Comrades on River and Lake Part 7

The canoes were pulled high and dry on the bank and carried well back among the trees. Then the tent was stretched, and soon the Comrades were ready for bed. They could not withstand the temptation to stop and talk a while, however, and as a fitting accompaniment to their conversation, Chot and Fleet prepared a lunch, which was washed down with cold water from 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 occasion to 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 a moment he stared, open-mouthed, at his comrade. Fleet, pleased at his ready answer, was laughing heartily, and after a moment Chot and Tom joined 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 the patient said when he went to consult two dentists who were brothers, and it took both of them to pull his tooth?"

"No; I am forced frankly and unreservedly to admit, Mr. Meelick, that I do not know what the patient said," returned Fleet, in a tone that exasperated 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 understood the 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 pull together'," 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 you understand, Tom? They were dentists. They didn't want to pull the tooth for this patient, but--"

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

"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 thing I ever heard," and Fleet laughed uproariously.

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

"I understand perfectly," said Tom. "The joke is that both of the dentists 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 when this patient entered the dentist's office--"

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

Pod's anger did not last long, however, and in the morning he had forgotten 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 of coffee 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 came peeping over the hills to the east.

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

"Sandy Hill?" inquired Fleet. "Where is that, and why do you say we should 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 take the train at Sandy Point for Lake George Station on the southern end of Lake George, which is only eight miles from Bert Creighton's home near Kattskill 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 the most-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 boys found. A steady gait, with occasional periods of rest, sent them up the river 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 each of the boys was glad to roll up in his blanket and sleep after the usual bed time lunch.

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

Just as the siren of a factory on the west sh.o.r.e was announcing the arrival of the noon hour, the Comrades sighted Sandy Point, and ten minutes later had made a landing, arranged with a boy to guard their canoes, and were eating ravenously in a neighboring restaurant, where new milk and juicy steaks, the latter smothered in onions and cream potatoes, 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 the next train for Lake George Station. They were informed by the agent that two-thirty was the time. The station was thirteen miles distant, and the run was made in about thirty minutes. The train was what is known in railroad circles as a "local," and stopped at all stations en route.

The railroad was not far from the river, and the Comrades had no trouble in 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 place and started for the sh.o.r.e of the lake. They did not stop in the village, as they were anxious to reach Bert's home before dark. A light breeze was ruffling the surface of the lake when they embarked, but not enough to in any way disturb the canoes. With the wind at their backs, and hugging the east sh.o.r.e, the boys paddled rapidly away from Lake George Station. Three coves, or arms, of the lake, jut into the land in this vicinity, all within the s.p.a.ce of eight miles. On the third of these was the village of Kattskill Bay, near where Bert Creighton lived with his parents.

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

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

"Look at the cows grazing on the hillside yonder," said Pod. "Hope they belong to Bert. That means fresh milk and b.u.t.ter, b.u.t.termilk and eggs, and--"

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

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

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

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

"Nothing like a good appet.i.te," said Fleet. "If I look at these hills and dales much longer, I shall break forth into verse."