The stores had been packed away on Saturday in a boathouse nearby,
and it was an easy matter to transfer them to the rowboat. The
craft was rather crowded with goods and boys, but the lads made
the best of it. Only two could use the oars, so they took turns
at rowing, Snap and Whopper taking the blades at first, with Giant
in the bow and Shep in the stern, steering.

Nearly everybody in the town had heard about the outing, and many
came to see them off.

"They'll be back in a week," said one big boy, with a laugh.
"Just wait till they catch a rainy spell."

"You're only mad because you can't go along, Ham Spink!" cried Snap.

"Bah! I wouldn't go with you!" retorted Ham Spink. "When I go
out I'll do it in first-class style and with an A1 guide. No
little two-cent trip for me."

Hamilton Spink was the son of a very aristocratic man who had
come to Fairview a year before. Ham, as all the boys called him,
was very much of a dude and always thought himself superior to
the regular town boys. He smoked cigarettes and played pool and
golf and rode horseback, and did as much "showing off" as he possibly
could. As a consequence the majority of the boys detested him.

"This isn't a two-cent trip!" cried Shep. "I don't thank you to
call it such."

"I'll call it what I please," muttered the dudish youth.

"Oh, dry off and keep cool!" came from Whopper, and he allowed
his oar to slip on purpose, sending a shower of water over the
youth on the dock.

"Hi! hi! stop!" came angrily, as Ham backed away. "How dare
you do such a thing!" and the dudish boy got out a silk handkerchief
and began to wipe the water from his face and high collar.

"Excuse me," answered Whopper, drily. "I beg two million pardons,
Ham. You see, I was holding the oar this way and I turned it
so, and I---well, I declare, there she goes again!" And once
more poor Ham received a shower of water over his rather elegant
suit.

"I'll---I'll have, the constable lock you up!" spluttered the dudish
boy, backing away rapidly. "This is---er---outrageous---I'll---
I'll tell your folks!"

"That's right, be a tattle-tale!" came from Giant, and then he
began to sing softly.

"Ham in the pan! Ham in the pan!
Ham's the best of meat!"

"Ham in the pan! Ham in the pan!
Ham is good and sweet!"

"You stop that!" roared Ham Spink, and then, as a dozen boys on
the dock took up the darky song, he turned and strode away, with
his rather short nose