“Thank heavens we have Scrub left as a hostage for Frolic,” sighed Ruth, hugging the dog, who now ignored every fond attention.
“As it was impossible to ‘travel light’ with two bears, isn’t it much better the way we arranged it, girls?” asked Mrs. Vernon.
And they had to admit that such was the case.
[CHAPTER NINE—A THRILLING CANOE TRIP]
With one pack mule less, Jolt had more to carry but he seemed not to mind it. He was made up of that temperament like few humans, that as long as he had plenty to eat and a place to sleep, it mattered not how hard he had to work at other times.
The day following Mr. Lewis’s departure with Omney and the cubs, the scouts broke camp and moved along the trail to pitch a camp nearer Battle Mountain. From this spot Mr. Gilroy and Mr. Vernon could daily rove about, hunting for the precious bits of rock and débris that meant so much to the geologist. Here the party planned to await the return of Omney and the mule, Frolic.
The new camp near Battle Mountain was much like the old one, with the exception of its being nearer the trail instead of way back in the woods. Thus it happened that the second day of camping, a party of tourists stopped to ask which trail would lead them to a certain stream where they were to meet a party of canoeists.
Tally explained how they could reach the place, and after they had gone, Joan sighed, “I wish we could canoe for a change!”
“It wouldn’t be much like the infant trips we took last summer,” said Ruth.
“I should say not! In the Rockies there’d be rapids, then a whirlpool, and then over a waterfall—to extinction!” laughed Julie.