“Dinner time!” replied Uncle Teddy, and they all shouted with laughter again. Everybody had been quite frightened at his command to lighten the boats.
They went ashore and cooked dinner over a fire of driftwood and succeeded in lightening the boats considerably. After an hour’s rest in the shade of a large tree they pushed forward again. Only twice during the afternoon did they see any signs of people. 98 In both instances it was a single tent set up among the trees by hardy folks who preferred the wilderness to the fashionable resorts along the lake front. Near one of the tents stood a man and a boy and they waved a friendly greeting to the voyageurs, who raised their paddles all together in salute.
“Quite some style to that salute,” said Katherine, and in her enthusiasm she brought her paddle down flat on the water with a mighty whack, showering those around her.
“Oh, I say,” cried Gladys in protest, “please bottle up your rapture. I’m drenched already. I don’t know what would happen if you ever got really enthusiastic about anything.”
“I’m sorry,” said Katherine apologetically, then with a lapse into her negro dialect, “Ah reahly couldn’t help it. Ah got such protuberant spirits, Ah has! Ah ’clar to goodness—”
“What’s the matter up there? Why don’t you go on?” The clear voice of the Captain cut sharply through Katherine’s nonsense.
“The third canoe has run on a snag,” somebody called in answer.
“Just as I expected,” said the Captain under his breath. “That lobster of an Anthony doesn’t know enough to watch out for snags.”
It was characteristic of the Winnebagos and the Sandwiches that there was no noise or confusion over the mishap. Everybody sat quiet while Uncle 99 Teddy paddled alongside the impaled canoe and gave directions for releasing her. In a minute she was floating clear again, but with an eight-inch rip in the bottom, through which the water began to press rapidly. The snag was the broken stump of a tree, which had pierced the wood like a lance.
“Paddle over to shore,” commanded Uncle Teddy, and the disabled vessel was soon lying up on the sandy bank with her crew standing around inspecting the damage. The others landed also and stood waiting for orders what to do next.