They saw a canoe paddled by one man, with a woman sitting in the middle, while in the bow sat a little girl waving her hand at the group of boys.
“It’s Sunbeam!” exclaimed the delighted Mike, “and her father and mither. That explains why the sun shines brighter this morning than iver befoore, as the folks used to say whin thay obsarved me strolling down the road.”
There could be no mistake as to the identity of the callers. The doctor smiled as he deftly plied the paddle and the boat headed straight for the small landing.
“Hello, Cousin Mike! Are you glad to see me?” shouted an infantile voice.
Mike yanked off his hat and waved it.
“If ye hev any doubt of the same I’ll not wait fur ye to come ashore, but will swim out and shake hands wid ye,” was his cheery reply as he made a pretense of stepping into the water.
“Don’t do that; I’ll be there in a minute.”
Alvin and Chester seized the bow of the frail craft and drew it slightly up the beach. While they were doing this, Sunbeam made a leap and would have fallen into the lake, had not the watchful Mike caught her. Her mother sharply chided her and her “cousin” was ready with an excuse.
“She obsarved me waiting fur her and catched me wink, which asked her to jump.”
The doctor and his wife shook hands with the three youths that had called upon them, and Alvin introduced them to Scout Master Hall and the Boy Patrols, who promptly drew up in line and saluted the visitors.