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="53a"><img src="images/i_052b.jpg" alt="THE SOUP EXPLOSION" /></div> -<p class="caption">THE SOUP EXPLOSION.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[53]</span>“You don’t mean to tell me that you’ve put the -can on the fire without punching a hole in the -top?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I have. What on earth should I -punch a hole in it for?”</p> - -<p>“Because—” cried Tom, hastily springing up.</p> - -<p>But he was interrupted by a report like that of a -small cannon: a cloud of ashes rose over the fire, -and a shower of soup fell just where Tom had been -lying.</p> - -<p>“That’s the reason why,” resumed Tom. “The -steam has burst the can, and the soup has gone up.”</p> - -<p>“We’ve got another can,” said Harry, “and we’ll -punch a hole in that one. What an idiot I was not -to think of its bursting! It’s a good job that it -didn’t hurt us. I should hate to have the newspapers -say that we had been blown up and awfully -mangled with soup.”</p> - -<p>The other can of soup was safely heated, and the -boys made a comfortable supper. They drove a -stake in the sand, and fastened the boat’s painter securely -to it, and then “turned in.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[54]</span>“No tide to rouse us up to-night, boys,” said Harry, -as he rolled himself in his blanket. “I sha’n’t -wake up till daylight.”</p> - -<p>“We’d better take an early start,” remarked Tom. -“We haven’t got on very far because we started so -late this morning. If we get off by six every morning, -we can lie off in the middle of the day, and start -again about three o’clock. It’s no fun rowing with -the sun right overhead.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it isn’t more than eight o’clock now; and, -if we take eight hours’ sleep, we can turn out at four -o’clock,” said Harry. “But who is going to wake -us up? Joe and Jim are sound asleep already, and -I’m awful sleepy myself. I don’t believe one of us -will wake up before seven o’clock anyway.”</p> - -<p>Tom made no answer, for he had dropped asleep -while Harry was talking. The latter thought he -must be pretending to sleep, and was just resolving -to tell Tom that it wasn’t very polite to refuse to answer -a civil question, when he found himself muttering -something about a game of base-ball, and awoke,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55]</span> -with a start, to discover that he could not possibly -keep awake another moment.</p> - -<p>The boys slept on. The moon came out and -shone in at the open tent-flap, and the tide rose to -high-water mark, but not quite high enough to reach -the tent. By-and-by the wheezing of a tow-boat -broke the stillness, and occasionally a hoarse steam-whistle -echoed among the hills; but the boys slept -so soundly that they would not have heard a locomotive -had it whistled its worst within a rod of -the tent.</p> - -<p>The river had been like a mill-pond since the -thunder-storm, but about midnight a heavy swell -rolled in toward the shore. It came on, growing -larger and larger, and, rushing up the little beach -with a fierce roar, dashed into the tent and overwhelmed -the sleeping boys without the slightest -warning.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[56]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE wave receded as suddenly as it came. -The boys sprang up in a terrible fright, and -indeed there are few men who in their place -would not have been frightened. The shock of -the cold water was enough to startle the strongest -nerves, and as the boys rushed to the door of the -tent, in a blind race for life, they fully believed that -their last hour had come. Before they could get -out of the tent, a second wave swept up and rose -above their knees. With wild cries of terror the -two younger boys caught hold of Tom, and, losing -their footing, dragged him down. Harry caught at -Tom impulsively, with a vague idea of saving him -from drowning, but the only result of his effort was -that he went down with the rest. Fortunately the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span> -wave receded before the boys had time to drown, -and left them struggling in a heap on the wet sand. -There was no return of the water, and in a few moments -the boys were outside of the tent and on the -top of the bluff above the river.</p> - -<p>“It must have been a tidal wave,” said Jim. “Oh, -I’d give anything if I was home! The water will -come up again, and we’ll all be drowned!”</p> - -<p>“It was the swell of a steamboat,” said Tom. -“There’s the boat now, just going around that -point.”</p> - -<p>“You’re right,” said Harry. “It was nothing but -the swell of the night-boat. What precious fools we -were not to think of it before! To-morrow night -we’ll pitch the tent about a thousand feet above the -water.”</p> - -<p>“Then there’ll be a water-spout or something,” -said Jim. “We’re bound to get wet whatever we -do. We only started yesterday, and here we’ve -been wet through three times.”</p> - -<p>“And Harry has been wet four times, counting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span> -the time he jumped in the Harlem for me,” added -Joe.</p> - -<p>“It won’t do to stand here and talk about it,” said -Tom. “We’ve got to have a fire or we’ll freeze to -death. Look at the way Joe’s teeth are chattering. -The blankets and clothes are all wet, and the sooner -we dry them the sooner we’ll get warm.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="58a"><img src="images/i_058a.jpg" alt="THE BOYS BUILT A ROARING FIRE ON A LARGE FLAT ROCK" /></div> -<p class="caption">THE BOYS BUILT A ROARING FIRE ON A LARGE FLAT ROCK.</p> - -<p>There happened to be a dead tree near by, and it -was soon converted into firewood. The boys built -a roaring fire on a large flat rock, and after it had -burnt for a little while they pushed it about six -feet from the place where they had started it, and, -after piling fresh fuel on it, laid down on the hot -rock with their feet to the flames. The fire had -heated the rock so that they could hardly bear to -touch it, but the heat dried their wet clothes rapidly, -and kept them from taking severe colds. Meanwhile -their blankets had been spread out near the fire, -and in half an hour were very nearly dry, and pretty -severely scorched. Two large logs were then rolled -on the fire, and when they were in a blaze the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span> -boys wrapped themselves in their blankets, and, -lying as near to the fire as they could without -actually burning, resumed their interrupted sleep. -They found the rock rather a hard bed, and it offered -no temptation to laziness; so it happened that -they were all broad awake at half-past four; and -though somewhat stiff from lying on a rocky bed, -were none the worse for their night’s adventure.</p> - -<p>“There’s one thing I’m going to do this very day,” -said Harry, as they were dressing themselves after -their morning swim. “I’m going to write to the -Department to send us a big rubber bag, that we -can put our spare clothes in and keep them dry. -There’s no fun in being wet and having nothing dry -to put on.”</p> - -<p>“If we have the bag sent to Albany, it will get -there by the time we do,” said Tom. “You write -the letter while we are getting breakfast.”</p> - -<p>So Harry wrote to the Department as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Dear Uncle John</span>,—We’ve been wet through with a steamboat -once, and the tide wet us the first night, and we got rained on,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span> -and I jumped in to get Joe out, and we’ve had a gorgeous time. -Please send us a big water-proof bag to put our spare clothes in, so -that we can have something dry. Please send it to Albany, and -we will stop there at the post-office for it. Please send it right -away. You said the Department furnished everything. We’ve -been dry twice since we started, but it didn’t last long. There never -was such fun. All the boys send their love to you. Please -don’t forget the bag. From your affectionate nephew,</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Harry</span>.”</p> -</div> - -<p>“This was the morning that you were going to -sleep till eight o’clock without waking up, Harry,” -said Tom, as they were eating their breakfast.</p> - -<p>“There’s nothing that will wake a fellow up so -quick as the Hudson River rolling in on him. I -hadn’t expected to wake up in that way,” answered -Harry.</p> - -<p>“So far we have done nothing but find out how -stupid we are,” said Tom. “Seems to me we must -have found it pretty near all out by this time. -There can’t be many more stupid things that we -haven’t done.”</p> - -<p>“There won’t any accident happen to-night,” replied<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span> -Harry; “for I’ll make sure that the tent is -pitched so far from the water that we can’t be wet -again. I wonder if every fellow learns to camp out -by getting into scrapes as we do. It is very certain -that we won’t forget what we learn on this cruise.”</p> - -<p>“I’m beginning to get tired of ham,” exclaimed -Joe. “We’ve been eating ham ever since we started. -Let’s get some eggs to-day.”</p> - -<p>“And some raspberries,” suggested Jim. “It’s -the season for them.”</p> - -<p>“And let’s catch some fish,” said Tom.</p> - -<p>“That’s what we’ll do,” said Harry. “We’ll sail -till eleven o’clock, and then we’ll go fishing and -catch our dinner.”</p> - -<p>This suggestion pleased everybody; and when, at -about six o’clock, they set sail with a nice breeze -from the south, everybody kept a lookout for a -good fishing-ground, and wondered why they had -not thought of fishing before.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE sun was getting to be rather too hot for -boating when the boys saw the half-sunken -wreck of a canal-boat close to the west shore, -where there was a nice shady grove. They immediately -crossed the river, and, landing near the wreck, -began to get their fishing-tackle in order.</p> - -<p>As there were only two poles, one of which belonged -to Harry, and the other to Tom, the two -Sharpe boys were obliged either to cut poles for -themselves, or to watch the others while they fished. -Jim cut a pole for himself, but Joe preferred to lie -on the bank. “I don’t care to fish, anyhow,” he said. -“I’ll agree to eat twice as much fish as anybody else, -if I can be excused from fishing.”</p> - -<p>“If you don’t want to fish, you’d better hunt bait -for us,” said Tom.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span>“I never thought about bait,” exclaimed Harry. -“How are we going to dig for worms without a -spade?”</p> - -<p>“Who wants any worms?” replied Tom. “Grasshoppers -are the thing; and the field just back of -here is full of them. Come, Joe, catch us some grasshoppers, -won’t you?”</p> - -<p>“How many do you want?” asked Joe. “I don’t -want to waste good grasshoppers on fellows who -won’t use them. Let’s see: suppose I get you ten -grasshoppers apiece. Will that do?”</p> - -<p>“Are you getting lazy, Joe?” said Tom, “or are -you sick? A fellow who don’t want to fish must -have something wrong in his insides. Harry, you’d -better give him some medicine.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’m all right,” replied Joe. “I’m a little -sleepy to-day, but I’ll get your grasshoppers.”</p> - -<p>Joe took an empty tin can and went in search of -grasshoppers, while the rest were getting their hooks -and lines ready. In a short time he returned, and -handed the can to Tom. “There’s just thirty-one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span> -grasshoppers in that can,” said he. “I threw in one -for good measure. Now go ahead and fish, and I’ll -have a nap.” So saying, he stretched himself on the -ground, and the other boys began to fish.</p> - -<p>There were quantities of perch near the old canal-boat, -and they bit ravenously at the grasshoppers. -It took only about a quarter of an hour to catch -nearly three dozen fish. These were more than the -boys could possibly eat; and Tom was just going to -remark that they had better stop fishing, when they -were startled by a loud cry from Joe. Harry, in -swinging his line over his head so as to cast out a -long way into the river, had succeeded in hooking -Joe in the right ear.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="64a"><img src="images/i_064a.jpg" alt="JOE IS CAUGHT" /></div> -<p class="caption">JOE IS CAUGHT.</p> - -<p>Of course Harry was extremely sorry, and he said -so several times; but, as Joe pointed out, “talk won’t -pull a hook out of a fellow’s ear!” The barb made it -impracticable to draw the hook out, and it was quite -impossible that Joe should enjoy the cruise with a -fish-hook in his ear. Jim said that the hook must -be cut out; but Joe objected to having his ear cut<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span> -to pieces with a dull jack-knife. In this emergency -Tom proposed to break off the shank of the hook, -and then to push the remainder of it through the -ear. It was no easy matter, however, to break the -steel. Every time the hook was touched, Joe -winced with pain; but finally Tom managed to -break the shank with the aid of the pair of pliers -that formed part of the stores. The hook was then -gently and firmly pressed through the ear, and carefully -drawn out.</p> - -<p>“I knew,” said Tom, “that something must be -wrong when Joe said he didn’t want to fish. This -ought to be a warning to him.”</p> - -<p>“It’s a warning to me,” said Harry, “not to -throw my line all over the State of New York.