“Are you hurt any?” asked Fred.

“Hurt?  No.  I’m as sound as I was when we started.”

“You may be as sound,” laughed Fred, relieved now by the assurance that John was not injured, “but you’re a woe-be-gone looking specimen.  I think even you would laugh, String, if you could see yourself.  You’re like the definition of a line that Mr. Strong gave us in mathematics.  You’re the shortest distance between two points, a length without breadth or thickness.”

“I’ve heard those words before,” said John sharply.  “I wish somebody could get up something new if he wants to make remarks concerning my physique.  I’m not the one to blame if it doesn’t suit you.”

“Nobody blames you, Johnnie,” laughed Fred.  “We’re just trying to face the cold facts.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do too,” said John demurely.  “I had in my pocket a copy we made, or at least what we thought was a copy, of the records from old Simon Moultrie’s diary and they are gone now.”

“Are you sure?” asked Fred, startled by the unexpected statement.

“Yes, I’m sure,” replied John, turning the pockets inside out as he spoke.  “I put them right in here,” he explained as he placed his hand upon one pocket.

“I guess there won’t be a great deal of harm done,” spoke up Pete.  “It was all done from memory anyway, at least that’s what I understood you to say.”

“That’s right, it was,” said John, “but if you have a piece of paper in your pocket, Fred let me have it and I’ll write it out again.  I’ll do it now.  It will be easier and safer to fix it up before we start than it will to let it all get dim in our minds.”

Accordingly John took the diary which Fred handed him and tearing a leaf from the back of it at once proceeded to draw from memory an outline of the picture in Simon Moultrie’s diary.  To this he added the puzzling directions which they had found indicated near the stake.  “I think we’re all right,” he said with satisfaction as he glanced at the drawing he had made.

“There’s one thing about it,” said Pete, “it won’t do no harm.  Now then, if you’re rested, I think we’d better start on, only I think I’ll chain your long legs to the boat so that if you decide to leave us the way you did before, we can haul you in the same as we would an anchor.”

“You won’t have to haul me in,” retorted John.  “I’m going to stay by you this time.”

“See that you do,” said Pete sharply.

In a brief time the boat had been pushed out once more into the stream and again the three passengers with their poles had taken their stations and were prepared to do their utmost to guide the course down the river.

For a considerable distance the waters were not so turbulent as they had been farther up the stream.  Occasional rocks were passed and several times the points rising almost to the surface of the river were discovered.  However, the current was so strong that it carried the boat safely around the threatening danger, and almost with the speed of a race horse the little party again turned down the stream.