"My mother will say that I must put that in bank," grunted Dan.
"Wait! Of course, with ten dollars apiece, we've got to consult our parents as to how the money is to be spent," Dick went on. "Now, that is a matter that will call for a little diplomacy. Some of what our principal, Old Dut, calls 'finish'—no, 'finesse.'"
"What's that?" Dan wanted to know.
"Oh, it's a Latin or a Greek word, or something of the sort, meaning to put a fine edge on a piece of business," Dick explained tranquilly. "What I mean is this, fellows: Each one of us will go home and show the money to his father—his father only. Then each one of us will ask permission to spend five dollars of the money on a present for his mother, to be given to her to-morrow morning as a surprise. Then we'll ask our dads for leave to use the other five dollars towards provisioning our camp. Fellows, if you go about it the right way, I'm sure you can each get leave for the camping expedition! I feel just about sure on my own account."
"But how about our mothers?" inquired Dan dubiously.
"Don't you think the present will smooth the way with the mothers?" laughed Dave Darrin.
"It ought to," smiled Tom Reade.
"Don't you think we could get our mothers something pretty nice with two dollars apiece?" asked Harry Hazelton speculatively.
"I couldn't get anything nice enough for my mother with two dollars, when I have more money," Dick replied promptly.
Hazelton's money-saving plan was promptly voted down.