ood guarding Hi's clothing.

"Have you seen Dick?" was Darrin's hail. "Yes; he and Holmesy
have run down the road to get some men. Here they come now with
the men," Ted answered, pointing.

Dick had had the good fortune to find help before going far.
With such a reward as had been offered for the capture of Amos
Garwood, it was not difficult to find men who could be interested
in taking part in such a capture.

"What are you all doing here?" Dick yelled up the road.

"Garwood got away from us," Dave shouted back. "Hi Martin spoiled
the game for us, and we simply couldn't hold Garwood."

Then Dick, Greg and the three men hurried up. Dave and Tom told
the story.

"What a miserable hound Martin is!" burst from indignant Dick.

"So that boy spoiled us from getting a good slice of a fat reward,
did he?" growled one of the three men. "Where is he?"

"Up in the woods," muttered Dick, "waiting until some one takes
him his clothes. Ted Teall, you've simply got to return the booby's
outfit to him."

"Won't do it," retorted Teall.

"But you took them away from him," Dick insisted.

"Suppose I did?"

"It may prove a serious matter, to steal any one's clothing,"
Prescott retorted. "And Hi Martin's father is a hot-tempered
man. Ted, if I were in your place I don't believe I'd run the
risk of being arrested. A joke is one thing, but keeping any
one's clothes, after you've taken 'em, is proof of intention to
steal. I don't believe I'd take the risk, if I were you."

The men were turning back down the road now, having decided to
telephone the Gridley police and then turn out more men and go
into the woods for an all-night search. Dick & Co. turned to
go with the men.

"Say, you fellows," Ted called after them. "You going to shake
me like that? Who's going back into the woods with me, if I take
these clothes to Hi?"

"No one," Dick retorted over his shoulder. "You don't have to
take the clothes back, you know, unless you happen to consider
it safer to do it."

"Hang those fellows," sighed Ted, as be gazed after the retreating
Dick & Co. "Well, I guess they've got me. The wise thing will
be for me to take these duds to Hi before he catches cold."

So Ted gathered up the articles of apparel and with them started
back into the woods.

"Hi, Hi!" he called, as be neared the thicket.

"Here," came an angry voice.

"Here's your old duds," growled Teall, as he reached the thicket
that concealed young Martin, and thre