They rowed steadily up the river. At last they reached the island and landed. It was long and narrow, covered with trees and green grass. Here and there low bushes grew down to the water's edge, while at the upper end there were many boulders, stones, pebbles, and clean white sand. [Illustration: A string of fish.] They brought up the basket and put it in a cool place under a tree. "Now for the fishing!" said Frank. Up the river they could see the dam, and on the left of the dam the flour mill. "There is a nice big pond up above the dam," said Susie. "We ought to go up there some day." "I think it is better fishing there," said Frank, "but we would have to drag the boat around the dam." Uncle Robert stretched himself under the shade of an elm tree. Susie rolled up her sack and put it under his head. The boys went off to try their luck at fishing. They cut a pole for Susie, but she soon tired of sitting still, and came back to pick up sticks for the fire so that everything would be ready to fry the fish. When the boys came back they brought three little sunfish, two perch, and one funny-looking fish with horns, which Frank said was a catfish. Frank and Uncle Robert dressed the fish, while Donald rowed across the river to a place where he knew there was a spring, and soon returned with a pail of clear, sparkling water. Susie spread the cloth in a nice shady place, and unpacked the basket. The eggs were boiled in the tin bucket over the fire. Frank fried the fish, and at last dinner was ready. "Oh, isn't this fun!" said Susie. "Grand!" said Frank. "I'd like to be an Indian and live in the woods all the time," said Donald. "We could make a fort," said Frank, "on that bank of the island and mount cannon, and not allow any ships to come up the river." "Oho!" laughed Donald. "Ships don't come up this river. The water isn't deep enough." "That doesn't matter," said Susie; "we could play they do." After the luncheon was over and the basket packed again they sat about under the trees. "What a good view of the dam there is from here!" said Uncle Robert. "I know why they built the dam there," said Frank. "Just above the dam the water was quite swift." "What makes the water swift?" asked Donald. "Because the bed of the river slopes more there than down here," said Uncle Robert; "and in places on rivers where there are rapids they build dams in order to use the water for the mills." "Oh, yes, I know how they use the water," said Donald. "They have a sluice, and they lift the gate, and the water comes through, and that turns the mill wheels." "In some rivers there are ponds larger than that pond up there, where there are no dams," said Uncle Robert. "Yes," said Frank, "there is a little lake down the river. We will go there some day. It is good fishing. How much better our corn looks than the corn on that hill over there! I tell you, it takes bottom land like ours to raise good corn."