turns back north, runs east, then west and for a short time south. For
ten miles southing you make you have to go thirty."

"Well, I understood that was the way; but why should that bother us?"
demanded George. "What's fair for one is fair for all. We'll hug the
easterly shore all we can, and save many a mile."

"Perhaps you will," smiled Jack, "and then again the current races
faster out in the middle, so the boat that ventures may profit by that.
But what I had in mind was the innumerable cut-offs we're apt to
strike."

"Cut-offs!" exclaimed Nick, turning a trifle pale, as though he thought
this had something to do with the favorite southern lynching bee.

"Oh! I know about those things," declared Herb, carelessly.
"Sometimes a native can save twenty miles by shooting through where a
passage runs across a neck of wooded land. But I guess the good old
_Comfort_ will stick to the main stream. I may be the tortoise in this
race, but there's lots of chances the hares will lie down for a little
nap in the way, and let me go past."

"But it's fair to take advantage of a cut-off, ain't it?" asked George.

"Of course it is, if you want to take the chance of getting twisted,
and losing oodles of hours wandering around in some old swamp," Jack
answered.

"Well, they ought to have those cut-offs marked with buoys, or sign
posts," grumbled George.

"Too many changes taking place all the time," Jack replied, showing how
earnestly he had been studying the field. "They just couldn't do it.
But of all three craft, yours ought to be the last one to want to steal
a march on the rest, George."

"Oh, well, I don't expect to be compelled to; but then you never know
what's going to happen. Suppose we had a breakdown, and lost many
hours--it might be up to the _Wireless_ to get busy, and wipe out some
of that slack. But I'm going to study that lower river part till I get
it by heart, bet your boots on that, fellows."

"And me ditto," said Nick, quickly. "None of that lost in the swamp
for me. Just think how awful it would be, boys, wandering around day
after day with snakes and alligators waiting to snap you up! Ugh!"

"That isn't the worst of it, Buster; just imagine the food giving out!
Whatever in the wide world would you do?" asked Jack, with a chuckle.

Nick gave a wild look, and then groaned dismally.

"If it came to a case of drawing lots I just know George would pick out
the lucky number, because he often