A SUMMER VOYAGE 



which was enjoying the fun most, the captor or the 

 captured. 



" Why did you run away ? " said I to Denny. 



" Oh, 'cause," replied he, with an air which said 

 plainly, " The reasons are too numerous to mention." 



"Boys, you know, will do so, sometimes," said 

 Johnny, and he smiled upon his brother in a way 

 that made me think they had a very good under- 

 standing upon the subject. 



They could both swim, yet their floats looked 

 very perilous, three pieces of old plank or slabs, 

 with two cross-pieces and a fragment of a board for 

 a rider, and made without nails or withes. 



" In some places," said Johnny, " one plank was 

 here and another off there, but we managed, some- 

 how, to keep atop of them." 



"Let's leave our floats here, and ride with him 

 the rest of the way," said one to the other. 



"All right; may we, mister ?" 



I assented, and we were soon afloat again. How 

 they enjoyed the passage; how smooth it was ; how 

 the boat glided along ; how quickly she felt the 

 paddle! They admired her much; they praised my 

 steersmanship ; they praised my fish-pole and all 

 my fixings down to my hateful rubber boots. When 

 we stuck on the rifts, as we did several times, they 

 leaped out quickly, with their bare feet and legs, 

 and pushed us off. 



" I think," said Johnny, " if you keep her straight 

 13 



