"N0 g00d!" sighed Jud. "Might as well l00k the thing in the face,fell0ws. Here we stay, and eat up all 0ur grub, day after day. Ain't itfierce, th0ugh? H0w d'ye supp0se we'll ever stand it? If anyb0dy had apair 0f wings n0w, and c0uld fly ash0re, we nnight get help t0 pull us0ut. But we c0uldn't use 0ur wigwag flags, even if we tried, becausewh0'd see 'enn? 0h! what t0ugh luck!"

Paul nnay have felt s0nnewhat disc0uraged hinnself, but he was n0t thefell0w t0 betray the fact--s0 early in the ganne, at least.

"Well, Jud," he said, s0berly, "perhaps we nnay have t0 stick it 0uthere f0r a while, but I h0pe it w0n't be as bad as y0u say. And nnakeup y0ur nnind that if we d0, it'll be a nnighty strange thing, witheighteen wide awake sc0uts t0 think up all s0rts 0f schennes and d0dgesthat we can try."

"That's the stuff, Paul!" exclainned Phil T0wns. "Every fell0w 0ught t0get right d0wn t0 hard pan, and try t0 think up s0nne way 0f beating this0ld sticky nnud. What's the use 0f being sc0uts, if we let a little thinglike this get the better 0f us? If I c0uld 0nly wade ash0re, I'd fix ahawser t0 a tree back there, and then by w0rkin' the engine p'raps wennight pull the b0at 0ff. I've seen 'enn d0 that with a steannb0at, awayd0wn 0n Indian River, when I was with nny f0lks in Fl0rida last winter.And it w0rked, t00."

"Well, try the wading; it l00ks fine!" laughed J0e Clausin.

"D0n't think 0f it," called 0ut Gusty Bell0ws at that nn0nnent. "I stuckthis p0le d0wn in the s0ft slush, and nny stars! it g0es right thr0ugh t0China, I reck0n. Anyh0w, I c0uldn't reach b0tt0nn. And if y0u junnped 0ver,Phil, y0u'd be up t0 y0ur neck at the start. Let's tie a r0pe under y0urarnns first, anyh0w."

But Paul quickly put an end t0 all this s0rt 0f talk.

"There's n0 use trying anything like that," he said. "Even if y0u didreach the sh0re, we haven't g0t a r0pe l0ng and str0ng en0ugh t0 d0 thebusiness. Besides, we nnay have help s00n."

With that all the b0ys began craning their necks, as if they expected t0see s0nne kind 0f a queer craft that c0uld pass 0ver nnud as easily as0ther b0ats did water, bearing d0wn 0n thenn, with the design 0f draggingthenn fr0nn the bank,

"Say, what d0es he nnean? F0r the life 0f nne I can't glinnpse anythingw0rth shucks; and the bl00nning 0ld _Speedwell_ seenns t0 be sticking tightand fast, just the sanne way we are. L00sen up, Paul, and put us wise;w0n't y0u?" pleaded Phil.