and Harry were borne down to the dirt
floor. Nor were they handled generously. All four received many an
unfair blow. Fred's temper was up, for Dick had struck him on the nose,
bringing blood.

"Now we'll give 'em the rope treatment," laughed Ripley, hoarsely, when
Dick and his chums had all been downed and were being held.

First a noose was slipped over Dick's wrists, and made fast. Dave was
the next so favored. Tom and Harry rapidly shared that fate.

"Now lead these cattle to the stable!" roared Fred, gripping Dick by the
collar and yanking him to his feet.

The battle being lost, Dick and the others could do no more than submit
to being pushed outside the cabin, Hen Dutcher following and making
faces at all of the captives.

Around to the cook shack the four Grammar School boys were led. The door
was flung open, and in they were thrust.

There on the floor, bound hand and foot and gagged, lay Greg and Dan.
These two members of Dick & Co. had been overpowered and placed here,
but only one look at their faces was needed to show that both still had
their fighting blood up.

"Now, don't let us hear anything from you boobies," commanded Fred
Ripley, "or I'll send a committee out here to attend to you in mighty
short order!"

Then the door of the cook shack was closed on Dick & Co.

"Well, of all the downright mean tricks!" grumbled Tom Reade.

"That's too complimentary a name for such human truck!" cried Dave
Darrin angrily. "Their first scheme, to come down here in the night and
try to scare us, wasn't so fearfully mean, but this is assault and
robbery."

"Never mind about it, now," Dick answered. "Our wrath will keep--no
doubt about that. But our first task is to get our hands free, if we
can. And Greg and Dan must feel pretty tired of being gagged as well as
tied."

A snort, the only noise he could make, was Greg Holmes's answer.

"How are we going to get ourselves free?" Tom demanded: "I've been
trying to wriggle my hands out, but I'll admit that I can't do it."

"Get over here in front of me," urged Dick, "and I'll show you just how
I can free you. Fred Ripley, like other blunderers, is likely to
overlook a few things."

It was not cold in the cook shack, for there was still some fire going
in the stove. The embers also threw a slight amount of illumination into
the room.

Dick dropped to his knees behind Tom Reade, and, reaching for the cords
that bound Tom's wrists behind his back, began to