progress.

George occasionally stepped to the bank to watch operations, and call
out various things, sometimes sarcastic and again complimentary.

"Bully boy!" he yelled after seeing Nick actually keep himself afloat a
whole minute amid the greatest splashing ever known. "You're getting
it down fine, old chap! Keep going next time. Never mind if you use
up all the water in the lagoon. Plenty more in the river, you know!"

Nick felt much encouraged, and that was half the battle.

"I'm going to keep at it every chance I get, till I've mastered all the
kinks," he declared enthusiastically a short time later, as he came out
and began to rub himself industriously with a towel. "Yes, siree,
before this cruise is over I'll know how to swim even if I did lose
them----"

"Beware!" thundered George. "It's as much as your life is worth to
breathe that name again. From this time on you talk about cork aids to
swimming. And I reckon that I'm just going to be pestered to death
after this with whines, because I won't stop the boat every few miles
to let this elephant disport himself in the water. Next trip we take,
my man, it's you to the _Comfort_, hear?"

"Oh! I'd made up my mind to that long ago," replied Nick, coolly;
"that is, if Herb will take me, and Josh wants to try balancing himself
on an apple seed. Somehow I just don't seem to fit aboard a speed
boat. I need elbow room."

The night coming on, they started supper. Of course, it was to be
cooked ashore, for even the ardent lover of the narrow-beam boat
admitted that cooking was a most serious problem aboard such a cranky
craft, and he would be only too glad to make use of the camp fire that
had been kindled.

Jimmie and Nick busied themselves, as they were supposed to be the
cooks of the two racing craft; but the others were not averse to
lending a hand at times. In this manner then, the meal was made ready;
and had a hungry wanderer come within fifty yards of that spot just
then he must have sniffed the fragrant odors of frying ham and boiling
Java coffee until he would be almost distracted.

The four lads sat around the fire while eating, and laughed as they
spoke of the many things connected with the cruise thus far.

"Wish the others could only happen along just now," remarked Jack.

"That would be nice," admitted George.

"Why, yes," came from Nick, always thinking of his pet subject; "it
wouldn't be very much trouble to cut a couple more sl