ch trees around from which another light boat might be fashioned by
the craft of the guides.

The day was nearly done, and when presently the smoke of their campfire
began to ascend in the still air, night crept slowly about them. As it
was the summer season and the days were very long up here in the Far
North, the hour was later than they had ever started in to make camp
before.

Plenty of supplies had apparently been carried along, to judge from the
fragrant odors that soon began to steal forth. All of these lads
belonged to families of wealth, so that at no time were they reduced to
limiting their outfit. Anything that money could buy, and which prudence
would allow to carry with them, was always at their service.

So the guns owned by Ned and his chums were of the latest pattern, and
capable of doing good service when properly handled. The boys, who had
been through campaigns in many parts of their own country, as well as
over the southern border, and in foreign lands as well, and for young
fellows who had not yet attained their majority, all of the scouts had
experienced thrills calculated to make men of mature age proud.

And yet in spite of all this they were genuine boys, with warm hearts,
and fond of practical joking. Seated around the jolly fire after
disposing of supper, while the two guides attended to cleaning up, Jimmy
entertained his mates with a series of rollicking songs, accompanied by
Teddy on his mandolin, which he had somehow managed to smuggle along, in
spite of a careful watch on the part of Ned, who did not wish to take a
single article that was not indispensable, for he knew the gigantic task
that lay ahead of them.

Jimmy has as usual been overboard during the late afternoon. It was not
a voluntary swim the comical chum had been enjoying, either; these
plunges never were, but it seemed as though Jimmy must lose his balance
once in so often just while the canoes were negotiating through some
wild rapids, and in consequence he had to make the passage clinging to
the gunwale.

His red sweater was hanging on a bush to dry in the heat of the fire. It
looked unusually brilliant as seen in the glow of the leaping flames.
Jimmy was very proud of that same old sweater, which had been with him
through so many campaigns that it showed signs of wear and tear. But
though he had another nice navy-blue one in his waterproof clothes bag,
Jimmy persisted in donning the ancient article every blessed day, i