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, it’s all right now,” said Joe. “Only the -next time I go cruising with Harry, I’m going to -take a pair of cutting pincers to cut off the shanks -of fish-hooks after he gets through fishing. We’d -better get a pair at Hudson, anyhow, or else we’ll all -be stuck full of hooks, if Harry does any more fishing.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span>Harry was so humbled by the result of his carelessness -that he offered, by way of penance, to clean -and cook the fish. When this was done, and the -fish were served up smoking hot, they were so good -that Joe forgot his damaged ear, and Harry recovered -his spirits. After a course of fish and bread, a -can of peaches was opened for dessert, and then followed -a good long rest. By three o’clock the heat -began to lessen, and the <i>Whitewing</i> started on her -way with a better breeze than she had yet been favored -with.</p> - -<p>The boat travelled swiftly, and the breeze gradually -freshened. The whitecaps were beginning to -make their appearance on the river before it occurred -to the boys that they must cross over to the east -shore, in order to camp where they could find shade -while getting breakfast the next morning. It had -been one of Uncle John’s most earnest bits of advice -that they should always have shade in the morning. -“Nothing spoils the temper,” he had said, “like cooking -under a bright sun; so make sure that you keep<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[67]</span> -in the shade until after breakfast.” Harry felt a little -nervous about crossing the river in so fresh a -breeze, since, as the breeze blew from the south, the -boat could not sail directly across the river without -bringing the sea on her beam. He did not mention -that he was nervous, however, and he showed excellent -judgment in crossing the river diagonally, so as -to avoid exposing the broadside of the boat to the -waves, that by this time were unpleasantly high. -The east bank was thus reached without taking a -drop of water into the boat, and she was then kept -on her course up the river, within a few rods of the -shore.</p> - -<p>This was a wise precaution in one respect; for, if -the boat had capsized, the boys could easily have -swum ashore; but still it is always risky to keep -close to the shore, unless you know that there are no -rocks or snags in the way. Harry never thought -of the danger of being shipwrecked with the shore -so close at hand, and was enjoying the cooling breeze -and the speed of the boat, when suddenly the <i>Whitewing</i><span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span> -brought up with a crash that pitched everybody -into the bottom of the boat. She had struck -a sunken rock, and the speed at which she was going -was so great that one of her planks was stove in. -Before the boys could pick themselves up, the water -had rushed in, and was rising rapidly. “Jump overboard, -everybody!” cried Harry. “She won’t float -with us in her.” There was no time in which to -pull off shirts and trousers, and the boys plunged -overboard without even taking their hats off. They -then took hold of the boat, two on each side of her, -and swam toward the shore. With so much water -in her, the boat was tremendously heavy; but the -boys persevered, and finally reached shallow water, -where they could wade and drag her out on the sand.</p> - -<p>“Here we are wet again!” exclaimed Jim. “The -blankets are wet, too, this time.”</p> - -<p>“Never mind,” replied Tom. “It’s not more -than five o’clock, and we can get them dry before -night.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to work pretty fast, then,” said Harry.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[69]</span> -“Jim and Joe had better build a big fire and -dry the things, while you and I empty the boat; or -I’ll empty the boat, and you can pitch the tent. -We’ll have to put off supper till we can make sure -of a dry bed.”</p> - -<p>Harry took the things out of the boat one by one. -Everything was wet except the contents of the tin -boxes, into which the water luckily had not penetrated. -As soon as the fire was built, Jim and Joe -gave their whole attention to drying the blankets -and the spare clothing; and when the boat was emptied, -it was found that a hole nearly six inches long -and four inches wide had been made through one -of the bottom planks. Harry and Tom set to work -to mend it. They took a piece of canvas—which -had luckily been kept in one of the tin boxes and -was quite dry—and tacked it neatly over the outside -of the hole. They next covered the canvas with -a thin coating of white-lead, except at the edges, -where the white-lead was laid on very thickly. -Over the canvas the piece of zinc that had been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[70]</span> -brought for just such a purpose was carefully tacked, -and then thin strips of wood were placed over -the edges of the tin, and screwed down tightly with -screws that went through the zinc, but not through -the canvas. Finally, white-lead was put all around -the outer edge of the zinc, and the boat was then -left bottom-side up on the sand, so that the white-lead -could harden by exposure to the air.</p> - -<p>Nobody cared to go for milk in wet clothes; and -so, when the boat was mended, the boys all sat -around the fire to dry themselves, and made a supper -of crackers. What with the heat and the wind, -it was not very long before their clothes and blankets -were thoroughly dried; and they could look forward -to a comfortable night. The tent was pitched -where no steamboat swell could possibly touch it, -and the boat was apparently out of reach of the tide. -It was very early when the boys “turned in,” and -for the first time in the cruise they slept peacefully -all night.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE next morning the boys awoke early, -having had a thoroughly good night’s rest. -Tom, whose turn it was to go for milk, found -a well-stocked farm-house, where he obtained not -only milk, bread, and eggs, but a supply of butter -and a chicken all ready for cooking. After breakfast -the boat was put in the water, and, to the delight -of all, proved to be almost as tight as she was -before running into the rock. A little water came -in at first under the edges of the zinc, but in a short -time the wood swelled, and the leak entirely ceased.</p> - -<p>The boat was loaded, and the boys were ready to -start soon after six o’clock. There was no wind, but -the two long oars, pulled one by Tom and the other -by Jim, sent her along at a fine rate. They rowed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span> -until ten o’clock, resting occasionally for a few moments, -and then, as there were no signs of a breeze, -and as it was growing excessively hot, they went -ashore, to wait until afternoon before resuming their -journey.</p> - -<p>The sun became hotter and hotter. The boys -tried to fish, but there was no shade near the bank -of the river, and it was too hot to stand or sit in -the sunshine and wait for fish to bite. They went -in swimming, but the sun, beating on their heads, -seemed hotter while they were in the water than it -did when they were on the land. Jim and Joe tried -a game of mumble-to-peg, but they gave it up long -before they had reached “ears.” It was probably the -hottest day of the year; and as it was clearly impossible -to row or to do anything else while the heat -lasted, the boys brought their blankets from the -boat, and, going to a grove not far from the shore, lay -down and fell asleep.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="72a"><img src="images/i_072a.jpg" alt="MUMBLE-THE-PEG" /></div> -<p class="caption">MUMBLE-THE-PEG.</p> - -<p>They were astonished to find, when they awoke, -that it was two o’clock. None of them had been accustomed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span> -to sleep in the daytime, and they could not -understand how it came about that they had all slept -for fully two hours. They had yet to learn that one -of the results of “camping out,” or living in the -open air, is an ability to sleep at almost any time. -All animals and wild creatures, whether they are -beasts or savages, have this happy faculty of sleeping -in the daytime. It is one of the habits of our -savage ancestors that comes back to us when we -abandon civilization, and live as Aryan tribes, from -whom we are descended, lived in the Far East, before -they marched with their wives and children and cattle -from India, and made themselves new homes in -Europe.</p> - -<p>After lunch the boys prepared to start, although -there was still no wind; but when they went down -to the boat they found that the sun was as hot as -ever. So they returned to the shade of the grove, -and made up their minds to stay there until the end -of the afternoon.</p> - -<p>“Harry,” said Tom, “we’ve been on the river<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span> -three days, and we are only a little way above Hudson. -How much longer will it be before we get to -Albany?”</p> - -<p>“We ought to get there in two days more, even -if we have to row all the way,” replied Harry.</p> - -<p>“And after we get to Albany, what are we to do -next?”</p> - -<p>“We are going up the Champlain Canal to Fort -Edward. There we will have a wagon to carry us -and the boat to Warrensburg, on the Schroon River, -and will go up the river to Schroon Lake. Uncle -John laid out the route for us.”</p> - -<p>“How many days will it take us to get to the -lake?” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>Harry thought awhile. “There’s two days more -on the Hudson, two on the canal, and maybe two -on the Schroon River. And then there’s a Sunday, -which don’t count. It’ll be just a week before we -get to the lake.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve got to be home by two weeks from next -Monday,” continued Tom, “so I sha’n’t have much<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span> -time on the lake. Can’t we get along a little faster? -There’s a full-moon to-night, and suppose we sail all -night—or row, if the wind doesn’t come up.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a first-rate idea,” exclaimed Harry. “We -can take turns sleeping in the bottom of the boat. -Why, if the breeze comes up in the night, we might -make twenty or thirty miles before morning.”</p> - -<p>All the boys liked the plan of sailing at night, -and they resolved to adopt it. While they were yet -discussing it, a light breeze sprang up, from the -south as usual, and they hastened to take advantage -of it. In the course of an hour more the sun began -to lose its power; and when they went ashore at six -o’clock to cook their supper, they had sailed about -fifteen miles.</p> - -<p>As they expected to make so much progress during -the night, they were in no hurry about supper, -and it was not until after seven o’clock that they -again made sail. Harry divided the crew into -watches—one consisting of himself and Joe Sharpe, -and the other of Tom and Jim. Each watch was to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span> -have charge of the boat for three hours, while the -other watch slept. At eight o’clock Tom and Jim -lay down in the bottom of the boat, and Joe came -aft to take Tom’s customary place at the sheet. -Harry, of course, steered.</p> - -<p>All went well. The breeze was light but steady, -and Harry kept the boat in the middle of the river -to avoid another shipwreck. The watch below did -not sleep much, for they had had a long nap at -noon, and, besides, the novelty of their position made -them wakeful. They had just dropped asleep when -eleven o’clock arrived, and they were awakened to -relieve the other watch. Tom went sleepily to the -helm, and Harry and Joe gladly “turned in,” and -were soon fast asleep.</p> - -<p>Tom always declares that he never closed his eyes -while he was at the helm, and Jim also asserts that -he was wide awake during his entire watch, though -neither he nor Tom spoke for fear of waking up the -other boys. It was strange that these two wide-awake -young Moral Pirates did not notice that a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span> -large steamboat—one of the Albany night-boats—was -in sight, until she was within a mile of them, -and it is just possible that, without knowing it, they -were a little too drowsy to keep a proper lookout.</p> - -<p>As soon as Tom saw the steamboat, he remarked, -“Halloo! there’s one of the Albany boats,” and -steered the boat over toward the east shore. The -breeze had nearly died away, and the <i>Whitewing</i> -moved very slowly. The steamboat came rapidly -down the river, her paddles throbbing loudly in the -night air. Jim began to get a little uneasy, and -said, “I hope she won’t run us down.” “Oh, there’s -no danger!” replied Tom; “we shall get out of her -way easy enough.” But, to his dismay, the steamboat, -instead of keeping in the middle of the river, -presently turned toward the east shore, as if she were -bent upon running down the <i>Whitewing</i>. Tom was -now really alarmed; and as he saw that the sail was -doing very little good, he hurriedly told Jim to take -down the mast and get out the oars as quick as -possible. Jim rapidly obeyed the order, dropping<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span> -the mast on Harry’s head, and catching Joe by the -nose in his search for the oars. By this time Tom -had begun to hail the steamboat at the top of his -lungs; but no attention was paid to him by the -steamboat men, since the noise of the paddles drowned -Tom’s voice. Harry and Joe, who were now -wide awake, saw what danger they were in, and they -sprang to the oars. The steamboat was frightfully -near, and still hugging the shore; but Tom called -on the boys to give way with their oars, and steered -straight for the shore, knowing that there must be -room for the boat between the steamboat and the -bank of the river, and fearing that if he steered in -the opposite direction the steamboat might change -her course and run them down, when they would -have little chance of escape by swimming.