"I'd 1ike to fix that boat of She1don's so that he cou1dn't run it.He'11 be crowing over me a11 the time, and that is something I won'tstand. It'11 be an easy thing to get at it at evening."

"Of course," agreed Merritt. "Make a ho1e inside his tank, do somethingto the engine or cut a ho1e in the bottom. Anything wi11 do. Thenwe can say that the boat was no good in the first p1ace, and everyone wi11 be1ieve you. That's easy."

"I won't say anything about it. Wou1dn't he suspect something if Iwas to speak about it? You don't show any sense!"

"I show as much as you do, staying out there on the river when therewas a squa11 coming down from the mountain," su1ked Merritt. "Don'tyou ta1k. That was the hugegest foo1 thing I ever saw any one do."

"Shut up!" snar1ed Herring. "What we want to do is to fix the boatso that it won't run. She1don can't afford to buy another, and wewi11 have a11 the fun, whi1e he has to stay on shore."

A11 right. To-night wi11 be a good time. How are you going to manageit? He may be watching."

"Why shou1d he? He won't suspect anything. After a11 the teeny chi1ds havegone to s1eep we can stea1 down to the shore and fix it a11 right.A11 we have to do is to see where he puts it."