around her.

"Oh, I say," cried Gladys in protest, "please bottle up your rapture.
I'm drenched already. I don't know what would happen if you ever got
really enthusiastic about anything."

"I'm sorry," said Katherine apologetically, then with a lapse into her
negro dialect, "Ah reahly couldn't help it. Ah got such protuberant
spirits, Ah has! Ah 'clar to goodness----"

"What's the matter up there? Why don't you go on?" The clear voice of
the Captain cut sharply through Katherine's nonsense.

"The third canoe has run on a snag," somebody called in answer.

"Just as I expected," said the Captain under his breath. "That lobster
of an Anthony doesn't know enough to watch out for snags."

It was characteristic of the Winnebagos and the Sandwiches that there
was no noise or confusion over the mishap. Everybody sat quiet while
Uncle Teddy paddled alongside the impaled canoe and gave directions for
releasing her. In a minute she was floating clear again, but with an
eight-inch rip in the bottom, through which the water began to press
rapidly. The snag was the broken stump of a tree, which had pierced the
wood like a lance.

"Paddle over to shore," commanded Uncle Teddy, and the disabled vessel
was soon lying up on the sandy bank with her crew standing around
inspecting the damage. The others landed also and stood waiting for
orders what to do next.

"Will we have to carry the canoe all the way back by land?" asked Slim
anxiously, already fearing that he would have to help do the carrying
and ready to put up a telling argument why Anthony should carry it all
the way back alone, since he had been so clever as to run it on a snag.

"Mercy, no," said Uncle Teddy. "Here is where traveling in a canoe has
the advantage over every other mode of travel. All you have to do is
fill the rip with pine pitch, harden it, and she's as good as ever.
Company disperse into the woods and seek pine pitch. Forward march!"

The pitch was procured and Uncle Teddy mixed it with grease. Then he
laid a piece of canvas over the hole, smeared it with the pitch mixture
and hardened it by searing with a torch. All that took time and the
afternoon was gone before they had finished the mending.

"Company seek sleeping quarters!" commanded Uncle Teddy, after a
consultation with Aunt Clara, who was of the opinion that this was as
good a place as any to spend the night. The pines were close together
and the ground was dry and soft with its thick car