DOWN THE RIVER
When Snap awoke on Sunday morning, he was very much discouraged,
for the sky was overcast, and by church-time it was raining steadily.
"This will make it beastly for a start," he grumbled, while on
his way to church in the family carriage.
"Never mind," answered his father. "You can start Tuesday as
well as Monday."
"I'd rather start on time," answered the impatient boy. His mind
was so taken up by the proposed outing he could scarcely bring
himself to listen to the sermon; and what was true of Snap was
also largely true of the others.
By nightfall the rain cleared away, and when Snap went to bed
the moon was shining brightly. The boy could hardly go to sleep,
and when he slumbered, dreamed of being in camp, with wolves and
bears and deer on all sides of him. Then he dreamed that it began
to hail, louder and louder, and he awoke to hear some pebbles
being thrown against the window-pane. He sprang up, rushed to
the window and saw Giant standing in the yard, fully ready for
a start.
"Hullo, you! How long are you going to snooze?" demanded the
small youth. "I've been ready for an hour. Don't you know that
this is the all-important day?"
"I do!" cried Snap. "What time is it?"
"Half-past six. I wanted to start by six."
"We're to start at eight o'clock," answered Snap, and hurried
into his clothing with all possible speed.
By seven o'clock all of the boys had had a good breakfast and
then they bid their folks good-by and hurried down to the river.
It was a glorious morning, as clear as crystal after the rain,
and with just the faintest breeze blowing.
The stores had been packed away on Saturday in a boathouse nearby,
and it was an easy matter to transfer them to the rowboat. The
craft was rather crowded with goods and boys, but the lads made
the best of it. Only two could use the oars, so they took turns
at rowing, Snap and Whopper taking the blades at first, with Giant
in the bow and Shep in the stern, steering.
Nearly everybody in the town had heard about the outing, and many
came to see them off.
"They'll be back in a week," said one big boy, with a laugh.
"Just wait till they catch a rainy spell."
"You're only mad because you can't go along, Ham Spink!" cried Snap.
"Bah! I wouldn't go with you!" retorted Ham Spink. "When I go
out I'll do it in first-class style and with an A1 guide. No
little two-cent trip for me."
Hamilton Spink was the son of a very aristocratic man who had
come to Fairview a year before. Ham, as all the boys called him,
was very much of a dude and always thought himself superior to
the regular town boys. He smoked cigarettes and played pool and
golf and rode horseback, and did as much "showing off" as he possibly
could. As a consequence the majority of the boys detested him.
"This isn't a two-cent trip!" cried Shep. "I don't thank you to
call it such."
"I'll call it what I please," muttered the dudish youth.
"Oh, dry off and keep cool!" came from Whopper, and he allowed
his oar to slip on purpose, sending a shower of water over the
youth on the dock.
"Hi! hi! stop!" came angrily, as Ham backed away. "How dare
you do such a thing!" and the dudish boy got out a silk handkerchief
and began to wipe the water from his face and high collar.
"Excuse me," answered Whopper, drily. "I beg two million pardons,
Ham. You see, I was holding the oar this way and I turned it
so, and I---well, I declare, there she goes again!" And once
more poor Ham received a shower of water over his rather elegant
suit.
"I'll---I'll have, the constable lock you up!" spluttered the dudish
boy, backing away rapidly. "This is---er---outrageous---I'll---
I'll tell your folks!"
"That's right, be a tattle-tale!" came from Giant, and then he
began to sing softly.
"Ham in the pan! Ham in the pan!
Ham's the best of meat!"
"Ham in the pan! Ham in the pan!
Ham is good and sweet!"
"You stop that!" roared Ham Spink, and then, as a dozen boys on
the dock took up the darky song, he turned and strode away, with
his rather short nose tilted high in the air.
"Do you think he'll call on our folks about this?" whispered Whopper,
somewhat anxiously. "I shouldn't like to leave under a cloud."
"Oh! he hasn't got backbone enough to make trouble," answered
Shep. But Shep was mistaken, as we shall learn later.
The rowboat was now some distance from the dock, and with a final
wave of the hand the boys began the journey to Lake Cameron.
In a straight line the lake was about ten miles from the town,
but the river was a winding one, so they had a row of over thirteen
miles before them.
