CHAPTER IX--ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
The next few days were happy ones for the boys from Winton, for theCreightons extended every hospitality that lay in their power. Ridinghorseback, going to the village in the spring wagon, hoeing corn andpotatoes in the big garden back of the farm house, and the consuming ofpractically all the good things Mrs. Creighton put beforethem--especially by Fleet--served to make the time pass quickly.
One day, however, Chot gave notice that the journey was to be resumedthe following morning, and the other boys with a sigh of regret, packedtheir belongings into the canoes and made ready to shove off into thelake at daybreak.
Greatly to their satisfaction Bert, after a short talk with his parents,announced his intention of going with them.
"That's fine," said Chot. "I've been hating to ask you because I wassure you were going to say you could not go."
So Bert's canoe was packed with a few things he most desired to carry,and placed in the water at the edge of the lake with the others beforethe boys went to bed that night.
When they arose, the sun was just peeping over the hill-top. They foundthat Mrs. Creighton had prepared one of her fine breakfasts of wheatcakes and maple syrup, with coffee and pure cream on the side, and theway they ate and the comments they made were very gratifying to her. Shewould miss their smiling faces and good appetites, she told them, asthey were leaving.
"There is nothing so inspiring to the woman who prepares a meal as tohave people eat it and know they enjoy it," said she.
The boys assured her that they had never had better things to eat intheir lives, and after a hearty handshake all around, with Mr. and Mrs.Creighton standing on the little wharf, waving their hands, the fivecanoes pushed off and went skimming over the water to the northward.
"We'll keep along the east shore for a while," said Bert, "until we seehow much of a breeze is coming up to-day. It gets pretty rough out inthe middle there sometimes--rough for canoes, I mean."
They accepted his advice, knowing that he was familiar with every cornerof the lake, and paddled easily for nothing was to be gained byhurrying.
Bert showed himself to be a fine canoeist. They all admired his long,graceful stroke with the single blade. His canoe was of the Canadianpattern, much like those owned by Chot, Tom and Pod, and of about thesame size.
"Reminds me of the Spanish Armada, going into battle," said Fleet, as hecast his eye over the little squadron. "Eh, how about it, AdmiralDuncan?"
"Ay, ay, Christopher Columbus. Shift your lee bow until you sightHurricane Island, then hold a straight course for Cape Cod light. Don'tgive up the ship until we have met the enemy and they are ours. Reply bywireless if you receive my message distinctly."
"Message received distinctly," said Fleet "England expects every man todo his duty."
"Speaking of England," said Bert, "when we are going up Lake ChamplainI'll show you where McDonough fought his famous battle in 1814."
"That will be interesting," said Tom. "I have always admired the way heriddled the English fleet. I don't believe there has ever been a navalbattle in which greater wisdom was displayed by the commanding officersthan in the battle of Plattsburg Bay."
"As far as battles go," said Chot, "this is a famous locality. Allduring the colonial days and even in the War of the Revolution, this wasa familiar stamping ground for the soldiers of America, England andFrance, to say nothing of the Indians."
"That's so. Fort Ticonderoga must be around here somewhere," said Pod.
"I doubt if we shall see old Ticonderoga," said Bert. "It will be somemiles below us when we enter Lake Champlain, and we can not visit itwithout losing considerable time."
"And we don't want to do that," said Fleet. "I'm anxious to get into theold St Lawrence."
"You won't be so anxious by the time you're shooting some of therapids," said Tom. "I'm not so sure but I shall be in favor of a portagearound several spots in that stream."
"Humph! I'm not afraid," said Fleet.
"Nor am I," Tom replied. "But I don't see any use in risking our necks,and maybe turning our trip into a funeral, when we can be happy by beingcareful."
"Well, that's a matter we can decide when we come to it," said Chot.
In the early afternoon the boys pulled in to the shore and ate lunch ina shady nook. Many good things had been placed in the canoes by Mrs.Creighton, and the boys felt especially grateful for them now that theywere leaving the Creighton farm behind, and would soon have only thememory of the things they had eaten there.
"Apple butter!" cried Fleet, as he unscrewed the lid to a glass jar, andtook a generous spoonful of the contents. "Yum, yum! I tell you,fellows, this is what I call living high."
The others were too busy eating to reply, and Fleet munched his breadand apple butter in silence.
