Page:Athletics and Manly Sport (1890).djvu/316

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DOWN THE SUSQUEHANNA.
283

Dean. He gave us a tremendous sponge, which was of very great service.

"Good-by, Mr. Dean; good-by, all of you," we said, as we swung out.

A little dark-faced man had just come down the wharf. He was in a hurry.

"Oh, I say!" he shouted; "I bring you the compliments of the Owego Rapid. Wanted to interview you on the political situation!" (I may say here that our voyage was made during a heated National campaign, of which more hereafter.) And we heard Dean and the crowd laughing at the little man, who waved his note-book and pencil.

It was the first we had heard of "the political situation" since leaving Binghamton. I might have mentioned that when we launched our canoes near that city we were accompanied to the river bank by quite a number of well-wishers, and among them two gentlemen from the daily papers of Binghamton, who industriously wrote down our "views." As we paddled away from the wharf at Owego we congratulated ourselves that we had broken the last link, and henceforth could go along like sensible men with no "views" to air. But the "situation" had not done with us yet.

Of our nights on the banks of the river the details are too varied to be written. We enjoyed