igh glee. Over the
wall--around the barn--into the shed--back of the house--behind the
woodpile--under the boards--here and there--he ran until every boy was
found. Again and again the experiment was tried, and Trip won fresh
laurels every time.

"You've torn your pants, Nat," said Frank.

"I know it. I did it getting over the fence. I haven't done such a thing
before, I don't know when."

While exhausting "hy-spy" of its fun, Sylvester Jones came along with a
bit of news.

"Going to court, Nat?" he inquired.

"Going where?" replied Nat, not understanding him.

"_To court_! They have taken up Harry Gould and Tom Ryder, and the court
is coming off at the hall."

"What have they taken Harry and Tom for?" asked Nat, becoming deeply
interested in the event.

"I don't know exactly; but it is something about disturbing the
exhibition."

The facts in the case were these. There was an exhibition in the hall
owned by the manufacturing company, and these two boys climbed up on the
piazza and looked into the window, thereby disturbing the exercises. An
action was brought against them, and they were to be tried before a
justice of the town.

"It is too bad," replied Nat, "to take up such little boys for
_that_--they didn't know any better. What will be done with them, do you
expect?"

"Perhaps they will send them to jail. Father says it is a serious matter
to disturb a meeting of any kind."

"Yes," replied Nat, "it is a mean act in anybody, but I don't believe
that Harry and Tom understood it. It will be too bad to send them to
prison for that. Perhaps they would never do such a thing again."

"Come," added Sylvester, "let us go to the trial and see. They have
begun before this time."

Nat's sympathies were intensely wrought upon by these tidings; for Harry
and Tom were among his school-fellows. The idea of trying such little
boys in a court of justice excited him very much. He forgot all about
the games projected and the rent in his pantaloons, and seizing his cap,
he said to Frank,

"Will _you_ go?"

"Yes, I've played about enough," answered Frank. "I would like to go to
a court."

The boys hurried away to the hall; and they found that the court had
opened, and that the room was well filled with people. Nat edged his way
along through the crowd until he found himself directly in front of the
table where the justice sat. Sure enough, there the two young prisoners
were, Harry and Tom, looking as if they w