with the boys whom he didn't like.

Then Hen, still eavesdropping, listened to enough more to make sure that
Dick & Co. were all of them free of their bonds, and that these
enterprising Grammar School boys were actually discussing plans to rout
the enemy from the log cabin.

"Oh, I'll have to hustle back and tell this to Ripley's crew," chuckled
Hen gleefully. "It'll amuse 'em."

"What's that?" demanded Ripley, when the informer returned to the cabin
with his news. "Prescott and his collection of babies are going to make
trouble for us, are they? Can't they stand a good joke like men? Come
along, fellows, and we'll teach 'em a little more about being real men."

"We'd better take something in our hands, then," proposed Dodge firmly.
"Those little fellows are regular spitfires. They may have something
ready to throw at us when we break into the shack."

"Oh, take axes, then, if you are afraid of the little kids," retorted
Fred scornfully. "My hands are enough for me."

Four or five of the rowdyish crowd picked up sticks that they had
carried through the forest that afternoon. Thus prepared, they went out
of the log cabin on tip-toe, making their way stealthily to the door of
the shack.

"Say, fellows," Harry was at that moment proposing to his friends
inside, "hadn't we better drop the bar across the door? We can't tell
when we may receive an unexpected visit from----"

"How will now do?" roared Fred Ripley, throwing the shack door open
before Greg could drop the bar in place. "So you young smarties managed
to free yourselves, did you? And you thought you'd find a way to put a
trick over on us? You'll have to take to getting up earlier in the day,
if you expect to get the better of any crowd that I'm leading."

Ripley's crew were now all of them in the shack, crowding the little
place.

"What is it that you're scheming to do, anyway?" leered Fred, enjoying
the looks of dismay on the faces of Dick & Co. "See here, don't you
little boys think that it's about time for you all to line up and start
a footrace out of these woods?"

"No; we don't," Dick retorted defiantly. "We think it's high time,
though, for your crowd to start just such a race."

"Hold your tongue, freshie!" ordered Fred roughly.

"Not for you!" Dick snapped, his temper going up as the mercury climbs
on a hot day.

"Then I'll make you!" offered young Ripley, making a spring at Dick.

But Dick & Co. were now all together, standing in a firm