dog gave a yawp that may have been intended for an
affirmative answer; and his appearance was so very fierce that it
helped the hobo make up his mind he did not care for any closer
acquaintance with such an affectionate beast.

"Hold on there, don't you be in too big a hurry 'bout slittin' that
same rope, kid!" he called out, shrinking back a step now, and half
raising his hands as if to be in readiness to protect his neck against
those shining teeth.

"Then you've changed your mind about wanting to sleep here in this
camp, have you?" asked Max, quietly. "We'll allow you to do it on one
condition, which is that you let us tie you both up, and hold you here
until the sheriff comes to-morrow."

From these words it became apparent to the men that the fact of one of
them was wearing a broken handcuff must have been discovered by the
boys. They looked as black as a thunder cloud, but realized that they
were up against a blank wall.

"Excuse us 'bout that same, kid," the taller man said, bitterly; "we'd
rather take the matches an' go to make a camp somewhere else, where we
won't bother youse any. But p'raps ye'll be sorry fur actin' like that
by us, won't he, Bill?"

"He will, if ever I has anythin' tuh say 'bout it," growled the shorter
rascal, shaking his bullet-shaped head, which the boys now saw had been
closely shaven, which would indicate that he must in truth be some
escaped convict.

"We're waiting for you to move along," remarked Max. "Don't bother
thanking us for the little food we had to spare you. It may keep you
from starvation, anyway. And see here, if so much as a single stone
comes into this camp after you've gone I give you my word we'll cut
that rope, and start the dog after you. Now just suit yourselves about
that!"

The men gave one last uneasy look at the bulldog, and as though he knew
he was in the spotlight just then Bose growled more fearfully than
ever, and showed still more of his spotted throat, and red distended
jaws, with their attendant white, cruel looking fangs.

It was enough. The taller man shook his head dismally as though,
knowing that neither of them possessed the first weapon, he judged it
would be something bordering on suicide to provoke that fierce beast to
extreme measures.

"There'll be no stone throwin', make yer mind easy on that score,
younker," he told Max, between his teeth; "but if ever we should happen
to meet up with you er any o' yer crowd agin, look out,