eningly, but Bill, seeing the turn matters were
taking, and realizing that more was to be gained by peaceful methods,
intervened.

"Now, Jack, shut up. Stow that nonsense," he ordered sharply. "Look
here, Hank, we'll accept your terms. Half to you if you carry it out
successfully."

"And if I don't?"

"Then we'll all have to shift for ourselves. This part of the country
will be too hot to hold us. I mean to go out West. I've got a cousin
who has a ranch, and I think I could get along all right there if the
worst comes to the worst."

"See here, I don't agree with your way of dividing the money," began
Jack, an angry light in his eyes. "Look--"

"Look here, Jack," cut in Bill sharply, "if you don't like it, it
doesn't do you any good. If you object to it, keep out. Hank and I
form a majority. You chump" he added, quickly, under his breath, as
Hank turned away and began to "skip" flat stones over the water, "don't
you see he takes all the responsibility? It's a cinch for us to get
away if anything goes wrong."

"Yes, it's a cinch we get cheated out of our share of the money,"
argued Jack, with an angry glare in the direction of the unconscious
Hank.

"Beggars can't be choosers," argued Bill. "You know, as well as I do,
that if we are implicated in this affair it means serious trouble. Our
parents wouldn't stand for it, and we should be disgraced. By doing it
this way we get some of the proceeds--I admit not our fair share but
what's to be done?"

"Well, I guess you are right, Bill," assented Jack, with a shrug. "It's
go ahead now; we've gone too far to draw back."

"That's the line of talk," grinned Bill, "and when we've each got fifty
dollars in our pockets, silenced Hank with a golden gag and had our
revenge on those kids, we'll be able to talk over future plans. I'm
sick of school. I hate the idea of going back there. I've half a mind
to strike out for the West anyway."

"Do you think I could get a job on your cousin's ranch?" asked Jack.

"I don't doubt it a bit," rejoined Bill. "You're a good, husky chap,
and brawn and muscle is what they need in the West."

"Yes, I'm husky, all right," conceded Jack modestly. "Sometimes I
think that I don't get full opportunities to expand here in this
wretched country hole."

"No, the West is the place," agreed Bill, with an inward smile, "as the
newspapers say--one can expand with the country out there."

Their conversation was broken in upon by