Illustration #4

“We towed the saplings and started down stream”

All the fellows were there except Skinny, because the doctor made him stay home on account of being all played out.  I bet that doctor had some scrap with him.  One thing sure, Westy and I stuck together.  By noontime we had all the stuff hauled over to the river and some odds and ends of kindling wood besides, to take in the house-boat.  We filled the rowboat with the small stuff and towed the saplings and started downstream that way.  The tide was running up and it was almost full and we had some job bucking it.  Some of the fellows wanted to wait till it turned and come down with it.  But I said that would be an hour maybe and that if the tide didn’t want to turn and go with us, we should worry.

Now that there wasn’t anything left to do, but tow the stuff down, all the fellows except Westy and I and Pee-wee started to hike it home.  We said we’d take him with us in the boat so that he could bail, because that boat is built like a sieve.

“If it keeps on leaking like that,” I said, “there won’t be any water left in the river-it’ll all be in the boat.”

“It’s pretty hard bucking the tide,” Westy said.

“And we’re going up hill besides, too,” I told him; “remember that.”

Well, you should have seen Pee-wee.  “What are you talking about-up hill!” he shouted.  “When we begin going down hill,” I said, all the while winking at Westy, “she’ll go easier, thank goodness.”

“We’ll have to put on the brakes,” Westy said.

“Do you know why they talk about towing lumber?” I asked Pee-wee; “because it’s measured by the foot.”

“You’re crazy!” he shouted.

“Just the same as when they use it for back fences, it’s measured by the yard,” Westy said, all sober like.

“Sure—­back—­yard,” I said.

“You think you can jolly me, don’t you?” Pee-wee shouted.

“You just keep on bailing,” I said, “and don’t stop.  When the tide begins turning you won’t have to bail so fast.”

Jiminy, Pee-wee didn’t know what to think—­whether I was kidding him or not.  “Why won’t I?” he wanted to know.

“Because it will be going the other way,” I said, “see?  It’ll be flowing away from the boat.”

Oh, boy!  Pee-wee just emptied the bailing can down my neck.

And that’s the way it was all the way down.  Cracky, but we had Pee-wee so crazy that he’d bail up a can of water out of one end of the boat and empty it in the other end.

“What’s the difference whether it’s inside or outside?” Westy said, “as long as it’s there.  I bet there’s a lot of canned salmon in this river.”

“Canned what?  Pee-wee shouted.

“Keep on bailing,” I said; “canned salmon is what he said, but I think there are more pickled herrings.  There’s lots of pickled herrings in the Hudson, I know that.”

“You mean smoked herring,” Westy said, all the while rowing and looking around very sober like at me.