is away and I decided, all of a sudden, that I wasn't much
of a patrol leader, and Artie--he was--he wasn't there.

"Look out for that canoe," somebody said, just as we were coming
alongside the float. "They shouldn't have left it there," Connie said;
"that's no place for a canoe." I guess we were all kind of nervous and
cranky like. Then I saw that there was a black figure sitting on the
lowest step of the boathouse. I was just going to call "Who's there?"
when Doc said, "Pull that canoe out of the way before we smash it in."

So I jumped off onto the float and grabbed the canoe, and g-o-o-d night!
it was my Indian dugout.

CHAPTER XII

ARTIE'S ADVENTURE

Then I heard one of the fellows shouting "Look who's here!" and I saw
the fellow who had been sitting on the steps coming toward the float
and I could tell it was Artie Van Arlen. Then I could hear Pee-wee
dancing on the cabin roof and screaming, "The plot grows thicker! The
plot grows thicker!"--good night, the kid was almost having a fit.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," I said to Artie, "would you
please relate your adventures, I see that you're not dead."

"Well, not so you'd notice it," he said, "but I guess I came pretty
near it."

Then I could see he was all in and must have had a pretty hard time of
it, but I couldn't help kidding him, because I was feeling so good to
know he was safe. Believe me, that fellow had some adventure.

"It was lucky for me," he said, "that you tied this crazy canoe or
whatever you call it-"

"That is an Indian dugout, if anyone should ask you," I said, "and if I
wanted to sell it to an antiquary--"

"A what?" Pee-wee shouted down from the cabin roof.

"An antiquary," I said; "comes from the Latin word aunt and the Chinese
word query, meaning to ask questions--otherwise the same as Pee-wee. As I
was saying, if I wanted to sell it to an antiquary I could get a large
check for it."

"How large?" Pee-wee shouted.

"About eight inches by two and a half inches; now, shut up!" I said.

Cracky, you should have heard those fellows laugh.

"Well, whatever it is," said Artie, "it's lucky for me that you tied it
just under the cabin window, because I fell into it--I fell in good and
hard."

"I think you fell in soft," I said; "it shows how thoughtful I am. A
scout is foresighted--"

"You make me sick!" Pee-wee shouted.

"Tell Doc Carson to give you some medicine," I answered.

Laugh! Because, you see, we we