"And one thing sure," Roger told his cousin, as they worked their paddles industriously to keep ahead of the other boats, "you will have to get to work and make up a new stock of medicine after the manner you've seen your mother do it; for, when we come back this way in the spring, if we ever do, there'll be a crop of ailments waiting for you to take care of." Dick only laughed good-naturedly. "I was thinking about that myself," he stated; "and I believe I could do it, provided we can find the same kind of herbs growing out here. But it certainly feels good to me to be in a boat again, after all that hard work riding a horse across a hot desert." Roger felt the same way, for the boys were much more at home with a paddle in their hands than in the saddle. Brought up on the bank of the Missouri, they had early become adepts on and in the water, and they spent much of their time fishing, in order to supply the families with the food that was needed. That night they made camp on the bank of the Lewis. They were surrounded by the great trees that have since then made Oregon and Washington forests famous; and all this was so vastly different from their recent experiences amidst desert sands that it was no wonder every one's spirits were buoyant. Of course the boys wanted to take a little turn around the camp before night set in, hoping to come across some game. This they could easily do because, at the time, they had nothing to do with getting supper ready, as it was not their turn to serve as cooks. Once again success came their way, for they succeeded in starting a buck, and, although it took a double shot to bring the fleet animal down, Dick proved equal to the occasion, after Roger's bullet seemed to be wasted. This circumstance seemed to annoy the latter very much, for he was jealous of his well-earned reputation as a marksman. It did not surprise Dick, then, when the other's first move upon reaching the fallen buck was to examine eagerly the quarry. "I thought it was queer if I missed him entirely," declared Roger, with a ring of triumph in his voice; "you can see where my bullet passed through his body, but, as luck would have it, no vital part was touched. I'm glad you managed to finish him, Dick." "Yes, so am I for several reasons," remarked the other; "in the first place we need the meat. Then again, it would be too bad for him to run for miles and in the end drop, and that wound you gave him would have proved fatal finally." Of course the party rejoiced to see a supply of meat come in. They knew they could depend on the boys to procure it if there chanced to be any game in the vicinity; and when they heard the double shot more than one of the men licked his lips in full expectation of a treat. It is a good thing to have a reputation for accomplishing things, for there are times when it spurs the possessor on, in order that he may not lose caste with his admirers.