“No, let it burn out,” said Dan lazily. “It can’t do any harm.”
Tom walked to the bank, stood there a moment and then returned and seated himself again on the rug, the glasses still in his hands.
“What’s the row?” asked Alf, catching sight of Tom’s face.
“I was just thinking,” replied Tom gravely, “how often we say things without thoroughly realizing the deep significance of them. I made the remark, quite casually, a moment ago that we wouldn’t have to paddle back.”
“Well?” demanded Alf sharply, propping himself up on his elbow.
“Of course we won’t! The current will take us down, you idiot.”
“Oh, I see. It will be rather wet, though, won’t it?”
“Wet? What are you driving at, Tom?” Dan demanded.
“Me? Nothing at all. If you fellows can stand it I guess I can. But floating down the river in this weather sounds sort of wet and chilly.”
“Oh, you meant in the canoes? Well, I don’t think we’ll go in the canoes.”
Dan and Alf and Gerald leaped to their feet and ran to the bank. Then they looked at each other in blank dismay. Below them the wet sand still showed where the canoes had rested, but the canoes themselves had utterly vanished. Tom sauntered up, his hands in his pockets, whistling softly.
“It really is a beautiful view from here,” he murmured. Alf turned on him irritably.
“Tom, don’t be an absolute fool, will you?” he begged.
“That’s right, cut out the humor for a minute,” Dan agreed. “There isn’t anything especially funny about having to walk all the way home!”
“Thought we were going to float,” said Tom with a grin. They turned from him in impatient disgust, Alf muttering things uncomplimentary to his friend’s mental condition.
“Oh, it’s plain enough,” Alf cut in. “They weren’t drawn up very far and when Gerald got in them he pushed them off a little and the wind did the rest. They’re probably out in the sound by this time.”
“Oh, it wasn’t your fault,” answered Alf. “We ought to have drawn them up farther. I never thought about the wind.”
“If you’d taken my advice and camped on the other side,” observed Tom sweetly, “this wouldn’t have happened.”
“You be blowed! But, see here, Alf; the wind may have blown them ashore on the other bank lower down.”
“Wouldn’t help us much,” replied Alf. “But we might go down a ways and see if we can find them.”