off if I expect to catch that afternoon train, and there's no other
until morning; so good-bye, boys. Take good care of yourselves, and
write to me as often as you can. I'll try and picture the jolly
happenings of this Lake Superior cruise as I read your accounts of it."

He squeezed the hand of every one of the six lively lads; and there was
a huskiness in his voice as he bade them a last good-bye that told
better than words how sorry he was to leave the merry bunch, just when
they were almost, as Bumpus put it, "in sight of the Promised Water."

So the vehicle passed from sight, and the last they saw of Doctor Hobbs
was a hand waving his campaign hat to them just before a bend in the
country road was reached.

All of them now turned to Thad to see what his plan of campaign would
be.

"If it's just this way, fellows," he remarked, with one of his smiles
that had made him the most popular boy in all Cranford, barring none;
"we've got about three miles to hit it up before we reach the lake
shore. Then we'll make camp and spend another night, which I hope will
be our last ashore for some little time. Because, unless there's a
hitch to the program, we ought to come on the landing where our boat is
going to be in waiting, by ten o'clock to-morrow."

"Hurrah!" cried Bumpus, who was already weary of "hiking" because his
build made him less active than some of the other scouts, notably Davy
and Giraffe.

"Let's get a move on, then," suggested Step Hen. "I can see that poor