. The falling of the tent was all that saved me from being
chewed up."

"See here, Randy," said Ned in a grave tone. "If you had kept your
temper down and your mouth shut, things would have turned out all right.
A little reasoning would have pacified that farmer. I thought you had
more sense. You heard what the man said, didn't you?

"Two men--tramps or fishermen, probably--had been camping on his land,
and doing all the damage they could, and naturally enough he was
inclined to take out his spite on us. I don't blame him much. Such a
thing would rile any farmer. Most people have an idea that when they get
in the country they can do as they please, and for what these ignorant
fools do the innocent ones have to suffer. We are finding that out
ourselves just now."

"But the old brute might have seen that we didn't belong to that class
of people," growled Randy, "and besides he didn't pay any attention to
what you said."

"I had no chance to explain who we were," replied Ned. "You spoiled that
for me by your impudence. I have no doubt the man was fair enough at
heart. If we get in any more scrapes of that kind you must keep your
temper down. I'm speaking for your own good, Randy. This isn't the first
time your tongue has got you into trouble."

"It would be a good idea to keep his mouth tied shut except at meal
times," suggested Clay laughingly.

"If you say that again I'll hit you with my paddle," threatened Randy.
"I won't stand any nonsense from _you_, Clay Halsey."

"No quarreling, boys," said Ned. "That's enough now. We'll let the
matter drop."

Clay subsided, and so did Randy. The latter stood a little in awe of
Ned's rebukes, and whether he felt the justice of this one or not, he
wisely made no more allusions to the farmer.

Indeed there were other things to think about now. The night was dark
and gloomy, and it was difficult to perceive the outlines of the shores.
The boys were tired and sleepy, but they feared to stop and hunt up a
camping ground, lest the farmer should come down and rout them out
again. A light would betray them, but without it they could do nothing.

There seemed to be no current at all, and in the dead sluggish water
half a mile meant a wearisome paddle.

"I'm awfully hungry," said Nugget in a plaintive tone. "I didn't have
ten bites of supper."

"We're all hungry, for that matter," returned Ned, "and sleepy as well.
We must find a camping place."

"You had better hurry then,"