urn, in order to escape from what she doubtless
considered an attack.

There came a crash.

"There goes one of the tents!" cried Colon; "that's because nobody
would do what I said, and head her off. Lots of you were closer than I
was. Anyhow, she's gone gallopin' away. Let's see what damage she did!"

Another torch was pulled from the fire; indeed, now that Colon had
shown the way, several of the others made haste to secure flaming
brands.

"Take care, there, and don't set anything afire!" warned Brad, seeing
that a few were inclined to be reckless; "there's quite a lot of dead
stuff around here, left over from last Fall. Look out how you handle
that torch boys!"

A hasty investigation disclosed the pleasing fact that no harm had come
to the racing shell through the wandering about of the grazing cow.
Then the campers set to work to get up the tent that had been knocked
over.

Of course the excitement died down presently, since there had been no
particular damage done, and the boat was uninjured. The boys sat around
for an hour or two, talking. Then some of them began to yawn, and to
examine the places inside the three tents where they had stowed their
blankets, carried along because the summer nights were apt to get cool
toward morning.

One by one they crept off, until by degrees the ranks were thinned down
to just three--Brad, Bristles and Fred. Even the captain of the club
finally declared he was done up with the exercise of the day, and might
as well "hunt up the soft side of a board," as he chose to remark;
though a soft blanket, doubled on the ground, was really the kind of
bed awaiting him.

Fred had a reason for waiting up. He had received a signal from
Bristles that the other wanted to speak with him in private; and
remembering that he had been made a sort of confident before by the boy
who was in trouble. Fred, though feeling very sleepy himself, sat it
out.

Bristles waited a few minutes after Brad had crawled into the nearest
tent. Apparently he did not want the others to overhear anything he
said to our hero. This caution on his part told the other that Bristles
must have more reason for feeling gloomy; though he had somehow kept
from saying anything all day.

Presently Fred saw him get up, and start around the now smouldering
camp fire, as if to join him; so he made a place on his blanket, which
he had brought out some time before, to sit upon.

"Did you want to see me about anything, Bris