d back
to bed while she was out. They were all grumbling and yawning, but were
dutifully getting into their bathing suits.

"Mine's wet," wailed Hinpoha, "and--ouch! it's cold. I forgot to hang it
up after our swim last night. I think it's cruelty to animals to make a
person get into a wet bathing suit."

"Serves you right for not hanging it up," said Katherine imperturbably.

It was a chilly and unenthusiastic crew that manned the war canoe a few
minutes later. The boys had been just as reluctant to leave their beds
as the girls, though none of them would admit it. Katherine lectured
them all on their doleful countenances and repeated her remarks about
the test of sportsmanship. After that nobody dared open their mouths
about the unpleasantness of the weather; in dogged silence they dipped
their paddles and pushed out into the greyness.

"Sing something," commanded Katherine, "and put a little life into your
paddling! Ready now, 'We pull long, we pull strong.'"

And obediently they opened their mouths and sang, but it sounded all out
of tune and they couldn't keep together no matter how hard they tried.

"Did the lake ever look so big and cold to you before?" asked Hinpoha in
a forlorn voice after the attempt at singing had been given up.

"And St. Pierre looks about a thousand miles away, and all grey and
shabby," said Gladys.

"Do you think it will rain so much today that we can't go over to St.
Pierre with the little launch engine?" asked the Captain.

"No telling," said Uncle Teddy, vainly trying to stifle a telltale yawn.
Uncle Teddy was secretly wishing that Katherine had overslept with the
rest of them and did not have such a tremendous idea of good
sportsmanship. But, being a thorough sport, he shook himself out of his
drowsiness and shouted the paddling commands lustily.

"One, two! One, two! Click stroke! Ready, dip!"

And the paddles clicked and dipped, as the paddlers began to feel the
energy rising in their systems.

"Water wheel!" shouted Uncle Teddy, and the paddles flashed backward in
a wide circle between each dip.

"Wasn't that fun?" said Sahwah. "I'm getting wider awake every minute.
You were right about making us get up, Katherine. If I'd slept as long
as I wanted to I'd have felt 'dumpy' all day, but now I feel fine and
just full of pep."

"So do I," said Gladys.

"I don't," said Hinpoha dolefully. "I guess I'm not much of a sport, but
I'm getting sleepier every minute."

"You g