"I'm delighted to meet you, boys," said he. "You're in for a fine time if you're going into the woods with Mr. Waterman. If you get in trouble, just call on me."
The boys thanked him for his good wishes and after taking a look at the big saw mill, they went back to the boarding house.
"Fill up, boys, as this is the last meal you'll eat in a house for some time," said Mr. Anderson.
"That's all right, but I wager that they'll enjoy some of the meals we're going to have on Lac Parent or Corbeau more than any they have had in a long time," said Mr. Waterman.
Madame LaBlanche outdid herself at this lunch for she had a very good chicken dinner for the boys, with pie, cake, preserved raspberries and crabapples for dessert.
"This is a fine meal to start one off for the woods," said Pud. "I couldn't walk a step if you paid me five dollars."
"You won't have to walk for some time," said Mr. Anderson. "We're going to drive in about sixteen miles and I'll wager that this dinner will be pretty well digested by the time we get there. We're going in on an old wood road so you will hardly find it like the macadamized roads you have in the park in Philadelphia."
A short time later they were off. Two carriages were to take them into the woods, each drawn by a hardy looking though rather small French-Canadian horse and driven by a habitant. Bob was in the front seat with the driver, with Pud and Mr. Waterman in the back seat. Bill and Mr. Anderson were in the other buggy.
"Well, here's a chance to begin talking French," said Mr. Waterman to Bob. "Bill tells me that you spout it quite well."
"Bill is exaggerating," said Bob. "I used to talk French rather well and I hope to pick it up soon again."