CHAPTER XV--THE THOUSAND ISLANDS AT LAST
No more delightful camping ground could be imagined than that discoveredby the boys on Isle Perrot. Lying at the mouth of the Ottawa River, thearms of which pass on either side, as they flow into the larger streamon their way to the sea, the island is at all times tempered by coolingbreezes, and the nights, especially, are so comfortable that once thetraveler reaches the island he is loath to leave it.
The boys had no difficulty in finding a grove in which to pitch theirtent. There was one near the water's edge on the south shore. Acrossfrom here, Chot found by consulting his map, was Cascade Point, at theeastern end of the Soulanges Canal. This canal would carry them a greatmany miles around Cascades, Split Rock, Cedars and Coteau Rapids toCoteau Landing, where they would enter the river proper again.
Nothing occurred to disturb their slumbers. They awoke before sun-up,and despite the chilliness of the atmosphere, took a plunge in the coolwaters of the river.
By seven-thirty they were on their way again, and paddling across thefew intervening miles, they entered the Soulanges Canal. Here, ofcourse, the water was smooth and still, and they moved along at a goodrate, though the current somewhat retarded their progress.
Late in the afternoon they arrived at Coteau's Landing, where theydecided to spend another night. This spot is one of the most interestingon the St. Lawrence. Stretching out before them was Lake St. Francis,over which, by utilizing Clark and Grand Islands, one of our largerailway systems has erected a bridge, almost at the head of CoteauRapids. It is a magnificent piece of railway construction, and broughtforth many admiring comments from the boys.
The next day's journey took them as far as Cornwall, and they campedthat night on the banks of the Cornwall Canal, after laying in a supplyof provisions in the city.
Starting again in the early morning, the boys paddled through the canal,emerging at the upper edge of the Long Sault Rapids, and, hugging theshore, arrived late that night in Morrisburg.
By strenuous labors the following day they negotiated both the RapidPlat and Galops Canals, arriving the next night at Prescott.
"Gee! but that's some traveling," said Pod, as they were pitching theirtent again on the shore of the river.
"Well, we are past the last of the rapids," said Chot. "Everythingshould be smooth sailing--or, rather paddling--into Rockport, which iswithin easy distance of practically every one of the Thousand Islands."
"Say, are there really a thousand of them?" asked Fleet.
"I suppose there are--very likely more, but you must remember that manyof them are but mere suggestions of islands--little tufts of grass, asit were, sticking up in the river."
"I hope we'll be able to find a good place in which to make our camp,"said Tom.
"My idea," said Chot, "is to scout around among the islands for a fewdays to see if we can't rent some sort of a cottage or lodge, where wecan be comfortable in both pleasant and stormy weather, withoutdepending too much on our little tent."
"That's a fine idea," said Bert, "but, somehow, I imagine all suchplaces are rented."
"Possibly. At the same time, people come and go all summer long. If wewatch our chance we may be able to get what we want."
"Don't you think that idea deserves a poem?" asked Bert, slyly winkingat Chot.
"Oh, by all means," said Chot, returning the wink.
Not since the evening they had subjected his verses to such severecriticism had Fleet attempted to recite. It was as if all thoughts ofsuch things had been driven from his mind.
"Now, don't start anything," he advised them. "You didn't appreciate mylast effort, so I've decided to recite my verses to the treeshereafter."
"Well, just imagine we're the trees," said Pod--"and perhaps we are; weall have trunks."
"And they're pretty well packed after that supper we ate," smiled Chot.
They kept urging Fleet to recite, but he stolidly refused. Finally, someone suggested a song, and in this Fleet joined with a zest. But whenthey tried to start the Winton song, and waited on the second verse forhim to come in with his original lines, there was blank silence.
"What's the matter with you?" asked Tom.
"Nothing," replied Fleet, "only I'm not in the mood for original versesto-night."
So they fell into the old-time darkey melodies, then into the chorusesof several popular ballads, in all of which Fleet joined withenthusiasm; but at every suggestion of original matter from him, heturned a deaf ear.
"Well, if Fleet won't recite, I'll crack a joke," said Pod. "Did youfellows ever hear of the man who had no flowers, yet kept a hot house?"
"No; how was that?" asked Bert.
"He had a scolding wife," was Pod's reply. "And did you ever hear of thelittle boy at school whom a visiting gentleman asked if his family everplayed baseball?"
"No; starts off like a chestnut, but I've never heard it," said Tom."What did bright little Willie say?"
"Bright little Willie said: 'Yes; me and mother play--I bawl and shemakes the base hits.'"
At this there was a laugh in which Fleet joined. Noticing Fleet's goodhumor, they tried again to get him to recite, but he shook his head.
