as told. "He always likes to make
other fellows feel good. And for a chap who unites so many rare
qualities in his make-up Paul is the most unassuming fellow I ever
knew. Why, you can see that he intentionally put himself in last
place, and picked out Spider Sexton's boat to go on, because he knew
it was the poorest of the lot."

"But all the same the old _Glider_ is doing her prettiest to-day and
keeping up with the procession all right," asserted Tom, glancing
back.

"That's because Paul's serving as skipper," asserted Jack, proudly.
"He could get speed out of any old tub you ever saw. But then we're
not trying to do any racing on this trip, you remember, Tom."

"Not much," assented the other, quickly. "Paul impressed it on us that
to-day we must keep it in mind that 'safety first' is to be our motto.
Besides, with all these bundles of grub and blankets and clothes-bags
strapped and roped to our boats a fellow couldn't do himself justice,
I reckon."

"No more he could, Tom. But we're making good time for all that, and
it isn't going to be long before we pass Manchester, and reach the
place where that old abandoned canal creeps across two miles of
country, more or less, to the Radway."

"I can see the fellows who skated down ahead of us!" announced Tom,
presently.

"Yes, they're waiting to go through the canal with us," assented Jack.
"Wallace Carberry said they feared we might have a bad time of it
getting the iceboats over to the Radway, and he corralled a few
fellows with the idea of lending a hand."

"They hate the worst kind to be left out of this camping game,"
remarked Tom, "and want to see the last they can of us."

A few minutes later and the skipper of the leading iceboat brought his
speedy craft to a halt close to the shore, where several scouts
awaited them. The other four craft soon drew up near by, thus
finishing what they were pleased to call the "first leg" of the novel
cruise.

It was decided to work their way through the winding creek the best
way possible. In places it would be found advisable to push the boats,
while now and then as an open stretch came along they might take
advantage of a favorable wind to do a little sailing.

Two miles of this sort of thing would not be so bad. As Bobolink sang
out, the worst was yet to come when they made the Radway, and had to
ascend against a head wind that would necessitate skilful tacking to
avoid an overturn.

CHAPTER XIII

ON THE WA