Hilary and Lilian took June with them. Frances, Betty and Cathalina were together. Neither Betty nor Cathalina had as much endurance as Frances, but they thought that by changing occasionally, all would be able to make the eight or ten-mile paddle with ease. Eloise, Helen and Isabel were together and rather evenly matched in paddling ability, as were Marion, Jean and Nora. Patty, with another councillor, carried some of the heavier packages or cans of lunch in their canoe.
“Hard luck, Miss West,” called Isabel; “what you have in the middle of your canoe can’t change places and help you paddle.”
“Some of it will help me paddle coming back,” answered Patty, pointing to the milk can and package of sandwiches. “And Mr. Clark has gone on ahead to see about getting corn for us to roast.”
“O, joy!” exclaimed Isabel, “corn and bacon! I saw them putting in the bacon.”
“Do we wait till we get to Brunswick before we have lunch?” asked Eloise. “Patty spoke as if we would.”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Isabel. “We build a fire somewhere along the river, I think.”
“I don’t see the war canoe. I wonder which side of this big island we take.”
“I believe the one to the left is the way,” and Isabel pointed out a few imaginary indications that the war canoe had taken that course. But it turned out that while their canoe had no trouble in getting through, this channel would have been too shallow for the war canoe. It had gone to the right. There were many sand bars in the river, but the paddling was easy. There was no wind and the water was calm, like a mirror reflecting the rocks and dark green trees of the shore, while the dark blue canoes came stealing up on the grassy surface to add to the beauty of the scene. Not even the most practical girl, her mind chiefly upon getting to the destination, eating lunch and getting points for paddling, could fail to be impressed by it.
“Shall we go to see Bowdoin College?” inquired Helen.
“In this rig?”