is paddle to
right it, it turned over, bottom side up, casting the rash young
paddler into ten feet of pure cold water. Albert came up with a
mighty splash and sputter. He was a good swimmer, and he had
also retained hold of the paddle unconsciously, perhaps. Dick
regarded him contemplatively from the land. He had no idea of
jumping in. One wet and cold boy was enough. Beside, rashness
deserved its punishment.

"Get the canoe before it floats farther away," he called out,
"and tow it to land. It has cost us too much work to be lost out
on the lake."

Albert swam to the canoe, which was now a dozen yards away, and
quickly towed it and the paddle to land. There, shivering, the
water running from him in streams, he stepped upon the solid
earth.

"Run to the cabin as fast as you can," said Dick. "Take off those
wet things, rub yourself down before the fire; then put on
dry clothes and come back here and help me."

Albert needed no urging, but it seemed to him that he would
freeze before he reached the cabin, short as the distance was.
Fortunately, there was a good fire on the hearth, and, after he
had rubbed down and put on his dry, warm suit of deerskin, he
never felt finer in his life. He returned to the lake, but he
felt sheepish on the way. That had been a rash movement of his,
overenthusiastic, but he had been properly punished. His chagrin
was increased when he saw Dick a considerable distance out on the
lake in the canoe, driving it about in graceful curves with long
sweeps of his paddle.

"This is the way it ought to be done," called out Dick cheerily.
"Behold me, Richard Howard, the king of canoe men!"

"You've been practicing while I was gone!" exclaimed Albert.

"No doubt of it, my young friend, and that is why you see me
showing such skill, grace, and knowledge. I give you the same
recipe without charge: Look before you leap, especially if you're
going to leap into a canoe. Now we'll try it together."

He brought the canoe back to land, Albert got in cautiously, and
for the rest of the day they practiced paddling, both together
and alone. Albert got another ducking, and Dick, in a moment of
overconfidence, got one, too, somewhat to Albert's pleasure and
relief, as it has been truly said that misery loves company, but
in two or three days they learned to use the canoe with ease.
Then, either together or alone, they would paddle boldly the full
length of the lake, and soon acquired dext