might not
meet inquisitive people who would wonder how he came to be so wet, Fred
and Bristles together entered the canoe, the latter having recovered
his shoes and coat.

They recovered the paddle and Fred pushed off, and went quietly along
down the river until finally he was able to bring the craft to the
shore at the place where Buck generally kept it housed in a small
shanty he had built.

They tied it up, and sauntered away. By this time their clothes had
dried fairly well.

They were just leaving the vicinity of the boat house where Buck kept
the canoe, when Bristles caught sight of a boy staring hard at them
from a little distance along the river bank.

"After all, Fred, I reckon that we'll hear something drop about this
little matter," he declared; "because, you see, there's Sam Jinks
watching us with his eyes just popping half out of his head. He wonders
what we've been doing with Buck's canoe, because he knows right well we
never borrowed it. And make up your mind Sam'll tell him all about it
the first chance he gets, because he wants to get in with that bunch."

"All right," replied Fred, with a shrug of his shoulders; "I don't see
where we've got any reason to worry about it. Just say we found the
boat drifting on the current of the river, which is the truth,
Bristles. Buck can carry on any way he likes; we won't give him any
satisfaction. And now, let's get back to what we were talking about
when all this rumpus came along; the chances for a boat club in
Riverport."

CHAPTER III

A BOAT CLUB MEETING

"Great news, Fred! Our boat's come!"

"Come on down to the railroad yards, and see her, Fred!"

Two boys stood outside the Fenton cottage, and shouted these words up
at Fred Fenton, who was leaning from the window of his room. It was
several days after the events narrated in the preceding chapters, and
Fred had meanwhile gone quietly on his way, saying not a word about the
accident, whereby little Billy Lemington would have surely lost his
life only for the good luck that brought Fred and Bristles to the river
in time.

Fred had not happened to run across Buck Lemington since, and hence did
not know whether or not the bully had been told about Bristles and
himself arriving with the canoe.

Of course Fred made haste to rush out of the house at hearing the news
brought by Bristles Carpenter and Sid Wells, the latter his most
particular chum.

"When did it arrive?" he demanded, adjustin