Lunch over, they pushed out into lake again. They were in the narrowerportion now, which stretched ahead for some twenty miles. The breeze wasfrom the south and very light, and the boys did not hesitate to paddleout into the lake where, with the bows still headed northward, theyskimmed along at a rapid pace. The sun soon went behind a cloud, and asevening approached and the air grew cooler, the boys increased theirpace.
They were well up the lake by dark, with the prospects of being in LakeChamplain by noon of the following day.
Camp was made, as usual, under a clump of trees, the tent was stretched,and a small fire was kindled for coffee. The fire was allowed to burnuntil bed time, because the moon was not up and the darkness wasintense. It was nine o'clock when they sought their blankets, feelingtired from the exertions of the day. Ten minutes later they were allasleep.
Shortly after midnight, they were awakened by what seemed an unearthlynoise. Chot was the first to realize that the silence of the camp hadbeen invaded by some sort of a man or beast, and sitting up he rubbedhis eyes and stared about him. The moon was just showing signs ofrising, and a pale glow suffused the lake and shore, but in the deepshadows of the trees little could be seen, as yet, and as Chot continuedto gaze about him, the trees and bushes began to assume fantasticshapes.
"Wonder if I've been dreaming?" he muttered. "Guess I'll wake the otherfellows, and we'll have a look around."
Bert and Fleet were already awake, and Tom and Pod were quickly arousedand advised to keep still.
"What's the matter?" whispered Pod, who began to tremble, at beingaroused from his sleep in such a manner.
"There's something or somebody in the camp," Chot replied, in a lowtone. "Don't say a word, fellows. Just sit here and watch. In tenminutes the moon will be over that hill and shining right through thetrees. Then we can see what's going on."
Huddled in a little group, Pod's heart beating a tattoo, the boys waitedfor the appearance of Old Luna. They were not afraid, these fellows, butno one wants to go after an unseen enemy in the dark, and they weremerely taking the best means to discover the intruder, and to handle thesituation in the best way that suggested itself.
Gradually the world grew lighter, and finally the moon poked its goldenrim over the distant hill, then farther and farther until the lightfinally burst over the land with a brilliant radiance.
Then, suddenly, Chot burst into a roar of laughter.
"What's the matter?" cried the others.
"Matter?" he replied. "Can't you see what startled me?" and followingthe direction of his finger, they saw half a dozen cows grazing undertrees.
"One of those animals must have bellowed in my ear."
Relieved to find that there was nothing near but cows, the other boyslaughed too.
"Maybe you scared the cow, Chot--who knows?" cried Fleet.
Then, as if to set their fears entirely at rest, one of the cows sent aplaintive "Mooh-h-h!" echoing through the trees.
"Oh, pshaw! I'm sorry I woke up now," said Fleet, and with a yawn hedropped back into his blanket.
The others followed more leisurely, and soon all were slumberingpeacefully again. This time nothing disturbed them, until they wereawakened
at dawn by the twittering of birds in the trees overhead.
Coffee, rolls, and jam served as their breakfast and at seven o'clockthey pushed off into the lake again.
Two hours later they entered the little stream that connects Lake Georgewith Lake Champlain. Paddling became easier here and they made goodtime, and shortly after eleven sighted the larger lake. Lake Champlainwas in the form of a bay where they entered it, and seeing a town on theright, they concluded to stop there for dinner. The town proved to beDelano, a pretty little village, where they were able to secure mosteverything that appealed to them in the way of food.
Well satisfied, but not inclined to labor very heavily, they againpushed off, wielding their paddles slowly as they moved up the lake.
Toward evening they came to where two points of land jutted out into thewater, one from either side. Between them was a narrow passage of water,while beyond, the lake was five or six miles wide, and apparently widerstill in the distance.
"This is Crown Point on our left and Chimney Point on our right," saidBert. "I came up here once in a small sail boat. I think this will be afine place to camp to-night."
The boys agreeing, they pitched their tents on the Crown Point side andbegan to prepare the evening meal. While they were at work, they heardvoices nearby and looked up to see two strange-looking men approachingalong the shore of the lake. It was rapidly growing dusk, and thefeatures of the strangers could not be distinguished. They hadapparently not seen the boys, for they were discussing something in lowtones.
Then one of the men placed a finger to his lips and the talking ceased.They were looking straight toward the camp, the fire having attractedtheir attention. The next instant both men were off like the wind,crashing through the under-brush and after a moment the darknessswallowed them up.
The boys stood with open mouths staring after them.
"Well, what do you make of that?" asked Bert.
"Don't know what to make of it," said Chot. "But I know onething--there's something suspicious going on around here."
And the others agreed.