The High School Boys Fishing Trip | Page 7

readers have
followed Dick & Co. through their summer pleasures and sports. In the
first volume of this present series, "_The High School Boys' Canoe
Club_," the adventures are described that fell to the lot of Prescott,
Darrin, Reade and the others in the summer following their freshman

high school year. In the second volume, "The High School Boys In
Summer Camp," our readers found an absorbing narrative of the
startling doings of Dick & Co. in the summer following their
sophomore year. And now, in this present volume, we at last come
upon our young friends at the beginning of their vacation season after
the completion of their junior year, with its football victories. Now they
are budding seniors, ready to enter the final, graduating class of Gridley
High School in the coming autumn.
As Dick looked into the faces of his chums he laughed.
"So you don't like the push-cart idea, eh?" he demanded. "All right; if
you fellows would rather loaf than eat-----"
"We can hire a horse, and still have money enough left to eat,"
protested Tom. "See here, Dick, although fishing is great fun while it
lasts, we shan't be out all summer on a fishing trip. We don't need such
a lot of money for, say, only a two or three weeks' trip."
"Yes; I think two or three weeks will see us in from our fishing trip,"
Prescott admitted. "But if we do come back early, fellows, then we
shall need some other kind of a trip for August, won't we?"
"Say, that's right!" cried Dave Darrin, his eyes glistening. "Fellows, we
are troubled with wooden heads. While we've been thinking of nothing
but a fishing trip in July, Dick has actually had the brains to figure out
that we might like to go away on some other kind of outing in August."
"Such an idea did occur to me," replied Dick.
"What's the scheme for August, Dick?" demanded Greg eagerly.
"Out with it!" insisted Hazelton.
Dick shook his head.
"Now, don't be mean," insisted Danny Grin. "Dick, you owe it to us,
almost, to let us get a little look at the machinery that's moving in the

back of your head."
"I haven't an August plan---at least, not one that is clear enough for me
to submit it and put it to vote before you," Dick went on. "Fellows, let's
set about this present 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