day was over be fairly
within an hour or so of Niagara Falls. They put up at a modest hotel,
stored the auto in a convenient garage, took supper and, after a short
stroll along an uninteresting main street, retired for the night to a
large bedroom with two double beds.

Some debate ensued as to whether they should turn off and visit the big
falls, during which Worth dropped off asleep while MacLester nearly
jerked his head loose as he nodded from the depths of an ancient
armchair.

"Aw, what's the use?" grumbled Paul. "_They_ don't care _where_ we go!"
He pointed at Billy snug in bed, while Dave nodded the sleeper's
approval of whatever course might be taken on the morrow. "They don't
care, I say."

"Well, what do you say, Paul?" Phil regarded the boy quizzically. "Have
you ever seen the Falls?"

"No, nor I don't care if I _never_ see 'em. Nothing but a roar of water
and a cloud of wet spray if you go near 'em below." Paul's grammar was
humorously absurd at times.

"How do you know, if you've never been there?"

"Haven't I read and heard about 'em ever since I was knee high to a
duck?"

"Well then, let's vote. You wake Billy up."

While Paul was shaking and struggling with Worth, now angry over being
thus disturbed, Phil gently tweaked Dave's nose until he staggered to
his feet, making half-blind passes at his disturber as he mumbled:

"G'way, you! I--I'll punch your head, you--you--you--" And that was as
far as he ever got.

"We're voting to know if we go to the Falls or keep straight on," urged
Phil loudly. "What is it to be?"

Paul just then relinquishing his clutch on Billy's nightshirt, the
latter flopped back on his pillow, jerked the quilt over his head and
was buried to the outer world. Phil pinched Dave's ear until the nodding
one hauled back and struck out feebly, hitting nothing and throwing
himself back into the big chair's embracing arms.

This being the dumb reply of both, Phil grinned at Paul as he half
whispered:

"What do you vote, Paul? Is it straight on, leaving the Falls for
another time?"

"Bet your life--that's me! Say, Phil, I'll tell you what I'd really like
to do." As he said this Paul drew from his pocket a crumpled, soiled bit
of paper. "Here's something I got hold of at Griffin."

"Right here's where we turn off to the right, according to this paper.
Got it from Fobes. The Chief said he took it from Coster, who was
tearing mad because Fobes got it away from him. Somewhere