earnest?" growled Tom. "He's
pretty near foolish enough even to believe in a demented idea like that.
I wouldn't have been surprised if he had."

"Well, never mind, old timer," said Bert, "I put one over on you that
time, though, I guess. You'll have to admit it."

"Yes, I guess you did," said Tom, "but I'll get even for that sometime.
Don't be surprised if you find a little rat poison in your soup some day.
That's the only punishment I can think of that would fit the crime."

"Oh, that's all right," laughed Bert. "If it's like most rat poisons,
all it will do is to make me fat and strong. I remember a friend of mine
whose father was a farmer. He was telling me how his father scattered
poison all around his barn in the hope of killing off a few of the pests,
but he said that all the effect it seemed to have was to make them
hungry, so that they ate more grain and feed than before. Maybe that's
the way it will work with me, only the comparison isn't very flattering."

"It isn't, for a fact," said Dick, "but I hope in this case Tom isn't as
blood thirsty as he sounds."

"Well, I might be persuaded to postpone the execution," admitted Tom,
with a grin. "I'm always open to an offer, and a little matter of a five
dollar bill or so would buy me off."

"All right, consider yourself paid," said Bert. "I'd rather owe it to
you all my life than cheat you out of it."

"Much obliged, I'm sure," replied Tom, sarcastically. "As soon as I get
the five spot I'll blow you both to a swell dinner."

"Good night," exclaimed Dick. "I hope I don't have to go hungry until
that happens. I have a feeling that I'd lose considerable weight."

"You'll have a _long_ wait, that's certain," replied Tom, and prepared to
take to his heels.

The only indication Bert and Dick gave that they heard this atrocious pun
was a couple of hollow groans and melancholy head shakes.

"Poor old Tom," mourned Dick at length, "poor old Tom. I've feared for
some time he was going off his head and now I know it. That's proof
beyond question."

"Don't let it turn your hair gray," retorted Tom. "As long as I don't
worry about my condition you don't need to. But I'll promise to be good
and not do it again, anyway. That was a pretty rotten joke, I'll have to
admit."

"That's all right," said Bert, "we forgive you. I'm glad to see that you
realize what a crime it was."

After this they fell to discussing the events of the day before, and
bec