CANOEING ON THE DELAWARE. 



DR. ZANE GREY. 



"Boys, it is 7.30 and it is going to stop 

 raining. Get up ! After breakfast we are 

 going up to Mast Hope and then we will 

 come down the river in the canoe. Hurry 

 now," I said, breaking in on their slum- 

 bers one July morning. 



The yell that went up from 

 my brothers would have 

 put any baseball 

 umpire out of bu- 

 siness. Cedar 

 showed me 

 a great 

 bruise on 

 his 

 a n 



"My dear man, Westcolang rapids have 

 claimed 2 victims already this season and it 

 is my belief they will claim several more 

 if we follow your pace," growled Cedar. 



"Very well, I will go alone; but if I re- 

 turn I shall have something to say to those 

 young ladies who were only 

 last night eulogizing the 

 daring of 2 young 

 men I know. 'Real 

 flesh and blood 

 men.' 'Not 

 afraid of 

 a n y - 

 thing, ' 

 'That's 



JSLlSLj 



s w ore 

 he was 

 lame and 

 could not 

 stand up 

 straight, 

 pleaded 

 back, a 

 portant 





Reddy 

 a weak 

 cold, an im- 

 engagement and 

 several other excuses. 



" Not any more in mine! 

 Not after that awful trip 

 you steered us on yesterday! Not on your 

 life !" said Reddy. 



"But, fellows, I can't go alone. The 

 team has been hitched, the canoe tied on 

 the wagon, and we have been talking about 

 this ride for days. Do you want the people 

 here to think we are afraid and all be- 

 cause some fellow was drowned last 

 week?" 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY R. 



A CANOEIST'S DREAM 



the 

 kind 

 of man I 

 would be,' 

 etc. I'll queer 

 you fellows all 

 ight, all right." 

 That settled it. With 

 some more grumbling and 

 language not exactly right- 

 eous the boys got up and 

 into their wading clothes. 

 It cleared off after breakfast, and when I 

 climbed up on the hay wagon, which was 

 to carry our canoe, all the guests of the 

 hotel were on the front piazza to see us 

 depart. 



"When you fellows finish saying goodbye 

 to those girls we will proceed," I called 

 in disgust. During the breakfast hour there 

 had been enough reproachful glances cast 



415 



