n the mere
name.

"Whether it's true or not, I have no idea," continued Mr. Curtis. "To
return to the camp. This would be located on the bay side of the point,
facing the village, which is over a mile distant and practically the
only settlement around. The beach shelves gradually here, making an
ideal place for swimming, and there are three or four small islands
about a quarter of a mile from shore. The fishing in the bay is fine,
and there are lots of crabs and eels in the coves and inlets farther
up. We should have to do a lot of clearing out, of course, for the
undergrowth is pretty thick, but that would be more fun than otherwise."

A long, concerted sigh went up from the listening scouts. Ocean and
islands and a lost copper-mine seemed too entrancing a combination to
be possible. Several boys began to ask questions at once, but stopped at
a gesture from Mr. Curtis.

"One at a time, fellows," he reminded them. "The only practicable way
of getting there, Bob, is to hire an auto-truck and motor down to
Clam Cove, crossing over in a motor-boat. We haven't enough tents or
equipment to accommodate all the fellows at once, so we've decided to
divide in two or three relays of say thirty-five boys to a group,
each crowd to stay two weeks. The truck could make the trip in seven
or eight hours, and by starting early could take one bunch down and
bring another back the same day, thus considerably lessening the expense."

"How much do you think that will be, sir?" asked Dale Tompkins, quickly,
an anxious wrinkle in his forehead.

"About five dollars a week for board and a dollar extra for
transportation."

The troubled expression deepened in Dale's face, and he scarcely heard
the various other questions and answers that followed. Six dollars a
week--twelve in all! There would be other necessities, too, in the
way of clothes fit for camp. He had no shorts, for instance, or decent
sneakers. Fifteen dollars would barely cover the outlay; and though he
had worked hard for two months at least, he had little more than half
of the amount saved. Where was the rest to come from?

When Mr. Curtis, with pencil and paper in hand, started at the head of
the line to note down what boys were going, Tompkins roused himself and
listened with a touch of envy to the ready answers: "Yes, _sir_!" "You
can count me in every time, sir!" "Can't a fellow stay longer than two
weeks?" or, from Larry Wilks, "No, sir; I'm going up to Maine as soon