It was a long trip to the wild men’s island and the General wished to make the journey under cover of darkness. “I want to land on the island before daybreak so we can surprise the wild men,” the General told his officers, who were gathered for a council of war. “The Sailor tells me,” continued the General, “that the wind and current are just right to sail the raft over to-night. I will take over the infantry on the first trip and then the raft can return for the artillery and the baggage and the rear guard, which the Old Soldier will command.”
The Cook had a great pot of rice cooked and he had stewed five lima beans. This great amount of food was portioned out, and three days’ rations were given to each soldier.
A number of picks and shovels, with a lot of bags and a chest of bullets, was loaded onto the raft.
Promptly at eleven o’clock the General, followed by several men, marched onto the raft and some of the soldiers with long poles quickly pushed out into the dark stream.
 
The Teenie Weenies pull the captured Wild Men out of the bottle.—Chapter Sixteen.
The Sailor and the Cowboy handled the big sweep at the back of the raft, while the Policeman and the Scotchman pushed wherever they could with the long poles.
No lights were allowed on the raft and the men were ordered to talk only in whispers, for the General wished to land on the island unknown to the wild men.
“J-j-j-jimminie C-c-christmas!” stuttered the trembling Dunce, “I-I-I’m not a-a bit s-s-scared. Are you, G-g-gogo?”
“Not v-v-very m-m-much,” answered the colored lad, trying to keep his knees from knocking together. “I done hope we-all—”
 
But at that minute, the raft struck something with such a bang it nearly upset most of the little soldiers. In fact, the Scotchman would have tumbled into the water if the Cowboy hadn’t caught him.
The raft had struck the limb of an old tree that lay in the water and to the ............