"Will you give an honest opinion, regardless of any bias, one way or the other?" demanded the other, whose father was a leading lawyer in Centerville.

"Of course I will. What do you take me for, anyway?" replied Bluff, aggrieved.

"Then look, and tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," and Jerry handed him the reading-gla.s.s.

"Well, what's the verdict?" asked Frank, after Bluff had studied the picture for a full minute.

"I won't be as positive as our friend here, but I'm inclined to think that it may be Waddy, all right; anyhow, he's about his size, and there's something in his way of standing that reminds me of the fellow,"

announced Bluff.

"Talk to me about your hedging, what d'ye think of that? Of course it's Waddy, as big as life, grown somewhat, and with torn clothes and dirty face; but I'd know his att.i.tude among a dozen. Consider that point settled, Frank."

"Well, it doesn't matter much to us at all. If the sheriff, Mr. Dodd, manages to catch up with the runaways, Mr. Waddy will have a chance to go back to where he came from--the reform school. Now, let's drop those two, and talk over our proposed visit to Wildcat Island," remarked Frank.

"Have you got all the supplies?" asked Will.

"Here's the list. Look it over, and if anybody wants to suggest other things all they have to do is to put them down. We're willing to lug stuff there to the limit of our canoes," answered Frank.

When they had made all arrangements the meeting was adjourned to the time when they expected to start from the boathouse just after noon on the following day.

"How about the weather--do we go, regardless?" asked Will, again.

"True canoeists laugh at the weather. Come rain, come storm, they buck up against whatever the day brings forth. At one, then, every fellow be on hand. I'll have the supplies there before that. I've got a surprise in store for you boys, too," remarked Frank.

"Tell me about that, will you; he's going to let us lie awake all night trying to guess the great conundrum. Say, it hasn't anything to do with the girls coming over some day to take dinner with us, has it?" asked Jerry.

"Oh! say, that would be immense, only too good to be true," cried Bluff, who, be it known, was rather inclined to be sweet on Frank's only sister, Nellie.

"They've promised to come, all right; but this has nothing to do with that. You just wait and see, that's all I'll say. Now come into the front room, fellows. Nellie has had several friends over, and we're going to make a delightful evening of it."

Frank would not listen to any protest, but ushered his three chums into the parlor where they found four lively girls enjoying themselves with music, and waiting for the meeting of the club to come to an end.

For the next hour they romped as only a lot of young people may, for whom the morrow has no terrors. Will's twin sister, Violet, was, of course, there, as were Mame Crosby and Susie Prescott, the former of whom was never so happy as when teasing Jerry, and getting him to "spout" after the fashion of his learned father when pleading for a prisoner before the bar.

It was about half-past ten that they separated, after enjoying some simple refreshments in the way of cake and lemonade.

The boys saw the girls home, Will taking his sister; while Bluff, secretly informing Nellie Langdon that he only did it out of pure courtesy, saw that Susie was properly escorted through the quiet streets of Centerville, and reached her father's house in safety.

When Frank reached the boathouse, just at half-past twelve on the following day, he found all of his companions there ahead of him.

"You slow coach, think we've got the whole afternoon to get started?"

demanded Bluff, who was bustling around as usual, yet accomplishing very little.

"Well, if you examine closer you'll find that I've been here most of the morning, and packed the things in several bundles. These go in the big canoe; those yonder you must stow away, Bluff, while Jerry will take care of the rest," replied Frank, paying little attention to the way in which he was addressed, because he knew it was mere talk, and no slur intended.

"Sure you didn't miss anything?" asked Jerry, smiling grimly; for he pretended to scorn this wholesale carrying of stuff into the woods, and always declared he could exist happily with a blanket, a coffee-pot, a frying-pan, some salt and pepper, coffee and ship biscuit, depending on rod and gun to supply all else.

