“That’s what,” replied Jerry, and he related what happened the night previous.
“Wa’al, I might have knowed suthin’ would break loose if I let th’ men have a night off,” the farmer, for such he was, went on. “We was bringin’ this load of fodder down stream, an’ we had t’ tie up as it was gittin’ dusk. Some of th’ boys wanted t’ go off t’ town t’ a dance, an’ I let ’em, as we don’t have many amusements on th’ farm. When we come back we couldn’t find th’ boat, an’ we thought some one had stole her. We went back t’ town an’ stayed all night an’ come trampin’ down t’ th’ river this mornin’. Lucky we found th’ craft, an’ the hay not stole. I’m sure I’m much obliged t’ you boys.”
“I’m sure you’re welcome,” replied Jerry, not saying anything about the tramp, who, it appeared, had had no hand in the boat drifting away.
Securing their line the boys went back to their boat.
“Where shall we go?” asked Ned. “I’d like to get off in the woods somewhere and camp out. I wish vacation was here and we could take our cruise.”
“Let’s take a little one now,” suggested Jerry. “We don’t need to bother with a tent. We can go off somewhere, and stay over Sunday, and sleep on board.”
Things were soon in readiness and the start was made about six o’clock that evening. They went some miles, and when ten o’clock came the boys lighted the gasolene stove and made coffee, for the night was quite chilly. They set the small table amidships, and, with the food they had brought along, they made a good meal. They were so tired, with the good healthy exhaustion of exercise in the open air, that it was not long after this before they were all sound asleep.
It must have been past midnight when Jerry, who was sleeping forward, was awakened by feeling the boat careen to one side.
“What’s the matter?” he cried, sitting up on the bunk.