would be only plain camp fare until they got home again.

Paul was kept busy seeing that everything was stored away in the right
place. Of course the supplies of food and the tents, as well as the
numerous blankets, had to be divided as equally as possible, so that each
boat would have its fair cargo.

When the roster of those who could go was taken, just before the time
came to start, and the others were ordered ashore, it was found that all
told there were just eighteen fellows lucky enough to be in the lot.

Some of the boys who could not go looked pretty doleful as they watched
the preparations. There were the twins, William and Wallace Carberry,
whose parents insisted on their going to the sea-shore; and Horace Poole,
as well as Cliff Jones, of the second patrol, also compelled to obey the
parental injunction; when, if given their choice, they would ten times
sooner have remained at home, and had the chance of starting out on this
wonderful cruise with their chums.

Sandy Griggs, the butcher's son, was laid up with a lame leg; while
George Hurst happened to develop a touch of malaria, and his parents
would not hear of him going on the water at such a time. As for Red
Conklin and Lub Ketcham, for some reason or other which they did not care
to explain, they had been positively refused permission to go along;
perhaps they were being punished for some misdemeanor; and if so, to
judge from the long faces they showed, the like would not be apt to
happen again very soon; for it pained them dreadfully to think that they
were to be debarred from all that glorious fun which the fortunate
eighteen had ahead of them.