ot us 'way out on the limb, and if you shake
the tree very hard we'll drop off."

"No, thanks!" snapped Bess. "We don't care for green fruit."

"Oh, oh!" squealed Ferd. "I bet that hurt me."

"Now, there's no use quarreling," said Dave. "We admit defeat. Where
under the sun you girls could have hidden our canoes I don't see. And
your own haven't been used this morning, that's sure."

Wyn and her mates broke into uncontrollable laughter at this.

"Who's the joke on now?" cried Bess.

"What will you give to find your canoes?" exclaimed Frankie.

"Aw--say--don't rub it in," begged Tubby. "We own up to the corn. You
beat us. Where are the canoes?"

"Ahem!" said Wynifred, clearing her throat loudly, and standing forth.

"Hear, hear!" cried Mina.

"Oh! you've got it all fixed up for us, I see," muttered Ferd.

"The understanding always has been," said Wyn, calmly, "that if one
party succeeded in playing a practical joke on the other, and 'getting
away with it,' as you slangy boys say, the party falling for the trick
should pay forfeit. Isn't that so?"

"Go on! Do your worst," growled Ferd.

"That's right. You state the case clearly, Miss Mallory," said Dave,
with a bow of mockery.

"And they never paid a forfeit for the time Tubby slid down our
boathouse roof, plunk into the water," cried Bessie.

"Aw--that's ancient history," growled Tubby.

"Let us stick to recent events," agreed Wyn, smiling. "If we girls were
at all frightened by your 'bear-faced' attempt to frighten us this
morning, we have paid with a breakfast; haven't we?"

"And it was a good one," agreed Dave.

"It's made me go right to cooking again," said Bess. "A swarm of locusts
would have brought about no greater devastation."

"Then, gentlemen," said Wynifred, "do you admit that the shoe is now on
the other foot? You cannot find your canoes. Will you pay us to find
them for you?"

"That's only fair," admitted Dave.

"Say! how do we pay you?" demanded Ferd.

"Shall I tell them what we demand, girls?" asked Wyn.

"Go ahead!" "It'll serve them right!" "They've got to do it!" were some
of the exclamations from the Go-Aheads.

"Oh, let the blow fall!" groaned Dave.

"Then, gentlemen of the Busters Association, it is agreed by the ladies
of the Go-Ahead Club that while we remain in camp on Green Knoll this
summer, you young gentlemen shall cut and stack all the firewood we
shall need!"

"Ow-ouch!" cried Ferd.

"What a cheek!" gasped