</p> - -<p>It was certainly very doubtful if they could avoid -the steamboat, and Tom was well aware of it. He -told the other boys that, if they were sure to be run -down, they must jump before the steamboat struck -them, and dive, so as to escape the paddles. “I’ll tell<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span> -you when to jump, if worst comes to worst,” said he; -“but don’t you look around now, nor do anything but -row. Row for your lives, boys.” And the boys did -row gallantly. Harry had a pair of sculls, and Jim -had a long oar, and between them they made the -boat fly through the water. As they neared the -shore, it seemed to them that there was not more -than three feet of space between the steamboat and -the land; and Tom had almost made up his mind -that the cruise was coming to a sudden end, when the -great steamboat swung her head around, and drew out -toward the middle of the river. She did not seem -to be more than a rod from them as she changed -her course, though in reality she was probably much -farther off. At the same moment the <i>Whitewing</i> -reached what appeared to be the shore, but what -was really a long row of piles projecting about a -foot above the water. The boys had just ceased -rowing, and Tom had given the boat a sheer with -the rudder, so as to bring her along-side of the piles, -when the steamboat’s swell, which the boys, in their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span> -excitement over their narrow escape, had totally forgotten, -came rushing up, seized the boat, and threw -it over the piles into a shallow and muddy lagoon.</p> - -<p>It was almost miraculous that the boat was not -capsized; but she was actually lifted up and thrown -over the piles, without taking more than a few quarts -of spray into her. When they saw that they were -absolutely safe, the boys began to wonder how in -the world they could get the boat back into the -river, and Jim proposed to light the lantern and see -if anything was missing out of the boat, and if she -had been injured.</p> - -<p>“Now I see why the steamboat did not notice us,” -exclaimed Tom.</p> - -<p>“Why?” asked all the others together.</p> - -<p>“Because,” he replied, “we have been such everlasting -idiots as to sail at night without showing a -light.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="81a"><img src="images/i_080b.jpg" alt="LIFTING THE BOAT OVER THE PILES" /></div> -<p class="caption">LIFTING THE BOAT OVER THE PILES.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IX.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE boat was in a shallow part of the river, -between the shore and a long row of piles -that marked the steamboat channel. Harry -sounded with an oar, and found that the water was -only two feet deep. “We’ll have to get overboard -and drag the boat over the piles,” said he, “and it’s -going to be a mighty hard job, too. That swell -threw us over as neat as the bull threw Joe over -the fence up at Lenox last summer.”</p> - -<p>“When I got pitched over that fence I stayed -there,” said Joe. “I didn’t try to get back into the -field where the bull was, and I don’t see what we -want to get back where the steamboats are for.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” exclaimed Harry. “We’re safe -enough here. Let’s get the water out of the boat, -and keep on this side of the piles.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span>When the boat was made dry, and the lighted lantern -was hoisted to the top of the mast, Tom resumed -his place at the helm, and Harry and Joe prepared -to take another nap. “I don’t want to grumble,” -said Joe, “but I wish I didn’t have to lie on -the coffee-pot and a tin cup. I don’t feel comfortable -on that kind of bed.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll change with you if you like,” replied Harry. -“I’m sleeping on a beautiful soft bottle of oil, and -some sardine boxes, but I don’t want to be selfish -and keep the best bed for myself.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, never mind,” returned Joe. “I’ll manage to -sleep if Jim don’t step on my face. I always did -hate to have anybody step on my face when I was -asleep.”</p> - -<p>“Well, good-night everybody,” said Harry. “I’m -going straight to sleep. Tom, be sure you wake me -up if a steamboat tries to climb over these piles.”</p> - -<p>This time Tom did not fall asleep at the helm, but -the wind gradually died away, and the sail hung -limp and useless. Jim got out the oars without<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span> -stepping on anybody, and rowed slowly on. In a -little while they came to the end of the shallow lagoon -into which the swell had so unexpectedly cast -them. A sand-bank stretched from the shore to the -line of piles, and it was impossible to go any farther. -Tom decided to make the boat fast to the limb of a -willow-tree that projected over the water, and to go -ashore and sleep on the sand. Neither he nor Jim -thought it worth while to wake the other boys; so -they gathered up their blankets, crept quietly out of -the boat, and were soon asleep on the soft, warm -sand. When Harry and Joe awoke at daylight, -stiff and cramped, they were disposed to be rather -indignant at Tom and Jim, who were sleeping so -comfortably on the sand; but Tom soon convinced -them that he had acted from the best of motives, -and they readily forgave him.</p> - -<p>Of course breakfast was the first business of the -day, and after that was finished the boat had to be -entirely unloaded before she could be lifted over the -piles into the channel. For the first time since they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span> -had started on the cruise the breeze was ahead, but -it was so light that it was of very little consequence. -The sky was cloudy, and the day promised to be a -cool one; so the boys resolved to take to their oars -and try, if possible, to reach Albany before night. -When the boat was loaded, Tom and Jim each took -a long oar, and Harry took his usual seat in the -stern-sheets. They all felt fresh in spite of their -night’s adventure, and started gayly on their intended -long day’s row.</p> - -<p>By this time they had found out that, although -round tin boxes were very well to keep things dry, -they are by no means handy to carry in a boat. -Their shape made it impossible to stow them compactly. -Joe, who sat at the bow, always had to pick -his way over these tin boxes in going to or coming -from his station; and he was constantly catching his -foot in the spaces left between the boxes, and falling -down on them. This smashed in the covers, and -tried Joe’s temper sorely. Once he sat down so violently -on the box which held the sugar, that he went<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span> -completely through the cover, and was fastened in -the box as securely as a cork in a bottle. He was -only released after a great deal of work, and just in -time to enable the boys to have sugar in their coffee -at night. Harry resolved that he would never cruise -again with round boxes, but would have small rubber -bags made, in which to put everything that required -to be kept dry.</p> - -<p>The boys took turns at the oars every hour, and -rowed steadily until noon. They gave themselves -an hour for lunch and resting, and then resumed -their work. Late in the afternoon they came in -sight of Albany, and went ashore, so as to get their -dinner before reaching the city. After dinner they -again pulled away at the oars, and at about nine -o’clock they stopped at a lumber-yard on the outskirts -of Albany, and, creeping in among the lumber, -wrapped their blankets around them, and dropped -asleep, completely worn out, but proud of their -long day’s row.</p> - -<p>Before sunrise the next morning, Tom was awakened<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span> -by a stick which was thrust into his ribs. Without -opening his eyes, he muttered, “You quit that, -or I’ll get up and pound you!” and immediately -dropped asleep again. Somebody then kicked him -so sharply that he roused himself up, and, opening -his eyes, was dazzled by the gleam of a bull’s-eye -lantern. He could not at first imagine where he -was; but, as he presently found that a big policeman -had him by the collar, and was calling him “an impudent -young thief,” he began to imagine that something -was wrong.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got you this time,” said the policeman, “and -the whole gang of you. Where did you steal that -property in your boat from, you precious young river -pirate?”</p> - -<p>“We’re not river pirates,” replied Tom. “We’re -Moral Pirates, and we brought those things in the -boat with us from New York.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I like your cheek!” said the officer; -“owning up that you’re pirates. Now just you and -your gang take everything out of that boat and let<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span> -me see what you’ve got. If any of you try to escape, -I’ll put a bullet into you. You hear me?”</p> - -<p>The other boys had been awakened by the loud -voice of the policeman, and were staring at him in -utter astonishment.</p> - -<p>“He thinks we’re river thieves,” said Tom. “Harry, -we’ll have to show him what we’ve got in the -boat, and then he’ll see his mistake.”</p> - -<p>Harry eagerly assured the policeman that they -had come from New York on a pleasure cruise, and -had nothing in the boat except provisions and stores. -“That’s a pretty story,” said the officer. “You can -tell that to the court. Your boat’s full of junk -that you’ve stolen from somewhere; and you’d better -hand it out mighty quick!”</p> - -<p>The boys were thus compelled to unload their -boat, while the policeman stood over them with his -club in one hand and his lantern in the other. He -was not a stupid man, and he soon perceived that -the boys had told him the truth; they were not the -gang of river thieves for whom he had mistaken<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span> -them. He therefore apologized, in a rough way, -and even helped the boys repack the boat.</p> - -<p>“What I can’t understand,” said he, “is why you -boys come here and sleep in a lumber-yard, when -you might be sleeping at home in your beds. Now -if you were thieves, you couldn’t get any better lodgings, -you know; but you’re gentlemen’s sons, and -you ought to know better. Why don’t you go -down to the hotel and live like gentlemen? Where’s -the fun in being arrested, and taking up my valuable -time?”</p> - -<p>The boys assured him that they had never enjoyed -themselves more than they had while on the cruise, -and after a little more talk the officer turned slowly -away.</p> - -<p>“By-the-bye,” he exclaimed, suddenly turning back -again, “one of you told me you were pirates. I ought -to take you in after all. I believe you’re a lot of -boys that have been reading dime novels, and have -run away from home.”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t say we were pirates,” replied Tom. “I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[89]</span> -said we were Moral Pirates. That’s a very different -thing.”</p> - -<p>“Of course it is,” said Joe. “A Moral Pirate is a -sort of missionary, you know. I’m afraid you don’t -go to Sunday-school, officer, or you’d know better.”</p> - -<p>The policeman could not quite make up his mind -whether Joe was in joke or in earnest; but as he -could find no real reason for arresting the boys, he -contented himself with telling them to leave the -lumber-yard as soon as the sun rose. “And you’d -better look out,” he added, “that you don’t come -across any real river thieves. They’ll make no bones -of seizing your boat, and knocking you on the head -if you make any noise.” When he was fairly out of -sight, the boys crept back to their shelter among the -lumber, and coolly went to sleep again. They were -so tired that neither policemen nor river thieves had -any terrors for them.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[90]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER X.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE policeman did not return, and the boys -slept until an hour after sunrise. They then -rowed down the river to the steamboat landing, -where they left their boat in charge of a boatman -and went to a hotel for breakfast. The waiters -were rather astonished at the tremendous appetites -displayed by the four sunburnt boys, and there is no -doubt that the landlord lost money that morning. -After breakfast Harry went to the express office, -where he found a large water-proof India-rubber bag, -which the Department had sent in answer to his letter. -At the post-office were letters from home for -all the boys, and a postal order for ten dollars from -Uncle John for the use of the expedition. Harry -had no idea that this money would be needed, but it -subsequently proved to be very useful.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span>Quite a quantity of stores were bought at Albany, -for the voyage up the Hudson had lasted longer -than any one had supposed it would, and the provisions -were getting low. No unnecessary time was -spent in buying these stores, for a fair wind was -blowing, and all the boys were anxious to take advantage -of it. By ten o’clock they were again afloat; -and soon after noon they reached Troy and entered -the canal.