"Didn't sleep very good in the haystack I guess," commented Ned.
"Haystack! How did you know?" asked Frank, in excited tones.
"One look at your clothes, with hay sticking all over them, tells me that, as a detective would say. Also, your garments are as wrinkled as though you'd been put through a wringer. Am I right?"
"Yes, it was a haystack for mine last night," Frank admitted with a smile. "It was fairly comfortable, though it tickled my ears a bit."
The boys started back for camp. Though the three were, naturally enough, very curious as to where Frank had been, and his object in slipping away, they did not question him. On his part Frank did not again refer to his night's absence, but, when he reached the tent, he crawled into his bed and stayed there until late in the afternoon, for he was very tired.
"I wish we had our boat here," remarked Ned, as later on the four chums strolled off in the direction of the little stream.
"It would be too big for this creek," observed Ned. "If we had a smaller boat, or a canoe, it would do very well."
"Let's make one," suggested Fenn. "There's lots of birch bark here and we can do it in a few days."
"All right," agreed Bart. "We'll start it in the morning. I never made a canoe, but we can't do any worse than try, at any rate."
The boys found it harder work than they had expected, but they had plenty of time and knew something of boat building, for they had constructed several small craft.