cept our gratitude for your offer, and
agree to the notion of the fellows that they'll do best if they do their
own hustling, we'll all be mightily pleased as well as grateful."

"Oh, well, then," replied the good woman, "we'll simply consider that
the matter is postponed. I can't agree, as easily as this, to drop what
I have considered my privilege."

As soon as could be, Dick & Co. made their escape.

They met again for a little while in the evening. Nothing of any real
moment happened while they were together.

While Dave Darrin was on his way home, however, and going along a dark
part of the street, something whizzed by his head, striking the sidewalk
just ahead.

"Quit your fooling!" yelled Dave, wheeling about angrily.

No human being, however, was in sight. Dave ran back, some two hundred
feet in all, but could see no one on the little street, nor in any
hiding place near by.

Then Dave went back to inspect the missile. It was a stone, slightly
larger than his two fists together.

"Whew!" whistled Dave inwardly. "That thing wasn't meant for any joke,
either!"

CHAPTER IX

AN AWESOME RIVER DISCOVERY

"Want to come, fellows?" asked Greg, halting Dick and Dave on Main
Street Saturday morning.

"Where?" asked Dick.

"Jim Haynes told me I might take his big canoe this morning."

"So you're going canoeing?" queried Dave.

"Yep; and better'n that, too," glowed Greg. "You know Payson, the
farmer, up the river?"

"Of course."

"This being an apple year, Payson told me I could have a few barrels of
apples if I'd pick 'em and pay him twenty cents a barrel. His orchard is
right along the river bank. Isn't that a cinch?"

"I'd like to go," rejoined Dick wistfully. "But I can't, very well. You
see, I've got to work in the store this afternoon. Dad is going to be
away."

"Your mother'll let you go, if you tell her what a fine time you can
have."

"That wouldn't be quite fair," replied Dick, shaking his head. "Mother
would let me go, I know; but the trouble with her," he added, with a
smile, "is that she's always too easy. And I know there's more work to
do in the store this afternoon than she can handle alone."

"I'd go in a minute," Dave chipped in, "but you see I've agreed to go to
the express office this afternoon and help check up bundles. I'm to get
a quarter for it."

"Huh," returned Greg candidly. "I'm disappointed about you two. It takes
money to buy apples, even at twenty cents a