over to your Aunt Jen. Tod forgot, and so his dad wouldn't let him
go fishing, that's all."

"Sun's up," announced Jerry Ring.

"So's Tod!" exclaimed Dave Thomas, who had climbed to the first high
limbs of a near-by elm and now slid suddenly down into the midst of
the piled-up fishing paraphernalia. "I just saw him coming in from
the berry patch--here he comes now."

A lanky, good-natured looking sixteen-year-old boy, in loose-fitting
overalls and pale blue shirt open at the throat, came loping down
the path.

"Gee, fellows," he panted, "I expect you're cussing mad--but I _had_
to pick those berries before I went, and it took me so long to
grouch out the green ones after it got light."

"I see you brought the very greenest one of all along," observed
Dave dryly.

"Oh, you here, too, little one?" as if seeing him for the first
time. "I didn't know kindergarten was closed for the day. I make one
guess who tipped over the bait can."

"Ask Frank," suggested Dave with pretended weariness; "he's got
second sight."

"Don't need second sight to see that worm crawling up your pants
leg. We going to stand here all day! I move we get a hike on down to