'fraternal hug.'"

"Hurrah for the fraternal hug!" shouted Charles, and all the boys
laughed heartily.

"Nothing bearish about it, I hope," added Fred Harper.

"We have no bears," replied Frank, as he ordered out his starboard oars.

Tony in like manner got out his larboard oars.

"Now, Frank," said he, "as you are a veteran in the service, you shall
be commodore, and command the allied squadron."

A burst of laughter greeted this sally; but Frank was too modest to
accept this double command, and would only do so when a vote had been
passed, making him "commodore."

Fenders--a couple of cushions, which Frank, in anticipation of this
maneuver, had provided--were placed between the two boats to keep them
from injuring each other, and the order was given to pull. As but six
oars were pulled in each boat, their progress was not very rapid. No
one, however, seemed to care for that. The joining of the two boats in
the "fraternal hug" was emblematic of the union that subsisted in the
hearts of their crews, and all the members of each club seemed better
satisfied with this symbolical expression of their feelings than though
they had won a victory over the other.

When they came abreast of the Zephyr's boat-house, they discovered that
Uncle Ben was on board the Sylph, which lay moored at a short distance
from the shore.

Bang! went the cannon which the veteran had again rigged on the bow of
the sail-boat.

And as they passed down the lake, Uncle Ben blazed away in honor of the
fraternal hug between the two clubs.

CHAPTER V.

UP THE RIVER.

At the end of the lake the boats separated, after giving each other
three hearty cheers.

"Where are you going now?" asked Tim Bunker.

"We will go up the lake again."

"Suppose we try a race?" suggested Fred Harper.

"There will be no harm in it, I suppose," replied Frank, glancing at the
Butterfly.

"Zephyr, ahoy!" shouted Tony. "We will pull up together, if you like."

"Agreed."

The two boats were then drawn up alongside of each other, ready to start
when the word should be given.

"Say when you are ready," shouted Tony.

The rowers in each boat were all ready to take the first stroke.

"Ready--pull!" said Frank; and the crews bent to the work.

"Now give it to 'em!" shouted Tim Bunker, as he struck out with his oar.

"Steady, Tim," said Frank. "Be very careful, or you will lose the
stroke."

"No, I won't. Put 'em through by daylight!" And Tim,