"You can have the grindstone," Driggs assented. "And I'll do
better than that. I can spare half a dozen knives from the shop
that are better than anything you carry in your pockets. Oh,
we'll rush this business along fast."

Six utterly happy high school boys reported at Hiram Driggs' stable
at six o'clock the next morning. They harnessed the horses, put
the grindstone in the wagon and all climbed aboard. Two seats
held them all, and there was room for a load of bark, besides,
several times as large as Dick & Co. could carry on their backs.

Work went lightly that day! The shop knives cut far better than
pocket knives could do, and the stone was at hand for sharpening.
Six laughing and not very tired boys piled aboard the wagon that
afternoon, with what looked like a "mountain" of prime birch bark
roped on.

For seven more working days Dick & Co. toiled faithfully, at the
end of which time they discovered that they had about "cleaned"
Katson's Hill of all the really desirable bark.

"Your canoe will be dry enough to launch in the morning," said
Driggs, as he received the last load at his stable. "Come down
any time after eight o'clock and we'll put it in the water."

Were Dick & Co. on hand the next morning?

Dan Dalzell was the last of the six boys to reach post outside
the locked gate of the yard, and he was there no later than twenty-one
minutes past seven.