The money in his hand, Dick raced back to the lot where the show
tent still stood.

He was back before any of the others and waited impatiently.
Dave Darrin came up ten minutes later.

"Did you get it?" asked Dick anxiously.

"Yes," replied Dave laconically, pushing two one dollar bills
into Dick's hand.

One by one the other boys arrived. Each had managed to round
up his part of the assessment.

With thirteen dollars in his hand, Dick went up to the auctioneer's
clerk.

"I am ready to pay the other eleven dollars on the canoe," Prescott
announced, speaking as calmly as possible.

"All right," agreed the clerk. "But you'll have to find some
man you can trust to take the bill of sale. We can't pass title
to a minor."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Dick demanded.

"That's all right. It wasn't necessary before, but it is now.
Just find some man who will treat you all right and give you
the canoe. Then we'll take the money and make out the bill of
sale to him."