river and re-embarked. Three times three cheers were
given for the people of Oaklawn, and the word was given to pull for
home.

The boys of the village were not so ready to part with them, and some
twenty of them followed the boats, on the bank of the river.

"I say, Frank, these folks were very kind to us," Charles remarked.

"They were, indeed."

"And the boys seem to enjoy it."

"I suppose not many of them ever saw our boats before."

"Suppose we take them in; they will be very willing to walk home, say
from the grove where we dined, for the sake of the sail."

"Good! I didn't think of that before. Up with the orange!"

The boats landed, and the astonished Oaklawn boys were distributed among
them. They seemed to regard the favor as an unexpected condescension,
and their delight knew no bounds. As Little Paul expressed it, "they
were tickled half to death"; and when they reached the grove it was a
sad and bitter disappointment for them to get out and go home.

"I was thinking of something," said Charles, a little while after they
had landed their passengers.

"What was it, Charley?" replied the commodore.

"That we might invite the boys of Oaklawn to spend a day with us on the
lake."

"Capital!"

"We could give them a picnic on Center Island."

"We will do it; and now that we know the river we can easily come up as
far as the grove after them."

"Or up to the rapids; there is no danger this side of them."

This plan was discussed in all its details, and everything was agreed
upon by the time they reached the lake. The passage down the river had
been much quicker than the upward trip, and before sunset the boats were
all housed, and the clubs had separated.

On the following week the courtesies of the club were extended to the
boys of Oaklawn, as arranged by the commodore, and a very fine time they
had of it. Their guests, numbering over forty, were entertained in every
conceivable manner--the day's sports concluding with a grand race, in
which all the boats were entered, and in which the Butterfly won the
honors.

A new program was made up every week during the vacation. Lighthouses
were built, channels surveyed, shores charted; indeed, everything which
the ingenuity of the boys could devise was brought forward to add fresh
interest to the sports of the lake.

And thus the season passed away, and winter came again. The fleet was
laid up, and the useful and pleasant recreations of the club room