‘Oh, I guess we’ll make the railroad bridge at Livermore,’ responded Pud a trifle uncertainly. ‘That’s only about another ten miles, and I dare say there’ll be a good camping-place there.’ ‘You ever been there?’ ‘Sure.’ ‘By river, I mean.’ ‘No, not by river. I’ve never been beyond Farquhar’s by river, but I’ve been to Livermore by train.’ ‘We’d ought to have a map,’ murmured Tim. ‘What for? You can’t get lost on a river, can you?’ ‘Well, they say you can get lost on Fox River. They say it sort of runs around in circles, and there’s a lot of branches and creeks too.’ ‘You can’t get lost on any river,’ answered Pud decisively, ‘because all you’ve got to do is follow the current and you’ll come out of it.’ ‘Yeah, that’s so,’ agreed Tim. ‘Just the same, I heard Father tell once how a couple of Revenue men went up there to Swamp Hole and were lost ’most a week.’ ‘Must have got into the woods, or the swamp then. Say, I guess that’s a wild place, eh?’ ‘The Hole? Gosh, I wouldn’t go near that place for a million dollars!’ ‘I would,’ said Pud promptly. ‘I’d like mighty well to see what it’s like, wouldn’t you? If you could get there without being seen, eh?’ But Tim shook his head. ‘No, sir, I wouldn’t. I guess the folks that live there would just as soon cut your throat as say “Howdy.” They say there’s folks living in Swamp Hole that ain’t ever been outside it, Pud.’ ‘I guess a lot of ’em wouldn’t dare come out,’ chuckled Pud, ‘for fear the sheriff would get ’em. I’m going to see if my clothes are dry.’ ‘Going to put them on?’ ‘Yes. Why?’ ‘I was thinking we might go in swimming.’ ‘Gee, why not? Want to?’ Tim assented. ‘All right, I’ll get the trunks.’ Pud waded out to the launch, climbed aboard and began hunting through the lockers. It took him a long time to find the articles, for, although when they had stored their belongings away, they had been quite certain they could put their hands on them again instantly, now he couldn’t remember where a single thing was! When he had pulled most of the dunnage from one side of the boat, he was hot but triumphant and splashed back to shore with the bathing-trunks just as Harmon ambled into sight. The thought of a drink of cold water was so welcome that he didn’t say a word about the time it had taken Harmon to do the errand. But when he had taken one gulp of the contents of the lard-pail he found his voice. ‘For goodness’ sake,’ he exclaimed disgustedly, ‘where’d you get that stuff? It’s as warm as――as dish water!’ ‘Oh, gosh!’ moaned Tim. ‘Ain’t it any good, Pud?’ ‘Well, you can drink it if you like. I won’t. He never got that out of any well, I’ll bet!’ ‘I did, too,’ declared Harmon. ‘I got it out of a gentleman that lives in a big white house’s well. It was gran’ and col’, too, but I reckon it done got warmed up luggin’ it back here, ’cause it’s mos’ of two miles.’