Bob grinned and said he would “tell Ma,” and the next morning he stopped on his way to school to say that the Parkneys would be expecting Sunny Boy and his friends the next Saturday morning.

“And tell them to wear their rubber boots, Mrs. Horton,” he said earnestly.  “Such mud you never saw!  Ma keeps a broom at the back door, and she won’t let us come in till we change our shoes.  She hands us out clean ones.  But of course it is always soft when the frost is coming out of the ground.”

Sunny Boy could hardly wait till Saturday.  He and Oliver Dunlap were the ones who had teased to be allowed to go on an “exploring” trip in the country.  At first they had planned to go together, without any one else, but as soon as the other boys heard of the scheme, they wanted to go, too.  Nelson Baker heard about the plan, and he asked if he could go.  Nelson did not see much of Sunny Boy on school days because, of course, he went to the public school and did not get home till three o’clock in the afternoon.  But he and Sunny Boy were good friends, and Sunny was glad to have him go exploring with the rest.

“Bring me some pussy willows, if you find them,” said Miss Davis, when she heard what they were planning to do.  “Miss May wants some pussy willows to root in water and then she will plant them in the yard and perhaps they will grow.”  Sunny Boy promised to bring back pussy willows, if they found any.

Friday came at last, and that meant he could leave his rubber boots beside his bed where he could see them the first thing in the morning.  Somehow, Sunny Boy never felt that he was going on a long trip till he saw the big trunk standing in the hall, waiting to be packed, and he never felt that he was going on a little trip till he could put the things he was to wear in neat piles ready to hop into.

“So you’re going exploring to-day, are you?” said Daddy Horton, when he kissed him good-bye the next morning.  “Well, good luck to you, old man.  I hope you have an exciting adventure.  And don’t lose either of your handsome boots!”

Sunny Boy laughed and went out on the front steps to wave to Daddy.

“It feels so nice,” he said to his mother, when she came to tell him that Mrs. Dunlap had telephoned that Oliver was going to call for Sunny Boy.  “I like spring, don’t you, Mother?”

“I love the spring, precious,” she answered, smiling.  “Now come and get your cap and the lunch Harriet has packed for you.  I believe Mr. Nelson is going to walk out to the car with you.  Where are you going to meet the other boys?”

“At the corner,” replied Sunny Boy, snatching up his cap and struggling into his sweater as he heard Oliver’s whistle.  “Thank you for making me the lunch, Harriet,” he cried, running toward the door.  “Good-bye, Mother,” he said, running back to kiss her.

Oliver and Nelson and Mr. Baker were waiting for him on the sidewalk, and when they reached the corner where the interurban trolley car stopped to take on passengers, they found Perry Phelps and Jimmie Butterworth and Leslie Bradin and Carleton Marsh, each with a box of lunch under his arm.