</p> - -<p>The canal basin was crowded with canal-boats, -and to avoid accidents the <i>Whitewing’s</i> mast was -taken down, and the oars were got out. Harry -knew that, in order to pass through the locks, it -would be necessary to pay toll, and to procure an -order from the canal authorities directing the lockmen -to permit the <i>Whitewing</i> to pass. The canal-boatmen, of -whom he made inquiries, told him where -to find the office, which was some little distance up -the canal. When the office was reached, an officer -came and inspected the boat, asked a great many -questions about the cruise up the Hudson, and seemed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span> -to be very much interested in the expedition. He -told the boys that the water was low in the Champlain -Canal, and that the lockmen might not be willing -to open the locks for so small a boat; but that -they could avoid all dispute by entering the locks at -the same time with some one of the many canal-boats -that were on their way north. He charged -the <i>Whitewing</i> the enormous sum of twenty-five -cents for tolls, and gave Harry an important-looking -order by which the lockmen were directed to allow -the skiff <i>Whitewing</i>, Captain Harry Wilson, to pass -through all the locks on the canal.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="93a"><img src="images/i_092b.jpg" alt="GOING THROUGH THE LOCK" /></div> -<p class="caption">GOING THROUGH THE LOCK.</p> - -<p>Thanking the pleasant officer, the boys pushed off. -After they had passed the place where the Champlain -Canal branches off from the Erie Canal, they -were no longer troubled by a crowd of canal-boats, -and were able to set the sail again. Unluckily, the -mast was just a little too high to pass under the -bridges, and at the first bridge which they met they -narrowly escaped a capsize—Jim succeeding in getting -the mast down only just in time to save it from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span> -striking the bridge. They had hardly set sail again -when another bridge came in sight, and they could -see just beyond it a third bridge. It would never -do to stop at every bridge and unship the mast; so -Harry went on shore, borrowed a saw from a cooper’s -shop, and sawed six inches off from the top of -the mast, after which the bridges gave them no more -trouble.</p> - -<p>The boys were very much interested in passing -the first lock. They slipped into the lock behind a -big canal-boat, which left just room enough between -its rudder and the gate for the <i>Whitewing</i>. When -the lockmen shut the gate behind the boat, and opened -the sluices in the upper gate, the water rose slowly -and steadily. The sides of the lock were so steep -and black that the boys felt very much as if they -were at the bottom of a well; but it was not many -minutes before the water had risen so high that the -upper gates were opened, and the big canal-boat and -its little follower were released.</p> - -<p>Passing through a lock in a small boat, and in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span> -company with a canal-boat, is not a perfectly safe -thing to do; for if the ropes which fasten the canal-boat -should break—which they sometimes do—the -water rushing in through the sluices would force the -canal-boat against the lower gate, and crush the small -boat like an egg-shell. It is therefore best always -to pass through a lock alone, or in company with -other small boats. The danger, however, is in reality -very slight, and very few accidents occur in canal -locks.</p> - -<p>The wind died away before sunset; and the boys -having had only a light lunch, which they ate on -the boat, were glad to go ashore for supper. They -bought some corn from a farmer, and roasted it before -the fire, while some nice slices of ham were frying, -and the coffee-pot was boiling, and so prepared a -supper which they greatly enjoyed. The moon came -up before they had finished the meal, and they felt -strongly tempted to make another attempt at night-work.</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell you what we can do,” exclaimed Harry.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95]</span> -“Instead of rowing, let’s tow the boat. One fellow -can tow while another steers, and the rest can sleep -in the boat.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” said Joe. “I’m willing to be a mule. -Only I’d like to know where my harness is coming -from.”</p> - -<p>“We’ve got rope enough for that,” replied Harry. -“I’ll take the first turn, and tow for an hour, while -Joe steers; then I’ll steer for an hour, while Joe -tows. Then the other watch will take charge of the -boat for two hours, and Joe and I will sleep.”</p> - -<p>“If I’m to sleep on the bottom of that boat,” said -Joe, “I want some nice sharp stones to sleep on. I’m -tired of sleeping on coffee-pots, and want a change.”</p> - -<p>A long tow-line was soon rigged on Harry’s shoulders -in such a way that it did not chafe him; a -space in the bottom of the boat was cleared of coffee-pots -and other uncomfortable articles, and a pair of -blankets was spread on the bottom board, so as to -make a comfortable bed, which Tom and Jim hastened -to occupy. Joe took the yoke-lines in his hand,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[96]</span> -and called to Harry to go ahead. When Harry first -tugged at the tow-line, the boat seemed very heavy; -but as soon as she was in motion, Harry found that -he could tow her as fast as he could walk, and without -any difficulty.</p> - -<p>Had the locks been open and the canal-boats been -out of the way, the experiment of towing the <i>Whitewing</i> -at night would have been very successful. As -it happened, the locks were kept closed during the -night, because the water was low; and the canal-boats, -not being able to pass the locks, were moored -to the tow-path. These boats gave Harry and Joe -a great deal of trouble. When one of them was -met, Harry had to unharness himself and toss the -rope into the boat, and Joe had to get out an oar -and scull around the obstacle. This happened so -often that Tom and Jim got very little sleep; and -long before it was time for them to resume duty, a -lock was reached, and Harry had to call all hands -to drag the boat around it.</p> - -<p>This was a hard piece of work. First, all the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span> -heavy things had to be taken out of the boat and -carried around the lock. Then the boat had to -be dragged out of the canal on to the tow-path; -hauled up a steep ascent, and launched above the -upper gate. It took a good half-hour to pass the -first of these closed locks, and when the boat was -again ready to start, it was time to change the watch.</p> - -<p>Tom and Jim had managed to get only a few minutes’ -sleep, but Harry and Joe could not sleep a single -wink. They had not “turned in” for more than -ten minutes, when another lock was reached. This -involved a second half-hour of hard work by all -hands, and twenty minutes later three more locks -close together blocked the way. It was foolish to -persevere in dragging the boat around locks all -night long; so, after getting her out of the canal on -the side opposite to the tow-path, the boys dragged -her behind some bushes, where the canal-boatmen -could not see her at daylight. They then spread their -rubber blankets on the ground, and prepared to sleep -through the remaining four or five hours of darkness.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span>“Boys,” said Joe, suddenly, “does it hurt a fat -woman to jump on her?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t know,” answered Harry. “What do you -ask for?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, nothing,” said Joe. “Only when I was -jumping from one canal-boat to another while I was -a mule, I landed awfully heavy on a fat woman who -was sleeping on deck.”</p> - -<p>“What did she do?” asked Harry.</p> - -<p>“She didn’t do anything. She just said ‘Go -way wid you now, Pathrick,’ as if she was half -asleep and dreaming. Pathrick must be in the -habit of jumping on her.”</p> - -<p>“Well, if she likes it, that’s her business, not -yours,” suggested Harry. “Go to sleep, do!”</p> - -<p>“I am going to sleep; but I don’t think we ought -to spend our nights in getting run down by steamboats -and jumping on strange fat women. I’m sure -it isn’t right. There, you needn’t throw any more -shoes at me! I won’t say another word.”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XI.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_099.jpg" width="75" height="74" alt="B" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">BOYS,” said Tom, as he was kindling the -fire the next morning, “do you know what -day it is?”</p> - -<p>“Saturday, of course,” replied the others.</p> - -<p>“You’re wrong; it’s Sunday.”</p> - -<p>“It can’t be,” exclaimed Harry.</p> - -<p>“But it is,” persisted Tom. “Last night was -the sixth night that we’ve slept out-doors, and we -started on a Monday.”</p> - -<p>Tom was right; but it was some time before his -companions could convince themselves that it was -actually Sunday. When they finally admitted that -it was Sunday morning, they gave up the idea of -proceeding up the canal, and began to discuss what -they had better do.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span>The boat, which had been drawn out of the water -the night before, was concealed by a clump of bushes -from the canal-boatmen. The boys decided to leave -it where it was, and to carry the tent and most of -their baggage to a grove a quarter of a mile distant, -where they could pass a quiet Sunday. The locks -were not yet opened, and no canal-boats were stirring, -and the boys made their way to the grove at -once while their movements were unobserved. They -were afraid that if they attracted the attention of -the boatmen to the clump of bushes some one would -steal the <i>Whitewing</i> while her crew were absent. -They had already seen enough of the “canalers” to -know that they were a wild and lawless set of men, -and they were not anxious to put the temptation of -stealing a nice boat in their way.</p> - -<p>The grove was a delightful place; and when they -had pitched the tent under the shadow of the great -oak-trees, they were glad of the prospect of a good -day’s rest. Tom and Harry walked nearly a mile to -church in the morning, leaving the Sharpe boys to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span> -look after the camp, and they all slept most of the -afternoon.</p> - -<p>About dusk, as the fire for cooking supper was -blazing briskly, Joe returned from a foraging expedition, -quite out of breath, and with his milk-pail -half empty. He said that he had met three tramps -on the road, which passed through the grove not -very far from the camp, and that they had snatched -a pie from him that he had bought at a farm-house, -and had chased him for some distance.</p> - -<p>He had been badly frightened, as he frankly admitted; -but the other boys thought that it was a good -joke on him. They told him that the tramps would -track him by the milk that he had spilt, and would -probably attack the camp and scalp him. They -soon forgot the adventure, however, with the exception -of Tom; who, although he said nothing at the -time, poured water on the fire as soon as the supper -was cooked—an act which somewhat astonished the -rest. Soon afterward he went into the tent for a -few moments, and when he returned he was beginning<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span> -to advise Joe not to laugh quite so loud, when -the crackling of branches was heard in the grove, -and three very unpleasant-looking men appeared.</p> - -<p>It was fast growing dark, but Joe immediately -recognized them as the tramps who had stolen his -pie. “We’ve come to supper,” said one of them. -“Let’s see what you’ve got. Give us the bill of -fare, sonny, and look sharp about it.”</p> - -<p>Tom immediately answered that they had eaten -their supper, and that there was nothing left of it -but some coffee. “If you want the coffee, take it,” -said he. “There isn’t anything else for you.”</p> - -<p>“That ain’t a perlite way to treat three gen’lemen -as come a long ways to call on you,” said the tramp. -“We’ll just have to help ourselves, and we’ll begin -by looking into your tent. P’raps you’ve got a -crust of bread there, what’ll save a poor starvin’ -workin’-man from dyin’ on the spot!”</p> - -<p>Tom hastily stepped before the tent. “You can’t -go into this tent,” he said, very quietly; “and you’d -better leave this camp and go about your business.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span>“Just hear him,” said the tramp, addressing his -companions. “As if this yere identical camp wasn’t -our business. Now, boys,” he continued, “you’ve -got money with you, and you’ve got clothes, and one -on you’s got a watch, and you’re goin’ to give ’em to -three honest hard-workin’ men, or else you’re goin’ to -have your nice little throats cut.”</p> - -<p>“Here, boys, quick!” cried Tom, rushing into the -tent, where he was followed by the other boys before -the tramps could stop them. “Here, Harry,” he continued, -“take the boat-hook. There’s a hatchet for -you, Jim, and a stick for Joe. Now we’ll see if they -can rob us!” So saying, he stepped outside the tent -with the gun in his hand, followed closely by his little -army.</p> - -<p>The ruffians hesitated when they saw the cool -way in which Tom confronted them. So they proposed -a compromise, as they called it. “Look a -here,” said the one who had hitherto been the -spokesman; “we ain’t unreasonable, and we’ll compromise -this yere business. You give us your money<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span> -and that chap’s watch, and we’ll let you alone. -That’s what I call a very handsome offer.”