“You’re right, I’m afraid, Mr. Driggs,” Dick Prescott admitted with a smile.  “But, before long, we hope to take out as many of the high school girls as care to step into this fine old war canoe.”

“I hope you won’t forget that,” Belle Meade flashed at him smilingly.

“We won’t,” Dave promised her.  “And you and Laura shall have the first invitation.”

“I shall be ready,” Laura replied, “just as soon as you boys feel that you can take proper care of us in the canoe.”

“You’ll have to do your own share of taking care,” Tom Reade responded.  “About all a passenger has to learn in a canoe is to take a seat right in the middle of the canoe, and to keep to that place without moving about.”

Dick & Co., minus Danny Grin, now paddled off, reaching the float some moments before the scow got in.

“Young ladies,” said Dick, as he stepped to the float, “I don’t know how many of you will care about going out in our canoe, but we wish to invite all who would like it to try a trip within the next few days.  Four boys and two girls can go out at a time, and in case of mishap that would leave two good swimmers to look after each girl.  We shall be glad if you will permit us to invite you in couples.”

Despite the accident of the morning the invitation was greeted with enthusiasm.

CHAPTER IX

DICK TREMBLES AT HIS NERVE

Hiram Driggs refused to accept any money for his trouble in raising the canoe.

“I won’t charge you anything, unless upsetting your craft becomes a troublesome habit,” the boat builder declared.  “Remember, I’m a big winner on our birch bark trade.”

Within the next four days all of the girls invited had been able to take a trip up the river and back.

By this time Dick & Co. had fully acquired the mastery of their canoe.  They had had no more upsets, for “Big Chief Prescott,” of this new Gridley tribe of young Indians, had succeeded in putting through some rules governing their conduct when the chums were out in their canoe.  One of these rules was that no one should change his position in the craft except the steersman at the stern.  Others would not look about at a hail unless informed by the steersman that they might do so.

Not by any means did Dick do all the steering of the craft.  Each of his chums had a frequent turn at it, and at the other positions in the canoe, until all were expert at any part of the work.

“But there is one big drawback about having this canoe,” Greg remarked one day.

“What’s that?” asked Dave.

“There are no canoes to race with.”

“There are up at Lake Pleasant,” Dick replied.

“But we can’t take the canoe up there,” Tom Reade objected.  “It’s twenty-four miles from Gridley.”

“Couldn’t we walk there and carry the canoe on our shoulders?” suggested Dave.