is revolver in his hand, ready to give the incendiaries a warm
reception if they came near him. This was what the old man told the
corporal when he opened the door and passed out the candy and a bag of
peanuts.

"The nuts are for Graham, if he is with you," said he. "I never saw such
an appetite as that boy's got for goobers."

"But he isn't here," replied the corporal. "He is on guard at the
academy. Now tell me all you know about this business. I'm here to guard
your property, although I can't see the sense of it. Mr. Riley wouldn't
let Bud touch you."

"I don't think he would if he knew it, for he knows just where I stand,"
answered Mr. Bailey. "But Bud might take it into his crazy head to
operate on his own hook, and that is what I am afraid of."

"Halt!" shouted Dixon, who had scarcely taken the position assigned him
before he discovered Bud and Silas coming.

"There!" exclaimed Mr. Bailey. "I'll bet that's Bud. If it isn't, what
is he sneaking around toward the back of the store for?"

"All right," replied the corporal. "I'll give him such a scare that
he'll never trouble you again. If he doesn't tell a pretty straight
story I'll march him before Captain Wilson."

As he spoke he stepped off the porch and started toward Dixon's post,
and it was the sound of his footsteps that frightened Bud and his
companion into a run. He was really alarmed when he heard the report of
Dixon's piece.

"You've played smash on your watch, old fellow," said he, as he hastened
to the sentry's side.

"Can't help it," was Dixon's answer. "Orders are orders."

"Who was it?"

"Bud Goble for one. I recognized his voice; but I don't know who his
companion was."

"Did you hit either of them?"

"Guess not. I shot to hit if they were firebugs, and to miss if they
were not. They both ran away, so I reckon they were innocent of any
wrong intent; but they ought to have stopped when I told them."

The corporal walked up the road a few hundred yards, but could not see
anything of Bud and his friend. They had taken themselves safely off.
Just as he got back to Dixon's post a sentry on the other side of the
store shouted out a challenge.

"I told you you had played smash," said the corporal. "The captain has
come up to inquire into the matter."

That was just who the new-comer was, as the corporal found when he
responded to the sentry's call; but he did not have a word of fault to
find with the way Dixon had obeyed orders. His men