"I'll try," said Nick, meekly, as he drew an apple from one of his
pockets, and proceeded to calmly munch the same.

"I give you my word, boys," said George, solemnly, "that's the seventh
he's bit into since we left the dock. Two did for me; and I can see
still more bunching up in his pockets. If he gets faint, I'll hand him
a cracker box to open. But I've some hopes the apples will be a life
preserver."

Jack presently began to increase the speed of the flotilla. He wanted
to get as far down the river as possible before being compelled to put
up for the night. And having glanced at his, charts, he knew that they
must cover a number of miles ere they reached a tributary flowing into
the Delaware at this point.

Five o'clock came around at last. Josh remarked that he was pleased to
see Nick still holding out, and that he had not wasted away to a mere
shadow.

"Now we head in toward the western shore, and keep our eyes on the
lookout for the mouth of a creek that ought to be along down here,"
Jack called out, as he began to gradually alter the course of his boat.

Of course, this pleased them quite a little, as marking a change in the
monotony of the afternoon run. And truth to tell, Nick was not the
only fellow who enjoyed looking forward to supper time beside a roaring
fire.

"Hey! that looks like an opening below us, Jack!" called George, who
was in the bow of the _Wireless_, steering, leaving to Nick the duty of
attending to other matters connected with the management of the speed
boat, especially its balance.

"You're right, George, that's just what it is, the mouth of the creek;
so slow up everybody, and we'll go in."

Impetuous George was the first to turn into the tributary. After
running up a short distance, the prospect for a camp not improving,
Jack called out:

"It looks as if it might get worse instead of better, so let's stop off
here. There are a few trees anyway, and we can get all the wood we
need. Head in, George, and make a landing."

Presently all of them stepped ashore. Although their surroundings did
not appeal very heartily to lads accustomed to dense timber, with all
that implies, still they knew how to make the best of a bad bargain.

Nick began to gather firewood at once, and some of the others helped,
so that in a brief time a fire was started that at least made things
look a bit more comfortable and home-like, as Nick said, while puffing
like a porpoise in his labors.