"Don't overdo it, Jack," said Mr. Waterman. "That was really too big a load for him to carry."
"I guess you're right," replied Jack. "I put it on him more for a joke than anything else, intending to take it myself later. But that kid's game. He would not let me have it, although I thought he would melt away before we got here. I won't overload him again. When he gets back to Philadelphia he'll be hard as a rock. With his gameness and his weight and strength, he should tear things loose on that football team. I don't know much about the game, but they tell me it's rough.
"It is a little rough," said Mr. Waterman, who himself had been a noted player when he went to college. "A little roughness in sport is really necessary for the full development of boys. They must get that personal contact and feel that they have to get the best of the other fellow through their own efforts. If this is done fairly, the roughness will not deteriorate into anything dangerous."
In the meantime Pud prepared for a swim, which was certainly a reward for him after such a long stretch of portage.
"Oh, you water," said Pud, as he luxuriously lay out on his back floating. "That last carry was some hike. It had all the Plattsburg full-equipment hikes beaten to death. I'm just going to load my pater down some day with what I had on my back and then ask him how he would like to tote that over a young mountain."
"You did very well, Pud," said Mr. Waterman. "I did not notice how much Jack was piling on you or I would have taken part of it myself."
"Not on your life," said Pud. "I'm here, and that extra sweat I had will do me good. I told Jack I would switch with him now and then. I did not realize what a load he had. On the previous carries he walked along just as if he was out for a little jaunt. He's getting old, too. I don't see how how he does it."
"They get used to it and know just how to distribute the load so that it will be carried most easily," said Mr. Waterman.
While the boys were enjoying the water, the guides were busy. Already they had cut a couple of poles, and with the aid of two trees they had made a very serviceable fireplace and was getting ready to make biscuits.
"Hey, you boys," called Mr. Waterman, "get busy. We'll clear up around here, but you fellows get out and catch us some trout for supper."