By this time Dick & Co. had fully acquired the mastery of their
canoe. They had had no more upsets, for "Big Chief Prescott,"
of this new Gridley tribe of young Indians, had succeeded in putting
through some rules governing their conduct when the chums were
out in their canoe. One of these rules was that no one should
change his position in the craft except the steersman at the stern.
Others would not look about at a hail unless informed by the
steersman that they might do so.

Not by any means did Dick do all the steering of the craft. Each
of his chums had a frequent turn at it, and at the other positions
in the canoe, until all were expert at any part of the work.

"But there is one big drawback about having this canoe," Greg
remarked one day.

"What's that?" asked Dave.

"There are no canoes to race with."

"There are up at Lake Pleasant," Dick replied.

"But we can't take the canoe up there," Tom Reade objected. "It's
twenty-four miles from Gridley."

"Couldn't we walk there and carry the canoe on our shoulders?"
suggested Dave.

While they were discussing this, the canoe lay on the float.,
whence they were soon to take it into the boathouse.