t find a cloud somewhere and say that it wasn't
a 'good' morning."

"What did he do if he didn't find any?" laughed George.

"Why he put his hand on his stomach as if he had a pain and shook his
head and closed his eyes and groaned out, 'Yes, it's a fine day, but I
am sure it is a weather-breeder. We'll have rain to-morrow.'"

"Do you know there are a lot of people like that?" said George. "I met
an old woman up near our farm one summer who always said when anybody
asked her how she was that she 'enjoyed' poor health. And I guess she
did. I never knew any one who took such pride in her aches and pains as
she did. One day when the doctor had been to see her she had told him
all the pains she suffered and the poor old doctor had to sit there and
listen to her for almost an hour. Finally, when he left she started out
of the house after him calling to him to come back because she had just
thought of another ache that she hadn't told him about."

The boys laughed and silence for a time rested upon the little boat.
The Black Growler was moving swiftly and still was attracting attention
from every boat she met. Following the channel they kept well out in
the river, but the towering hills and the attractive shores were all
within sight and manifestly did much to impress the Go Ahead boys.

"Tell me, Fred," spoke up John at last. "Do they have these races on
the St. Lawrence every summer?"

"They have had for the past few years and they have had water sports
too."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, they have swimming, tilting contests, canoe races, diving and I
don't know what all."

"Did you ever go in any of them?" inquired John.

A solemn expression came over Fred's face as he said, "Yes, once."

"What did you go into?"

"I tried to walk the greased pole. There was a silver cup on the end of
it and the fellow who could walk out and take it could claim it."

"Did you get the cup?"

"I did not," replied Fred shortly.

"I'm surprised, Peewee. I don't know a fellow in all my acquaintance
that I think could walk better on a greased pole than you."

"Huh," muttered Fred. "You ought to have seen me. That pole was a part
of a telegraph pole. It stuck out from the dock about fifteen feet. It
was covered with grease and the grease had been rubbed in."

"How many times were you allowed to try?" asked George.

"Five."

"And you couldn't go in five trials?"

"I didn't go. The first time I stepped on the pole my feet flew