ened to this recital.

The boys, had they not felt a manly sympathy for their discomfited
friends, would have laughed outright.

"I am glad that it is no worse," said Mrs. Bentley in a relieved
voice. "At the same time, it was a very silly performance."

"It was," nodded the doctor, who turned to the girls to add:

"My dears, as you succeeded this time in making me your very reluctant
accomplice, I am in no position to say very much to you. But
I trust you all realize the situation and its outcome, and that
you will never allow yourselves to be made ridiculous again in
any such way."

"I don't believe we shall," Laura replied. "We felt ashamed of
ourselves afterwards, but we were silly enough to feel because
we had pledged ourselves to forage for fruit and vegetables that
the joke must be carried out."

"Tom Reade," snapped Susie Sharp, "you are just bursting with
laughter that you can hardly hold back."

"Not I!" Tom denied promptly. "I am congratulating myself that
we boys had sense enough not to take seriously your claim that
you had been robbing anyone's garden. As it happened, you did
that very thing, but you didn't know it, and you didn't mean to."

There was an embarrassed silence. Then Dick proposed:

"Let's have a good-natured laugh all around and forget the whole
thing."

That relieved the awkwardness of the situation. After that a
watermelon was cut and brought to the tables.

"Gridley, ahoy!" called a voice across the dark waters.

"Who's there?" called Dick.

"Preston High School Canoe Club. May we visit your camp?"

"Shall I invite them over?" asked Dick, looking at Mrs. Bentley
and then at the girls.

Receiving their consent, he called out:

"Come in, Preston High School! Welcome!"

A soft splashing of paddles showed where the visitors were coming
in to shore. Dan Dalzell taking the camp lantern, ran to meet them.

A moment later six Preston lads were stepping ashore, one after
the other. Dick, having excused himself at table, came forward
also to greet them.

Two of the Preston High School boys were already acquainted with
Laura Bentley and some of her friends. Introductions followed
rapidly.

"Drop into the Gridley seats and have some of the watermelon,"
Dick pressed the visitors, he and his chums standing in order
to do the honors of the occasion.

"It looks as though we had been trying to invite ourselves to
a banquet," laughed Hartwell, "big chief" of the Pres