“It was a bad business,” he said gravely, “but it’s happily over with, and there’s no use denying that you all acted in a sensible, plucky way. I’ve had a letter from this Mr. Carey in which he begs me to go easy with you. I don’t think I should have been very hard on you anyhow. It was an accident arising from a piece of foolhardiness that none of you are likely to repeat. It will probably be worth all it has cost as a lesson to you. It is a good thing to learn the limitations of a canoe. You’d better get to bed early to-night, all of you, and I’ll ask Doctor Smith to have a look at you, Speede, and see if you need any medicine. Good night.”
“Good night, sir,” they chorused. And outside they heaved sighs of relief.
“I think,” said Dan thoughtfully, as they picked their way across the darkening clearing toward Birch Hall, “I think it’s about up to us to settle down and be good for a while.”
[CHAPTER XXI]
TELLS HOW THE FOUR LAID PLANS AND HOW BOB PREPARED FOR A VICTORY
Nelson awoke the next day to find himself a hero. Being a hero has its discomforts, and Nelson encountered them. The smaller boys dogged his footsteps and were proud and haughty for the rest of the day if they succeeded in getting a word from him. The older boys had less transparent ways of showing their admiration, but show it they did, and Nelson, naturally somewhat shy, suffered much annoyance. This state of things, however, lasted but a few days, for the end of the vacation was almost at hand and the inhabitants of Camp Chicora had many things to occupy their minds. The water sports were almost due and on the next Saturday but one came the final game with Wickasaw, to decide the summer’s supremacy in baseball. On the following Monday the long trip began for all save Bob, Nelson, and Dan, who were to return home on that day.
During his three days’ absence from camp the nine, minus their captain, had met defeat at the hands of a team from a near-by resort, and Bob regretted the fact and resolved that nothing should deter them from winding up the baseball season with a decisive victory over their particular rival, Camp Wickasaw. With this in view he began morning practise, by which there was a good three hours a day of batting, fielding, and base-running instead of two as heretofore. The preparations for the water carnival interfered somewhat with the work, for Dan and Joe Carter, as well as a couple of the lesser baseball lights, were to take part in the sports. But Bob put in substitutes from the scrub when necessary and kept at it, having set his heart on final success.
The carnival came on Saturday afternoon and was held in Joy’s Cove, on the shore of which Camp Trescott was situated. Chicora, Trescott, and Wickasaw were the contestants, and the audience numbered fully three hundred persons, friends of the boys of the three camps, visitors from neighboring hotels, and residents from near-by towns and villages. Chicora went over in the steam-launch, the motor-dory, the skiffs, and the canoes, after an early dinner, with flags flying. Wickasaw followed them across, and the rival cheers echoed over the lake. Camp Trescott was in holiday attire, the camp colors, green and white, being everywhere displayed. The pier and adjacent shore were thronged with spectators, and many boats floated on the waters of the cove.