That’s the reason I’ll never trust a gentle breeze. In books you find all kinds of nice things about gentle breezes, but look out for them, that’s what I say. Whenever I leave my bathing suit on the grass to dry, I lay a good big rock on it, you can bet. I’d trust Skinny with a hundred dollars, I would, and Westy too, but gentle breezes—Nix. They’re so plaguy sly and sneaky like. Westy and I went and bought a dandy copy of _Treasure Island_ for the library. It cost us a quarter more than my two dollars, but we should worry. Now I have to tell you one other thing that happened before we got started on our cruise, especially because it has a lot to do with our cruise. The next morning we all went back to Northside Woods to tie up the saplings and drag them over to the river. Then we were going to use a rowboat and tow them down and maybe float some of them down. I told you about our old launch, but it’s too shallow to use a launch up as far as Northside Woods. [Illustration: “WE TOWED THE SAPLINGS AND STARTED DOWN STREAM.”] All the fellows were there except Skinny, because the doctor made him stay home on account of being all played out. I bet that doctor had some scrap with him. One thing sure, Westy and I stuck together. By noontime we had all the stuff hauled over to the river and some odds and ends of kindling wood besides, to take in the house-boat. We filled the rowboat with the small stuff and towed the saplings and started downstream that way. The tide was running up and it was almost full and we had some job bucking it. Some of the fellows wanted to wait till it turned and come down with it. But I said that would be an hour maybe and that if the tide didn’t want to turn and go with us, we should worry. Now that there wasn’t anything left to do, but tow the stuff down, all the fellows except Westy and I and Pee-wee started to hike it home. We said we’d take him with us in the boat so that he could bail, because that boat is built like a sieve. “If it keeps on leaking like that,” I said, “there won’t be any water left in the river—it’ll all be in the boat.” “It’s pretty hard bucking the tide,” Westy said. “And we’re going up hill besides, too,” I told him; “remember that.” Well, you should have seen Pee-wee. “What are you talking about—up hill!” he shouted. “When we begin going down hill,” I said, all the while winking at Westy, “she’ll go easier, thank goodness.” “We’ll have to put on the brakes,” Westy said. “Do you know why they talk about _towing_ lumber?” I asked Pee-wee; “because it’s measured by the _foot_.” “You’re crazy!” he shouted. “Just the same as when they use it for back fences, it’s measured by the _yard_,” Westy said, all sober like. “Sure—back—yard,” I said. “You think you can jolly me, don’t you?” Pee-wee shouted. “You just keep on bailing,” I said, “and don’t stop. When the tide begins turning you won’t have to bail so fast.”