Beside the campfire they kindled close to the dashing, woodland stream, however, the subject was suggested by an item in a city newspaper purchased in one of the small towns on the day's run. The final laying out of the twenty-six-mile course, it now appeared, had brought one corner of the irregular circuit to within a few miles of the great forest. The general headquarters would be in Queensville, only a half-hour's ride beyond.
"We'll just slip over there of a morning now and then and watch the practice work," proposed Phil. He brought his open right hand down like a small pile driver upon his left wrist at the same moment, not by way of emphasis, but in deadly attack upon a mosquito.
"And go to the races? Sure!" put in Billy Worth, asking and answering the question all in one breath. "Wonder we never realized how near Queensville we'd be!"
"Yes, we'll let the race meet upset all our plans and we'll go home with nothing to show for the whole trip," muttered MacLester, with a tremendous yawn.
Jones came up with a lot of green weeds, twigs and leaves for the fire just in time to hear Dave's comment. He dropped the armful on the blaze, producing a smoky "smudge" as protection from mosquitoes, and sat himself down cross-legged upon the ground. Then very deliberately—
"David, I really think you better go to bed," he said. "You're tired and cross. Go to bed, so as to wake up early in the morning and hear the birds sing," he added soberly.
"Possibly I am somewhat fatigued," was the cutting response, "and being so, you will kindly pardon me if I don't tear any buttons off laughing at such a positively brilliant witticism."
Paul grinned his appreciation of this thrust but before he could answer, Phil Way broke in: "Why, no! The races needn't interfere with our plans at all. Who knows but what a day or two will end the whole expedition so far as anything the woods contains is concerned? We wouldn't want to hike back right away! We're after fun as much as anything, aren't we?"
"And the most fun I can think of right this minute is to get some sleep," Dave replied. Then with a cushion from the car for a pillow he stretched out upon his blanket. "Happy day when we get the tent up and go into camp right, about to-morrow night," he said, as if to himself.
And if there was a note of irritation in his tone it was because he was very tired. Dave was a trifle gloomy and occasionally the least bit sour by disposition; but in this instance it must be remembered that he had been at the wheel of the Thirty all day; also, that the rest of all the boys had been much disturbed the night before.