Nevertheless, when the "duffle" was lugged into the woods he considered it a sacred duty to do his utmost to lessen the supplies, possibly for fear they would have to "tote" them out again, as Bluff used to sarcastically remark.

"Not that I know of. If you are afraid, why we might go over the list again, and see what else we can use," said Frank, with a wink toward Will.

"I beg of you don't. My poor canoe would sink of fright or freight.

Besides, I want you to notice that it's kind of rough out on the lake, and as it stands we're taking big chances of being swamped. Come on, fellows, load your cargo!" called Jerry.

"What's this funny bundle in our boat?" demanded Will, suddenly.

"Ask no questions and I'll give you no yarns. Just possess your souls in patience, and you'll see after a while," came Frank's answer, as he went on loading systematically, taking heed of the fact that they would need to buck up against some rather heavy seas from the south while on the way, and that everything must be protected from the wet by covers.

"I bet it's a new patent stove he's got along," suggested Will.

"Oh! that's in my boat already. It burns kerosene, and makes a blue gas.

Frank says it's the boss in rainy weather, with those aluminum camp kettles for cooking. I reckon it must be a box of cake and pies the girls have supplied," ventured Bluff.

"You're away off, for they're going to bring those things when they come. Besides, this isn't in the shape of a box at all," laughed Frank.

"That's a fact, and it looks more like a spare blanket or two," came from Jerry.

"Well, give it up, boys. I don't believe you'd guess in a month of Sundays. Now, are you all ready?" queried the leader of the club, as he took up his paddle and prepared to look after the port side while Will worked the starboard.

Frank, being the more experienced of the twain, had the stern seat, as that is usually considered the post of greater responsibility in clearing rocks while running rapids, and generally guiding the craft.

"Say when!" called Jerry.

"The _Red Rover_ is ready to meet the storm!" announced Bluff, whose little craft had a narrow band of red around its gunwale.

"Go!"

The four paddles dipped deeply into the water, and simultaneously the little canoes started into the teeth of the wind. There were a few shouts from the sh.o.r.e, and considerable waving of snowy 'kerchiefs from a group of girls standing before Frank's house, which latter brought a series of salutes from the paddlers until the commodore of the flotilla sternly warned them that unless they paid more attention to what they were doing an upset would mark the beginning of their Spring outing.

After that they kept their eyes straight ahead. And, indeed, there was really need for all attention, since the waves were running quite high for such small vessels to meet. Still, a canoe, if properly handled, can live in a sea that will sink a much larger boat; since the tiny cedar craft mounts to the crests of the waves with the buoyancy of a cork.

They paddled strenuously for an hour toward the south, and by that time were beginning to feel their muscles growing somewhat sore. The season was young, and they had not as yet become wholly accustomed to hard manual labor, though all of them used the school gymnasium through the winter months in the endeavor to keep in condition.

"Talk about your combers, these are the real thing," grunted Jerry, as he shot up on the crest of a wave, from which exalted position he had a fleeting view of the island dead ahead; and was then swept down into what seemed to be a valley.

The fact that each boat was so heavily laden added to the danger of their swamping if once they turned sideways to the seas, or broached to; but the boys were conscious of this ever-impending peril, and fought tooth and nail to prevent it.

Wildcat Island was quite a large piece of ground, standing in the lake at some little distance from either sh.o.r.e, but much nearer the western one, that upon which the town of Newtonport was situated, with its distant range of hills, called the Sunset Mountains by the natives.

This island lay not far from the foot of the lake, while another, going by the name of Snake Island, was situated close to the lumber camp at the head of the body of water, which was some ten miles long by between one and two wide.

With a strong south wind blowing, a heavy sea could be kicked up, though naturally this would be found much worse the farther up the lake one went.

"Ten minutes more will see us there, boys!" shouted Frank.

He feared that one of the other paddlers might be getting pretty near his last effort, and wished to encourage the balance of his chums to renewed efforts.

"We're all right; don't worry about us," called back Bluff, who happened to be a little bit ahead.