said one to another, in great perplexity, "here's been some
witchcraft at work, while we were asleep. The stones must have flown away
through the air!"

"More likely they have been stolen!" answered Sam.

"But who on earth would think of stealing a heap of stones?" cried a
third. "Could a man carry them away in his pocket?"

The master-mason, who was a gruff kind of man, stood scratching his head,
and said nothing, at first. But, looking carefully on the ground, he
discerned innumerable tracks of little feet, some with shoes, and some
barefoot. Following these tracks with his eye, he saw that they formed a
beaten path towards the water-side.

"Ah, I see what the mischief is," said he, nodding his head. "Those little
rascals, the boys! they have stolen our stones to build a wharf with!"

The masons immediately went to examine the new structure. And to say the
truth, it was well worth looking at, so neatly, and with such admirable
skill, had it been planned and finished. The stones were put together so
securely, that there was no danger of their being loosened by the tide,
however swiftly it might sweep along. There was a broad and safe platform
to stand upon, whence the little fishermen might cast their lines into
deep water, and draw up fish in abundance. Indeed, it almost seemed as if
Ben and his comrades might be forgiven for taking the stones, because they
had done their job in such a workmanlike manner.

"The chaps, that built this wharf, understood their business pretty well,"
said one of the masons. "I should not be ashamed of such a piece of work
myself."

But the master-mason did not seem to enjoy the joke. He was one of those
unreasonable people, who care a great deal more for their own rights and
privileges, than for the convenience of all the rest of the world.

"Sam," said he, more gruffly than usual, "go call a constable."

So Sam called a constable, and inquiries were set on foot to discover the
perpetrators of the theft. In the course of the day, warrants were issued,
with the signature of a Justice of the Peace, to take the bodies of
Benjamin Franklin and other evil-disposed persons, who had stolen a heap
of stones. If the owner of the stolen property had not been more merciful
than the master-mason, it might have gone hard with our friend Benjamin
and his fellow-laborers. But, luckily for them, the gentleman had a
respect for Ben's father, and moreover, was amused with the spirit of the
whole a