Comrades on River and Lake Page 5

  CHAPTER V--THE BOYS ARRIVE AT BERT'S

  Strange to say, none of the Comrades had ever been to Albany before, andthe sights of the capital were a great delight to them. Deciding that itwould be time well spent, they went through the capitol building, Chotand Fleet going first, and returning to stay with the canoes while Tomand Pod made the trip.

  A new stock of provisions were secured, most of which were put inFleet's canoe, and late in the afternoon the boys pushed out from amongthe steamers and small craft, and threading their way through the rivertraffic, soon left Albany behind.

  Some two hours later, just as dusk was falling, the lights of anothercity loomed up on the east shore.

  "Troy," said Chot. "At least I suppose it is. I've never been there, butI know it isn't far from Albany."

  "Gee, but there's a lot of cities up this way," said Pod, to whom suchsights were novel. The little fellow had never stirred from Bayvilleexcept to neighboring towns, until he entered Winton the previous fall,and the trip up the Hudson was like a glimpse into fairyland for him. Itpleased the Comrades immensely to see Pod enjoying himself. They weredoubly glad now that they had "chipped in" and bought him a canoe.

  The boys having eaten heartily in Albany, it was decided not to stop atTroy. Darkness was falling, the moon would soon be up, and as each boywas feeling fine, it was thought best to paddle along by moonlight untila suitable camping place was found.

  So they continued at a leisurely pace past the city, and were soon inthe open river above. The Hudson was growing narrower now, but thisdetracted not at all from its beauty, and the boys were loath to leaveoff paddling, but the need of sleep finally led them to seek a campingplace.

  It was some time before they found a spot that looked nice enough tospend the night in. Past Cohoes, Lansingburg and Waterford they went,and finally turned in toward a pretty grove on the east bank. Here,under the rays of the moon, they again made their camp, much in thefashion they had on a previous occasion.

  The canoes were pulled high and dry on the bank and carried well backamong the trees. Then the tent was stretched, and soon the Comrades wereready for bed. They could not withstand the temptation to stop and talka while, however, and as a fitting accompaniment to their conversation,Chot and Fleet prepared a lunch, which was washed down with cold waterfrom a nearby spring.

  "Speaking of lawyers," said Pod, "do you know----?"

  "Now, who said anything about lawyers?" demanded Fleet.

  "Well, speaking of them, anyway, what would you say if you had occasionto do business with one and he charged only a nominal fee?"

  "I should say," replied Fleet, "that it was quite fee-nominal."

  So surprised was Pod at having Fleet answer one of his jokes, that for amoment he stared, open-mouthed, at his comrade. Fleet, pleased at hisready answer, was laughing heartily, and after a moment Chot and Tomjoined in, much to Pod's chagrin.

  "Think you're smart, don't you, Fleet Kenby?" cried the little fellow.

  "A little too smart for you that time, anyway."

  "Well, since you're so smart to-night, I suppose you know what thepatient said when he went to consult two dentists who were brothers, andit took both of them to pull his tooth?"

  "No; I am forced frankly and unreservedly to admit, Mr. Meelick, that Ido not know what the patient said," returned Fleet, in a tone thatexasperated Pod.

  "Nor I," said Chot.

  "What did the patient say, Pod?" Tom demanded.

  "He said, 'Just see what two brothers can do when they pull together',"and Pod commenced to chuckle.

  But none of the others cracked a smile. Of course, they all understoodthe joke, but simply to irritate Pod, they pretended that they did not.

  "I say, he said, 'Just see what two brothers can do when they pulltogether'," repeated Pod. "Don't you see--pull together--two of them?"

  "'Pull together--two of them'," echoed Tom, looking inquiringly at Chot.

  "Yes; there were evidently two brothers," said Chot. "Don't youunderstand, Tom? They were dentists. They didn't want to pull the toothfor this patient, but----"

  "Oh, you don't catch it yet," said Pod. He was exasperated as he alwayswas when one of his jokes fell flat. "This patient had a sense ofhumor----"

  "Oh, I see it now," said Fleet. "The patient had a sense of humor,fellows, so he went to have his tooth pulled. That's the funniest thingI ever heard," and Fleet laughed uproariously.

  "No; you haven't caught the point yet, Fleet," said Chot. "The point tothis joke lies in the fact that the patient went to see two dentists atone time. He stood there watching them for a moment, you understand,trying to decide which one he wanted to pull his tooth. Each of thedentists wanted to pull the tooth, but the patient only wanted one ofthe dentists to pull the tooth. Well, can't you see--er--that is, tosay----"

  "I understand perfectly," said Tom. "The joke is that both of thedentists wanted to pull the same tooth. That was funny, wasn't it?"

