go in the skiff; we can row and cordelle it up the
river again, though it is a job."

Bright and early, the boys started down the river, rowing easily with
the strong, steady current of the Ohio, holding their way to Judge
Kane's, whose house was over against Port William. This Judge Kane was
an intelligent and wealthy farmer, liked by everybody. He was not a
lawyer, but had once held the office of "associate judge," and hence the
title, which suited his grave demeanor. He looked at the two boys out of
his small, gray, kindly eyes, hardly ever speaking a word. He did not
immediately answer when they asked permission to occupy the old, unused
log-house, but got them to talk about their plans, and watched them
closely. Then he took them out to see his bees. He showed them his
ingenious hives and a bee-house which he had built to keep out the moths
by drawing chalk-lines about it, for over these lines the wingless grub
of the moth could not crawl. Then he showed them a glass hive, in which
all the processes of the bees' housekeeping could be observed. After
that, he took the boys to the old log-house, and pointed out some holes
in the roof that would have to be fixed. And even then he did not give
them any answer to their request, but told them to stay to dinner and he
would see about it, all of which was rather hard on boyish impatience.
They had a good dinner of fried chicken and biscuits and honey, served
in the neatest manner by the motherly Mrs. Kane. Then the Judge
suggested that they ought to see Mr. Niles about taking them into the
school. So his skiff was launched, and he rowed with them across the
river, which is here about a mile wide, to Port William. Here he
introduced them to Mr. Niles, an elderly man, a little bent and a little
positive in his tone, as is the habit of teachers, but with true
kindness in his manner. The boys had much pleasure at recess time in
greeting their old school-mates, Harvey Collins, Henry Weathervane, and,
above all, Susan Lanham, whom they called Professor. These three took a
sincere interest in the plans of Bob and Jack, and Susan spoke a good
word for them to Mr. Niles, who, on his part, offered to give Jack Latin
without charging him anything more than the rates for scholars in the
English branches. Then they rowed back to Judge Kane's landing, where he
told them they could have the house without rent, and that they could
get slabs and other waste at his little sawmill to fix up