"No; the next time you fellows hear from me you won't be inclined tojolly quite so much," he said.
"Eh? What do you mean by that?" asked Tom.
"Never mind; let's change the subject."
The boys were silent. Could this be their chum who, formerly, had hardlywaited to be asked to recite--who would spring eagerly up on theslightest provocation and reel off rhymes by the dozen? They wonderedwhat had come over him, but decided to let the matter drop for themoment.
"Fleet's got something up his sleeve," said Chot, a little later whenthe boys were preparing for bed and Fleet was, for the moment, out ofearshot.
"I suppose we hurt his feelings the other night," said Bert. "We were alittle severe."
"But we needed to be," said Tom. "Those were the worst verses he hasever recited. I want to see his work improve, not get worse."
"But you must remember," said Pod, always ready to stick up for Fleet,in spite of their many disagreements, "that no one can recite verses ona minute's notice and keep the standard up all the time. I'll admit thatTom is right about the quality, but we ought to ease up on him now. Ibelieve we have taught him his lesson, so let's give him a chance toforget it, and I don't believe he'll try to run in any more fake rhymeson us."
"Sh! don't let him hear you," said Bert.
Fleet, who had been rummaging in his canoe, was returning and the boysturned the talk into other channels.
They decided to make the rest of the canoe trip by easy stages, sostarting early the next morning, they stopped off at Prescott forsupplies, and continued on along the north shore to Brockville, wherethey had dinner.
After leaving Brockville, so many little islands dotted the surface ofthe river that the boys began to believe they were approaching theirdestination. These islands continued at intervals all the way toRockport, fronting which city, late one afternoon, they sat in theircanoes, viewing the famous summer resort of the St. Lawrence. TheThousand Islands lay before them, many dotted with cottages and tents,others, too small for comfortable living, uninhabited.
Somewhere out among those islands the boys were going to camp, and theycould hardly wait until morning to set out in their quest of a suitablespot.
To those boys not familiar with the location of the Thousand Islands, itmay be well to say that they spread out from the waters of Lake Ontarioon the southwest to a narrow stretch of the St. Lawrence on thenortheast, some thirty-eight miles distant, forming a chain, orarchipelago, through which the clear, bright waters of the river goracing swiftly. They are composed of islands of all sizes, from asurface no larger than an ordinary dry-goods box, over which the watermoves, to that of a substantial size, several miles in circumference,containing some villages, and, in one instance, an inland lake--the Lakeof the Isles.
Hundreds of the islands contain no habit
ation, but stand, their rich,loamy surfaces covered with trees, in whose branches birds come tobuild. These islands remain undisturbed, save when pleasure seekers fromsome more populous center push their boats into the quiet reaches oftheir waters on a summer's day.
There are really many more than a thousand of the islands, the lowestestimate being fifteen hundred, the highest eighteen hundred. Andflowing in between them, winding this way and that, the river is limpid,fast-moving and deep, the depth varying from thirty to sixty feet.
The delights of the region had a strong grip on the young canoeistswhen, after a night spent in Rockport, they set out in the early morningin search of a lonely isle, where they could rest in peace and comfortfor a few weeks, enjoying boating, fishing or reading, as the case mightbe.
In and out among the many channels they went, paddling with slow, easystrokes, now going against a strong current, now with it, until,finally, they found innumerable little islands stretching on all sides,none of which were, apparently, inhabited.
It is a law commonly observed in the Thousand Islands that campingprivileges upon any of the uninhabited islands are free, so the boysbegan to look about for a good-sized island which would meet theirapproval from every standpoint.
"There's a fine-looking island," said Bert, pointing to where, over thetops of two or three smaller islands, a wooded knoll came into view,looking cool and shady.
"Yes, and there's some sort of a house on it, too," said Tom.
"May be just what we want," said Chot. "Let's go over there, anyway, andperhaps the occupant of the house can direct us to a good campingground."
"But let's get an uninhabited island," said Pod.
"Yes; let's be Crusoes or nothing," said Fleet. "Pod will make a good'man Friday.'"
"Hey, you, don't start anything like that, or I'll ram your old craftand send you to the bottom," said Pod.
"Ram away," replied Fleet.
He well knew which craft would be the first to capsize if Pod kept hisword.
"Well, I'll let you off this time," said Pod.
"For which I am deeply grateful," said Fleet, a slight tinge of sarcasmin his voice.
They soon reached the island under discussion, and landing, pulled theircanoes up on the shore and fastened them securely to some of the smallertrees.
Then, as they started up the slight incline toward the lodge whichtopped the rise, a man came out on the verandah and stood, regardingthem curiously.