lf look that island
over?"

Step-hen was about to give an affirmative answer, when he just happened
to remember something.

"Guess I'll have to decline the chance this time, Thad," he remarked,
making a wry face. "Thought I felt the signs of one of my fits comin'
on, a while back. I'd sure hate to have anything like that happen in
such a cranky little boat; 'cause it might upset, you know."

"Oh! all right, then just the three of us will go," returned Thad,
carelessly.

But there was one who had heard what Step-hen said, with suspicion in
his heart. Of course this was Bumpus. He looked at the other, and
catching a sly glance cast in his direction, immediately sized up the
situation. So marching directly into the camp, Bumpus plunged into the
tent to which he was assigned, appearing with his haversack in his
hands. And this he deliberately hung on a nail that had been driven into
a tree, in plain sight of all who might happen to be in camp.

Everybody saw the act, and could guess what the motive was that actuated
Bumpus to do this queer thing. Step-hen turned somewhat red in the face,
as he felt the eyes of his comrades turned toward him.

"Huh!" he exclaimed, "think you're funny, don't you, Bumpus? Seems to me
you're mighty careful of that old bag of yours. If you had a lump of
gold in it you couldn't handle it nicer. And sometimes haversacks do
hold all sorts of queer things. I've known lost knives, and medals, yes,
and even _compasses_ to get in 'em. Hung it out to air, did you? Mighty
afraid somebody might _happen_ to peek in it by accident when you was
gone, ain't you?"

But Bumpus never made any reply, only grinned, and looked wise, as
though he felt satisfied at having outgeneraled the cunning Step-hen,
and spiked his guns.

The boat upon being launched was found to be water tight. This fact went
far toward convincing Thad that his suspicions regarding its having
been recently used were based on a good foundation. Had it been lying
there ashore for weeks, and possibly months, it would have been leaky;
and required many hours' soaking before the wood swelled enough to stop
this fault.

Thad took up his position in the bow, while the heavy weight of the
expedition, Bumpus, who had been invited to go because of his discovery
of the boat, occupied the middle. Bob White, paddle in hand, shoved off;
and then squatted in the stern to propel the craft.

They soon saw that he was indeed an adept with the paddl