"Please, please!" begged Ned, a pained expression appearing on his face. "Leave all that sort of nonsense to entertain us after we get into the woods. We don't mind so much your playing the fool when we are away from home, but here it is different. We don't want to be disgraced in this town where we are—"
"Some pumpkins," finished Chunky.
"Well, yes; that's it, I guess," agreed Ned.
"We were waiting for you to talk over what we should take along," declared Walter. "I have been studying and reading and talking with Abe Parkinson, who, you know, used to live up in Maine. He says we must travel very light; that going is hard up there in the woods. He says we don't want an ounce of excess baggage, or we'll never get anywhere. Do you know anything about it, Tad?"
"Yes. I guess Mr Parkinson is right about that. It will be real roughing, perhaps more so than anything you fellows ever have experienced, for you will be a long way from civilization."
"But we'll get plenty to eat, won't we?" begged Stacy, glancing anxiously at Tad.
"You usually do."
"Chunky can browse on green leaves if we get out of food," chuckled Rector.
"Now, I call that real mean," complained the fat boy. "What did I ever do to you to merit such a fling as that?"
"You made a noise like a rattlesnake once and got me dumped into the bushes. Remember that?"