g wide.

[Illustration: "To put on a pair of waders like that in the front end of
a canoe in a pouring rain is no light matter."]

Of course it was necessary to readjust matters. Del drew on his oilskins
and I reached for my own. I had a short coat, a sou'wester, and a pair
of heavy brown waders, so tall that they came up under my arms when
fully adjusted. There was no special difficulty in getting on the hat
and coat, but to put on a pair of waders like that in the front end of a
canoe in a pouring rain is no light matter. There seemed no good place
to straighten my legs out in order to get a proper pull. To stand up was
to court destruction, and when I made an attempt to put a leg over the
side of the canoe Del admonished me fearfully that another such move
would send us to the bottom forthwith. Once my thumbs pulled out of the
straps and I tumbled back on the stores, the rain beating down in my
face. I suppose the suddenness of the movement disturbed the balance of
the boat somewhat, for Del let out a yell that awoke a far-away loon,
who replied dismally. When at last I had the feet on, I could not get
the tops in place, for of course there was no way to get them anywhere
near where they really belonged without standing up. So I had to remain
in that half-on and half-off condition, far from comfortable, but more
or less immune to wet. I realized what a sight I must look, and I could
hardly blame Eddie for howling in derision at me when he drew near
enough to distinguish my outline through the downpour. I also realized
what a poor rig I had on for swimming, in event of our really capsizing,
and I sat straight and still and paddled hard for the other side.

It was not what might be termed a "prolonged and continuous downpour."
The gray veil lifted from the islands. The myriad of battling soldiers
diminished. Presently only a corporal's guard was leaping and dancing
about the canoe. Then these disappeared. The clouds broke away. The sun
came. Ahead of us was a green shore--the other side of Kedgeemakoogee
had been reached.

Chapter Eight

_Where the trail leads back from the water's edge--_
_Tangled and overgrown--_
_Shoulder your load and strike the road_
_Into the deep unknown._

Chapter Eight

We were at the beginning of our first carry, now--a stretch of about two
miles through the woods. The canoes were quickly unloaded, and as I
looked more carefully at the various bags and bas