be told, was on his own account.
'Now,' he said to himself, 'if I can only get permission to go myself,
I ought to be sure of Chippy as my companion for the week.'

What did this mean? It meant that Dick was turning over in his mind a
splendid plan which he had formed for Whitsun week, if only he could
gain permission to carry it out.

He was burning to go a real scouting journey--a journey upon which he
would be cast upon his own resources, sleeping under the sky, or in a
hay-loft or barn, and marching through the country, patrol staff in
hand, taking what might come. He thought it would be splendid if he
could set out on such a tramp with Chippy for a companion; and surely,
after Chippy's splendid bit of work for the firm, it would be easy to
beg for a week's holiday for him.

The Grammar School was always closed in Whit-week for local reasons.
The fine old building stood at one side of the wide market-place, and
this place was the scene of a great annual fair--a fair as old as the
town itself, and possibly older. In former days, when manners were
ruder and rougher, the school had not been closed during Whitsun Fair,
and traditions still existed among the schoolboys of wild pranks played
by their predecessors among the booths and stalls. In this way enmity
arose between the boys and the fair-folk--an ill-feeling which had more
than once given rise to pitched battles and serious rioting, as the
town records went to prove. So towards the close of the eighteenth
century the practice arose of closing the school during the fair, and
forbidding the boys to frequent the market-place. During the hundred
years and more that had passed since then the fair had fallen off very
much, but the Whit-week holiday was still given at the school.

Dick's first move in the matter was to go to his uncle and lay the
whole affair before him, including his hopes of having Chippy as a
companion.

'I don't see that you could come to much harm in a few days,' said his
uncle, when Dick had finished. 'I suppose you want me to back you up
with your father and mother.'

'That's just it, uncle,' cried Dick; 'if you'll only do that, I shall
be awfully glad.'

'Well, go ahead,' said his uncle; 'I'll do what I can for you.'

Even with his uncle's help Dick had some difficulty in gaining his
parents' consent. At last his father was struck with a brilliant idea,
which he thought would settle the affair very neatly. 'We'll let him
go, a