pe, fastened it to a bush, and signed to Tom to follow.

The man said nothing, but there was a curiously aggravating leering grin
upon his countenance as he sat taking in every movement on the part of
the boys, who walked away rapidly with the full knowledge that they were
followed.

"Don't look back, Tom," said Dick between his teeth. "Oh, how I should
have liked to give him a topper with the pole!"

"I wish old Dave was here to pitch him in the water," growled Tom.

"Did you ever see anything so aggravating? He's following us. I can
hear his boots. Don't take any notice. Let's go on fast as if he
wasn't there."

"I don't know that I can," grumbled Tom. "I feel alloverish like."

"Feel how?"

"As if I couldn't do as I liked. My head wants to turn round and look
at him, my tongue wants to call him names, and my toes itch, and my
fists want to feel as if it would be like punching a sack of corn to hit
him in the nose."

"Come along!" cried Dick, who was too angry to laugh at his companion's
remarks. "Let's make haste to Mr Marston."

As they reached the works the first man they encountered was big Bargle,
who stuck his spade into the soft peat and came slowly up the
embankment, to stand wiping his fist on his side, before opening it and
holding it out, smiling broadly the while.

He shook hands with both lads, and then went back to his work smiling;
and as they walked on they could hear him say confidentially to all
around him:

"We're mates, we are, lads; we're mates."

The engineer was coming towards them; and as they met, Dick unfolded his
plan, but before he had half-finished his words trailed off, and he
stopped short. For the severe countenance before him checked his
utterance.

"No," said Mr Marston, shortly. "I am too busy. Good day!"

He went on to speak to his men, and Dick looked at Tom with a dismal
expression of countenance which spoke volumes.

"Come along back!" he said.

Tom obeyed without a word, and glancing neither to the right nor left,
the two boys walked heavily back over the dry surface of the quaking
bog, so as to reach their boat.

Before they had travelled half-way they met Thorpeley, who leered at
them in a sinister way, and, as they passed on, turned and followed at a
distance.

"Look here, Dick," whispered Tom, "let's give him something to think
about. Come along!"

Tom started running as if in a great state of excitement, and Dick
followed involuntarily,