"Don't worry," said Mr. Anderson. "Before we get home you will probably have your feet quite dry again and then much wetter. A little water will not do any one any harm when one is living out in the open air this way. Of course, in the winter time, it would be different. Then it would be serious to get one's feet so wet."
"Why so?" asked Pud.
"Because then, wet feet unless one can get to the fire right away, generally mean frosted or frozen feet, and that always means trouble in the woods in the winter time."
Down they all trooped to Escoumains. They stopped in at Madame LaBlanche's boarding house to let her know that they would be there for lunch.
"Make us up some of those good biscuits of yours," said Mr. Waterman to her in French.
She promised to do so and also said that her son would be ready at one o'clock to drive them all back to the woods.
"Are we going to drive back?" asked Bob.
"Yes," said Mr. Anderson. "We'll take in quite a supply of grub, for we do not expect to come out except for mail for at least a month. We'll have to go in via the ford, as we did the first time, and you know that that is some sixteen miles away."
The boys all received letters and busied themselves reading them and writing others. They spent the morning very pleasantly and were at the boarding house in good time. They presented quite a different appearance from the trim young city fellows that had eaten there on their arrival such a short time before. Now they were clothed for the woods, with blue shirts, mackinaws, heavy trousers and shoe packs. At a distance, one could hardly distinguish them from the numerous woodsmen that were to be seen around the village. They brought back from the woods great appetites, and the famous LaBlanche biscuits disappeared by the plateful. Chicken was once more the center of the meal, and it was thoroughly enjoyed.
"Thank Heaven," said Pud, as they got up from the table, "we don't have to walk back. I'm so full I couldn't walk if I tried."