‘He has, too! He got it last fall in trade with a fellow who owed him some money. Don’t you remember? It’s down at Mr. Tremble’s yard. He’s going to let me take it and go off on a trip. You’re going, too, Tim, and we’re going to be pirates of the Caribbean! We’re going to have a tent and a lot of food and dad’s going to have Mr. Tremble teach us to run it!’ ‘The tent?’ asked Tim puzzledly. ‘The boat, you chump! We’re going to start next Monday. Want to come?’ Pud paused anxiously. ‘Why, I guess so,’ answered Tim, ‘only I don’t know will father let me, Pud.’ ‘Why not? Why won’t he let you?’ ‘He says――’ Tim hesitated at the possibility of hurting his chum’s feelings. ‘He says you take too many risks.’ Pud stared, stricken to silence by such an outrageous accusation. ‘Risks!’ he finally ejaculated. ‘How do you mean risks? I ain’t any riskier than――he is!’ ‘Well, you know,’ answered Tim placatingly, ‘we did get in a fix last winter on the ice that time.’ ‘What of it? What’s he want to blame me for? How was I going to know that that old hunk was going to break loose like that? Gee, you’d think I’d done it on purpose, the way you talk!’ ‘I don’t talk,’ denied Tim vigorously. ‘I only said what father said. Anyway, if you hadn’t insisted on going out there that day we wouldn’t have been there when it did break away. I told you it wasn’t safe.’ ‘Shucks! A lot you knew about it! Besides, we got off all right, didn’t we?’ ‘Y-yes, but they had to chase us way down below the bridge, and if we’d hit one of the piers――’ ‘“If”! Well, we didn’t. Gee, if you don’t want to go, just say so. I guess I can find some one else. Most fellows would jump at the chance to go off a whole week in a corking boat and camp out at night and cook their own grub and――’ ‘Who’s going to cook it?’ demanded Tim. ‘Both of us. Or we could take turns. _I_ don’t mind cooking a bit. Anyway, we’d just have bacon and easy things like that.’ ‘I don’t like bacon,’ said Tim coldly. ‘Well, you wouldn’t _have_ to eat it, I guess. Gee, you can think up more――more objections!’ ‘I can’t either! Only I don’t like to cook, and if I have to do it I’d rather not go. Couldn’t we take things that didn’t have to be cooked?’ ‘Sure! That’s easy.’ Pud’s cheerfulness returned. ‘We can take things in cans, like corn-beef and――and――’ ‘Frankfurters,’ suggested Tim. Pud scowled. ‘Gee, no, they’re awful, Tim!’ ‘I like them,’ said Tim placidly. ‘And then there’s beans.’ ‘Yes, beans are all right. And canned tomatoes and corn――’ ‘And peaches,’ added Tim wistfully. ‘Well, I guess peaches are pretty expensive. Say, had your breakfast?’ ‘Yes. You?’ Pud nodded. ‘Let’s go and ask your father if you can come with me, Tim. Will you?’ ‘He’s working on a job over across the creek,’ answered the other doubtfully. ‘Well, why not ask him right now? We’ll both go, eh?’ Tim looked at the mower. ‘I ought to get this grass cut,’ he muttered.