“Why we have forded the West River with this outfit several times”
“What, the West River, New York?”
Harry laughed: “I had forgotten; we call the big river to the west of us the West. And we have also the South and the Cataract rivers, way to the east of this.”
Blakely looked at Harry in astonishment. The boys had cut poles under the Professor’s directions, and were now trying the depth of the stream.
“It’s all right,” cried out Ralph; “bring them along.” And Harry drove the team down and over the stream, and before they had gone a mile the first indications of the morning sun began to appear over the mountain tops to the east.
“Move the wagon over to the right, and put up the fort the moment we find the camping spot,” was John’s injunction, as he and the Saboros plunged ahead in that direction.
John halted at a stream, and pointed out an admirable place for the wagon. Again the process of erecting the fort was gone over, and the Saboros witnessed the first installation of it.
“Now, for some breakfast,” said George. “This work makes a fellow hungry.” Angel was at hand, as he always was at the preparation of the meal, and the Saboros watched the work, and particularly the part that Angel took, with eyes and mouths open. For the first time they had seen the orang doing duty at command. George saw their surprise and he kept Angel busy.
It was just as interesting to Blakely. He could hardly credit the stories that Harry and Tom told him on the ride down to the river. Just imagine four boys, in all the exuberance of youth, telling about the home they had built up from absolutely nothing. How they had found simply the crude things about them, and had fashioned all the needed things for life from its primitive condition to one of perfection; it was hardly believable.
The poor Saboros were almost starved, and they looked it, too. Blakely had not been in captivity very long on this occasion, so that he was not so emaciated. The savages, however, are able to withstand bodily privations for a long period without becoming exhausted, but the food obtained at this early meal was one which they never forgot.