travel."

"And where would you go if you had the chance?"

"I don't know. Maybe around the world," and Dave's eyes lit up as he
spoke.

"Around the world! And would you go all alone?"

"All alone? Not if I could get anybody to go along with me! Wouldn't you
like to take a trip like that, Jessie?" and he gazed at her fondly.

"Oh, Dave!"

"Well, it would be a great trip for both of us; wouldn't it?"

"Dave, don't be silly," and Jessie blushed deeply. "We are not going
around the world yet, we are going to Bear Camp, and that's plenty far
enough."

"Yes, I know, Jessie. But you see"--and Dave lowered his voice--"I want
to make sure that when I go you'll go with me. It will then be the
finest trip that ever anybody----"

Bang! It was a report like that from a small cannon, and came from close
beside them. Jessie gave a scream, and so did Laura and Mrs. Basswood,
while cries of wonder and alarm came from the boys. The Basswood car had
come up alongside of the other automobile, and just at that instant the
tire which Ben had said was cut blew out, sending a shower of dirt and
stones in all directions. Mr. Basswood, who was at the wheel, brought
the car to a quick stop, and Mr. Porter also halted.

"Well, it went, just as I thought it might," remarked Ben, grimly.

"Too bad!" returned Luke. "I reckon it was my fault. I should have let
you put on that other shoe before we started."

"It's nobody's fault!" cried Mr. Basswood, quickly. "Now then, boys,
we'll see how soon we can get another shoe on."

Many hands made the labor of jacking up the car and changing the tire a
light one. Fortunately the automobile was equipped with a pump attached
to the engine, so that blowing up the tire by hand was unnecessary.

"This is only a little exercise to get up an appetite for that lunch,"
remarked Dave, gaily. "We want to do full justice to the stuff in the
hamper."

"As if there was ever anything the matter with your appetite!" cried
Phil, dryly.

"Why Philip, my son, you know I never eat more than a bird!" retorted
Dave, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Humph! A bird, eh? I guess you must mean an ostrich," retorted the
shipowner's son, and at this sally there was a general laugh in which
even Dave joined.

"Just eleven o'clock," remarked Luke, consulting his watch. "When do we
stop for that lunch?"

"At twelve o'clock precisely," answered Mrs. Basswood. "That is, of
course, if we happen to be in the right kind of a