The boys expected to fit this building up as a sort of club room later
on, and in this place during the next winter keep all their magazines,
as well as other treasures connected with their association, together.

So Max explained just how it came that Herb Benson, the leader of
another group of Carson boys, had challenged them to spend a certain
length of time on Catamount Island, far up the Big Sunflower branch of
the Evergreen River, which flowed past the town.

Some time previous to this Max and his four chums, wishing to secure
funds in order to carry out certain pet projects for the summer
vacation, and early fall, had conceived the notion that perhaps the
mussels, or fresh-water clams, that could be found, particularly along
the Big Sunflower, might contain a few pearls such as were being
discovered in so many streams in Indiana, Arkansas, and other Middle
Western States.

They had been fairly successful, and during a search discovered a number
of really valuable pearls. From the proceeds of the sale of a portion of
their find they had purchased motorcycles, with which they enjoyed a few
runs. Then, as Steve had remarked so forlornly, Bandy-legs being so
clumsy with his mount as to have a few accidents, which, however, had
not been serious, their folks had united in declaring war on the
gas-engine business. Consequently they had been compelled to dispose of
the machines at a sacrifice. And the canoes had been their second
choice.

After the other three had heard what the proposal was, they united in
declaring their perfect willingness to take up the dare, if only to show
Herb that there was a big difference between his brand of nerve, and