nglish sovereigns, were puzzles that
he did not attempt to solve in his own behalf. It was enough that the
facts had befallen, and that the net result for a pair of helpless
castaways was a well-stocked canoe which Lucetta's acid-proof honesty
was still preventing them from appropriating.

After a breakfast served with the garnishings afforded by the
Heaven-sent supplies, Prime uncased the two rifles and looked them
over. They were United States products of an early edition, but were
apparently serviceable and in good order. In the canvas case of one of
the guns there was a packet of fish-lines and hooks. At Lucetta's
suggestion a few shots were fired as a signal for the lost canoe-owners.
Nothing coming of this, they tried a little target practice, selecting
the largest tree in sight for a mark, and both missing it with
monotonous regularity. Later in the day Prime brought the talk around by
degrees to the expediencies. How much of the present good weather must
they waste in waiting for the hypothetical return of the absentees?
Perhaps some accident had happened; perhaps the absentees would never
turn up. Who could tell?

Domestic Science, with gymnasium-teaching on the side, fought the
suggestion to which all this pointed. They had no manner of right to
take the canoe and its belongings without the consent of the owners.
What was the hurry? By waiting they would be sure to obtain the help
they were needing, and another day or two must certainly end the
suspense.

Prime went as far as he could without telling the shocking truth. With
the dead men's pool so near at hand he was shudderingly anxious to be
gone, but the young woman's logic was unanswerable and the delay was
extended. A single small advance marked this second day. Along toward
evening Prime unloaded the canoe, and together they made a few heroic
attempts to acquire the art of paddling. It was apparently a lost art so
far as they were concerned. The big birch-bark, lightened of its load,
did everything but what it was expected to do, yawing and careening
under the unskilful handling in a most disconcerting manner.

"If I could only rig up some way to row the thing!" Prime exclaimed,
when they had contrived to drift and seesaw half a mile or more down the
almost currentless first reach of the stream.

"You couldn't," asserted the more practical young woman. "The sides are
as thin as paper, and they wouldn't hold rowlocks if you could make
them. Besides,