They rested for about fifteen minutes at the end of which time Rex declared that he was all right.
As they proceeded the going rapidly grew more difficult as the forest became more and more dense and the underbrush was very thick. This really made it easier for Rex as Bob and Kernertok had hard work to manage the canoe and their progress was painfully slow.
“Hope we don’t have many carries like this,” Bob panted as he lowered his end to the ground for another rest.
“Heap more some heap bad,” the Indian declared shaking his head.
“That’s very consoling,” Jack grinned.
But the hardest part of that carry had been passed and as they went on the traveling rapidly became easier as the trees thinned out and the underbrush cleared.
“Here she be,” Jack, who was a few yards ahead of the others, shouted as he caught sight of water through the trees.
It was half past four when they reached the stream.
“Three hours and a half covering five miles,” Rex said as he swung his pack to the ground.
“That’s nothing,” Bob assured him. “Sometimes it takes several hours to carry a single mile. We really made very good time. How about it, Kernertok?”