"I'll tell you what you might do, Dave, by way of extra exercise
and hardening," offered Tom.

"What?" asked Dave suspiciously.

"I believe we're going to halt every hour for a brief rest"

"Yes."

"While the five of us are resting under the trees, Darry, you
might climb the trees, swinging from limb to limb and leaping
from tree to tree. Of course you'll select trees that are not
directly over our heads."

"Humph!" retorted Dave.

"Try it, anyway," urged Tom, "it's fine exercise, even if you
give it up after a while."

"I'll try it as often as you do," Darrin agreed with a grin.

Their second halt found the high school boys more than six miles
from their starting point.

On this trip they were not heading in the direction they had followed
on their fishing trip. Instead, they were traveling in the opposite
direction from Gridley, through a fairly populous farming region.

At a quarter-past ten o'clock Dick called for another halt. The