Yet Dick Prescott insisted that, despite the late start, they must count upon covering twenty miles for that second day. At night they halted on the edge of woods so far from the nearest farm house that Prescott did not consider it necessary to hunt up the owner and ask permission. "Now, we'll have to see if we can find water here," Dick proposed. "Let's scatter, and the fellow who finds drinkable water must let out a yell to inform the others." "I'll save you some trouble," Reade offered. "You fellows needn't hunt water at all. Give me the buckets and I'll go and get it." "Have you been in this part of the country before?" asked Dick. "No; and I don't need to have been here before in order to know that this ground is full of water," replied Reade, who was full of practical knowledge of that sort. "If I were a civil engineer, out with a field party, I'd mark this section 'water' on the map. Look at the ground here under the trees. It's as moist as can be." Tom departed, but barely two minutes had elapsed when he was back with two pailfuls of water as clear as crystal. "It's nearly as cold as ice water," Tom announced. "There's a bully big spring just a few steps back in the woods." "Then I'm going to use some of this to wash up," Darrin declared. "I'll go with you on the next trip, Tom, and help carry the water." "You'd better wait until we get the tent up before we wash," suggested Prescott. "Then you'll need it more." Quick work was made of the encamping. Dan and Greg, from the wagon, passed down the tent itself, the floor boards and joists, the cots and bedding and some of the food supplies. Then all hands quickly put up the tent. Reade and Hazelton had the flooring down in a jiffy. Dan and Greg put up the cots, while Dick and Dave set up the folding camp table and started the fire in the stove with a bundle of fagots brought in by Hazelton. "Now, get busy with the wash-up," Dick called. Within thirty minutes after halting, supper was on the table. "How far from a swimming place this time?" Tom asked. "Three miles, if I've studied the map right," replied Prescott, taking the road map from his pocket and passing it over. "To-morrow," said Dave, "some of us will swim in plain sight of the outfit all the time." "Do you think you can hike three miles and swim before breakfast in the morning?" asked Dick. "The way I feel now," said Tom, pushing his campstool back from the table, "I shan't need anything to eat to-morrow." "You must feel ill, then," declared Danny Grin. "No; I feel just filed up enough to last for two or three days," sighed Reade contentedly. Harry and Greg were a bit footsore, but the other boys claimed to feel all right. "Do any of you feel like taking an evening walk?" asked Dick with a smile. "I do," Darrin declared promptly. "Not I," replied Tom. "At least not so soon after supper." "Shall we try the walk?" Dick asked Darrin.