on the faces of two of the Go Ahead boys.

"You might have offered to go back to get my bag," suggested
Grant sharply when he resumed his seat on board.

"Yes, we might," said Fred. "We might have offered to buy a new
one for you and fit it out with all the things you need, but we
thought we wouldn't. You need the lesson, Soc. You have been
telling all the world how to do it so long that it is time for
you to begin to find out some things for yourself."

Grant made no reply and indeed he had little to say until the
boat stopped at an attractive village where the boys obtained
their luncheon.

When the voyage was resumed, Grant's confidence that his own
missing bag would be found when they arrived at Utica in a
measure served to restore his good nature and throughout the
afternoon he took an active part in the bantering in which the
boys engaged.

Occasionally Fred relinquished his task at the wheel and
permitted his friends to take turns in steering the boat. The
banks of the canal were free from rocks and even if the swift
little motor-boat was turned from her course no great amount of
damage could follow.

There were other boats they were informed that had preceded them
and among them the references to the swift Varmint II were
frequent.