“I’ll be careful when I go swimmin’ after this,” said Ted. “Guess I was a little too far from shore.”
“Well you had no means of knowing that he was going to kidnap you. Kidnapping is an unusual occurrence on the old Hudson,” said Tom.
The canoes were moving rapidly up stream now, and during the afternoon Ted’s home was sighted. Greenbush was a pretty village on the east bank of the river, and the Comrades stayed over long enough to partake of the hospitality of Ted’s mother. Mrs. Lanham received them warmly, after Ted had told of his experience, and thanked them for their efforts on behalf of her son.
She fixed a fine dinner for them, greatly to Fleet’s delight. During the meal one of the boys happened to mention Winton, at which Mrs. Lanham became immediately interested.
“I hope to have money enough to send Ted to Winton next year,” said she.
“We’re all from Winton, and we’d like nothing better than to have Ted there in the fall,” said Chot.
“Well, if that’s where you fellows belong, it won’t be my fault if I’m not there,” said Ted.
It was nearly two o’clock when they took leave of Ted and his mother, and pushed off into the river again. They liked Ted and resolved to make his stay at Winton a pleasant one should he be so fortunate as to enter the academy at the beginning of the fall term.
It was but a short distance from Greenbush to Albany, and toward evening the young canoeists found themselves in the river off that city, with the great dome of the capital building shining against the western sky.