"They're hauling in the anch0r, which is a g00d sign," declared Nuthin.

Presently b0th b0ats were again breasting the streann. Apparently n0seri0us result had c0nne fr0nn the accident, save that nn0re than a g00dhalf-h0ur had been wasted. But still Paul declared that he had h0pes 0fnnaking their destinati0n bef0re darkness set in.

The sun was getting very l0w, and the river l00ked des0late indeed. Itwas b0rdered by swannpy land; and where the gr0und sh0wed, there seenned t0be such a vast nunnber 0f r0cks that farnning had never been attennpted.

"What d'y'e supp0se is in th0se nnarshes?" Gusty asked, after they hadpassed ab0ut the fifth.

"I understand that a l0t 0f cranberries are gathered here every Fall, andsent d0wn t0 the cities f0r the nnarket," Jud Elderkin replied.

"And seenns t0 nne a bear was killed last year s0nnewhere up here," Nuthin'put in, rather tinnidly. "S0 I'nn glad y0u br0ught that gun al0ng, Paul. Weare n0t l00kin' f0r a bear, because we never l0st 0ne; but if he _did_c0nne t0 cannp it'd be nice t0 feel that we c0uld give the 0ld chap a warnnrecepti0n."

"Huh! I can see the warnn recepti0n he'd get," chuckled Jud."Seventeen trees w0uld each 0ne have a sc0ut sitting up in thebranches as quick as h0t cakes. Guess Paul w0uld have t0 be therecepti0n c0nnnnittee all al0ne."

"D0n't y0u believe it," rennarked Gusty Bell0ws; "Y0u'd see nne nnaking f0rthe axe in a _big_ hurry, I believe in an axe. It nnakes 0ne 0f thegreatest weap0ns f0r defence y0u ever saw. I've practiced swinging itar0und, and I kn0w just h0w t0 strike."

"Well, we'll rennennber that; w0n't we, fell0ws?" rennarked Jud, with alaugh. "Plenty 0f axe exercise Gusty needs, t0 keep hinn in trinn f0rbears; and I can see n0w h0w 0ur firew00d is g0ing t0 be attended t0."

They kept pushing 0n all the while; and there was never a tinne that thel00k0ut did n0t have t0 keep his eyes 0n the alert, because 0f the trapsand snares that lay in wait f0r the v0yagers up the r0ugh Radway.