His name was really Gustavus Bellows; but that was easily corrupted into
Gusty when the fellows learned on his first coming to Stanhope what a
tremendous voice he had.

About a mile or so below Manchester, Paul had said, the mouth of what
had once been Jackson Creek, might be found. Several of the boys
could remember having heard more or less about that abandoned canal;
perhaps the Manchester lads knew about it, since it was closer to
their home town.

Everybody, then, was anxiously scanning the shore on the left, because
they knew it must lie somewhere along there.

"I see the mouth!" exclaimed Phil Towns, who had very keen eyesight.
"Just look on the other side of that crooked tree, and you'll glimpse
a little bar that juts out. That must be on the upper side of the
creek's mouth; because Paul said bars nearly always form there. How
about that, Paul?"

"Go up head, Phil; you've struck the bull's eye," replied the other, with
a laugh, as he began to head in toward the crooked tree mentioned, and
which doubtless he took for his landmark when in search of the creek.

The _Comfort_ was in the lead now. Jack was content to play "second
fiddle," as he called it. As Paul had gone through the disused canal in
his canoe, exploring it pretty thoroughly, he must act as pilot.

Once they had pushed past the mouth of the creek they found a rather
disheartening prospect. The water seemed very low, so that they could see
bottom everywhere. Even Paul frowned, and shook his head.