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The raft drew beyond the middle of the river; the boys pointed her head right, and then lay on their oars.

current drift them out of the range of the island. But they discovered the danger in time, and made shift to avert it. About two o´clock in the morning the raft grounded on the bar two hundred yards above the head of the island, and they waded back and forth until they had landed their freight.

Part of the little raft´s belongings consisted of an old sail, and this they spread over a nook in the bushes for a tent to shelter their provisions; but they themselves would sleep in the open air in good weather, as became outlaws.

They built a fire against the side of a great log twenty or thirtysteps within the sombre depths of the forest, and then cooked somebacon in the frying-pan for supper, and used up half of the corn “pone”stock they had brought. It seemed glorious sport to be feasting in thatwild, free way in the virgin forest of an unexplored and uninhabitedisland, far from the haunts of men, and they said they never wouldreturn to civilization. The climbing fire lit up their faces and threwits ruddy glare upon the pillared tree-trunks of their forest temple,and upon the varnished foliage and festooning vines.

When the last crisp slice of bacon was gone, and the last allowance of corn pone devoured, the boys stretched themselves out on the grass, filled with contentment. They could have found a cooler place, but they would not deny themselves such a romantic feature as the roasting camp-fire.