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The Banner Boy Scouts Afloat - or, the Secret of Cedar Island by George A. Warren
page 63 of 253 (24%)

"Who'd ever think," remarked Jud, "that there was such a queer old
place as this not more'n seven miles away from home? And not one of us
ever poked a boat's nose up this same creek before Paul came down, to
spy out things."

"Oh! well, there's a reason for that," replied Phil Towns, who knew all
about everything that had ever happened in and around Stanhope. "Until
lately, when the scouts organized in these three towns, the boys of
Stanhope and those of Manchester never had much to do with each other.
Many's the stone fight I've been in with those big mill chaps. Sometimes
we whipped them; and then again they chased us right home. So no Stanhope
boy ever dared go far down the river in the old days. That's the reason,
I guess, why none of us ever tried to explore this place. Say, we seem to
be getting in worse and worse, Paul. It isn't more'n a foot deep over
there on the right, and less'n ten inches here on the left."

"I know it, Phil, and I'm beginning to be afraid we'll have to back out
of this the best way we can," replied the scout master, reluctantly; for
his heart had been set on carrying out this plan, and he hated to be
compelled to give it up.

Hardly had he spoken than the boat brought up with a jolt that came near
throwing several of the scouts into the water and mud. They had run
aground after all! Paul turned the motor to the reverse, and the little
propeller fairly sizzled in its mad efforts to drag the craft back into
clear water, but it was just as Paul had said--there seemed to be
innumerable hands clinging fore and aft that refused to let go. And in
spite of all the work of the motor they did not move an inch.

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