his end of
it.

"I don't see why I ought to give you a hand, Fenton," he remarked,
coldly. "I've stood a lot from you, and as I said before, since you came
to town things have all gone wrong with me, so I never do have a good
time any more. I blame you for it. Yes, and right now it's you more'n
any other feller that's got me kicked out of my own home."

"Now I don't understand what you mean there, Buck?" remonstrated Fred,
still holding the end of the vine upward invitingly, though with small
hope that the other would take hold.

"All right, I'll just tell you, then," Buck replied, almost savagely.
"Who led the party that found Colon? You did. Who found a track of a
shoe, with a patch across the sole, on the spot where Colon said he was
nabbed by a bunch of fellers with red cloth over part of their faces?
Why, Freddy again, to be sure. And hang it all, my shoe did have just
such a patch! That's what they told my dad; and brought it all home to
me."

Fred was silent again. He saw that things were working against him once
more. If Buck felt this way about it, all his endeavors to induce the
other to lend his aid were bound to be useless.

"Now, here's a right fine chance for me to get even with you, Fenton,
without taking any risk myself; because I didn't have anything to do
with knocking you into this hole. You took care of that part yourself;
and let me tell you now, you did me the greatest favor in the world when
you slipped, and dropped through these bushes and weeds into the pit."

"Buck! oh, Buck!" said a trembling voice from somewhere back of the
bully.

"You dry up!" exclaimed Buck. "You've got no say in this game, let me
tell you! Good-bye, Fenton; I reckon I'll be going now. Hope you can
keep exercisin' right hearty all through the night; it'll be some chilly
if you let up, I'd think. And if I happen to see any of your chums, an'
they ask questions, why, I might let 'em know I heard _somebody_ yelping
away up this way--thought it was kids playin', but it _might_ be you
calling for help."

"Then you're going to desert me; are you, Buck?" asked Fred, beginning
to himself feel angry at the base intentions of the other.

"I wouldn't put it that way," jeered Buck; "I'm just mindin' my own
business, you see. Not long ago you told me never to poke my nose in
your affairs again. I ain't a-goin' to; I'm follerin' out your own
instructions, Fenton. Nobody c'n blame me for doin' that; can they?"

"But you mus