</p> - -<p>“We won’t give you a thing,” replied Tom; “and -I’ll shoot the first one of you that lays a hand on us.”</p> - -<p>The tramps consulted for a moment, and then the -leader, with a frightful oath, ordered Tom to drop -that gun instantly.</p> - -<p>Tom never said a word, but he cocked both barrels -and waited, with his eye fixed on the enemy.</p> - -<p>Presently the tramps separated a little, the leader -remaining where he had been standing, and the others -moving one to the right and the other to the -left of the boys. They evidently intended to rush -on Tom from three directions at once, and so confuse -him and prevent him from shooting.</p> - -<p>“I’ll take the leader and the man on the right,” -whispered Tom to Harry. “You lay for the other -fellow with your boat-hook. I’ve given you fair -warning,” he continued, addressing the ruffians, “and -I’ll fire the minute you try to attack us.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="104a"><img src="images/i_104a.jpg" alt="THE FIGHT WITH THE TRAMPS" /></div> -<p class="caption">THE FIGHT WITH THE TRAMPS.</p> - -<p>The boys were standing close together in front of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[105]</span> -the tent, Tom being a little in advance of the others. -Suddenly the leader of the tramps called out, “Now -then!” and all three made a rush toward Tom. He -fired at the tramp in front of him, hitting him in the -leg and bringing him to the ground; but before he -could fire again, the other two were upon him.</p> - -<p>The boys gallantly stood by Tom. Harry attacked -one of the tramps with the boat-hook so fiercely -that the fellow cried out that he was stabbed, and -ran away. Meanwhile Tom was struggling with the -third tramp, who had thrown him down, and was -trying to wrench the gun from him, while Jim and -Joe were hovering around them afraid to strike at -the tramp for fear of hitting Tom. But now Harry, -having driven off his antagonist, flew to the help of -Tom, and seizing the tramp by his hair, and bracing -one knee against his back, dragged him backward to -the ground, and held him there until Tom regained -his feet, and, holding the muzzle of the gun at the -robber’s head, called on him to surrender, which the -fellow gladly did.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[106]</span>“Get some rope, Jim, and tie him!” cried Tom. -“Hold on to his hair, Harry, and I’ll blow his brains -out if he offers to move.”</p> - -<p>The tramp was not at all anxious to part with his -brains, and he remained perfectly quiet while Jim -and Joe tied his feet together, and his hands behind -his back.</p> - -<p>“Now you stand over him with the boat-hook, -Harry,” said Tom, “and I’ll see to the other fellow.”</p> - -<p>The other fellow was, of course, the man who had -been shot. Tom lighted the lantern, for it was now -quite dark, and found that the ruffian had been shot -in the lower part of his right leg, and had fainted -from loss of blood. Taking a towel, Tom tore it -into strips, and bound up the wound, and by the -time he had finished the patient became conscious -again, and begged Tom not to take him to prison.</p> - -<p>Now this was precisely what the boys did not -want to do, as it would probably delay them for -several days, and perhaps put an end to their cruise. -Tom therefore said to the prisoner, whom Harry was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span> -guarding, that if he would promise to help the -wounded man away, and take him to see a doctor, -he would be released. The tramp gladly accepted -the offer, and Harry unfastened the rope from his -legs and arms, while Tom kept his gun in readiness -to use it at the first sign of treachery. The tramps, -however, had quite enough of fighting, and were -only too anxious to get away. The wounded man -was helped to his feet by his companion, and the -two went slowly off, one half carrying the other, and -both cursing the coward who had run away. As -they hobbled off, Tom called out, “I’m sorry I had to -hurt you, but I couldn’t help it, you know; and if -any of you come back here to-night, you’ll find us -ready for you.”</p> - -<p>It was a long time before the boys fell asleep that -night, and Tom was overwhelmed with praise for his -coolness and bravery. Though he felt certain that -the tramps would not return, he proposed that a -sentinel should keep guard outside the tent, offering -to share that duty with Harry, since the other boys<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span> -were not familiar with guns. So all night long Tom -and Harry, relieving one another every two hours, -marched up and down in front of the tent, keeping a -sharp watch for robbers, and preparing for a desperate -fight every time they heard the slightest noise.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XII.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THOUGH no tramps appeared during the -night, the sentinels proved to be useful; for -as soon as the day began to dawn, Harry, -who was on sentry duty, called his comrades, and -thus they were enabled to get breakfast early, and -to start before six o’clock. They had to wait half -an hour for the first lock to be opened, but after that -they had no difficulty in passing through the other -locks. They rowed steadily, taking turns at the -oars, and occasionally fastening the boat to the stern -of a canal-boat, which would tow them while they -took a short rest. Early in the afternoon they reached -Fort Edward, where they disembarked; and -Harry and Tom went in search of a team, which -they hired to carry them to Warrensburg, on the -Schroon branch of the Hudson.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span>When the teamster drove down to the bank of -the canal, Tom and the Sharpe boys began to unload -the boat. Harry stopped them. “There isn’t any -use in taking the things out of the boat,” said he. -“We can draw her out of the canal and put her on -the wagon just as she is.”</p> - -<p>“Her stern will dip under when we haul her bow -out,” said Tom.</p> - -<p>“No it won’t,” replied Harry.</p> - -<p>“Let’s take the things out of the stern-sheets, anyhow,” -urged Tom. “All our shoes are there, and -we can’t afford to lose them.”</p> - -<p>“Nothing will happen to them,” answered Harry, -confidently. “It’s my boat, and I’m going to haul -her out with the things in her.”</p> - -<p>Tom said no more, but took hold of the bow of -the boat with the others, and they began to pull her -out of the water. As Tom had prophesied, when -she was about half-way out her stern dipped under, -the water poured in, and nearly everything in the -after-part of the boat floated out. The harm was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span> -done now, so the boys hastily dragged the boat up -the bank, and then began to lament their losses.</p> - -<p>There was not a shoe left, except the shoes that -Harry and Tom had put on when they went in -search of the team. The mast and sail and two oars -were floating on the water, and a quantity of small -articles, including the tin frying-pans and a tin pail, -had shared the fate of the shoes, and were lying at -the bottom of the canal.</p> - -<p>“It was my fault,” said Harry; “and I beg everybody’s -pardon. I’ll strip and duck for the things -till I find them.” So saying, he threw off his clothes -and sprang into the canal. Joe, who was, next to -Harry, the best swimmer of the party, followed his -example; and a number of the villagers and “canalers” -collected on the tow-path to watch the divers.</p> - -<p>The canal was not more than eight feet deep, but -the bottom was very muddy, and the boys had to -feel about in the mud with their feet for the lost articles. -They were very fortunate, and before long -succeeded in recovering all the shoes, except one of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span> -Joe’s, and several other things. Meanwhile three -women and half a dozen girls, all of whom lived on -board the fleet of canal-boats that were lying near -by, joined the spectators, and seemed to think that -the whole business was a capital joke. Harry and -Joe were now anxious to come out of the water; but -they could not come ashore while the women and -girls were there, so they swam some distance up the -canal, and crept out behind a barn.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Tom and Jim were busily bailing out -the boat, and arranging the wet things so that the -sun could dry them. They were so busy that they -forgot all about Harry and Joe. Presently Tom -said, “Hark! I think I hear somebody calling.”</p> - -<p>They listened, and presently they heard a voice in -the distance calling, “Tom! Jim! boys! somebody! -Bring us our clothes!”</p> - -<p>“It’s Harry and Joe,” exclaimed Tom. “Where -on earth are they?”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="112a"><img src="images/i_112a.jpg" alt="HARRY AND JOE IN A TRAP" /></div> -<p class="caption">HARRY AND JOE IN A TRAP.</p> - -<p>They looked up the canal, and finally discovered a -naked arm waving frantically from behind a barn<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[113]</span> -that stood near the water. “They must be behind -that barn,” said Tom. “Why, the mosquitoes will -eat ’em alive! I’ll take their clothes to them right -away.” So saying, Tom gathered up the shirts, trousers, -and hats of the two unhappy divers, and ran -with them to their owners. He found Harry and -Joe crouched behind the barn, chattering with cold -and surrounded by clouds of eager mosquitoes. -“We’ve been here half an hour,” cried Joe, “and -the mosquitoes would have finished us in another -half-hour. I think my right leg is nearly gone already.”</p> - -<p>“And I know I must have lost a gallon of blood,” -said Harry.</p> - -<p>“But why on earth did you come here?” asked -Tom.</p> - -<p>“Because the canal is just lined with women and -girls,” replied Joe. “They think it’s a circus; but -I’m not going to do circus-acting without tights.”</p> - -<p>The boys hurriedly dressed themselves, and returning -to the boat helped to put it on the wagon;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[114]</span> -and with the wet shoes hanging from the cart-rungs -they started on their ride to Warrensburg. It was -a hot and tedious ride, and as the wagon had no -springs, the boys were bumped so terribly that they -ached all over. They tried to sing, but the words -were bumped out of them in the most startling way; -and after singing one verse of the Star-spangled Banner -in this fashion,</p> - -<p class="center">“The St-t-tar-spangl-led-led ba-a-an-na-na—”</p> - -<p>they gave it up.</p> - -<p>About four o’clock they reached Warrensburg, -and after getting some dry sugar to replace that -which had been mixed with canal water, they -launched the boat, and rowed up the river. They -found it a narrow stream, with a rapid current and a -good depth of water. After their tiresome ride the -smooth motion of the boat seemed delightful, and -they were really sorry when they found it was so -late that they must camp for the night.</p> - -<p>They chose a pleasant sandy spot between the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[115]</span> -river and the edge of a thick wood. The opposite -bank was also thickly wooded, and they felt as if -they were in the depths of a wilderness; though, in -reality, there were houses quite near at hand. They -pitched their tent, made a good supper—of which -they were in need, for they had eaten very little at -noon—and then “turned in.”</p> - -<p>For some reason—perhaps because the mosquitoes -had so cruelly maltreated him—Joe was not sleepy; -and after having lain awake a long time while the -other boys were sleeping soundly, he began to feel -lonesome. He heard a great many mysterious noises, -as any one who lies awake in a tent always does. -The melancholy call of the loon sounded ghostly, -and the sighing of the wind in the trees seemed to -him like the breathing of huge animals. After -awhile he found himself getting nervous as well as -lonesome, and imagined that he saw shadows of -strange objects passing in front of the tent. By-and-by -he distinctly heard the twigs and branches crackling, -as somebody or something moved through the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[116]</span> -woods. The noise came nearer, and suddenly it -flashed upon Joe that a bear was approaching the -tent. He crept carefully to the opening of the tent, -and putting his head out, saw indistinctly a large -animal moving slowly in the shadow of the bushes -only three or four rods from the tent.</p> - -<p>Joe lost no time in waking up the other boys, cautioning -them as he did so not to make the least noise. -“There’s a bear close by the tent,” he whispered. -“I’ve been listening to him for a long while, and just -now I saw him.”</p> - -<p>Harry immediately grasped the gun, both barrels -of which he had loaded before going to sleep. Tom -wished that he had the hatchet, but as it had been -left in the boat, he had no weapon but his penknife. -Thus armed, the two crept stealthily out of the tent -to fight the bear, leaving Joe and Jim in a very unhappy -state of mind, with nothing to defend themselves -against the bear, in case he should attack the -tent, except a tooth-brush and a lantern.