ition and make out your estimate at once."

Dale hesitated no longer. The whole thing still seemed odd, but after
all, as Mr. Curtis had said, he had nothing to do with that. He was still
further reassured when he went over the specifications again, seated at
a corner of the scoutmaster's writing-table. The very detail with which
these had been made out pointed to a distinct and definite want, not to
a charity meant to give work to an unknown scout.

For two hours the boy sat making rough plans, measuring, figuring, and
calculating with the utmost care. He conscientiously put his estimate
as low as he possibly could, and when word came next day to go ahead he
plunged into the work blithely, determined to give the unknown good value
for his money.

Fortunately, school was over and Dale could give practically all his
time to the undertaking. He took a chance and registered for the first
two weeks at camp, but it was a close call, and the houses were delivered
to Mr. Curtis only the very morning before the party was scheduled to
start. That afternoon he had the money, and there was no happier boy
in Hillsgrove as he hastily sought the scout store at the Y. M. C. A.
and made his necessary purchases.

It was at the same place that the crowd gathered with bag and baggage
next morning at six o'clock. Early as it was, the majority were on hand
before the appointed hour, so there was no delay in getting off. Seats
had been built along each side of the big motor-truck, and the moment
suitcases and duffle-bags were stowed away beneath them, there was a
scramble to get aboard.

Tompkins found himself presently squeezed in near the rear, next to
Court Parker, with Sanson, Bob Gibson, and Paul Trexler near by. Most
of the older fellows were farther front, and Mr. Curtis sat next to
the driver. It was a perfect day, clear, sparkling, cloudless, and as
the truck rumbled out of Hillsgrove and started southward along the
fine state road the boys were in high spirits. Soon some one started
up a song, and from one familiar air they passed to another, letting
off a good deal of steam in that fashion. A lot more was got rid of by
practising troop yells, and when the truck began to pass between fields
of waving yellow grain, they found amusement in seeing how many of the
laboring farmers would answer their shouts and hand-wavings.

But it wasn't possible, of course, to keep up this sort of thing for
the entire journey, and after a coupl