“What did you do with the rest of it?”
“Oh, I had to live, didn’t I? Well, I used that in livin’. My neighbors thought I was livin’ pretty high, but I didn’t put on no airs. I ain’t proud.”
“Whose island is that?” inquired Ben, pointing to a small island on which there was a beautiful cottage. He felt that diversion was necessary to break the spell Ethan’s astounding statements had produced, and accordingly asked the first question that occurred to him.
“That? oh, that b’longs to another fool deown New York way. They tell me he’s just bought it an’ give a thousand dollars for it. ’Tain’t worth it. ’Tisn’t worth fifty cents. Ye jest can’t raise nuthin’ on it. Why, I could ‘a’ had that island for a gift if I’d been willin’ to pay the tax on it twenty-five year ago, an’ that wasn’t more’n fifty cents. There’s yer camp ahead o’ ye, boys.”
Instantly the statements of the incredulous Ethan were forgotten, and all peered eagerly at the place he had indicated. Even the exhilaration of the sail which had occupied two hours and a half was also forgotten now.
As they had swept on in their course the boys had been more and more elated. On past beautiful islands, and summer camps, and parks which seemed like large villages, they had come. Sometimes they had passed close to the shore in places where the channel was almost like a mill-race in its swiftness, and then again they were out in the river where only an eddy here and there indicated the tremendous power of the great water, on whose surface they were sailing. Wooded islands had been seen, and then islands which appeared to be only great rocks and boulders loomed up before them. Camping parties like their own had been passed, and salutes had been fired to acknowledge their approach. Men and women, boys and girls, had all seemed to catch something of the life of the great river, and on every side there appeared to be the joy which came from the freedom from care and the life-giving breezes of the majestic St. Lawrence.
Only Jock, of the party, had ever been there before, and in the novelty and delight of the experience, his companions had, perhaps, failed to be duly impressed by the sceptical sentiments of their boatman. At all events, when Ethan declared that the camp was in sight, even his own presence became vague and unreal as the boys peered eagerly before them at the place where they were to stay for the coming six weeks, and where doubtless many and thrilling experiences were to be theirs.