"All right, any way to get the news out of you," said Billy Bowlegs.
"Well then," said Sam, "to begin with, we're not very near the river. It's about five miles away, as nearly as I can judge."
Billy Bowlegs's countenance fell.
"Then we can't make the canoe here after all our work to build a house."
"I didn't say that, Billy. On the contrary, I think we must make it here, as there is no fit place for a camp nearer the river than this. Beside, the river will be out of its banks pretty soon if the rain continues, and will overflow all the low grounds."
"Then we've got to carry the canoe five miles! We can't do it, that's all," said Jake Elliott, who had not spoken before.
Sam looked at Jake rather sternly, and was about to make him a sharp answer, but changed his mind and said instead:—
"You and Billy are in too big a hurry to draw conclusions, Jake. Billy begins by assuming that because the river is five miles away we can't make the canoe here, and you jump to the conclusion that if we make it here we must carry it five miles. The fact is, you're both wrong. We can make it here, and we needn't carry it five miles, or one mile, or half a mile."
"How's that?" asked Tom.
"Now you're in a hurry, are you Tom? I was just about to explain and only stopped to swallow, but before I could do it you pushed a question in between my teeth."