t us to
walk on the rope, do you?"

"Oh, here comes a boat!" Dorry shouted. "See it? It's just coming around
the bend. There are two men in it."

"Are they nice men?" I asked him.

"What are you talking about?" Pee-wee shouted. "They're a quarter of a
mile away!"

I said, "That wouldn't prevent them from being nice men. Your uncle is
all the way over in Europe and he's a nice man."

"All I can see is their backs," Westy said.

I said, "Well, as far as I can tell from their backs they look as if
they might be nice men. Maybe we can get them to carry the end of the
rope across and fasten it on the other side."

"Yes, and what will we do then?" the kid wanted to know.

"Then we'll say 'thank you,'" I told him.

"Yes, and what then?"

I said, "Why, then we'll ask them to row us across keeping the boat
close to the rope. They could never row straight across with the tide
running this way."

"I don't see why the tide has to be running out just now," Hunt said.

"Neither do I," I said; "especially as it's just going to turn around
and come right in again. It might as well stay in. It goes to a lot of
trouble for nothing. We should worry."

Pretty soon the boat was nearly opposite us, and I shouted, "Hey,
Mister, will you give us a lift across?"

Pee-wee whispered to me, "I know who that front man is; he's a
detective. You better look out how you speak to him. That's Detective
Pinchem."

As soon as the kid spoke I saw that he was right. I shouted, "Hey,
Mister Pinchem, will you give us a lift across? We're lost, strayed or
stranded."

The men in the boat started for the shore and Mr. Pinchem called,
"Hello, you scouts, what are you doing here?"

I said, "We've got as much right here as this river has. It's in our way
and we want to get across."

[Illustration: "WE'VE GOT AS MUCH RIGHT HERE AS THIS RIVER HAS, AND WANT
TO GET ACROSS." (Page 68)]

Pee-wee whispered to me very anxious-like, "You better look out how you
talk to him, he's a detective. He can arrest us if he wants to."

Westy said, "Why should we be afraid? We haven't taken anything."

I said, "I'm not so sure about that. We're taking a hike. Maybe if we
can't prove it belongs to us----"

"You're crazy," the kid said.

"I know a fellow who got arrested for stealing third base when he was on
the High School team," Hunt said.

I said, "Hey, Mr. Pinchem, can we get arrested for taking a hike that
doesn't belong to us?"

He just laughed