"Quite some style to that salute," said Katherine, and in her enthusiasm she brought her paddle down flat on the water with a mighty whack, showering those around her.
"Oh, I say," cried Gladys in protest, "please bottle up your rapture. I'm drenched already. I don't know what would happen if you ever got really enthusiastic about anything."
"I'm sorry," said Katherine apologetically, then with a lapse into her negro dialect, "Ah reahly couldn't help it. Ah got such protuberant spirits, Ah has! Ah 'clar to goodness----"
"What's the matter up there? Why don't you go on?" The clear voice of the Captain cut sharply through Katherine's nonsense.
"The third canoe has run on a snag," somebody called in answer.
"Just as I expected," said the Captain under his breath. "That lobster of an Anthony doesn't know enough to watch out for snags."
It was characteristic of the Winnebagos and the Sandwiches that there was no noise or confusion over the mishap. Everybody sat quiet while Uncle Teddy paddled alongside the impaled canoe and gave directions for releasing her. In a minute she was floating clear again, but with an eight-inch rip in the bottom, through which the water began to press rapidly. The snag was the broken stump of a tree, which had pierced the wood like a lance.
"Paddle over to shore," commanded Uncle Teddy, and the disabled vessel was soon lying up on the sandy bank with her crew standing around inspecting the damage. The others landed also and stood waiting for orders what to do next.
"Will we have to carry the canoe all the way back by land?" asked Slim anxiously, already fearing that he would have to help do the carrying and ready to put up a telling argument why Anthony should carry it all the way back alone, since he had been so clever as to run it on a snag.
"Mercy, no," said Uncle Teddy. "Here is where traveling in a canoe has the advantage over every other mode of travel. All you have to do is fill the rip with pine pitch, harden it, and she's as good as ever. Company disperse into the woods and seek pine pitch. Forward march!"
The pitch was procured and Uncle Teddy mixed it with grease. Then he laid a piece of canvas over the hole, smeared it with the pitch mixture and hardened it by searing with a torch. All that took time and the afternoon was gone before they had finished the mending.