y asked excitedly. "Listen. We'll put
a charge by the side of the road and string wire back a way. Then we can
park the jeep off the road next to the detonator. When they get within
range, we'll push the plunger and run. We can time it so they won't get
blown up, but they may think they're being shelled."

"That should do it," Rick agreed. He shifted into gear and moved ahead
slowly, searching for a likely spot. There was one a few yards ahead
where a clump of wild banana plants would shield the jeep from view. He
backed the jeep in next to the banana plants and made sure he could get
out again easily, then he took the coil of wire and began unwinding it
along the edge of the road. Scotty took out his scout knife and began to
pry open a case of dynamite.

Rick fed wire until he reached a spot a hundred yards up the road, then
took out his knife and cut through the thin stuff. He started back to
help Scotty and was just in time to see the dark-haired boy with a stick
of dynamite in his mouth!

Rick gasped. He started to run toward Scotty, but his pal waved him
back. Then, as Rick watched, horrified, he saw Scotty take the stick out
of his mouth and motion for him to come ahead.

"What are you doing?" Rick demanded. "I thought for a minute you'd lost
all your buttons and started eating dynamite."

"We didn't have crimpers," Scotty explained. "The only way I could get
the cap on was to crimp it with my teeth."

Rick turned white. He gulped. No wonder Scotty looked a little pale!

"It worked," Scotty said, a little shakily. "But I don't want to do it
as a regular thing."

"I should hope not!" Rick exclaimed fervently. "Give me that stick. I'll
connect up. Will one be enough?"

"Plenty," Scotty said. "Get going. I'll connect up the detonator."

By the time Rick had placed the dynamite and connected the wires, Scotty
was ready, the detonator in the front seat of the jeep between his legs.

"I wish we had some regular fuse," he said. "Then we could put short
fuses on a few sticks, light them, and throw them."

Rick stared at him. "And crimp all the caps with your teeth? Boy, I'm
glad we haven't any fuse!"

Scotty's estimate was two minutes off. It took twelve minutes for the
troops to come into sight. Watching from behind the banana plants, the
boys saw them hiking down the road like a bunch of tenderfeet on their
first five-mile hike. It was obvious that discipline in the San Luzian
army was slack. The men wore