The next few days were happy ones for the boys from Winton, for the
Creightons extended every hospitality that lay in their power. Riding
horseback, going to the village in the spring wagon, hoeing corn and
potatoes in the big garden back of the farm house, and the consuming of
practically all the good things Mrs. Creighton put before
them--especially by Fleet--served to make the time pass quickly.
One day, however, Chot gave notice that the journey was to be resumed
the following morning, and the other boys with a sigh of regret, packed
their belongings into the canoes and made ready to shove off into the
lake at daybreak.
Greatly to their satisfaction Bert, after a short talk with his parents,
announced his intention of going with them.
"That's fine," said Chot. "I've been hating to ask you because I was
sure you were going to say you could not go."
So Bert's canoe was packed with a few things he most desired to carry,
and placed in the water at the edge of the lake with the others before
the boys went to bed that night.
When they arose, the sun was just peeping over the hill-top. They found
that Mrs. Creighton had prepared one of her fine breakfasts of wheat
cakes and maple syrup, with coffee and pure cream on the side, and the
way they ate and the comments they made were very gratifying to her. She
would miss their smiling faces and good appetites, she told them, as
they were leaving.
"There is nothing so inspiring to the woman who prepares a meal as to
have people eat it and know they enjoy it," said she.
The boys assured her that they had never had better things to eat in
their lives, and after a hearty handshake all around, with Mr. and Mrs.
Creighton standing on the little wharf, waving their hands, the five
canoes pushed off and went skimming over the water to the northward.
"We'll keep along the east shore for a while," said Bert, "until we see
how much of a breeze is coming up to-day. It gets pretty rough out in
the middle there sometimes--rough for canoes, I mean."
They accepted his advice, knowing that he was familiar with every corner
of the lake, and paddled easily for nothing was to be gained by
hurrying.
Bert showed himself to be a fine canoeist. They all admired his long,
graceful stroke with the single blade. His canoe was of the Canadian
pattern, much like those owned by Chot, Tom and Pod, and of about the
same size.
"Reminds me of the Spanish Armada, going into battle," said Fleet, as he
cast his eye over the little squadron. "Eh, how about it, Admiral
Duncan?"
"Ay, ay, Christopher Columbus. Shift your lee bow until you sight
Hurricane Island, then hold a straight course for Cape Cod light. Don't
give up the ship until we have met the enemy and they are ours. Reply by
wireless if you receive my message distinctly."
"Message received distinctly," said Fleet "England expects every man to
do his duty."
"Speaking of England," said Bert, "when we are going up Lake Champlain
I'll show you where McDonough fought his famous battle in 1814."
"That will be interesting," said Tom. "I have always admired the way he
riddled the English fleet. I don't believe there has ever been a naval
battle in which greater wisdom was displayed by the commanding officers
than in the battle of Plattsburg Bay."
"As far as battles go," said Chot, "this is a famous locality. All
during the colonial days and even in the War of the Revolution, this was
a familiar stamping ground for the soldiers of America, England and
France, to say nothing of the Indians."
"That's so. Fort Ticonderoga must be around here somewhere," said Pod.
"I doubt if we shall see old Ticonderoga," said Bert. "It will be some
miles below us when we enter Lake Champlain, and we can not visit it
without losing considerable time."
"And we don't want to do that," said Fleet. "I'm anxious to get into the
old St Lawrence."
"You won't be so anxious by the time you're shooting some of the
rapids," said Tom. "I'm not so sure but I shall be in favor of a portage
around several spots in that stream."
"Humph! I'm not afraid," said Fleet.
"Nor am I," Tom replied. "But I don't see any use in risking our necks,
and maybe turning our trip into a funeral, when we can be happy by being
careful."
"Well, that's a matter we can decide when we come to it," said Chot.
In the early afternoon the boys pulled in to the shore and ate lunch in
a shady nook. Many good things had been placed in the canoes by Mrs.
Creighton, and the boys felt especially grateful for them now that they
were leaving the Creighton farm behind, and would soon have only the
memory of the things they had eaten there.
"Apple butter!" cried Fleet, as he unscrewed the lid to a glass jar, and
took a generous spoonful of the contents. "Yum, yum! I tell you,
fellows, this is what I call living high."
The others were too busy eating to reply, and Fleet munched his bread
and apple butter in silence.
Lunch over, they pushed out into lake again. They were in the narrower
portion now, which stretched ahead for some twenty miles. The breeze was
from the south and very light, and the boys did not hesitate to paddle
out into the lake where, with the bows still headed northward, they
skimmed along at a rapid pace. The sun soon went behind a cloud, and as
evening approached and the air grew cooler, the boys increased their
pace.
