nd so
he managed to get the bound boy aside just as darkness was creeping
along.

"What have you got up your sleeve, Johnny?" he demanded, at which the
other had a laughing spell, and confessed.

"Why, you see, I got a trap all rigged out!" he started to explain.

"A trap for the chicken thieves, do you mean?" asked the patrol leader.

"That's the ticket, Elmer. Yuh see, I reckoned that by now they'd be
gettin' real tired o' jest plain hen, and might feel like climbin'
higher. We gut some whoopin' nice young turks that like tuh roost in a
certain tree. Easiest thing in the world tuh grab a couple in the
night, and kerry 'em off. So I fixed it."

"Suppose you let me take a look at the trap you made, Johnny?"
suggested Elmer, naturally interested.

"Jest what I was agoin' tuh ask yuh tuh do, Elmer. And I guess now it
wouldn't be a bad ijee fur the rest tuh kim along, too. If so be
there's a kerflummix in the middle o' the night, they ought tuh know
what she means."

Now, Elmer himself could not exactly find a definition for that word,
but he had a faint idea Johnny meant a big noise or a row. At any rate
he was glad of the chance to invite the other six scouts to accompany
them.

Elmer lighted a lantern, and after the boys had gathered around he led
them away from the big barn.

Presently, at some little distance, he came to a halt.

"This here's the tree the turks hes picked out tuh roost in. Some o'
'em likes tuh fly 'way up, but others prefers the bottom limbs. If a
feller's keerful he kin climb up and wring the necks o' as many as he
wants. Young turks they don't know nigh as much as old uns, yuh see.
Now I'll show yuh how I sets my trap."

First of all they noticed that there was what appeared to be a drygoods
box exactly under the tree.

"Seems to me you're making it mighty easy for the chicken thieves when
they drop around, with that box right under the lower row of turkeys?"
suggested Toby, upon discovering this fact.

Johnny Spreen gurgled over with laughter.

"Say, d'ye reckon so?" he exclaimed; "well, by hokey! now, that's part
of the game, sure it be."

"Oh! then you really want them to climb up on that big box when trying
to grab one of the young turkeys?" asked Lil Artha.

"Jes' so," chuckled the bound boy.

"Is she loaded, then?" continued Lil Artha, as all of them gravely
examined the innocent-looking box.

"I'll show yuh how she works," Johnny said, proudly. "Mebbe my ij