Alex, rising, filling his pipe and tightening
his belt to begin the day's work. "It may not look so tame before we
get through! But first," he added, "we'll have to see if we can get
the boats to the open water of the lake. Come, it's time to break camp
now for the first day's journey."

IV

THE GREAT DIVIDE

To boys as familiar with camp work as were Rob, John, and Jesse, the
work of breaking camp in the morning was simple. In a few moments they
had their tent down and rolled up ready to put in the canoe. Their
beds also were rolled, each in its own canvas, and lashed with a rope.
Their rifles, which, kept dry in their cases, had been placed under
the edge of their blankets as they slept, were now leaned against the
bed-rolls. Their knapsacks, in which each boy had his personal
belongings, such as brushes, combs, underwear and spare socks, were
very quickly made ready, and placed in order each with its owner's
bed-roll. In a very few minutes they stood up and showed Alex that
they were ready.

Meantime, Moise had put his pots and pans into the sack which served
him as a cook's box. His flour and bacon he quickly got ready in their
packages, and even before the boys were done with their work he was
carrying these parcels down to the first canoe, which was to serve as
the cook's boat. The beds of Moise and Alex, simple as they were,
required only a roll or two to be ready for the boats.

"We'll fix a system," said Alex, "so that we'll load each boat just
the same every day. There's nothing like being regular when you're on
the trail."

"I'll bet, Alex, she'll not be a harder boss than ol' Pete Fraser, my
wife, he's onkle," declared Moise. "He'll make those men get up by
two, three, in the morning an' track two, three hour before she'll eat
breakfast, heem."

"Well, you see, we had to do a little reading this morning," remarked
John.

"Surely, and to very good purpose," answered Alex. "You ought to keep
track of the old journal day by day."

"Exactly," said Rob, "and I'm going to keep a journal of my own each
day. We haven't got any sextant to take observations, but I've got all
the maps, and I've got a compass--maybe we'll get out a Voyage of
Discoveries of our own some day!"

"Now, Moise," said Alex, "you're to go ahead with the cook-boat. You'd
better take Mr. Rob for your bow paddler. I'll let Mr. John take the
bow in my boat, and our youngest friend here will go amidships,
sitting flat on the