“Is your canoe going to be a winner?” asked another boy.

“We expect so,” Dick nodded.

“Great joke on Rip, isn’t it?” grinned another.

“I can’t say that his misfortune makes me especially happy,” Prescott answered gravely.

“Well, I’m glad he was ‘stung’ on his pony,” continued the other boy.  “Rip is no good!”

“There is an old saying to the effect that, if we got our just deserts we’d all of us be more or less unhappy,” smiled Dick.

“Rip won’t be so chesty with us smaller boys,” predicted another grammar school boy.  “If he tries it on, all we’ve got to do is to ask him, ‘How’s horse flesh, Rip?’”

In spite of himself Dick could not help laughing at the thought of the mortification of the lawyer’s son when he should be teased on so tender a point.  Then Dick asked: 

“Mart, is your uncle at his stand now?”

“I reckon he is,” nodded Heckler.

“Let’s go over there and see him.”

“You’re going to try to take the ride with us, then?” asked Mart.

“I think so.”

“Bully!” glowed Mart, who, like most of the younger boys of Gridley, was a great admirer of the leader of Dick & Co.

Billy Heckler, a man of thirty, was, indeed, to be found at his stand.

“Dick wants to go up to Lake Pleasant with us on Monday,” Mart began, but Dick quickly added: 

“I understand, Mr. Heckler, that you’re going up to the lake without a load.”

“Yes,” nodded the truckman.

“Then it struck me that perhaps I could arrange with you to take up our canoe and some bedding, and also let the fellows ride on the wagon.”

“How many of you are there?” inquired Billy Heckler.

“The usual six,” Dick smiled.  “If you can do it, how much would you charge us?”

“Fifteen dollars,” replied the driver, after a few moments’ thought.

Dick’s face showed his disappointment at the answer.

“I’m afraid that puts us out of it, then,” he said quietly.  “I had hoped that, as you are going up without a load, anyway, you might be willing to take our outfit up for a few dollars.  It would be that much to the good for you, wouldn’t it?”

“Hardly,” Billy replied.  “Carrying a load takes more out of a team than an empty wagon does.  You can see that, can’t you?”

“Ye-es,” Dick nodded thoughtfully.  “But, you see, we’re only boys, and we can’t talk money quite like men yet.”

“Some men can’t do anything with money except talk about it,” Billy Heckler grinned.  “Well, I’d like to oblige you boys.  What’s your offer, then?”

“We don’t feel that we could pay more than five dollars,” Dick answered promptly.

“No money in that,” replied Billy Heckler, picking up a piece of wood and whittling.

“No; I’m afraid there isn’t,” Dick admitted.  “I guess our crowd will have to content itself with staying at home and using the canoe on the river.”