d not been deemed just the right thing
for him to fetch his musical instrument along while the Silver Fox
Patrol chanced to be in the Maine woods on a hunt; but then that was no
bar to Bumpus, who could put his hands to his mouth, and give a splendid
imitation of the reveille, assembly, taps, or any other military call.

So Giraffe had to climb into Eli's canoe, looking very much discouraged.
Really, it did seem as though an evil spirit took especial delight in
baffling him, just when he seemed in a fair way to reach the goal of his
present ambition. As he had once before complained, he had even had his
tinder soaked by a sudden shower, and just at the critical moment when
he felt sure it was about to burst into a successful blaze.

But one thing was sure, these successive defeats only served to make him
shut his teeth harder together, and resolve that nothing would ever
prevent him from getting that fire, if it took him a year. He might be
beaten once, twice, or fifty times; but there would come a day to the
patient plodder when the door of opportunity would open for him. And
surely success would stand for a great deal more if he had to work like
this for it, than if easily attained.

Before noon came they had arrived at the place where the stream ran into
the Lower Lake of the Eagle Chain; and when they stopped for lunch, it
was upon the shore of this beautiful sheet of water.

Thad had been secretly keeping an eye on Jim. He knew that the guide
must feel more or less anxiety, despite his brave outward showing. And
when Jim thought no one was observing he would look out of the tail of
his eye at every clump of bushes that seemed any way suspicious, as long
as they were upon the river.

And hence, it was doubtless a positive relief when they started out on
the broader water of the lake; for after that he would only have to
watch one shore.

About one o'clock they again started. The air continued cold, but
bracing, and this made paddling a pleasure, up to a certain point.

All of the scouts took a hand at it, even Bumpus, and received more or
less valuable instruction from the two guides, as to how the paddle
should be worked in order to have as little "lost motion" as possible;
and at the same time secure the greatest amount of benefit. But when
after half an hour of labor, they found their muscles beginning to tire
from the unaccustomed motion, the boys considered themselves lucky to be
able to turn the paddles