d 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
fire-wood, 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
drift-wood. 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 fire-wood, 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.