  "I don't believe you've quite got it yet," said Fleet. "You see whenthis patient entered the dentist's office----"

  There is no knowing how long this might have continued, had not Podarose with a snort of disgust and announced his intention of going tobed.

  Pod's anger did not last long, however, and in the morning he hadforgotten that there ever was such a thing as a joke about two dentists.

  The boys were astir before sun-up. A fire was kindled and a pot ofcoffee made, and well satisfied so far as the inner boy was concerned,the boys pushed their canoes out in the stream just as Old Sol camepeeping over the hills to the east.

  "I want to make a good day of it," said Chot. "We should be in SandyHill by to-morrow noon."

  "Sandy Hill?" inquired Fleet. "Where is that, and why do you say weshould be there?"

  "Because there is where we leave the Hudson."

  "Do you mean that we have a portage so soon?"

  "Not exactly a portage because we do not carry our canoes. But we takethe train at Sandy Point for Lake George Station on the southern end ofLake George, which is only eight miles from Bert Creighton's home nearKattskill Bay."

  "Do you suppose Bert is looking for us so soon?"

  "I told him we'd be only a few days--not more than a week, at themost--getting to his place."

  "I didn't realize we'd covered that much ground."

  "That much water, you mean," said Pod.

  "Very well; I stand corrected."

  Chot's predictions came pretty near working out, too, as the other boysfound. A steady gait, with occasional periods of rest, sent them up theriver to within eight miles of Fort Edward by ten o'clock that night.That was the biggest day's paddling since they had left Winton, and eachof the boys was glad to roll up in his blanket and sleep after the usualbed time lunch.

  They were up with the sun again, however, and after a plunge in theriver, felt greatly refreshed and in fine fettle for another day's work.

  Just as the siren of a factory on the west shore was announcing thearrival of the noon hour, the Comrades sighted Sandy Point, and tenminutes later had made a landing, arranged with a boy to guard theircanoes, and were eating ravenously in a neighboring restaurant, wherenew milk and juicy steaks, the latter smothered in onions and creampotatoes, made them glad they were able for a time to forsake the river.

  The meal over, the Comrades went to the depot and inquired about thenext train for Lake George Station. They were informed by the agent thattwo-thirty was the time. The station was thirteen miles distant, and therun was made in about thirty minutes. The train was what is known inrailroad circles as a "local," and stopped at all stations en route.

  The railroad was not far from the river, and the Comrades had no troublein carrying their canoes to the depot, where they had them checked,after first purchasing tickets for Lake George Station.

  It was three o'clock when they picked up the canoes at the latter placeand started for the shore of the lake. They did not stop in the village,as they were anxious to reach Bert's home before d
ark. A light breezewas ruffling the surface of the lake when they embarked, but not enoughto in any way disturb the canoes. With the wind at their backs, andhugging the east shore, the boys paddled rapidly away from Lake GeorgeStation. Three coves, or arms, of the lake, jut into the land in thisvicinity, all within the space of eight miles. On the third of these wasthe village of Kattskill Bay, near where Bert Creighton lived with hisparents.

  Chot had the topography of the region well in mind from Bert'sdescription, and from a map of Lake George and vicinity which he carriedin his pocket, and toward evening he turned his canoe sharply to theright, as a stretch of water, which he felt must be the right cove, laybefore them.

  "This looks good to me," said Fleet, as the green meadows andcomfortable-looking groves came into sight. "I don't wonder that BertCreighton thinks he lives in the only place in the world."

  "Look at the cows grazing on the hillside yonder," said Pod. "Hope theybelong to Bert. That means fresh milk and butter, buttermilk and eggs,and----"

  "Whoa!" cried Tom. "If you get eggs from those cows, you'll be doingsomething miraculous, Podsy."

  "Oh, I didn't mean that," said Pod. "But where there are cows there areusually chickens, and eggs seem to go naturally with milk and butter."

  "Don't discuss such subjects," said Fleet. "You make me hungry."

  "Oh, you're always hungry--couldn't fill you up if they poured aperpetual stream of food down your throat," said Pod.

  "Nothing like a good appetite," said Fleet. "If I look at these hillsand dales much longer, I shall break forth into verse."

  "Then don't look at them," advised Chot.

  "I believe I feel a poem coming on."

  "Well, put on the safety valve. Hello! Who's that? As I live, it's BertCreighton!"

  Sure enough, there was Bert, standing at the end of a little wharf thatjutted out into the lake. He was yelling and waving his hat at them.Stretching behind him was a pretty meadow, and farther on a hill onwhich sat a farmhouse--Bert's home, the Comrades felt.

  It was with thankful hearts that they turned their canoes in toward thewharf and grasped the hand of their old chum again.

  "Gee! but I'm glad to see you fellows up here," said Bert. "Been lookingfor you since yesterday," and he led the way up a broad path toward thehouse.