"What say you, scouts,—shall we stop at the Lodge, or take a chance up Long Lake until we reach a point where we can strike off to reach Hendrick Spring, the fountainhead of the Hudson River?" asked Mr. Gilroy.
"And where shall we camp?" asked Mrs. Vernon.
"It might be nice to camp at the spring," suggested Alec.
"Oh, yes, let's do that, Gilly!" cried several voices.
So they kept right on, paddling swiftly along until they reached a place on the shore where Yhon said they must land if they proposed going to Hendrick Spring.
"Oh, I thought we could canoe there," ventured Julie.
"No, we must leave Yhon here to watch the canoes while we hike along the trail that goes there. We can carry our sleeping-bags and take enough food for supper, then come back early in the morning for a good breakfast with Yhon," explained Mr. Gilroy.
"Is there no way we might take to return to Fulton Chain Lakes other than going back the same route?" questioned Mrs. Vernon.
"No, we shall have to go the way we come, or be willing to carry overland for many miles, from one water to the other."
"Oh, no, that is out of the question," said the Captain.