“There’s an island in the middle of this lake,” he answered. “I was thinking we might camp on it.”
“I’m going to put up a net to prevent the manatees from getting at me,” announced Bob with a laugh.
“No danger of them here,” spoke the professor. “But I think we’ll need a net to keep away the gnats and mosquitoes.”
This proved a correct surmise. When they landed on the island in the lake, which piece of land, as far as they could see, was deserted, they were met with a swarm of winged pests that made life miserable.
“This is awful!” exclaimed Bob, slapping about with both hands at the cloud of insects about his head.
“I think I can do something to make it more bearable,” Uriah Snodgrass announced, as he began to delve among his possessions. “Here is a chemical preparation, which, if you rub it on your hands and faces, will, I think, keep the mosquitoes and black flies away.”
The boys gladly availed themselves of the stuff, and, after generous applications, they found, that though the insects still hovered about them, they were not bitten.
Preparations for supper were hastily made, and a fire built in the portable stove. A “smudge” was also made, to keep off most of the mosquitoes and, after this, the travelers were more comfortable.
“It’s warm enough to sleep in the open to-night,” announced Jerry when the question of erecting the tent was raised. “No use getting it out, and we can start off so much earlier in the morning if we don’t have it to bother with.”
The other boys were willing, so, after lighting some lanterns, and clearing a place amid a clump of trees, the sleeping blankets were spread out there and the boys turned in.