tell, Jack had known several of these wonderful "theories" which Toby
had conjured up, to fail in coming up to expectation when put to the
test; so he did not allow himself to anticipate too much.

Nevertheless when the idea was gone over he admitted that there might
really be something in it.

"Perhaps you _have_ struck something worth while at last, Toby," he
told the other, "and we can work it out by degrees when we get down
to actual business. Evidently, you've got an inventive mind, and you
needn't despair if a whole lot of your ideas do go by the board. Every
inventor has conceived a score of schemes to one he's adopted. Even a
failure may be the stepping-stones to success, you know." "That's
good of you to say as much, Jack, old chap, when I do think up some of
the greatest fool notions ever heard of," acknowledged Toby; "but it's
my plan to keep right on, and encourage my brain to work along that
groove. I feel it's going to be my forte in life to invent things. I'd
rather be known as the man who had lightened the burdens of mankind
than to be a famous general who had conquered the world."

Jack did not stay longer than half an hour, but during that time he
went over the whole scheme of building the new iceboat in Toby's shop.

"I've got all the specifications down in black and white, you see,
Jack," the other said at the door, "as to what we'll need; and now
that you've approved, I shall start right in and order the stuff
tomorrow. The sooner we get started the better; though I don't suppose
we'll really have much spare time to work at it until after
Thanksgiving, and the big game with Harmony is over."