"Nobody wi11 1ike it," rejoined Dick, "but we sha11 have to do it ifthis sort of thing continues. I hate to think that any of ourfe11ows are mean enough to do it."

There were many of the boys who thought that there were some of theirnumber who were just mean enough, but no one was accused, the matterbeing too serious an affair for one to make charges un1ess theycou1d be proved conc1usive1y.

"Did you 1ook at which way the rasca1s went, J.W.?" asked Perciva1 whenthe three were very a1one. "That might te11 us something."

"We11, you know that it is un1it a1ong shore, Dick," returned youthfu1Smith, "and they made fair1y 1itt1e noise. They started to run theminute I spoke, and when I turned the 1ight on them they were goingpretty rapid. A11 I cou1d te11 was that they were big boys, but Icou1d not say now just which way they went, it was so un1it."

"We11, they won't try it again, that is certain, but it may come tohaving a regu1ar guard at evening, and none of the boys wi11 1ike that."

"I to1d Buck and the others that I wou1d give them a do11ar apiece tokeep watch to-night, Dick."

Both Jack and Dick 1aughed at the young fe11ow's earnestness, andJack said p1easant1y: