“Let me see your emblem card.” He took it from Dirk’s hand, and pointed to the thirteenth item. “It says here that any boy winning the Lenape honor emblem must show at all times the finest spirit as an all-round camper. Well, any boy who can answer me as you have just done——Look there!”
He pointed behind the lodge, where a large hay-wagon pulled by two horses came into sight, sweeping toward the road leading up the mountain. Upon it were securely lashed three canoes—and on top, gleaming red, was the Sachem. The Sachem!
The Chief was scrawling his initials on the two empty spaces of the card. Dirk let out a whoop like an Iroquois on the warpath.
“I’m going, Chief!” he cried. “You mean it! I’m going on the Long Trail!”
“It looks that way. Last night I got an answer from my telegram to your father. He’s given his permission for you to join Sagamore Carrigan’s trailers. You still have much to learn, Dirk, but with this new spirit of yours, I think you’ll win out!” He clasped hands with the dancing boy.
At breakfast, Mr. Carrigan ordered that all Long Trailers report to him immediately to have their outfits inspected, and to receive instructions. Within fifteen minutes Dirk and Brick Ryan had carried several armloads of belongings up to the lodge porch and stacked them alongside of the kits of their five comrades who had been chosen to bear the Lenape flag. Cowboy Platt, lounging at the rail, opened his eyes wide as he took in the heap of things that Dirk had thought necessary to bring.
“You shore must be goin’ to take a pack-hoss along to tote all that,” he remarked in his sleepy drawl. “Wait till old Wise-Tongue sees that pile, pardner!”
Sure enough, when Mr. Carrigan arrived a few minutes later, his first words were on the necessity of “travelling light.”
“We’re going Indian fashion,” he began, “and since each one of you will have to carry all your outfit on your back, we must take only the things that we cannot do without. Now, Dirk, suppose that when we come to the first portage, you have to pack all those clothes and shoes and that big flash-lantern, as well as your blankets and your end of the canoe! Let’s see what you can do without.”
The councilor began laying aside only those belongings that would be needed on the trip. When he had finished, Dirk found his kit reduced to a sturdy hiking outfit of khaki shirt and breeches, puttees, and high shoes, a change of underclothing, a warm sweater, and four pairs of socks. In addition, he had for canoe-work a pair of shorts and light shoepacks. Since two boys would sleep together, one large warm blanket and rubber poncho apiece was adjudged sufficient, even though the mountain nights would be cool.