“I’m sorry you and Tom are not to go,” said Jock.
“So be I; but I’ve got some work to do on my place, an’ Tom here is goin’ to practise his Hamlick. They’re to have the show next week, ain’t they, Tom?”
“Yes,” replied Tom. “I’d like to go with you, boys, but I can’t this trip. Perhaps you’ll get a muscallonge or a sturgeon, and that will pay you well.”
“Yes,” said Ethan, “it’s ’bout time for muscallonge to begin to run. If ye git one o’ them fellows, you’ll never forget it all yer born days. They’re fish what is fish! An’, besides, everything isn’t fished out down there. Up here the lines is so thick that it’s like runnin’ through the meshes of a seine for a sizable fish to get up the river.”
The interest of the boys was keen enough now to satisfy even the old boatman, and in response to Jock’s request he explained the plans he had made for them.
“Now yer best way will be to take the steamboat down to Ogdensburgh to-morrow mornin’, and there ye change to a little boat that’ll take ye down to Masseny, or rather it’ll take you to the Landin’. Then ye can drive over to the Springs [Massena Springs, Ethan meant] an’ there’s some big taverns there. City folks come up to drink the water, though for my part I’d about as soon drink dish-water or pisin’ tea.”
“Do they have ‘pi’s ’n things’ there too?” inquired Bert, soberly.
“You’ll find eout all ’bout that,” responded Ethan. “Then the next mornin’, afore it’s fairly light, ye’ll have to be drove back to the river,—it isn’t more’n three or four mile,—an’ yer boatman will be there by the Landin’, all ready and waitin’ for ye. Then they’ll take ye in their boats down through the rapids, and send the team along the shore, so’t ye can ride back; an’ they’ll have a rig to bring back the boats too.”
“Why don’t they sail or row back?” inquired Ben.
“Why don’t they row back? Well, I guess ye won’t be askin’ no sech question as that after ye git there. Ye’ll know more’n ye do now. Oh, there’s another thing,” he added; “ye don’t want to take yer fish-poles along.”