”Suppose it starts it back and we bunk into Tony’s lunch wagon?” Dorry Benton said. “The earth is moving the other way,” Pee-wee shouted. Westy said, “Well, here’s an end to all our fine plans, that’s sure. I don’t see what we can do. In the winter it won’t be so bad down here, but now—s—_lap_, there’s another.” “He must have come in through the glass,” I said. Then, just to make the fellows feel good, I started singing: We started down to the river But fate is very—is very—is very—— “Harsh!” Westy shouted. “Correct,” I said. We started down to the river, But fate is very harsh. We started out for the, what-d’you call it, promised land, And got stuck in the middle of the marsh. But, gee whiz, they didn’t feel like singing, I could see that. Pee-wee shouted, because that kid would be happy in the bottom of a well, but the rest of them just kept still and looked grouchy. “It’s raining, too,” one of them said. “It always rains in vacation,” another began grumbling. “Vacations and Saturdays,” another said. “Come on home; that’s the end of our plans,” Dorry said. “I’m sorry we didn’t go up to Temple Camp with the others. I bet they’ll be good and mad when they see where the car is.” I said, “A scout is supposed to be cheerful; let’s laugh, ha, ha!” “I tell you what let’s do,” Pee-wee said. “Let’s camp here all night.” “What good will that do?” one of the fellows wanted to know. I said, “Well, I’m not going home in all this rain, anyway. We’re here and I’m going to stay here till it holds up.” “That will be in about two weeks,” one of them said. “I’ll go and tell our mothers and fathers and I’ll get some eats,” Pee-wee shouted. “And I’ll get some games and——” “Ah, give us a rest,” Bad Manners said. I said, “Isn’t it nice, we’re all such optimists?” “Where did you get that word?” one of them grumbled. “That means a man that tests your eyes,” Pee-wee shouted. “You mean an optometrist,” Westy said. I said, “What’s the use of grouching? We’re here because we’re here. Can you deny that? Is it our fault if the car didn’t go all the way? You fellows make me sick. Look at the inventor; he’d be happy on top of a volcano.” “No wonder,” Westy said. “That’s because a volcano is on fire.” “Fire’s better than rain, anyway,” one of them said. “Oh, is that so?” I shot back at him. “If it wasn’t for rain there wouldn’t be any good fishing.” “A lot of fish we’ll catch here,” Will Dawson said. “And another thing,” I said, “look at Queen Victoria; she reigned for fifty years and she didn’t get mad. That shows you women are better than men. Maybe Minerva Skybrow could think of a way for us to get the car out of here.” “Sure, maybe she’ll talk Italian to the cattails,” Ralph Warner said. “Maybe she could get the mosquitoes to move, she was so successful with Tony,” Charlie Seabury began grouching. “I wish school would open,” Dorry Benton said. I said, “Do you take back that remark?”