"I expect to see you all in New York again one of these days, and I hope to be able to show you a good time," he said.
"Well, we certainly had an abundance of excitement on our last visit," said Tom. "What, with the burning hotel, and the chase of the smugglers, and various and sundry smaller happenings, we were kept pretty much on the move."
"Well, I'll try and see that you don't burn out next time, anyway," smiled Sam.
"Why, that fire was the means of winning for Fleet undying renown," said Chot.
"Oh, pshaw! it did nothing of the kind," protested the fleshy lad.
"Well, you rescued Mr. Shelton's little child from the building, and we got an invitation to visit his ranch in New Mexico."
"Did we go?" repeated Tom, laying great emphasis on the words. "Catch us refusing an invitation like that."
"To refuse invitations of any nature that demand traveling is not in line with the policy of the Experience Club," said Chot. "We spent quite a bit of time in the west before returning to find that our parents had decided to send us to Winton Hall."
The boys bade Sam good-bye with feelings of regret, for, while their acquaintance with him had not been of an intimate nature, they had always liked him and were glad of his company at any time.
Upon leaving Sam the boys went down to the river front where they had left their canoes.
"We had better get out of the city before dark," said Chot, "and find a good camping place, if possible."
"Yes; for if we spent the night in the city we would have to leave our canoes with a stranger, and I'm not in favor of that," said Bert.
They found their canoes in the same condition as when they left them, floating alongside the fishing sloop. The captain of the sloop, a French-Canadian, sat on the deck nearby, smoking a short-stemmed pipe. When the boys appeared he arose with a grunt and helped them from the wharf on to the deck.
"You lak de ceetey--eh?" he inquired, leering at them through beady black eyes.
"Yes; it's a fine town," said Chot. "We like it very much."
"Oh, Montreal, she pretty good place," said the captain. "I leeve here all my life. I lak it, too."
The boys asked the captain to direct them to the Lachine Canal, which he did. Then they paid him for keeping the canoes while they were up town. He pocketed the change with an indifferent gesture, as much as to say that money did not represent a great deal to him. Then the boys paddled off up the river, past steamers and other crafts, large and small. Entering the canal, which runs right through the heart of the city of Montreal, to enter the river again at Lachine, on the southern shore of the island, the boys paddled rapidly along.