e river chart
does."

"Jerusalem! And you say you made it in forty-nine days? Why, that's--how
many miles a day?"

"Well, we set out to do over forty miles a day, but we couldn't quite
make it. We ran against a good many things."

"And broke all known and existing records at that, I'll bet a hat! How
on earth!"

"Well, you see, sir," Rob went on, politely, "we've rigged a double
outboard, with an extension bed on the stern. They're specially made for
us and they're powerful kickers. In fair water and all going good,
they'll do six and eight an hour, with auxiliary sail; and we traveled
ten hours nearly every day. But then, it wasn't always what you'd call
fair water."

"At least, we got here for the Fourth," he added. "We began to think,
down by the Cannon Ball, that we wouldn't. We planned to spend the
Fourth among the Mandans."

"If there's ice cream," interrupted Jesse.

"Ice cream?" The visitor turned to Uncle Dick, who sat smiling. "All you
want, and won't cost you a cent! Come on up to my house, won't you, and
spend the night? Have you got all the eggs and butter and bread and
fruit you want--oranges, lemons, melons?"

"Of melons we got quite a lot at the upper Arikaree village," said Rob,
solemnly. "But oranges--and ice cream--they didn't have those!"

Uncle Dick joined their visitor in a hearty laugh. "These chaps are
great for making believe," said he. "We're crossing on the old Lewis and
Clark trail, as nearly as we can. We're going to the head of the
Missouri River, and my young friends are trying to restore the life of
the old days as they go along."

"Fine! I wish more would do so. I'm ignorant, myself, but I'm going to
be less so. An idea, sir!

"Well," he continued, "you'll have to come up to town and stop with me.
I'll get a man to watch your boat--not that I think it would need much
watching. You'll be here over the Fourth, at least?"

"Oh, yes," replied Uncle Dick, now introducing himself, "we're ready to
take a little rest and look around a little among the Mandans! Can you
show us where the old Lewis and Clark winter quarters were?"

"Sure! To-morrow we can steam on up to that place, and also the site of
old Fort Clark. Then I'll show you around among the painted savages of
our city!"

They all laughed, and after pulling up the boat, drawing tight the tent
flaps, and spreading the tarpaulin over the cargo, they joined their new
friend in his motor car and sped off for the town, whe