nce with the canal-men now was only a memory and they
could well afford to laugh at what had been said and done.

"That's what you get for having us stop in a place such as you picked
out, Peewee," said George. "There's no accounting for the tastes of
some people. Now, I never should have selected that place."

"You can believe me, I'll never select it again," answered Fred, so
soberly that his friends all laughed. "Once is enough and forever. I
didn't believe there could be such a place in the whole of New York
State."

"Well, you know now there is," said John, "and so do the rest of us. We
don't stop again without knowing something of the hotel in which we are
to stay."

"Where shall we stay to-night, fellows?" inquired Fred. "We ought to
get to Syracuse early this afternoon and we can go right on to Oswego
if you want to or we can stay there until to-morrow morning and start
then."

"Wait and see what time it is when we strike Syracuse," said Grant.
"Probably the gasoline you bought back there at Rome won't last until
we get there."

"I have got enough gasoline to take us to the St. Lawrence River,"
declared Fred. "I'm not going to be caught again as I was this morning."

Meanwhile the Black Growler was noisily speeding on her way. To three
of the boys the country through which they were moving was all new and
therefore abounded in interest. Prosperous villages and fertile farms
were passed. As the sun climbed higher into the heavens the day became
so much warmer that the boys were glad to seek the shelter behind the
awnings which they now had made use of, as a protection from the heat
and glare.

It was early in the afternoon when the Go Ahead boys arrived at the
thriving city of Syracuse. They speedily decided to rest an hour after
they had stopped for luncheon and then through the Oswego Canal to go
on to the shore of Lake Ontario. There they would be ready to start on
the following morning and were hopeful that if no mishaps occurred they
would arrive at their destination the following afternoon. The clear
air, the quiet that rested over the region through which they were
passing, the tranquil attitude of even the cattle in the fields gave
slight indication that the peacefulness of the scene was soon to be
broken and the Go Ahead boys were to enter upon one of their most
stirring experiences.

CHAPTER X

IN TROUBLE

The Black Growler was not moving as swiftly as when she had been
speeding over