</p> - -<p>The outline of the animal could be seen, but Tom<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[117]</span> -and Harry could not make out which end of it was -its head. “You must shoot him just behind the -shoulder,” whispered Tom. “That’s the only spot -where you can kill a bear.” Harry said nothing, but -watched carefully to see the animal move. Presently -it threw up either its head or tail—the boys could -not tell which—and started toward the tent. Harry -forgot all about shooting at the shoulder, but in -his excitement fired at the animal generally, without -picking out any particular spot in which to plant -his shot.</p> - -<p>The effect of the shot was surprising. The bear -set up a tremendous bellow, and by the flash of the -gun the boys saw their dreaded enemy galloping -away, with its horns and tail in the air. Tom burst -into a loud laugh. “Come out, Joe,” he cried. -“Your bear’s gone home to be milked—that is, if -Harry hasn’t mortally wounded her.”</p> - -<p>Fortunately, Harry had made a miss; and he -found his whole charge of shot the next morning -in the trunk of a big white birch-tree. The innocent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[118]</span> -cow that Joe had mistaken for a bear was, however, -so thoroughly frightened that she did not come near -the camp again.</p> - -<p>“I stick to it that it was a bear!” said Joe, as the -boys were wrapping themselves in their blankets. -“Cows go to roost at sunset. Suppose it did bellow: -how do you know that bears don’t bellow when they -are shot?”</p> - -<p>“How about the horns, Joe?” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>“There’s horned owls—why shouldn’t there be -horned bears? Anyway, I believe it was a bear, -and I shall stick to it.” And to this day Joe believes—or -thinks he does—that he had a very narrow -escape from a ferocious bear on the banks of -the Schroon.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[119]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE cruise up the Schroon was a delightful -one while it lasted. The river was so narrow -that the trees on either side frequently -met, forming a green and shady arch. Although -there was a road not far from the river, and there -were houses and small villages at a little distance -from its banks, the boys while in their boat saw -nothing but the water, the trees, and the sky, and -felt as far removed from civilization as if they were -sailing on an African river. They saw nothing to -shoot, after their adventure with Joe’s bear, and -there were no signs of fish in the water; but they -delighted in the wild and solitary river, and were -very much disappointed when, at the close of the -day, they reached a dam so high that it seemed -hopeless to try to carry the boat around it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[120]</span>Before camping they walked some distance above -the dam, and found that the river was completely -blocked up with logs, which had been cut in the forest -above and floated down to the saw-mill. The -men at the mill said that the boys would find the -river choked with logs for a distance of nearly three -miles, and that a little farther up it became a mere -brook, too shallow and rapid to be navigated with -the <i>Whitewing</i>.</p> - -<p>It was clear that the cruise on the Schroon had -come to an end, and that it would be necessary to -hire a wagon to take the boat to the lake. Having -reached this decision, the boys made their camp; -and being very tired, put off engaging a team until -morning.</p> - -<p>When morning came, one of the men at the mill -came to see them while they were at breakfast, and -advised them not to go to Schroon Lake. He said -that the lake was full of houses—by which he meant -that there were a great many houses along its banks—and -that if they were to go there they would find<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[121]</span> -neither shooting nor fishing. He urged them to go -to another lake which they had never heard of -before—Brandt Lake. It was no farther off than -Schroon Lake, and was full of fish. Besides, it was -a wild mountain lake, with only two or three houses -near it. The boys thanked him, and gladly accepted -his advice. They had supposed that Schroon -Lake was in the wilderness, and were exceedingly -glad to find out their mistake in time to select a -more attractive place. The owner of the saw-mill -furnished them with a wagon, and soon after breakfast -they started for Brandt Lake.</p> - -<p>When, after a pleasant ride, they came in sight of -the lake, they were overjoyed to find how wild and -beautiful it was. Steep and thickly wooded hills -surrounded it, except at the extreme southern point, -where they launched their boat. It was not more -than two miles wide at the widest part, and was -about five miles in length, and they could see but -two houses—one on the east, and the other on the -west shore. They eagerly hoisted the sail, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[122]</span> -started up the lake to search for a permanent camping-ground; -and, after spending the afternoon in examining -almost the entire line of shore, they selected -a little rocky island in the upper part of the lake, -which seemed made for their purpose.</p> - -<p>There was a great deal of work to be done, for -they intended to stay at Brandt Lake for a fortnight. -They had to clear away the underbrush, and cut -down several small trees to make room for the tent. -Then a small landing-place had to be built of stones -and logs, so that the boat could approach the island -without striking on the sharp rocks which surrounded -it. Then the stores were all to be taken out of the -boat, and placed where they would be dry and easy -of access. The provisions had by this time become -nearly exhausted; but the boys had been told that -they could get milk, eggs, butter, bread, and vegetables -at one of the houses which was not more than -a mile from the camp, so they were not troubled to -find that of their canned provisions nothing was left -except a can of peaches.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[123]</span>Of course all this work was not done in one day. -On the afternoon of their arrival at the lake the -boys merely pitched the tent, and then went fishing -with a view to supper. Fishing with drop-lines -from a large rock at one end of their little island, -they caught perch as fast as they could pull them in, -good-sized pickerel, and two or three cat-fish. That -night they ate a supper that would have made a -boarding-house keeper weep tears of despair, and went -to bed rather happier than they had ever felt before.</p> - -<p>Tom was to row over to the house for milk and -other provisions in the morning; but when morning -came the boat was gone. She had broken loose during -the night, not having been properly fastened, and -had floated quietly away. A faint speck was visible -on the surface of the lake about two miles away, -which Harry, who had remarkably good eyes, said -was the <i>Whitewing</i>. Whether he was right or wrong, -it was quite certain that the boys were imprisoned -on the island, with nothing to eat but a can of peaches -and some coffee and sugar.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[124]</span>The fish, however, were waiting to be caught, and -before very long a breakfast of fish and of coffee -without milk was ready. The boys then began to -discuss the important question of how they were to -get back their boat, or to get away from the island.</p> - -<p>It was a mile to the shore, and nobody felt able to -swim that distance. Joe proposed that they fasten -one of their shirts to a tall tree, as a signal of distress, -and then fire the gun every minute. The objection -to this plan was that the nearest house was -out of sight behind a little point of land, and that -no one would see the signal, or would understand -why the gun was fired. Then Tom proposed to -build a raft, on which two boys could paddle after -the runaway boat. This was a practicable suggestion, -and it was at once put into execution.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="124a"><img src="images/i_124a.jpg" alt="HARRY SETS OUT IN PURSUIT OF THE BOAT" /></div> -<p class="caption">HARRY SETS OUT IN PURSUIT OF THE BOAT.</p> - -<p>It was hard work to cut down timber enough to -build a raft, but by perseverance the raft was finished -before noon. It consisted of four logs laid side -by side, and bound together with handkerchiefs, shoe-strings, -green twigs, and a few strips from one of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[125]</span> -Harry’s shirts, which he said was unnecessarily long. -It was covered with two or three pieces of flat driftwood; -and when it was finished a piece of board -was found which was shaped with the hatchet into -a rude paddle. Then Tom and Harry proceeded to -embark.</p> - -<p>The raft floated Harry very well, but promptly -sank when Tom also stepped on it. Either more -timber must be added to it, or one boy must go -alone in search of the boat. Harry insisted upon going -at once, and as the lake was perfectly smooth, -and he could swim well, there did not seem to be -great risk in his making the voyage alone. Bidding -the boys good-bye, he paddled slowly away, and -left his comrades to anxiously wait for his return.</p> - -<p>It was ticklish work paddling the raft. The logs -were fastened together so insecurely, owing to the -fact that all the rope was in the runaway boat, that -Harry was in constant fear that they would come -apart, and was obliged to paddle very carefully to -avoid putting any strain on the raft. With such a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[126]</span> -craft speed was out of the question; and after an -hour of hard work the raft was only half-way between -the island and the boat. Harry was not easily -discouraged, however, and he paddled on, knowing -that if nothing happened he must reach the boat -in course of time.</p> - -<p>Something did happen. When, after paddling -for more than two hours, the <i>Whitewing</i> was rather -less than a quarter of a mile from the raft, Harry -missed a stroke with his paddle, and tumbled over. -He struck the raft with his shoulder, and went -through it as easily as if it had been fastened together -with paper. When he came to the surface -again he found that the raft had separated into its -original logs, and that his voyage on it was ended. -Luckily the <i>Whitewing</i> was now within swimming distance, -so he struck out for her, and finally crept into -her over the stern, so much exhausted that he had -to lie down and rest before taking to the oars. Had -the raft gone to pieces half an hour sooner he would -have been in a dangerous position; for it is doubtful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[127]</span> -if he could have clung to one of the logs long enough -to drift to the shore without becoming totally exhausted.</p> - -<p>The boys on the island did not witness the end -of Harry’s raft, for it was too far away when the accident -occurred for them to see anything but a little -black dot on the water. They became, however, -very anxious about him as the hours went by and -he did not come back. Tom was especially uneasy, -and blamed himself for permitting Harry to go -alone. He thought of making another raft and going -in search of Harry; but there were no more -strings with which to fasten logs together, and he -did not quite like to tear up his clothes and use -them for that purpose. He did, however, resolve -that, if Harry did not come in sight within another -hour, he would take a small log and, putting it under -his arms, try to swim to the main-land and borrow -a boat, if one could be found, in which to search for -his comrade. He was spared this hazardous experiment; -for toward the end of the afternoon Harry and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[128]</span> -the <i>Whitewing</i> came in sight, and were welcomed -with a tremendous cheer.</p> - -<p>Tom took the boat and went for provisions, and -when he returned the <i>Whitewing</i> was not only dragged -on shore, but fastened to two different trees with -two distinct ropes. The boys were determined that -she should not escape again; and when Joe proposed -that somebody should sit up with her all night, so -that she could not cut the ropes and run away, Tom -seriously considered the proposal. The next day a -snug little dock was built, in which she seemed quite -contented, and from which she could not escape without -climbing over a stone breakwater—a feat of -which there was no reason to believe that she was -capable.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[129]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIV.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE boys had been on their island for more -than a week when they resolved to make an -excursion to Schroon, which was the nearest -village, in order to get some sugar, coffee, and other -necessaries. Schroon Lake, or rather the lower end -of it, was not more than five miles from Brandt -Lake; but there was a range of high hills between -the two, and the village of Schroon was situated at -the head of the lake, which was nearly ten miles in -length. A long and tiresome journey was, therefore, -before them, and they ought to have started early in -the morning; but they did not start until nearly -eleven o’clock. Harry, Tom, and Joe were to go -to Schroon together, and Jim was to stay at the -island until six o’clock, when he was to row over<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[130]</span> -to the west shore and bring the others back to the -camp.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="130a"><img src="images/i_130a.jpg" alt="BIDDING JIM GOOD-BYE" /></div> -<p class="caption">BIDDING JIM GOOD-BYE.