Then the trio proceeded quietly down the river in the
darkness.
CHAPTER XXXIII
KEEKIE JOE, SCOUT
The first one to awake in the morning was Keekie Joe. Going to school
on Monday was such an unusual thing with him that he had awakened at
five o'clock, and had not been able to go to sleep again. He had a
strange, nervous feeling as if he might be going to his own wedding.
The school would look strange on a Monday. Ordinarily after a week's
vacation he would have taken both Monday and Tuesday. But now, strange
to say, he wanted to go to school. He wanted to do what the rest of
them did. Oh, no, he was not a new boy all made over, he was just poor
little Keekie Joe, but he was going to do what the rest of them did
that day . . .
He now discovered, to his surprise, that the island was in the middle
of the river. It had, in fact, started drifting downstream on the
ebbing tide, and had caught again on Waring's reef, the scene of its
recent exploit. It would stick there for some hours now, at least, for
the tide was running out.
Keekie Joe looked all about him, then stole cautiously to the tent and
looked within. His friends were sleeping soundly. He withdrew from
the tent and looked about again. The island was about a mile farther
downstream than where it had been moored.
Looking down the river, Keekie Joe could see the boat-house, and the
gilt ball on top of the flagpole shone dazzling in the early sunlight.
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