with the yacht. This would wind up their vacation, for Putnam
Hall was to open on the following Monday.

The day proved an ideal one, but the wind was light and the yacht
scarcely moved even with the mainsail and jib set to their
fullest. This being so, the boys got out their fishing lines and
spent an hour in trolling, and succeeded in catching several
fair-sized fish.

"We'll have to cook our own dinner," remarked Dick. "Tom, since
you did us out of our meal at the hotel I reckon you are the one
to fall in for this work."

At this Tom cut a wry face, but still, seeing the justice of his
elder brother's remark, he went at the dinner-getting with a
will. The yacht boasted a kerosene stove, and over this he set
fish to frying and a pot of potatoes to boiling. As the river
was calm and the yacht steady the little stove worked very well.

They were still out of sight of Albany when the midday meal was
pronounced ready. In addition to the articles already mentioned,
they had coffee, bread and butter, and what was left of a
cocoanut pie purchased the day previous. The boys were all
hearty eaters, and the food disappeared as if by magic.

After dinner the breeze died out utterly, and Sam proposed that
they cast anchor close to shore and take a swim. The others were
willing, and soon they had disrobed and donned their bathing
trunks and were sporting in the water to their hearts' content.