and of parasols. Though the Gridley boosters might be few in
number, they were great in enthusiasm.

As the "Pathfinder" started in for the landing float a crowd made
a rush to meet the canoes. It was not, however, the Preston craft,
that the crowd wanted, for this was a Gridley crowd.

Noting the fact with his keen eyes, Dick gave the word for easy
paddling. Then he swung the war canoe about, heading toward camp.

That proved not at all to the crowd's liking.

"Come back, Prescott! This way, Gridley! We want you!"

"Why don't you land, Dick?" queried Tom Reade.

"What! Land at the mercy of that crowd!" exclaimed Prescott.
"That is a Gridley crowd. They're so pleased over our winning
that what they'd do to us might be worse than what they'd have
done if we had lost."

"Where are you going?" asked Dave, somewhat disappointed.

"Camp is good enough for us, I guess. It's a safe place, anyway,"
Prescott replied.

A few minutes later the "Scalp-hunter" touched lightly on the
beach in front of camp.

Towser greeted them with a joyous bark.