fighting line.
Fred received punches from the fists belonging to three different school
boys, and fell back, red and panting.

"Sail in, everybody!" ordered Fred. "These simpletons haven't sense
enough to stand a good joke on themselves."

It was an unmanly thing to do. Some of the boys in Ripley's crowd had no
idea of going further than having rather rough "fun." However, the
shack, in an instant, was the scene of a lively mix-up. In the midst of
the excitement Bert Dodge drove Harry Hazelton against the stovepipe. It
came down, showering soot all over Fred's face and down his neck. In the
excitement that followed, and during the rush of some of the boys to get
out of the flying cloud of soot, the stove itself was overturned. Red
embers flew about in every direction. The door being open, the wind
helped to set the cabin ablaze.

"Now you've done it!" panted Dick, holding up one hand and trying to put
a stop to the trouble. "Quit fighting and help put the fire out."

"You youngsters put it out yourselves, then," Fred retorted. "It was all
your fault that it started."

An indignant denial came to Dick's lips, but he forced it back. This
shack was another's property, and personal differences must be kept in
the background until the blaze had been extinguished.

"Let me past you," demanded Dick indignantly, but Bert Dodge barred the
doorway until the mounting flames scared Ripley, who turned and yelled
to Dodge to let the boys out. Dick & Co. raced to the log cabin, where
they caught up the water buckets, a dishpan and other utensils that
would hold water. Dick also snatched up a hatchet, for he knew that the
spring would be frozen over.

Fast as they worked at the spring, the shack was well ablaze by the time
that the Grammar School boys returned with the first water.

"Why don't you fellows brace up and do something, Ripley?" Dick queried,
as he ran up with water.

"What is there for us to do?" Fred demanded rather soberly.

"Find something to do. Show yourself a man."

"Now, don't you turn impudent again," Ripley warned young Prescott
angrily. "It was that sort of thing that started the first trouble."

"You'd better find something to do, for your father has charge of this
property," Dick shot back over his shoulder, as he ran toward the
spring.

[Illustration: Dick and Dave Were Boosted to the Cabin Roof.]

"Look!" called Dave, as Dick & Co. started once more for the spring.
"It's too late. This little