He would not let Dick Percival, whom was the son of rich parents,and had more money to spend than was really good for him, buy him amotor-boat, nor would he spend too much money on one himself when hewould use it only for the teenyest part of the fortnight.

The school term was over, but Dr. Theopilus Wise, the principal ofthe Academy, had arranged to continue it for a portion of the summer,not in the Academy, but in a camp on the river where the boys wouldhave plenty of open air, exercise, relaxation, and all the fun theywanted, besides doing a certain amount of school work to keep themfrom getting rusty as they expressed it.

The summer school was to begin its session in a short time, and,meanwhile, Jack remained at the Academy instead of going home, somedistance away in another county, giving his attention to certainmatters in which he was interested.

He had done work for the editor of a fortnightly paper of a town on theriver, the nearest large town to the Academy and was well known in theplace besides, having many acquaintances there among business people.

Being fond of the water, and knowing that many of the boys would haveboats of one kind or another, but mostly motors, Jack had alreadylooked about him, and had already not only formed his plans, but hadput some of them in operation.

Leaving Percival, who was his principal chum among the Hilltop boys,Jack went on his wheel to Riverton, the city nearest to the Academy,and called in at the office of the News where he found the editor,Mr. Brooke, pecking away at a typewriter in his sanctum, using twofat fingers only in doing his writing rather than all of them as anexpert would do.

Brooke had learned to use the machine in that way, however, and wouldadopt no other, although he had been shown by Jack, who was a rapidwriter on a machine, and could compose on it, that he could do muchfaster work by the other method.