Tom drew a stout slung-shot from his pocket. Then he rambled along the watercourse, and filled an old fruit basket he had found with good-sized pebbles.
The next hour was a jolly one for the happy crowd. There were some mishaps, but only amounting to scratches and scrapes. The shaken limbs of the trees rained down hickory nuts like hailstones.
Bob came back to the tree where he had left Tom to find his friend lying fast asleep on the grass. A little pile of hickory nuts lay near his coat and cap.
"Had lots of fun," Tom declared, when he woke up. "I'm not a very good shot, though."
All hands were soon ready for lunch. Nearly every bag was filled. The boys were pleased with their success, and it was a gay crowd that enjoyed the dinner under the trees.
"What now?" asked Sammy, when he had eaten his fill.
"Walnuts next," replied Dick.
"What will we do with the hickories?" asked Frank.
"We'll leave them here," said Dick. "Bring along the empty bags, and we'll go up to the North Woods after the walnuts."
"It will be some tramping, each lugging two bags home," spoke Sammy.
"You won't have to do that," answered Dick.
"Why not?"
"When we get all the bags full, I'll go home and get a wagon and team."
"That will be fine," said Tom.
"Say, Dick," spoke Frank, "what do you suppose has become of Jed and his crowd?"
"They must have taken in the walnut trees first," replied Dick.
The route to the North Woods took the boys along the
