Y

"It all comes back to me again, when I see that frozen mud bank over
there, fellows," called out Frank Savage, after they had been pushing
their way along the rough canal for some time.

"How many times we did get stuck on just such a mud bank," laughed
Paul. "I can shut my eyes even now, and imagine I see some of us
wading alongside, and helping to get our motor boats out of the
pickle. I think Bobolink must dream of it every once in a while, for
he had more than his share of the fun."

"It was bully fun all right, say what you will!" declared the boy
mentioned, "though like a good many other things that are past and
gone, distance lends enchantment to the view."

"That's right," echoed Tom Betts, "you always seem to forget the
discomforts when you look back to that kind of thing, and remember
only the jolly good times. I've come home from hunting as tired as a
dog, and vowed it would be a long while before I ever allowed myself
to be tempted to go again. But, fellows, if a chum came along the next
day and asked me I'd fall to the bait."

A chance to do a little sailing interrupted this pleasant exchange of
reminders. But it was for a very short distance only that they were
able to take advantage of a favoring breeze; then the boys found it
necessary to push the boats again.

Some of them strapped on their skates and set out to draw the laden
iceboats as the most logical way of making steady progress.

"What are two measly miles, when such a glorious prospect looms up
ahead of us?" cried Sandy. "We ought to be at the old Radway by
noon."

"Yes," added Bobolink, quickly. "And I heard Paul saying just now that
as we were in no great hurry he meant to call a halt there for an hour
or more. We can start a fire and have a bully little warm lunch, just
to keep us from starving between now and nightfall, when a regular
dinner will be in order."

Of course, this set some of the boys to making fun of Bobolink's well
known weakness. The accused scout took it all as good natured joking.
Besides, who could get angry when engaged in such a glorious outing as
that upon which they were now fully embarked? Certainly not the
even-tempered Bobolink.

From time to time the boys recognized various spots where certain
incidents had happened to them when on their never-to-be-forgotten
motor boat cruise of the preceding summer.

It was well on towards noon when they finally reached the place where
the old connecting canal