As long as there wasn’t any path to the left along the trail around the lake we decided that we would follow Sandwich and call that a trail. Because if we hadn’t done that we would have just kept on going round and round the lake forever—even longer maybe. We would have gone on to eternity, that’s what Brent said. “I’d rather go there than no place,” I told him. “If we don’t strike eternity the first time around how do you expect to find it the second time around?” Hervey asked. “We should worry,” I said; “we’re on the right road now, we’re going to bunk right into the lake.” Well, the next thing we knew there we were right at the edge of the lake. Across the water we could see Temple Camp and we could see the smoke curling up from the cooking shack and we knew they were cooking dinner over there. “Now you see,” said Pee-wee, very sore like, “they’re cooking dinner; they’re going to have sausages.” “If the wind would only blow this way we could inhale our dinners,” Warde said. “Oh, here’s a boat,” one of us shouted. “We’ll row across, that’s what we’ll do,” the kid said. “I’ve had enough of left-handed hiking. We’re in luck. We don’t even have to walk the rest of the way around.” “It’s chained,” said Hervey, “and it’s got a big heavy padlock on it.” “Foiled again,” I said. We were all standing on the shore looking at the boat. I said, “It’s a very nice boat with a bottom in it and sides to it and everything, only it’s chained. What are we going to do next?” Brent began sniffing and saying, “I think I can smell the sausages. The fragrance is borne upon the gentle breeze. I think I can smell brown gravy too. And apple dumplings. Can you sniff the apple dumplings?” I had to laugh at him, he was so sober about it. He said, “Is that the scent of apple dumplings, kid, or am I mistaken?” “It smells to me like two helpings,” Warde said. “You all make me tired!” Pee-wee shouted. “What’s the use of standing here and sniffing like a lot of idiots? If the boat is chained we have to go on walking around. We can get there in time for dinner if we hurry.” Brent said, “Alas, that can never be done. Thou knowest not what thou sayest, Scout Harris.” “Why don’t I knowest what I sayest?” the kid screamed. “Because you just made a fatal move,” Brent said. “In walking around examining the boat you passed to the _north_ of the indistinct trail that Sandwich followed. And we, like fools, followed you. We are now facing south as we stand here. Our honor prevents us from turning around. Behold, Scout Harris, the little trail which brought us to the shore is now on our _right_ instead of on our _left_. We cannot follow it back to the main trail. “You, and you alone, have been our undoing! We cannot move from this spot except by entering the lake which is on our _left_, and the boat is chained. We are marooned in fetters. We can neither hike nor row. All we can do is sniff. And this is _your_ work!” CHAPTER IX