pealed to his
imagination. Was he not one of an adventurous band of pioneers going
into a vast wilderness, an untamed and unexplored land, to battle with
nature and the elements?

For several hours they paddled, finally entering the wide river mouth.
Here the first indication of a current was encountered, and the
northern bank was followed closely that they might take advantage of
counter eddies, and thus overcome the retarding effect of the
midstream current.

"'Twill be noon when th' boat comes, an' we'll stop now t' boil th'
kettle," Bob finally suggested. "Th' Traverspine River is handy by.
She comes into this river just above here a bit."

"Good!" exclaimed Shad. "I'm nearly famished, and I've been hoping for
the last hour to hear you say that."

"Paddlin' do make for hunger," admitted Bob, as he stepped ashore on a
sandy beach near the mouth of a rushing brook. "I'm a bit hungry
myself. I'll be puttin' a fire on now, an' you brings up th' things
from th' canoe."

In an incredibly short time the fire was lighted, and when Shad
brought up a kettle of water from the river Bob had already cut a
stiff pole about five feet in length. The butt end of this he
sharpened, and, jamming it into the ground, inclined it in such manner
that the kettle, which he took from Shad and hung by its bail upon the
other end of the pole, was suspended directly over the blaze.

Bob, who installed himself as cook, now sliced some fat pork to fry,
while Shad gathered a quantity of large dry sticks which lay
plentifully about and began piling them upon the fire.

"Oh, don't make such a big fire, now!" exclaimed Bob, when he
discovered what Shad was about. "'Twill be too hot t' cook by. A small
bit o' fire's enough;" and he proceeded to pull out of the blaze the
large wood which Shad had placed upon it.

[Illustration: Two boys cooking over a campfire.]

"If there's nothing else for me to do, I'll see if there are any trout
in that brook," said Shad.

Shad made his first cast in a promising pool a little way from the
fire, and the moment the fly touched the water, "zip!" went the reel.
The result was a fine big trout. Within twenty minutes he had landed
eighteen, and when presently the boat drew up a delicious odour of
frying fish welcomed the three hungry men as they sprang ashore and
made the painter fast.

"Shad got un," explained Bob, in response to an exclamation of
pleasure from Ed.

"You means Mr. Towbridge, Bob," corre