"We have about fifty dollars in our treasury, from the birch bark business," Dick mused aloud, "but that won't help us any, will it?" "Why, how much would it cost to have the canoe taken up there on a wagon Danny Grin asked. "Not less than fifteen dollars each way," Dick replied. "We'll give it up," said Tom. "There's nothing in the Lake Pleasant idea for us." "I hadn't any idea we could do anything else but give it up," Dave observed, though he spoke rather gloomily. Dick was still thinking hard, though he could think of no plan that would enable them to make a trip to Lake Pleasant and remain there for some days. It was a Saturday afternoon. It had been a hot day, yet out on the water, busy with their sport, and acquiring a deep coating of sunburn, the boys had not noticed the heat especially. Now they mopped their faces as they strolled almost listlessly along the street. "I want to go to Lake Pleasant," grumbled Danny Grin. "Going to-night, or to-morrow morning?" teased Greg. "If I had an automobile I'd start after supper," Dalzell informed them. "But not having a car you'll wait till you're grown up and have begun to earn money of your own," laughed Harry Hazelton. "What do you say, Dick?" asked Dan Dalzell anxiously. "I say that I'm going to put in a few days or a fortnight at Lake Pleasant if I can possibly find the way," Dick retorted, with a sudden energy that was quite out of keeping with the heat of the afternoon. "Hurray!" from Danny Grin. "That's what I call the right talk," added Darrin. "How will the rest of us get along with the canoe while you're gone?" questioned Tom Reade. "You don't suppose I'd go to Lake Pleasant without the rest of the crowd?" Dick retorted rather scornfully. "Then you're going to take us all with you, and the canoe, too?" Tom demanded, betraying more interest. "If I can find the way to do it, or if any of you fellows can," was young Prescott's answer. That started another eager volley of talk. Yet soon all of them save Dick looked quite hopeless. The railroad ran only within eight miles of the lake. From the railway station the rest of the journey was usually made by automobile stages, while baggage went up on automobile trucks. Charges were high on this automobile line up into the hills. To send the canoe by rail, and then transfer it to an automobile truck would cost more than to transport it direct from Gridley to the lake by wagon. "We can talk about it all we want," sighed Tom, "but I don't see the telephone poles on the golden road to Lake Pleasant." "We've got to find the way if we can," Dick retorted firmly. "Let's all set about it at once." "When do we start?" teased Tom. "Monday morning early," laughed Dave. "And this is late Saturday afternoon." Dan Dalzell was not in his usually jovial spirits. His heart was as much set on going as was Dick's, but Dan now felt that the pleasure jaunt was simply impossible.