They were well up the lake by dark, with the prospects of being in Lake
Champlain by noon of the following day.
Camp was made, as usual, under a clump of trees, the tent was stretched,
and a small fire was kindled for coffee. The fire was allowed to burn
until bed time, because the moon was not up and the darkness was
intense. It was nine o'clock when they sought their blankets, feeling
tired from the exertions of the day. Ten minutes later they were all
asleep.
Shortly after midnight, they were awakened by what seemed an unearthly
noise. Chot was the first to realize that the silence of the camp had
been invaded by some sort of a man or beast, and sitting up he rubbed
his eyes and stared about him. The moon was just showing signs of
rising, and a pale glow suffused the lake and shore, but in the deep
shadows of the trees little could be seen, as yet, and as Chot continued
to gaze about him, the trees and bushes began to assume fantastic
shapes.
"Wonder if I've been dreaming?" he muttered. "Guess I'll wake the other
fellows, and we'll have a look around."
Bert and Fleet were already awake, and Tom and Pod were quickly aroused
and advised to keep still.
"What's the matter?" whispered Pod, who began to tremble, at being
aroused from his sleep in such a manner.
"There's something or somebody in the camp," Chot replied, in a low
tone. "Don't say a word, fellows. Just sit here and watch. In ten
minutes the moon will be over that hill and shining right through the
trees. Then we can see what's going on."
Huddled in a little group, Pod's heart beating a tattoo, the boys waited
for the appearance of Old Luna. They were not afraid, these fellows, but
no one wants to go after an unseen enemy in the dark, and they were
merely taking the best means to discover the intruder, and to handle the
situation in the best way that suggested itself.
Gradually the world grew lighter, and finally the moon poked its golden
rim over the distant hill, then farther and farther until the light
finally burst over the land with a brilliant radiance.
Then, suddenly, Chot burst into a roar of laughter.
"What's the matter?" cried the others.
"Matter?" he replied. "Can't you see what startled me?" and following
the direction of his finger, they saw half a dozen cows grazing under
trees.
"One of those animals must have bellowed in my ear."
Relieved to find that there was nothing near but cows, the other boys
laughed too.
"Maybe you scared the cow, Chot--who knows?" cried Fleet.
Then, as if to set their fears entirely at rest, one of the cows sent a
plaintive "Mooh-h-h!" echoing through the trees.
"Oh, pshaw! I'm sorry I woke up now," said Fleet, and with a yawn he
dropped back into his blanket.
The others followed more leisurely, and soon all were slumbering
peacefully again. This time nothing disturbed them, until they were
awakened at dawn by the twittering of birds in the trees overhead.
Coffee, rolls, and jam served as their breakfast and at seven o'clock
they pushed off into the lake again.
Two hours later they entered the little stream that connects Lake George
with Lake Champlain. Paddling became easier here and they made good
time, and shortly after eleven sighted the larger lake. Lake Champlain
was in the form of a bay where they entered it, and seeing a town on the
right, they concluded to stop there for dinner. The town proved to be
Delano, a pretty little village, where they were able to secure most
everything that appealed to them in the way of food.
Well satisfied, but not inclined to labor very heavily, they again
pushed off, wielding their paddles slowly as they moved up the lake.
Toward evening they came to where two points of land jutted out into the
water, one from either side. Between them was a narrow passage of water,
while beyond, the lake was five or six miles wide, and apparently wider
still in the distance.
"This is Crown Point on our left and Chimney Point on our right," said
Bert. "I came up here once in a small sail boat. I think this will be a
fine place to camp to-night."
The boys agreeing, they pitched their tents on the Crown Point side and
began to prepare the evening meal. While they were at work, they heard
voices nearby and looked up to see two strange-looking men approaching
along the shore of the lake. It was rapidly growing dusk, and the
features of the strangers could not be distinguished. They had
apparently not seen the boys, for they were discussing something in low
tones.
Then one of the men placed a finger to his lips and the talking ceased.
They were looking straight toward the camp, the fire having attracted
their attention. The next instant both men were off like the wind,
crashing through the under-brush and after a moment the darkness
swallowed them up.
The boys stood with open mouths staring after them.
"Well, what do you make of that?" asked Bert.
"Don't know what to make of it," said Chot. "But I know one
thing--there's something suspicious going on around here."
And the others agreed.