flowers
and rocks and trees and animals, I'd be willing to do anything--even to
work in Miller's factory for a time. But Dad will need every cent I can
earn until I am twenty-one, and I can't see how I can possibly go to
college."

"Never mind, Charley. You never can tell what will happen. Look at Roy. He
was worse off than you are, for his father died suddenly and Roy had to
care for both himself and his mother. And see what came of it. He isn't
much older than we are, yet he's got a fine job. Just keep your eyes open
and you may pick up something, too."

"It'll have to come quick, then," sighed Charley. "Here it is almost
Easter vacation, and I am to graduate in June. This will probably be the
last vacation I shall have in a long time."

"Then let's enjoy this vacation. I've been thinking what we could do, and
it occurred to me that it would be lots of fun for the Wireless Patrol to
make a trip up the river to that old camp of ours. It won't be too cold to
camp out if we take out our tents and our little collapsible stoves.
Suckers ought to be running good and we can catch a fine mess of fish,
take a hike or two, and have a bully trip up the river and back. Let's go
tell the rest of the fellows."

Lew jumped up and started for the door. Then he stopped suddenly and a
look of disappointment came over his face. "I'll bet none of 'em can go,"
he said. "They've all got jobs for the vacation. I'm glad we've got our
money earned."

"I just thought of another difficulty," sighed Charley. "Not one of us
owns a boat."

"We can borrow one," said Lew.

"I hate to borrow things," replied Charley. "You remember how I borrowed
old man Packer's bob-sled and broke it and then had to pay to have it
remade. No more borrowing for me."

"Why can't we make a boat? There's plenty of time between now and
vacation. If we do the work ourselves, it oughtn't to cost more than two
or three dollars and then we'd have a boat of our own."

"Bully!" cried Charley. "We can make it as good as anybody. We'll do it."

"All right. I'll go down-town and find the price of oars and rowlocks, and
you go over to Hank Cooley's and find out how his father made that boat of
his. It's a dandy and just what we need."

The two boys rushed off in opposite directions, each full of enthusiasm
over the plan to build a new boat and make a trip up the river during
their Easter vacation.

Chapter II

What Came of Them

A few hours later Charle