they hurried their steps. The presence of
the water acted like an inspiration to every scout; so that no one would
believe they had just been complaining of weariness.

Ned grew more wary the closer they came to the river. All he wanted to
make sure of was the location, so that he might be able to know whether
they were above or below the place of the reeds.

Constant practice makes perfect, and Ned had so accustomed himself to
fastening the prominent features of the landscape upon his memory that
once he saw a place he never forgot it again.

In this case, if he failed to recognize anything along the bank of the
river it would prove conclusively that he had never set eyes on it
before. In that event, they could take it for granted that this was
below the place where they had left the canoes.

Finally the others stopping, watched Ned scrutinizing the shore of the
stream. Of course, they understood what his object must be, and
nervously awaited his verdict, hoping, meanwhile, that it would be
favorable, and that they were near the objects of their search.

He was only a fraction of a minute in deciding, for presently he turned
to his companions and nodded.

"We've struck the river just above the reeds," he went on to say. "I
remember noticing that tree leaning over the water. A kingfisher was
sitting on it, when we came along, and flew off with a screech. And,
according to my mind, the reeds will show up just around that bend
there."

"Oh! joy, bliss, and everything else that spells happiness!" declared
Jimmy, waxing enthusiastic all of a sudden, when the suspense seemed to
be at an end.

They pushed on, full of hope, for after this long hike it would be
something worth while to find themselves once more seated in the canoes
and gliding over the surface of the river, homeward bound, their great
mission completed.

"There they are!" exclaimed Frank, who had impetuously pushed along
ahead of the rest, in his desire to be the first to glimpse the reeds.

There could be no mistake about it, for all of them recognized the
conformation of the ground in the immediate neighborhood, since they had
taken particular pains to impress the same on their minds before leaving
the spot.

Presently they had reached the border of the reed bed, with Frank still
leading, though the rest of the scouts pressed close on his heels.

Already was the first of the explorers commencing to separate the reeds,
under the impression that