f your time to scout lore you'd be a wonder. That growth of
thick reeds is just a dandy place to do the business, and on the proper
side of the river at that. We can push in, each following exactly in the
wake of the preceding boat. Jack and myself will bring up the rear, and
carefully fix the reeds again, so that no one on the river ten feet
away would dream that boats had made a passage there. Head in, fellows,
and pick out your way carefully, making only one track or channel."

This, those in the foremost canoe did, and close behind them came the
second boat, the paddler using his blade with extreme caution, so as not
to disturb the reeds more than was absolutely necessary. Finally, Jack
and Ned wound up the procession, the latter kneeling in the stern of the
canoe, where he could use his hands dextrously and swiftly cause the
bent-over canes to resume their former position. In this fashion then
they finally came to the land, still surrounded by the little wilderness
of reeds, out of which they could emerge as soon as the boats were
securely fastened.

CHAPTER VI.

ON THE SHORE OF THE SALTY SEA.

"Tell me about that, will you?" remarked Jimmy, as he carefully stepped
ashore; "according to my mind it was cleverly done, if I do say it that
oughtn't."

You would certainly have thought the little chap had covered himself
with glory, and that the success of the whole undertaking depended on
him. But then the other scouts knew Jimmy from the ground up, and seldom
took offense at anything he said, because they realized that much of his
bragging and "joshing" did not "spring from the heart," as he naively
confessed many a time.

Ned was wise enough to see that each canoe, before being abandoned there
amidst the friendly rushes, was securely staked, so that it could not
drift away, through the action of wind or current.

"Seems to me that is about all we have to do here," Jack remarked, after
these matters had been carefully attended to.

"And the next thing on the programme is to hike out in search of a
wonderful old copper mine that, chances are, doesn't exist at all
outside the minds of that lot of fakirs," Frank observed; for he had
never taken much stock in the alleged "proofs" shown to Jack's father by
the parties who were exploiting this new and sensational discovery of
amazingly rich ore.

Ned gave a last look around. He was careful at all times to make doubly
sure; and, since they intended cutting