as they would
call it, giving the rest of us a bad scare, just to have the laugh on
us."

"Say, do you think Buck Lemington and his bunch would get down as low as
that?" demanded Bristles.

"I didn't mention his name," replied Fred; "but you all knew what was on
my mind. Well, from what I've seen of Buck, it strikes me he'd never
stop one minute if the idea once came into his mind. Perhaps some of you
noticed that he wasn't running around like the rest of the fellows. Buck
was watching the row, and I thought once I saw him grin as if he might
be enjoying something."

"And Fred," spoke up Corney just then, "you just ought to have seen the
ugly look he gave you when you happened to pass. Buck's never gotten
over it because when you dropped into Riverport his star began to set.
It's been going lower all the time, and he keeps nursing his ugly
feeling for you. Some fine day he means to get you when you're not
thinking, and even up all scores. Look out for him, Fred."

"I used to think Buck hated me about as bad as he could anybody,"
remarked Sid; "but lately I've changed my mind. I never gave him
one-half the cause to feel ugly that Fred has."

"You don't say," remarked the one mentioned, looking surprised; "what
have I done to Buck that is so dreadful? I've tried to mind my own
business, and never went out of my way a single step to bother with
him."

"But it just _happened_," ventured Sid, "that your way was Buck's own
road in some cases. Now, time was, and every fellow here will bear me
out in what I say, when Buck used to take a certain pretty girl to lots
of places. They squabbled more or less; but Buck wouldn't allow any
other fellow to be Flo's escort. All that is changed these days. She
cuts him dead; and every time she turns him down he grins and grits his
teeth, and I reckon thinks of you kindly--not."

"Oh! well, that's ancient history," remarked Fred, smiling. "And it
cuts no figure in what we're trying to find out now. If Colon was
waylaid here, and made a prisoner, how can we discover who did the job?"

As he spoke he once more threw himself down on hands and knees as if
bent upon closely examining the dusty road.

"I can see a plain footprint here, that has a mark I'd know again," he
presently exclaimed. "Do any of you happen to know whether Colon is
wearing a shoe with plain patch on the sole running diagonally across
about half way down?"

Bristles spoke up immediately.

"He wasn't last night