Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-10-08

Three Boys and Their Dogs.
One summer when l had grown to
be quite big boy. father and mother
said might take my two younger
brothers camping, if l would be very
careful of them and of myself, and
write home at least three times week.
We boys were very much delighted,
and made all sorts of promises about
not getting drowned and not burning
up the tent.
Father helped us buy and pack our
outfit, and as he had been camping
lots of times himself, we didn't forget
many things we ought to have; and
our stuff" made pretty big load
when we got it all together.
So we started off for Malletts bay,
an arm of the lake, about eight miles
away, and one of the most beautiful
camping places in the world. OF course
our three dogs went with us-"Vickel"
the pointer "Crusoe," the little. rag
ed, faded spaniel, and Don" the
great. good-natured, homely, laughing
dog belonging to my brother Charlie
1t was sizzling hot day, but, we
three boys and the three dogs walked
all the way to Mallett's bay, getting
there ahead of John Manor. who had
to drive slowly with our big load. By
the time he arrived with our things
we had hired a boat for three weeks
and gained permission to camp on one
of the high wooded points jutting out
into the bay.
We had a hard and puZzling time
getting all our stuff into the boat, and
when we finally did get it slowed away
there was Just room left for one per-
son to sit on a thwart and row. l got
in to row the boat over to the point.
but Bob and Charlie declared it was so
terribly hot they wouldn't stay there
and wait. So as they seemed just
ready to cry, told them to climb in on
top of the stuff. When they did this,
Of course, the three dogs had to come,
too, so we were loaded down to the wa
ter's edge, and must have made funny
picture. Don sat up on top of the
tent and blankets, in the bow. grin
ming. Crusoe was hdgged up against
my back, on the bread-box, and every
time | bent back, rowing, / would
knock him almost off the box. Vickel,
Rob and Charlie sat in the stern. on
top of the big grocery chest and the
sack of potatoes. 1t looked as If the
slightest tipping of the boat would
throw them into the water. We all felt
that it was a ticklish voyage we had
started upon, and that we must sit
CT pt taJ tn
Of it alive.
We had almost reached the point,
and were getting into shallower water,
when a big, buzzing, biting fly lit on
Don's side, and before he realized what
he was doing he had thrown over his
big head to snap at it, and splash
all the boys and dogs went into the
water, except me, and If | hadn't been
low down on the seat, | would have
gone, too.
1t was terrible scare. The boat had
not quite tipped over, but it had taken
in about a barrelful of water and was
Just on the point of sinking. l was so
flustered | didn't know what to do, and
If it hadn't been for Don | am afraid
some of the party might have drowned.
But Don seemed to realize that the
blame rested on him. and that he must
do what he could to set things right.
So he swan around the boat (Don was
splendid swimmer), and let Rob and
Charlie catch hold of him-one had
hold of his ear and the other of his
tail-and just towed them to where
the water was shallow enough for wad-
ing. l rowed the boat as near to land
as it would go.
Then we three boys, standing up to
our knees in water, got the stuff out of
the boat as fast as we could. Luckily.
1t didn't get so very wet, either. Not
until we were all drying ourselves on
the rocks, with the things spread out
in the sun, did we say word about
our adventure. And then we laughed.
as boys will. and Don-the rascal
wagged his jaws and laughed at us.
This was our first adventure. But
after we had got our tent set up and
were living in fine shape, we had an
other adventure which wasn't our fault
at all The weather had been terribly
hot. We had been four days in camp.
During the evening of the fourth day
a tremendous black storm came up.
We watched it blotting out the sunset
and piling up from the west. Finally
it grew almost pitch dark, and away
out on the lake we could see what
looked like swaying black eurtain,