regularly by all sorts of boats that wanted to cross over from one
river to the other. But changes came, and by degrees the old canal has
been about forgotten. Still, it's there; and I went through it in my
canoe just yesterday, to sound, and see if it could be used by the
motorboats now."

"And could it?" asked Bobolink, eagerly.

"I think there's a fair chance that we'd pull through, though it might
sometimes be a close shave. There's a lot of nasty mud in the canal,
because, you see, it hasn't been cleaned out for years. If we had a good
rain now, and both rivers raised, we wouldn't have any trouble, but could
run through easy enough."

"Well, supposing we did get through, how far up the Radway would we
push?" asked Bobolink, determined to get the entire proposition out of
Paul at once, now that they had him going.

"All the way to Lake Tokala," replied Paul, promptly. "Some of you happen
to know that there's a jolly island in that big lake, known as Cedar
Island, because right on top of a small hill in the middle, a splendid
cedar stands. Well, we could take our tents along, and make camp on that
island, fishing, swimming, and having one of the best times ever heard
of. What do you say, fellows?"

Immediately there was a clamor of tongues. Some seemed to be for
accepting Paul's suggestion with a whoop, and declared that it took them
by storm. A few, however, seemed to raise objections; and such was the
racket that nobody was able to make himself understood. So the chairman
called for order; and with the whack of his gavel on the table every