ose and the mist lifted from the water, Shad and Bob, keeping close to shore, dis

ll be passin' Rabbit Island in an hour, an' maki

to-day?"

uncertainly: "I'm 'feared you'll find th' work on th' river wearisom

expect to do my share of the work, old man,

Bob. "You weren't losin' your head, an' by th' time I h'ists sail you was wringin' th' water

friend drop the handle from my name and call me

onderful har

ha

call you 'Shad '--it sounds

aughed Shad. "All the

do it, Mr.--I means Shad.

l, isn't it? But doting parents cast it upon

mbers readin' about Shadrach so

ly drawing together and now, within

r handy t' un, an' have th' kettle boiled when you come

who?" baw

ad--Mr. Tr

ered Dick, "'tw

respectful, callin' Mr. Too

t. "Can't you remember, now? 'Tis Towbreg--T-o-w-b-r

ght this time, Dick," E

f hearing. Bob's mind filled with plans for the future, Shad enjoy

nspired and exhilarated the young voyageurs. Shad was conscious of a new sense of freedom and power taking possession of him. The romance of the situation appealed to

on of a current was encountered, and the northern bank was followed closely that they might ta

il th' kettle," Bob finally suggested. "Th' Traverspine River

famished, and I've been hoping for

ndy beach near the mouth of a rushing brook. "I'm a bit hungry myself. I'

tiff pole about five feet in length. The butt end of this he sharpened, and, jamming it into the ground, inclined it in such manner

to fry, while Shad gathered a quantity of large dry sticks wh

d was about. "'Twill be too hot t' cook by. A small bit o' fire's enough;" and he

to do, I'll see if there are any

went the reel. The result was a fine big trout. Within twenty minutes he had landed eighteen, and when presently the boa

ob, in response to an excl

idge, Bob," correcte

is my front name and I want you fellow

greed Dick. "'Tis a bit

r, "of onct I were out huntin' pa'tridges. I gets plenty o' pa'tridges, but I finds myself wonderful hun

All I finds is a piece o' salmon twine an' one fishhook. 'I'll try un, whatever,' says I, an' I cuts a pole an' ties

n, an' I'm so disgusted-like I don't pull he right in. Then b

climax, while he lighted his p

Shad. "Did y

din' around in th' water. Then, while I lets un play, quicker'n I can say 'boo' an old w

' little un were ten inches long. Th' little un an' th' next weren't hurt much, an' not wantin' they I throws un back, an' th' big un does me for d

, "you'll be struck dead

asked Ed, with as

ou never seen a trout moren't two foot

ghed, "they's no use tellin' you of happeni

swift currents, more often than not immersed to their waists in the icy waters of the river, or for weary miles they staggered over portages with heavy loads upon their backs. To ad

attacks of the insects. The black flies were particularly vicious; not only was their bite poisonous, but a drop of blood appeared wherever one of them made a wou

ination, he still insisted, against the protests of the others, upon doing his full share of the work. Dick advised him, finally, to carry a fat pork rind in his pocket and to occasionally appl

recompense for all the hardship and toil of the day. Here they would relax after

scriptions of battles on the gridiron or on the diamond, illustrated with diagrams drawn with a stick upon the grou

flights of imagination that Shad would scarcely have known where fact ended and fiction began had Dick not made it a

the narrow lake rose towering cliffs of granite, their dark faces lighted at intervals by brooklets tumbling in cascades from the heights above. A loon laughed weirdly in

ll be straight sailin' an' paddlin' from this on. Th' first tilt o' th' Big Hill trai

and comfortable throughout the day. The evenings were becoming frosty and exhilarating. The black flies and mosquitoes had ceased to an

rdships of the preceding weeks, Shad's desire to remain throughout

redicted. Here camp was pitched, the boat finally unloaded, and preparati

camp-fire in blissful relaxation, silently watching the aurora

en to you if I remained here all winter,

u'd be no burden! An' when your feet gets t

in woodcraft and I've never done any trapping. You'd have to teach me a great deal

An' you'd be a wonderful lot o' compan

r in college, but I'll stay anyhow. My experience with you

exclaimed Bob, his

ck. "Can't you go back, now, with me an' Bill, t' help us up with our ou

u can manage th' tilts?"

Shad can manage

ented Ed. "'Twould be hard t' ma

etters were written home, and at daylight on Monday morning adieus were said. Bob and Shad stood upon the shor

retfully, as they retraced their steps to the embers

f all--" Suddenly he stopped. His eyes, following the sweep of his arm, had fallen u