grin had become chronic.

Some distance from the tent stood a group of perhaps forty men
of the town of Gridley.

"The whole outfit of junk won't bring five hundred dollars," predicted
one of these men. "How much did you say the judgments total?"

"Seventeen thousand four hundred dollars," replied another. "But
the man who attached the show has a claim for only six hundred
and forty dollars, so he may get most of his money."

Here the auctioneer stopped talking with the deputy sheriff long
enough to go over to the platform, pick up a bell and ring it
vigorously. A few more stragglers came up, most of them boys
without any money in their pockets.

Off at one side of the lot six boys stood by themselves, talking
in low tones, casting frequent, earnest glances toward the platform.

These youngsters were Dick Prescott, Dave Darrin, Greg Holmes,
Tom Reade, Dan Dalzell and Harry Hazelton. Collectively they
were known in the boydom of Gridley as Dick & Co.

Our readers are already familiar with every one of these lads,
having first been introduced to them in the "_Grammar School Boys
Series_," with its four volumes, "_The Grammar School Boys of
Gridley_," "_The Grammar School Boys Snowbound_," "_The Grammar
School Boys in the Woods_" and "_The Grammar School Boys in Summer
Athletics_." The varied and stirring exploits of Dick & Co.,
as told in these books, stamped the six chums as American boys
of the best sort.

Then, in "_The High School Freshmen_," the first volume of the
"_High School Boys Series_," our readers went further into the
history of Dick & Co., and saw how even freshmen may impress their
personalities on the life and sports of a high school. The pranks,
the fights, the victories and achievements of that first year
in high school had done much to shape the characters and mould
the minds of all six of our boys.

The present narrative deals with all that happened in the vacation
after Dick Prescott and his friends had finished their freshman
year. The summer now lay before them for whatever might come
to them in the way of work and pleasure. Though none of the six
yet knew it, the summer was destined to bring to them the fullest
measure of wonder and excitement.

And now let us get back to Dick & Co., that we may see just what
befell them.

"Pshaw! There comes Fred Ripley," exclaimed Harry Hazelton.

"And he probably has a few ten dollar bills in his pockets," remarked
Greg Holmes, rather