“It will take us nearly the whole day to do that,” said Esther Rhodes looking around, “and we do want to be in the open as much as we can. I am perfectly wild to explore this heavenly place.”
“Oh, no, it won’t take us a whole day,” declared Claudia; “besides we have more than one day.”
“Not more than to-morrow,” returned Esther.
“Why, yes we have, if we choose to stay. Didn’t you hear Joanne say that Mr. Pattison sent word we were to stay till the end of the week if we wished? He is coming up with some friends on Saturday evening but we shall not need to start off till Saturday morning.”
“Oh, joy, joy!” cried Esther. “No, I didn’t hear that at all. I shall have to get word to my mother in some way, for I told her we were to be here till Thursday.”
“That’s easy,” Joanne told her; “all you have to do is to telephone from the lock.”
“All this and a telephone thrown in!” exclaimed Esther. “Don’t let us waste another minute indoors, girls.”
So out they trooped to see glorious lights upon the river, to hear birds singing all around them, to feel a soft, sweet breeze blowing fresh from the water and to smell ravishing odors, which, though these were now mingled with the smoke from Unc’ Aaron’s griddle, were not vitiated in the opinion of the hungry girls.
“Do look at that precious little island up there,” cried Winnie as she turned her eyes from nearer objects to the curving line of river beyond. “I wonder if we could get to it.”
“Certainly,” Joanne answered. “Cousin Ned often goes there when he is out fishing with his friends. They build a fire and cook the fish over the coals.”