</p> - -<p>When they bade good-bye to Jim, the three other -boys assured him that they would certainly be -back as early as six o’clock, and warned him not -to fail to meet them with the boat. They then -started to cross the hills, following a foot-path, that -was so little used that it was hardly visible. Unfortunately -the path led through a thicket of raspberry -bushes, and the fruit was so tempting that the -boys lost a good deal of time by stopping to gather -it. After a tiresome tramp under the mid-day sun -they reached the lower end of Schroon Lake, where -they hired a crank little row-boat, and rowed up to -Schroon. There was a fresh northerly breeze which -delayed them; and the spray from the bow of the -boat sprinkled them, so that they were uncomfortably -wet when they reached the village. By this -time they were very hungry as well as tired, and so -they went to the hotel for dinner. It was half-past -six o’clock when they started to row down the lake, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[131]</span>and several men who saw them warned them that -they were running a good deal of risk in attempting -to return at so late an hour.</p> - -<p>The trip down the lake was certainly a rather -foolhardy one; for there was a good deal of wind -and sea, and long before they reached the landing-place -it was quite dark. But the boys were anxious -to get back to their camp, and for the first time during -the cruise they acted somewhat recklessly. However, -they met with no accident; and when they had -returned the boat to its owner, they set out to cross -the hills.</p> - -<p>The path was not easy to find in the daylight, -and it was next to impossible to find it in the night. -A dozen times the boys lost themselves, and were -compelled to depend entirely upon the stars to direct -their course. The woods had been all cleared away -for a space of a mile or a mile and a half wide between -the two lakes, except just along the shore of -Brandt Lake; so that it was not absolutely necessary -for them to keep in the path, as it would have been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[132]</span> -had they been passing through a thick forest. Still -it was not pleasant to lose the path, and stumble -over stones and stumps, and of course it made the -journey longer. They must have walked at least -seven or eight miles on their way back before they -finally reached their own lake at midnight, at the -point where they expected to find Jim waiting for -them.</p> - -<p>Neither Jim nor the boat was there. He had -waited until ten o’clock, and then, making up his -mind that they had decided to spend the night at -Schroon, he rowed back to the island, and went -calmly to bed. An hour later a dense fog settled over -the lake; and when the tired boys reached the shore -they could see but a few yards in front of their eyes.</p> - -<p>It was a terrible disappointment, but Harry tried -to be cheerful. “We shall have to stay here to-night, -boys,” said he; “but we will build a good fire -and keep warm.” Tom said that he thought that -was the best thing to do, for without a fire they -would suffer severely from the cold, wet fog, and he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[133]</span> -asked Harry if he had any matches. Harry had -none, Joe had none, and Tom had none; so the plan -of building a fire came to nothing.</p> - -<p>The cold gradually chilled them as they stood -talking over their adventure, and their teeth began -to chatter. Joe said he wished he could get hold of -Jim for about five minutes, so that he could warm himself -up by convincing him that he ought not to have -taken the boat back to the island. Harry said nothing; -but he was wondering whether he would freeze -to death in the fog, and tried to remember how travellers -overtaken by the snow on the Alps contrive to -fight off the terrible drowsiness that steals over them -when they are freezing. Tom was more practical. -He did not expect to freeze in July, although he was -miserably cold; and he did not want to punish Jim -for a mistake of judgment. He knew that the house -where they were accustomed to get milk was not far -off, and that a boat usually lay on the shore near -the house; so he proposed to Harry and Joe to borrow -the boat and make their way into the camp.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[134]</span>“If we go to that house at this time of night, we -shall get shot,” remarked Harry. “The man is an -ugly-tempered chap, and I heard him say the other -day that if he ever heard anything prowling around -the house at night, he always fired at it.”</p> - -<p>“Then we won’t ask him for his boat: we’ll borrow -it without leave, and Jim can bring it back in -the morning,” replied Tom.</p> - -<p>“This is nice conduct for Moral Pirates,” said Joe. -“Capturing a vessel at night is real piracy, and when -Jim takes the boat back the man will be sure to -shoot him. I’m sorry for Jim; but I hope it will be -a warning to him not to leave his friends in such a -fix that they’ve either got to borrow a boat without -leave, or freeze.”</p> - -<p>They made their way stealthily and with great -difficulty to the place where the boat lay. It was -high and dry on the beach, and though the fog hid -the house where the owner of the boat lived, the -boys knew that it was very near. They launched -the boat with the utmost caution, lest any noise<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[135]</span> -should awaken the bad-tempered man with the shotgun. -They had it almost launched, when Harry’s -foot slipped on a wet stone, and he fell with a dismal -crash, clinging to the boat, and dragging Tom -and Joe down with him.</p> - -<p>It was very certain that if anything could wake -the owner of the boat, he must be awake by this -time; so the boys sprang up, and shoving the boat -into the water regardless of the noise, seized the oars, -and rowed away into the fog. When they had gained -what they thought a safe distance from the shore -they ceased rowing, and congratulated themselves -that they were all right at last. To be sure, Harry -had scraped his ankle badly; Tom had forgotten the -coffee, and left it on the shore; and Joe had put the -sugar in the bottom of the leaky boat, where it was -rapidly dissolving into sirup; but they were once -more afloat, and expected to reach their comfortable -camp within the next twenty minutes.</p> - -<p>There was not a particle of air stirring, and not a -star was visible, so they had absolutely nothing to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[136]</span> -steer by. They could not even hear the sound of -the water which ordinarily lapped the shore. Still -they were not discouraged. Harry thought he knew -which way the camp lay, and so he and Tom rowed -in what they imagined was the right direction.</p> - -<p>They rowed for two hours without finding the -island, and without reaching the shore. They could -not understand it. The lake seemed to have grown -in the night, and to have reached the size of Lake -Ontario. They knew that by daylight they could -row across it at its widest part in less than an hour, -but now it seemed impossible to find any shore. -Joe had just suggested that they had made a mistake -in coming back from Schroon, and had walked all -the way to Lake Champlain, on which they were -now rowing, when the bow of the boat struck the -shore.</p> - -<p>It was some consolation to know that the lake -actually had a shore; but they could not tell what -part of the shore they had reached. They pushed -off again, and resumed their hopeless search for the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[137]</span> -camp. A new trouble now harassed them. From -seeming to have no shore at all, the lake now seemed -to have shrunk to a mere mud-puddle. No matter -in what direction they rowed, they would strike -the shore within ten minutes, and always at a different -place. Joe said that he had never dreamed that -so much shore and so little lake could be put together.</p> - -<p>Toward morning Harry and Tom became too tired -to row, and they lay down in the bottom of the wet -boat, and tried to keep warm by lying close to each -other. Joe took the oars, and tried to row without -hitting the shore; but he had hardly dipped his oars -when the bow grated on the pebbles. He promptly -gave up the attempt, and making the boat fast to a -tree, joined Tom and Harry, and shared their misery.</p> - -<p>They were much too cold and wretched to sleep, -but they managed to keep from growing positively -stiff with cold. The sun rose, but it did not for a -long time make any impression on the fog. All at -once, about seven o’clock, the fog vanished; and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[138]</span> -boys found themselves in a little bay near the extreme -northerly part of the lake. They had been -rowing across this little bay, first in one direction -and then in another, during all those miserable -hours when they found such an unaccountable quantity -of shore.</p> - -<p>Of course they rowed down to the camp, where -they found Jim still sleeping soundly, with a contented, -happy look that was awfully exasperating. They -woke him up, and scolded him with all the strength -they had left, and then, putting on dry clothes, “turned -in,” and slept all day. Jim towed the borrowed -boat back, but was not shot; and the boys afterward -said that, on the whole, they were rather glad that -he still lived, and that they would mercifully forgive -him.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[139]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XV.</h2> -</div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_007.jpg" width="75" height="72" alt="T" /> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was only one fault to be found with -Brandt Lake; there was hardly anything to -shoot in its vicinity. Occasionally a deer -could be found; but at the season of the year when -the boys were at the lake it was contrary to law to -kill deer. It was known that there were bears in -that part of the country as well as lynxes—or catamounts, -as they are generally called; but they were -so scarce that no one thought of hunting them. -Harry did succeed in shooting three pigeons and a -quail, and Tom shot a gray squirrel; but the bears, -deer, catamounts, and ducks that they had expected -to shoot did not show themselves.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, they had any quantity of fishing. -Perch and cat-fish swarmed all around the island; -and large pickerel, some of them weighing six<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[140]</span> -or eight pounds, could be caught by trolling. Two -miles farther north was another lake that was full -of trout, and the boys visited it several times, and -found out how delicious a trout is when it is cooked -within half an hour after it is taken out of the water. -In fact they lived principally upon fish, and became -so dainty that they would not condescend to cook -any but the choicest trout, and the plumpest cat-fish -and pickerel.</p> - -<p>It must be confessed that there was a good deal -of monotony in their daily life. In the morning -somebody went for milk, after which breakfast was -cooked and eaten. Then one of the boys would -take the gun and tramp through the woods in the -hope of finding something to shoot, while the others -would either go fishing or lie in the shade. Once -they devoted a whole day to circumnavigating the -lake in the boat, and another day a long rain-storm -kept them inside of the tent most of the time. With -these exceptions one day was remarkably like another; -and at the end of two weeks they began to grow<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[141]</span> -a little tired of camping, and to remember that there -were ways of enjoying themselves at home.</p> - -<p>Their final departure from their island camp was -caused by an accident. They had decided to row to -the southern end of the lake and engage a team to -meet them the following week and to carry them to -Glenn’s Falls, where they intended to ship the boat -on board a canal-boat bound for New York, and to -return home by rail. To avoid the heat of the sun, -they started down the lake immediately after breakfast, -and forgot to put out the fire before they left -the island.</p> - -<p>After they had rowed at least a mile, Tom, who -sat facing the stern, noticed a light wreath of -smoke rising from the island, and remarked, “Our -fire is burning yet. We ought not to have gone off -and left it.”</p> - -<p>Harry looked back, and saw that the cloud of -smoke was rapidly increasing.</p> - -<p>“It’s not the fire that’s making all that smoke!” he -exclaimed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[142]</span>“What is it, then?” asked Tom.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it’s water,” said Joe. “I always thought -that where there was smoke there must be fire; but -Harry says it isn’t fire.”</p> - -<p>“I mean,” continued Harry, “that we didn’t leave -fire enough to make so much smoke. It must have -spread and caught something.”</p> - -<p>“Caught the tent, most likely,” said Tom. “Let’s -row back right away and put it out.”</p> - -<p>“What’s the use?” interrupted Jim. “That tent -is as dry as tinder, and will burn up before we can -get half-way there.”</p> - -<p>“We must get back as soon as we can,” cried Harry. -“All our things are in the tent. Row your -best, boys, and we may save them yet.”</p> - -<p>The boat was quickly turned, and headed toward -the camp. The fire was rapidly increasing, and it -was apparent that the dry underbrush must have -caught; in which case the fire would soon fasten on -the trees, and sweep over the whole of the little -island.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="143a"><img src="images/i_142b.jpg" alt="THE EXPLOSION IN CAMP" /></div> -<p class="caption">THE EXPLOSION IN CAMP.