The boys liked the idea of a canal; and they each found a large shingle on the beach, and began to dig. They dug for nearly an hour, but the boat was no nearer being launched than when they began. Tom stopped digging, and made a calculation. “It will take about two days of hard work to dig a canal deep enough to float that boat. If you want to dig, dig; I don’t intend to do any more digging.”
When the other boys considered the matter, they saw that Tom was right, and they gave up the idea of making a canal. It was now about ten o’clock, and they were rather tired and very hungry. A second breakfast was agreed to be necessary, and once more the fire was built up and a meal prepared. Then the boat was unloaded and launched, and the boys, taking off their shoes and rolling up their trousers, waded in the water and reloaded her. It was noon by the sun before they finally had everything in order and resumed their cruise.
There was no wind, and it was necessary to take to the oars. The disadvantage of starting at so late an hour soon became painfully plain. The sun was so nearly overhead that the heat was almost unbearable, and there was not a particle of shade. The boys had not had a full night’s sleep, and had tired themselves before starting by trying to dig a canal. Of course the labor of rowing in such circumstances was very severe; and it was not long before first one and then another proposed to go ashore and rest in the shade.
“Hadn’t we better keep on till we get into the Highlands. We can do it in a quarter of an hour,” said Tom.
As Tom was pulling the stroke oar, and doing rather more work than any one else, the others agreed to row on as long as he would row. They soon reached the entrance to the Highlands, and landed at the foot of the great hill called St. Anthony’s Nose. They were very glad to make the boat fast to a tree that grew close to the water, and to clamber a little way up the hill into the shade.
“What will we do to pass away the time till it gets cooler?” said Harry, after they had rested awhile.
“I can tell you what I’m going to do,” said Tom; “I’m going to get some of the sleep that I didn’t get last night, and you’d better follow my example.”
All the boys at once found that they were sleepy; and, having brought the tent up from the boat, they spread it on the ground for a bed, and presently were sleeping soundly. The mosquitoes came and feasted on them, and the innumerable insects of the summer woods crawled over them, and explored their necks, shirt-sleeves, and trousers-legs, as is the pleasant custom of insects of an inquiring turn of mind.
“What’s that?” cried Harry, suddenly sitting up, as the sound of a heavy explosion died away in long, rolling echoes.
“I heard it,” said Joe; “it’s a cannon. The cadets up at West Point are firing at a mark with a tremendous big cannon.”