"I hope we haven't forgotten anything," said Whopper. "It would
be a shame to have to go back, eh, fellows?"
"We are not going back," returned Giant. "If anything has been
left behind we will have to get along without it."
Having left the town behind, the boys reached a point on the stream
where the trees and bushes were thick on either side. They turned
in toward the left bank, where the sun was not quite so strong,
for in spite of the fact that it was fall it promised to be warm.
"Be careful along here," cautioned Shep. "There are some big
rocks just under the surface."
He had scarcely spoken when there came a terrific bump which almost
threw him overboard. Whopper was sent sprawling on his side,
and his oar sent a shower of water over Giant.
"Wow!" came from Whopper. "Say, did we strike a fortress or what?
I thought I was going to the bottom sure!"
"I said to be careful," answered Shep, as the craft sheered off.
"Either move out to the middle of the stream or else go slower."
"No use of moving to the middle of the stream now," said Giant.
"I want to land a short distance below here."
"What for?" asked the others.
"I'll show you when we get there."
Presently they came to a clearing where there was a cornfield.
Beyond this was a fine apple orchard, and looking among the trees
they espied some especially fine apples.
"We may as well take a few along," said Giant.
"Who owns the orchard?" questioned Whopper.
"Pop Lundy," answered Snap. "The meanest farmer in this district."
"Then he won't give us any apples," declared Whopper.
"We'll have to make an appropriation," said Giant, coolly. "He
owes me some, anyway. I once did an errand for him in town and
he hardly gave me a thank you for it."
"If he catches us he will make it warm."
"We'll keep our eyes peeled."
After a few words more the rowboat was run up under some bushes
and all leaped ashore. They made their way through the bushes
into the orchard proper and then hurried for the tree that seemed
to be bearing the best of the fruit.
"These apples are certainly all right," remarked Shep, biting
into one which was extra juicy. "We may as well take all we can
carry of them."
It was no easy task to get at the apples, which were rather high
up, and one after another the boys got up into the lower branches
and then mounted higher. Here they stuffed their pockets until
it was impossible to carry another one.
"Well, boys, how much longer be you a-goin' to stay up there, hey?"
The question came from the foot of the tree, and, much alarmed,
the four gazed below, to see Pop Lundy standing there, with a
stout whip in his hand.
"I say, how much longer be you a-goin' to stay there?" went on
the mean farmer, with a glare at them.
"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Lundy?" cried Snap, as cheerfully as he
could. "We were just rowing by and we thought we'd sample your
apples."
"Really neow, thet was kind, wasn't it?" said the farmer, sarcastically.
"Jest come deown and ye can sample this cowhide o' mine."
"Thanks, but I just as soon stay here," came softly from Giant.
"Fine work to be cotched at," went on Pop Lundy. "Stealin' a
poor man's fruit. Come deown an' I'll tan yer hide well fer ye!"
He was very angry and now he shook his cowhide whip at them.
At that instant, quite unintentionally, Shep let an apple core
drop from his hand. Pop Lundy was looking up when the core hit
him plumb in the left eye.
"Yeou villain!" he cried, dancing around. "Want fer to put my
eye eout, hey? Oh, wait till I git my hands on ye, I'll show
ye a thing or two!"
"Mr. Lundy, supposing we agree to pay you for the apples?" questioned
Snap, after an awkward pause.
"How much?" demanded the farmer, cautiously. He was a good deal
of a miser and money was very dear to him.
"Oh, a fair price."
"Don't pay him a cent," whispered Giant. "Let us all drop and
run for it."
"If we do that he may report the matter at home and make trouble
that way," went on Snap. "He can't charge us only a few cents
for what we have taken."
"Will ye give me a dollar fer the apples?" asked Pop Lundy.
"A dollar!" ejaculated Whopper. "Humph! I can get a barrel of
these apples for a dollar!"
"No, yeou can't! I'm a-goin' to git six dollars fer 'em---they're
the best in these air parts. Make it a dollar an' I'll let ye go."
"This is a regular hold-up," muttered Shep. "Offer him twenty-five
cents."
At that moment came a loud cry from the direction of the farmhouse,
which was located at the upper end of the orchard.
"Help! help! Simon! Simon! Help me!" came in the voice of a woman.