ownpour; and rubber boots, so why should I worry?"

"Since you're prepared to be a regular waterdog, Toby," said Steve,
"we'll look to you to do all the stray jobs when it rains. Jack and
myself not being so well prepared can stick to the tent and keep dry."

"Perhaps you're counting your chickens before they're hatched," chuckled
Jack, apparently much amused by this conversation on the part of his
chums; "for there's no certainty that it means to rain today. That sign
business used to make a great hit with people before they began to
reason things out; but it as often misses making connections as it does
strike the truth."

"Guess it must be a whole lot like the almanac people," laughed Toby.
"You know they just guess at probabilities when setting down what the
weather is going to be six months ahead. I remember reading a story
about one of the most famous of almanac makers, I forget what his name
was, but let it go as Spilkins. He was walking out in the country one
fine morning when there wasn't a sign of a cloud in the sky. A farmer
working in a field called out to him that he'd better keep an eye above,
for like as not there'd be rain before the day was done. Spilkins only
laughed at him, and went on; but sure enough, an hour later it clouded
over like fun, and down came the rain, so that he had to seek shelter in
a friendly barn.

"Now, as an almanac man, he thought it worth while to go back and
interview that hayseed, and find out just how he could tell there was
rain coming when not a sign was visible. I guess Spilkins thought he
might pick up a valuable pointer that he could make use of in
prognosticating the weather ahead.

"The man was working again in his field, where the shower had made
things look fresh and green. So Mr. Spilkins called him over to the
fence, and after passing a few pleasant remarks, bluntly asked him how
he could scent rain when not a small cloud was in the sky. The farmer
grinned, and this is what he told him:

"'Why, you see, Mister, we all of us take Spilkins' Reliable Family
Almanac around this region, and we goes by it regular like. When he sez
it's going to rain we calculate we'll have a fine day for haying; and
when he speaks of fair weather, why we just naturally git out our
rain-coats, and lay for having a spell in the woodshed. And I happened
to notice this same mornin' that he predicted a fine day, so I jest
knowed it'd sartin sure rain; and, sir, _it did_!'"

Both the o