"Maybe I did know," Fred admitted, yet speaking to Mr. Dodge.
"You see, one of my father's clerks served the papers which attached
the show."
There was no help for Dick & Co. They had parted with their money
and their "property" had been turned over to them.
It is an ancient principle of law that the buyer must beware.
The auctioneer had been most careful not to represent the canoe
as being fit for service. He had offered it as an historical
curiosity!
Dick & Co. looked at the canoe anxiously.
"What shall we do with it?" asked Dave Darrin moodily.
"Make a bonfire of it?" asked Danny Grin.
"Might as well," Greg nodded.
"No, sir!" Dick interrupted. "Tom, what do you say? You're one
of the really handy boys. Can't this canoe be patched up, mended
and put in commission?"
"It might be done," Tom answered slowly.
The other five stood regarding him with eager interest.
"But we'd have to get an Indian here to show us how to do it."
"Where are the Indians that were here with the show?" asked Harry
Hazelton.
"They went away as soon as the show was attached," Dick answered.
"Probably they're hundreds of miles from here now. They were
only hired out to the show by their white manager, and they've
gone to another job. Besides, they were only show Indians,
and probably they've forgotten all they ever knew about
canoe-building---if they ever did know anything."
"Then I don't see but that we're just as badly off as ever," sighed
Greg.
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