"A sensible plan!" repeated the enthusiastic Fred, "it is the _only_ plan; nothing else can make it sure that he is not being swindled out of a big fortune." Jack was silent a moment, while he looked steadily into the brown eyes of his chum, who half-smilingly met the scrutiny. Then the whole scheme burst forth. "And whom can your father trust before _us_? He must see that the best thing he can do is to send us out there to make a full investigation. We won't charge him anything like what he would have to pay other folks." "Of course not; only our travelling expenses and supplies." "What do you mean by supplies?" "Say a Winchester rifle and a revolver apiece, with the proper ammunition; what sort of supplies did you think I meant?" "I thought it was food, while we were out hunting." Jack turned up his nose. "If we can't keep ourselves supplied with food, when we are in a country that has the finest game in the world, we deserve to starve." "My sentiments exactly;" and as if the coincidence required something in the nature of a compact, the boys shook hands over it. "What a splendid treat it would be for us to spend some weeks out in Wyoming!" exclaimed Jack Dudley, his eyes sparkling and his cheeks glowing; "it looks as if it were providential that father got hold of that ranch." "There can't be any doubt about it; but how much more providential it will be if we are sent to learn all that should be learned about it! I wonder if that can be brought about?" Enough has been told for the reader to understand the plot formed by these two youths. There could be no question of the grand treat it would prove to both, provided their parents could be persuaded to take the same view of the matter; _there_ was the rub. Jack crossed his legs and thoughtfully scratched his head. Unconsciously Fred did the same. "It's a tougher problem than we ever attacked in Euclid," remarked the younger. Then a bright thought struck him. "Don't I look a little pale, Jack?" "You look as if a month's vacation in the autumn would be acceptable; but the fact is, Fred, I never saw you look better than you do this minute." Fred sighed. "I am afraid I can't work that on father. He's too good a doctor for me to worry him about my health." "How about _me_?" Fred shook his head. "You look as strong as an oak knot, and you are, too; no, we can't make them think we are in need of a month in Wyoming. We shall have to try another tack. Now, there is no doubt that if we spend the month of September putting in extra work on our studies, we can stand the following month in laying off. We shall come back with new vigor and appetite, and soon catch up with our class." "There isn't a particle of doubt about that, but it still remains that we must convince our fathers that it will be a wise course to send us away from home. We can't do it by looking pale and weak, for we can't look pale and weak. We must fix on something else or it's no go."