“Twelve o’clock!” shouted Fred Harper from the Bluebird.

“Dinner time, then,” replied Frank.  “Here is a beautiful grove, and we will land and dine.  Hoist the orange”—­the signal to land.

CHAPTER XX.

THE HOSPITALITIES OF OAKLAWN.

The boys all had remarkably good appetites, and therefore dinner was no unimportant event in the experience of the day.  Somehow, boys contrive to be hungry at almost all times of the day, even without the stimulus of pulling three hours at an oar.  There was something, too, in the circumstance of dining in a beautiful grove, on the bank of the river, with their boats floating near them, which rendered the occasion peculiarly pleasant—­which made their cold meat, doughnuts, and apple pie taste much better than usual.

But the adventure was not yet completed.  The head waters of navigation had not been reached, and their love of exploring did not permit them to spend any unnecessary time over the meal.  Tony and his oarsmen had reported themselves at the grove, and after “bolting” their dinner, had resumed their occupation; and the boys perceived the Dip half a mile up the river before they were ready to start.

“All aboard!” said Frank; and the crews, hastily gathering up their tin pails, and their baskets, tumbled into the boats.

The Zephyr led off, followed by the other boats of the squadron.

“I see no buoys ahead,” said Frank, after they had advanced some distance.  “The navigation must be unobstructed.”

“It looks like deep water,” answered Charles.

“And Tony’s crew are pulling very hard; they are going faster than we do.”

“He is trying to gain time against he reaches a bad place.  There he goes round the bend.  Were you ever up here before, Frank?”

“I have been to Oaklawn, which is about four miles from Rippleton.  Of course I never came up the river.”

“Wouldn’t it be fine if we could get up to Oaklawn?”

“Perhaps we can.”

“This is smooth work,” continued Frank.  “Can’t we give a little variety to the excursion?”

“What?”

“Hoist the yellow, signalman,” replied the commodore.  “We will pull a while in sections of two, and sing some songs.”

Obedient to the signal, the boats of the fleet came into the order prescribed, and the boys waked up the hills and the woods with the earnestness of their song.  It was a beautiful and cheering sight to see them gliding over the clear waters, while their voices mingled with those of the songsters which nature had given to the hillside and the forest.  Their hearts were glad, and in beautiful unison with the scene around them.

“Rapids!” exclaimed Frank, when the boat reached the bend.  “Up with the blue!”

“Steady!” added Charles.  “Pull slowly.”

“Tony has been very busy,” continued Frank, pointing to the buoys, that speckled the waters.  I am afraid the cruise is about up.”