such a plan.
"An' I'll tell you how we could fix the other end," said Toby, quickly,
as another happy thought presented itself. "If Mr. Mansfield would lend
us his big flag, it would jest do it."
"That's the very thing, an' I'll go an' ask him now;" and Bob started
out of the barn at full speed, while Reddy, now that the important
question was settled, displayed great alacrity in unrolling his
treasures.
The sails were not in a remarkable state of preservation, or Captain
Whetmore would not have taken them from his vessel; but Reddy explained
that the holes could be closed up by pasting paper over them, or by each
boy borrowing a sheet from his mother and pinning it up underneath.
One of the sails was considerably larger than the other; but Reddy had
also thought of this, and proposed to make them look the same size by
"tucking one in" at the end.
Bob returned before the sails had been thoroughly inspected, and brought
with him the coveted flag, thus showing he had been successful in his
mission.
"Now let's put it right up, an' then we can build our ring, an' do our
practisin' there instead of goin' up to the pasture," suggested Ben.
Since there was no reason why this should not be done, Bob and Ben
started for the woods to cut some young trees with which to make a
ridge-pole and posts, while the others carried the canvas out-of-doors,
and made calculations as to where and how it should be put up.
When they commenced work, they had no idea but that it would be
completed before supper-time; but when the village clock struck the hour
of five, they had not finished making the necessary poles and pegs.
"We can't come anywhere near getting it done to-night," said Toby,
surprised at the lateness of the hour, and wondering why Aunt Olive had
not called him as she had promised. "Let's put the sails back in the
barn, an' to-morrow mornin' we can begin early, an' have it all done by
noon."
There was no hope that they could complete the work that night Therefore
Toby's advice was followed; and when the partners separated, each
promised to be ready for work early the next morning.
CHAPTER XIV
RAISING THE TENT
Toby went into the house, feeling rather uneasy because he had not been
called; but when Aunt Olive told him that Abner had aroused from his
slumber but twice, and then only for a moment, he had no idea of being
worried about his friend, although he did think it a little singular he
shoul
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