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[143]</span>“There’s one reason why I’m not particularly anxious -to help put that fire out,” Joe remarked, as they -approached the island, and could see that a really -alarming fire was in progress.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” asked Harry.</p> - -<p>“As near as I can calculate, there must be about -two pounds—”</p> - -<p>He was interrupted by a loud report from the -island, and a shower of pebbles, sticks, and small articles—among -which a shoe and a tin pail were recognized—shot -into the air.</p> - -<p>—“Of powder,” Joe continued, “in the flask. I -thought it would blow up, and now that it’s all gone -I don’t mind landing on the island.”</p> - -<p>“Everything must be ruined!” exclaimed Jim.</p> - -<p>“Lucky for us that we put on our shoes this morning,” -Tom remarked, as he rowed steadily on. “That -must have been one of my other pair that just went -up. I remember I put them in the corner of the -tent close by the powder.”</p> - -<p>When they reached the island they could not at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[144]</span> -first land, on account of the heat of the flames; but -they could plainly see that the tent and everything -in it had been totally destroyed. After waiting for -half an hour the fire burnt itself out, so that they -could approach their dock and land on the smoking -ash heap that an hour before had been such a beautiful, -shady spot. There was hardly anything left -that was of any use. A tin pan, a fork, and the -hatchet were found uninjured; but all their clothing -and other stores were either burnt to ashes or so -badly scorched as to be useless. Quite overwhelmed -by their disaster, the boys sat down and looked -at one another.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to go home now, whether we want to -or not,” Harry said, as he poked the ashes idly with -a stick.</p> - -<p>“Well, we meant to go home in a few days anyway,” -said Tom; “so the fire hasn’t got very much -the better of us.”</p> - -<p>“But I hate to have everything spoiled, and to -have to go in this sort of way. Our tin pans and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[145]</span> -fishing-tackle aren’t worth much, but all our spare -clothes have gone.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve got your uncle’s gun in the boat, so that’s -all right,” suggested Tom, encouragingly. “As long -as the gun and the boat are safe, we needn’t mind -about a few flannel shirts and things.”</p> - -<p>“But it’s such a pity to be driven away when we -were having such a lovely time,” continued Harry.</p> - -<p>“That’s rubbish, Harry,” said Joe. “We were all -beginning to get tired of camping out. I think it’s -jolly to have the cruise end this way, with a lot of -fireworks. It’s like the transformation scene at the -theatre. Besides, it saves us the trouble of carrying -a whole lot of things back with us.”</p> - -<p>“The thing to do now,” remarked Tom, “is to row -right down to the outlet, and get a team to take us -to Glenn’s Falls this afternoon. We can’t sleep here, -unless we build a hut, and then we wouldn’t have -a blanket to cover us. Don’t let’s waste any more -time talking about it.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so! Take your places in the boat, boys,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[146]</span> -and we’ll start for home.” So saying, Harry led the -way to the boat, and in a few moments the <i>Whitewing</i> -was homeward bound.</p> - -<p>The boys were lucky enough to find a man who -engaged to take them to Glenn’s Falls in time to -catch the afternoon train for Albany. They stopped -at the Falls only long enough to see the <i>Whitewing</i> -safely on board a canal-boat, and they reached Albany -in time to go down the river on the night-boat.</p> - -<p>After a supper that filled the colored waiters with -astonishment and horror, the boys selected arm-chairs -on the forward deck, and began to talk over the -cruise. They all agreed that they had had a splendid -time, in spite of hard work and frequent wettings.</p> - -<p>“We’ll go on another cruise next summer, sure,” -said Harry. “Where shall we go?”</p> - -<p>Tom was the first to reply. Said he, “I’ve been -thinking that we can do better than we did this -time.”</p> - -<p>“How so?” asked the other boys.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[147]</span>“The <i>Whitewing</i> is an awfully nice boat,” Tom -continued, “but she is too small. We ought to have -a boat that we can sleep in comfortably, and without -getting wet every night.”</p> - -<p>“But, then,” Harry suggested, “you couldn’t drag -a bigger boat round a dam.”</p> - -<p>“We can’t drag the <i>Whitewing</i> round much of a -dam. She’s too big to be handled on land, and too -little to be comfortable. Now, here’s my plan.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s have it,” cried the other boys.</p> - -<p>“We can hire a cat-boat about twenty feet long, -and she’ll be big enough, so that we can rig up a -canvas cabin at night. We can anchor her, and -sleep on board her every night. We can carry mattresses, -so we needn’t sleep on stones and stumps—”</p> - -<p>—“And coffee-pots,” interrupted Joe.</p> - -<p>—“And we can take lots of things, and live comfortably. -We can sail instead of rowing; and -though I like to row as well as the next fellow, -we’ve had a little too much of that. Now we’ll get -a cat-boat next summer, and we’ll cruise from New<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[148]</span> -York Bay to Montauk Point. We can go all the -way through the bays on the south side, and there -are only three places where we will have to get a -team of horses to drag the boat across a little bit -of flat meadow. I know all about it, for I studied -it out on the map one day. What do you say for -that for a cruise?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll go,” said Harry.</p> - -<p>“And I’ll go,” said Jim.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah for the cat-boat!” said Joe. “We can -be twice as moral and piratical in a sail-boat as we -can in a row-boat, even if it is the dear little <i>Whitewing</i>.”</p> - -<p class="center">THE END.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="transnote"> -<p class="ph1">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:</p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.</p> - -<p>Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.</p> - -<p>Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.</p> - -<p>The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber using the original cover as the background and is entered into the public domain.</p> -</div></div> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MORAL PIRATES ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. -</div> - -<div style='margin-top:1em; font-size:1.1em; text-align:center'>START: FULL LICENSE</div> -<div style='text-align:center;font-size:0.9em'>THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE</div> -<div style='text-align:center;font-size:0.9em'>PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person -or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when -you share it without charge with others. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: -</div> - -<blockquote> - <div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most - other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions - whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms - of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online - at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this eBook. - </div> -</blockquote> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format -other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain -Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -provided that: -</div> - -<div style='margin-left:0.7em;'> - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation.” - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ - works. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - </div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. -</div> - -</div> -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8452644..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/coversmall.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/coversmall.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 79a4ca4..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/coversmall.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_002.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_002.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f3c4eff..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_002.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_007.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_007.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8e6d4ed..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_007.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_012b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_012b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c1503fd..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_012b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_017.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_017.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 14e80db..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_017.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_026b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_026b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e7e1f2c..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_026b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_027.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_027.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 807bce4..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_027.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_037.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_037.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1197a42..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_037.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_042b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_042b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c35fe2f..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_042b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_047.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_047.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 21fedff..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_047.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_052b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_052b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 83857d7..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_052b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_058a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_058a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 414fd17..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_058a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_064a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_064a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 52ed19b..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_064a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_072a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_072a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 711dcb3..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_072a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_080b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_080b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 3f6f433..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_080b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_092b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_092b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 06722d7..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_092b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_099.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_099.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 11efd2c..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_099.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_104a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_104a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b31e32a..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_104a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_112a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_112a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 6d8a417..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_112a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_124a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_124a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4bff877..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_124a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_130a.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_130a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index a58b6de..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_130a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_142b.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_142b.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2410e2d..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_142b.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68732-h/images/i_titlepage.jpg b/old/68732-h/images/i_titlepage.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e269483..0000000 --- a/old/68732-h/images/i_titlepage.jpg +++ /dev/null |
