r
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 dive 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 ot