noon
It seemed a long , long time , and they , themselves , had reached a point fully a half mile above the rapids , before they espied first one canoe and then another achieving the incline . They could not discern which was in the lead , but it proved later to be the canoe handled by Tom and Bob , the Warrens having made two failures before succeeding , giving time to the others to come up and pass them . They were about abreast now , coming along slowly . It was smooth paddling now , along the shores of green meadows and pasture land , until noon arrived . Then , at the signal of four blasts of the horn , by Harvey , answered in turn by all the others above and below , the canoes were drawn out on shore and luncheon was eaten . They built no fires , but ate what they had brought , cold . With an hour to rest in , the leaders strolled back to where Harvey and Henry Burns were , and chaffed them good-naturedly on their failure to make them take the rapids , and over their own strong lead .