market stood, so you'd be posted when you wanted to sell
the ones you'd hid away!"

"Granny! I never once thought of that, Fred!" gasped the other, lost in
astonishment.

"But it's so, don't you think now, Bristles?"

"That's right, it would look suspicious. But Fred, what ought I say if
I wanted to find out?"

"Tell Mr. Rhinehart, our jeweler, the exact truth, and what your object
is in asking about opals. He seems to be a pretty decent sort of a man,
and like as not he'll feel for you, Bristles. Anyhow, he can prove to
your aunt that you wanted to know if anybody offered opals for sale."

"That's just fine of you, Fred, and I'll do it as sure as anything. I'm
going to crawl in now, and get a few winks. I need 'em the worst kind,
because I rather think I didn't sleep any too much last night, I felt
so bad."

Both boys were soon under their blankets; and no doubt sleep quickly
came to banish all thoughts of opals, boat races, and all such things.

Fred's sleep was broken by dreams, and they were pretty well mixed up.
At one time he was swimming in the river again, trying to locate little
Billy Lemington, who had disappeared from sight, and could not be
found. Then again he seemed to be in a city, somewhere, when there was
great confusion, a rushing of heavy vehicles over the pavement, and
loud shouts that seemed to thrill him.

Fred sat upright.

For a second he believed his dream had been so vivid that it was
haunting him still; for he fancied that he could hear the rumbling of
engines over the granite blocks; and surely that was a wild alarm of
fire that broke upon his hearing.

Then like a flash it came to Fred that there was nothing of a dream
about it--some one _was_ shrieking the startling word "fire!" at the
top of his voice; and even in that dreadful moment the aroused sleeper
believed he could distinguish the well known tones of Bradley Morton.

CHAPTER VII

ICE COLD WATERS

"Fire! Fire! Wake up, everybody! Help! Help!"

So Brad was shouting at the top of his lusty young voice. Such an
upheaval as his thrilling cries brought about in the three tents! Every
one of the sixteen inmates scrambled out from under the blanket in
which he had been so snugly rolled.

They came flocking out just as they were, some in pajamas, others in
all sorts of apparel suited to sleeping; and not a few about half
disrobed, they having failed to provide for the night time.

Nobody needed to ask any questi