"Let's meet on Main Street after supper," Dick proposed. "Perhaps by that time we'll have found an idea or two." "If we can find a pocketbook or two lying in the Main Street gutter, that will be something more practical than finding ideas," Tom replied with a doleful shake of his head. "But perhaps we'll really find the pocketbooks. Such things are told of in story books, anyway, you know." "If we find any pocketbooks," smiled Dick, "our first concern after that will be to find the owners of them. So that stunt wouldn't do us much good, even if it happened." Then the boys separated and went to their respective homes for supper. But Dick Prescott did not eat as much as usual. He was too preoccupied. He knew to a penny the amount that was in the treasury of their little canoe club, for Mr. Prescott was holding the money subject to his son's call. Certainly the money in the treasury wouldn't bring about a vacation at Lake Pleasant. Just as soon as the meal was over Dick went out, strolling back to Main Street. "'Lo, Dick!" Prescott turned to recognize and nod to a barefooted boy, rather frayed as to attire. Mart Heckler had been two classes below him when Prescott had attended Central Grammar School. Now Mart was waiting for the fall to enter the last grade at Central, which was also to be his last year at school. Mart's parents were poor, and this lad, in another year, must join the army of toilers. "You must be having a lot of fun this vacation, Dick," remarked Mart rather wistfully. "Lot of fun in that war canoe, isn't there?" "Yes; there is, Mart. If we see you down at the float one of these days we'll ask you out for a little ride." "Will you?" asked Mart, his eyes snapping. "Fine! Now that you fellows have your canoe I don't suppose you'll be trying to go away anywhere this summer. Too much fun at home, eh?" "I don't know about that," said young Prescott wistfully. "Just now we're planning to try to take the canoe up to Lake Pleasant for a while." "Bully place, the lake," said Mart approvingly. "I'm going up there Monday. Going to be gone for a couple of days." "How are you going to get there?" Dick asked with interest. "You know my Uncle Billy, don't you?" asked Mart. "He's the teamster, you know. He's going to Lake Pleasant to get a load of furniture that the installment folks are taking back from a new boarding house up there. He said I could go up with him. We'll carry our food, and sleep over Monday night in the wagon." Dick halted suddenly, trembling with eagerness. He began to feel that he had scented a way of getting the canoe up to the lake in the hills! CHAPTER X PUTTING UP A BIG SCHEME "Your uncle will be at his regular stand to-night, won't he?" queried Dick Prescott. "I expect so," Mart agreed. "What's the matter? Do you want to go along with us? I guess Uncle Billy would be willing." At this moment Dick heard a group of younger boys laughing as they strolled along the street.