The High School Boys' Training Hike Part 1

The High School Boys' Training Hike.

by H. Irving Hanc.o.c.k.

CHAPTER I

MR. t.i.tMOUSE DOESN'T KNOW d.i.c.k

"We thought ten dollars would be about right," d.i.c.k Prescott announced.

"Per week?" inquired Mr. t.i.tmouse, as though he doubted his hearing.

"Oh, dear, no! For the month of August, sir."

Mr. Newbegin t.i.tmouse surveyed his young caller through half-closed eyelids.

"Ten dollars for the use of that fine wagon for a whole month?"

cried Mr. t.i.tmouse in astonishment. "Absurd!"

"Very likely I am looking at it from the wrong point of view,"

admitted Prescott, who fingered a ten dollar bill and was slowly smoothing it out so that Mr. t.i.tmouse might see it.

"That wagon was put together especially for the purpose," Mr.

t.i.tmouse resumed. "It has seats that run lengthwise, and eight small cupboards and lockers under the seats. There is a place to secure the cook stove at the rear end of the wagon, and the stove rests on zinc. Though the wagon is light enough for one horse to draw it, it will hold all that several people could require for camping or for leading a regular gipsy life. There is a special awning that covers the wagon when needed, so that on a rainy day you can travel without using umbrellas or getting wet. You can cook equally well on the stove whether in camp or on the road.

There are not many vehicles in which you can cook a full meal when traveling from one point to another."

"Nor is it every stewpan or kettle that would refrain from slipping off the stove when driving the wagon over rough roads," laughed d.i.c.k good-humoredly.

"Well---er---of course, one has to choose decent roads when touring with a wagon of that sort," admitted the owner.

"Then you don't think ten dollars a fair price?" d.i.c.k Prescott inquired thoughtfully.

"For a month's use of the wagon? I do not," replied Mr. Newbegin t.i.tmouse with emphasis.

"And so you decline our offer of ten dollars?" Prescott asked, looking still more thoughtful.

"I certainly do," replied Mr. t.i.tmouse.

Then the owner of the wagon began to descant glowingly upon the many advantages of going on a road hike aided by the service that such a specially constructed wagon would give. In fact, Mr. t.i.tmouse dwelt so enthusiastically upon the value of his wagon that d.i.c.k shrewdly told himself:

"He's very anxious---unusually so---to rent us that wagon. I've already found out that he hasn't used the wagon in two years, nor has he succeeded in renting it to anyone else. The wagon is so much useless lumber in his stable."

"I wouldn't rent that wagon to everyone," Mr. t.i.tmouse wound up.

"No, sir," d.i.c.k agreed heartily, yet with a most innocent look in his face. "Not everyone would want the wagon."

"I---I don't mean that!" Mr. t.i.tmouse exclaimed.

"In fact, sir," d.i.c.k went on very smoothly, "I have learned that you have been offering the wagon for sale or hire during the last two summers, without getting any customers."

"Eh?" demanded Mr. t.i.tmouse in some astonishment.

"Naturally, sir," d.i.c.k went on, "before coming here to see you I made a few inquiries in Tottenville. I discovered that in this vicinity the wagon is something of a joke."

"What's that?" questioned the other sharply. "My camping wagon a joke? Nothing of the sort. And, if it is a joke, why did you want to get it?"

"Oh, all of our fellows can stand a joke," laughed young Prescott "So I came over to see just what terms we could make for the use of your wagon during the month of August."

"Well, I'll be as fair with you as I can," Mr. t.i.tmouse replied.

"From men---grown men---I would want at least thirty dollars a month for the wagon---probably thirty-five. Of course I know that money is not as plentiful with boys. I'll let you have the wagon for the month of August at the bottom price of twenty-five dollars."

d.i.c.k smilingly shook his head.

"I've named the best price I could think of taking," insisted Mr. t.i.tmouse. "Come into the wagon shed and have another look at it."

"Thank you, sir, but there is no use in looking at the wagon again, when such a price as twenty-five dollars is asked for a month's hire," d.i.c.k answered promptly.

"Come inside and look at it again, anyway," urged Mr. t.i.tmouse.

"Thank you, sir, but I must get back to Gridley at the earliest possible moment."

"If you didn't want to hire the wagon," asked Mr. t.i.tmouse testily, "what was the use of taking up my time?"

"I do want to hire it," d.i.c.k admitted, "but since hearing your price I have realized that I don't want the wagon half as much as I did at the outset."

It was notable about Mr. t.i.tmouse that he would gladly talk for three hours in order to gain a dollar's advantage in any trade in which he was interested. He was a small man, with small features and very small eyes which, somehow, suggested gimlets. He bore about with him always an air of injury, as though deeply sensitive over the supposed fact that the whole world was concerned in getting the better of him.

Though Mr. t.i.tmouse had acquired, through sharp dealing, usury and in many other ways a considerable sum of money and property in the course of his life, yet he was not the man to part with any of it needlessly.

The special wagon now resting in the wagon shed at his home place in Tottenville had been designed by him at a time when people all through the state had been much interested in outdoor life.

The t.i.tmouse wagon had been built as the result of much thought on the part of its designer. It certainly was a handy kind of wagon for campers to use on the road. Mr. t.i.tmouse had spent four weeks of wandering life, going from point to point and trying to talk up the merits of his wagon. He had hoped to establish a small factory, there to build such wagons to order at high prices.

For some reason he had met with no success in that enterprise.

After his realization of failure Newbegin t.i.tmouse had felt that he would be content if he could sell the wagon at anything like a good price. Failing to sell it, he hoped to be able to get his money back through renting the wagon.

Now he stood watching this high school boy from Gridley, wondering just how much rental he could extort from this wiry, athletic-looking football player.

"There will be a car along in about five minutes," mused d.i.c.k aloud. "I must try to take that car. Thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. t.i.tmouse."

"But we haven't come to any understanding yet," cried the wagon's owner as d.i.c.k turned and walked away.

"Why, yes, we have, sir," Prescott answered pleasantly over his shoulder. "We have come to the understanding that you can't afford to come down to our price, and that we can't go up to yours.

So I'm going back to make some other arrangements for a wagon."

"Wait a minute!" interjected Newbegin t.i.tmouse, stepping after the boy from Gridley. "Maybe I can drop off a dollar or so on the price."

"Much obliged, sir; but it wouldn't help us any, and it's almost time for the car," was Prescott's answer.