nt fishing trip, for
this month, and then, while we're away, talk up the proper scheme
for August. Whatever we do in the way of fun, next month, will
be sure to be better planned if we wait a little before talking
it over."

"All right, then," agreed Tom Reade with a sigh. "But I warn
you, Dick, and all you fellows, that if Prescott is too stingy
with news about his August plan, I shall put forth one of my own."

"What's your August plan, Tom?" demanded Greg.

"I'm not going to tell you---yet," Reade rejoined, shaking his
head mysteriously.

"There are a lot of things that you're not telling us," Dave reminded
him. "Just for one little thing, you're not telling us what happened
to you last night after you let a lot of strange men chase you
out of Dick's street."

"They didn't chase me off the street!" declared Tom indignantly.

"Then what did happen?" quizzed Danny Grin.

"They all tried to beat me in a foot race," Tom declared, "and
I put it all over them!"

"Yet someone must have passed you, or got in front of you," teased
Greg. "Look at the bruise on your face, and your knuckles."

"Oh, that happened when-----" began Tom, then paused abruptly.

"Yes, yes," pressed Danny Grin. "Tell us about it."

"All right," agreed Tom, "I will. You see, when I got home and
into bed, I had a sort of nightmare. Just suppose, for instance,
that the mark on my face is where the nightmare kicked me and
that I skinned my knuckles against the bedstead when I tried to
jump over the bed to return the nightmare's kick."

"Tom Reade," called Dave sternly, "hold up your right hand!"

"Look out, Darry! You're not going to ask Tom to swear to the
truth of a yarn like that, are you?" asked Dick anxiously.

"You may let your hand down again, young man," decided Dave, and
Tom, as his hand reached his side, heaved a sigh expressive of
great relief.

"Now, have you fellows got your tackle all ready?" Dick went on.
"Remember the different things in the way of tackle that each
of us was to bring."

The others assured their leader that the matter of tackle had
been attended to.

"Then your bedding and your clothing are the only other matters
to be considered," Dick went on, "as we're to travel light."

"As we don't take a horse along," suggested Tom, "then I take
it that we are not going to carry any planking for a tent floor."

"We can't very well do that," Dick answered him. "Fellows, the
real thing for us to do, on