was there no later than twenty-one
minutes past seven.

CHAPTER VI

MEETING THE FATE OF GREENHORNS

At five minutes before eight Hiram Driggs arrived, keys in hand.

"I see you're on time," he smiled, unlocking the gate and throwing
it open. "Now come in and we'll run your canoe out on the river
float."

Even in the dim light of the boathouse Dick & Co. could see the
sides of the canoe glisten with their coating of pitch and oil
that lay outside the bark. The war canoe looked like a bran-new
craft!

"Do you like her?" queried Driggs, with a smile of pride in the
work of his yard.

"Like her?" echoed Dick, a choking feeling in his throat. "Mr.
Driggs, we can't talk---yet!"

"Get hold," ordered the boat builder. "Carry her gently."

Gently? Dick & Co. lifted their beloved treasure as though the
canoe carried a cargo of eggs.

Out into the morning sun they carried her, letting her down with
the stern right at the water's edge.

"O-o-o-oh!" It would be hard to say which one of Dick & Co. started
that murmur of intense admiration.

"Now, if you can take your eyes off that canoe long enough," proposed
Driggs, after all hands, the builder included, had feasted their
eyes for a few minutes upon the canoe, "come into the office and
we'll attend to a little business."

Not quite comprehending, the high school boys followed Driggs,
who seated himself at his desk, picking up a sheet of paper.

"Prescott, I take it you're the business manager of this crowd,"
the boat builder went on. "Now, look over these figures with
me, and see if everything is straight. Here are the different
loads of bark you've brought in. I figure them up at $122.60.
See if you make it the same?"

"Of course I do," nodded Dick, not even looking at the figures.

"Careless of you, not to watch another man's figuring," remarked
Hiram Driggs. "Now, then, the bark you've brought in comes to
just what I've stated. Against that is a charge for the team
and wagon, eight days at four dollars a day---thirty-two dollars.
Twenty dollars for fixing your canoe. Total charges, fifty-two
dollars. Balance due you for bark, seventy dollars and sixty
cents. That's straight, isn't it?"

"I---I don't understand," faltered Dick Prescott.

"Then see if this will help you to understand," proposed Driggs,
drawing a roll of bills from his pocket and laying down the money.
Here you are, seventy dollars and sixty cents."

"But we didn't