kirts could be seen.
High school girls were on their way to share the barbecue, though
as yet they did not know of the treat in store for them.

CHAPTER IX

DICK'S WOODLAND DISCOVERY

"You couldn't have come at a finer time!" cried Dick joyously,
as he raced to meet the most welcome visitors.

"We're barbecuing a whole cow."

"Then I trust, Prescott, that you came honestly by the cow," rejoined
Dr. Bentley his eyes twinkling.

Besides Dr. and Mrs. Bentley, there were eight girls. The visitors
quickly explained that, besides the Bentley touring car, that
of the Sharps was being used on this expedition, Susie Sharp being
one of the girls of the party. The Sharps did not employ a chauffeur,
but their general man knew how to run the car, and he was now
engaged in taking the cars to a spot well off the road.

"I'll send one of the fellows to get him," Dick promised, as he
led the numerous though welcome guests to camp.

"Lucky I made a special big pudding," grinned Jim Hornby.

"The girls may have my share," gallantly offered Tom Reade, though
he groaned under his breath.

"There's pudding enough for a lot more people than we have here,"
returned Jim. "I don't bother making small puddings."

The boys were all called in quickly to greet the girls and Dr.
and Mrs. Bentley. Of course, the girls had to see the interior
of the tent, and all the arrangements of the camp.

"I wish I were a boy," sighed Laura Bentley enviously.

"I'm glad you're not," spoke Dick gallantly. "You're ever so
much nicer as a girl."

Honk! honk! sounded over by the road. The noise continued.

"Greg," said Dick, "that's Miss Sharp's father's man. Evidently
he wants something. You'd better run over."

In less than five minutes back came Greg with three other men,
all of them unexpected. Mr. Alonzo Hibbert, minus his four-quart
hat, and wearing a flat straw hat instead, as well as light clothes
and silk negligee shirt, came in advance of Tom Colquitt, the
man from Blinders' detective agency. Still to the rear of them
was a third man, slightly bent and looking somewhat old, though
there were no gray streaks in his light brown hair.

"How do you do, boys?" called Mr. Hibbert airily, as he came swiftly
forward. "We saw a big smoke over this way, and so we stopped
to find out what was the matter. Young Holmes has asked us to
stop for your barbecue, but it looks to me like a terrible imposition
on you, and so-----"