anhope didn't have any effect. Look around your
dooryard, Mr. Growdy. Do you see anything changed here?"

The farmer held up the lantern, and what he saw caused him to utter an
exclamation.

"Ev'ry one o' 'em gone, by hokey! If so be ye've smashed all my rigs,
Paul Morison, I'll have the law on ye, as sure as my name's Peleg
Growdy!" he roared, aghast at what he deemed a serious discovery.

"Come with me, Mr. Growdy. Notice as you go that this place doesn't look
much like a pigpen now. In fact, I calculate it's as clean as any
dooryard around Stanhope. Even the ladies can drive past now without
being shocked. And Mr. Growdy, if you will take the trouble, sir, to look
under that wagon shed, you'll see every one of your vehicles just where
they should be when not in use!"

The old man stared, as well he might.

"By gum!" Paul heard him mutter; and the words seemed to express the
situation so well that the boy could hardly keep from laughing outright.

Finally the puzzled farmer turned and looked at the lad who stood there
beside him. Easily might Paul have made his escape at any time now; but
that was really the last thing he thought of doing. He would much rather
remain and see the bewilderment of Peleg Growdy reach its conclusion.

"Look here, Paul, what's this hull thing mean?" finally demanded the
farmer.

And Paul, remembering the fact that the old man was hard of hearing,
raised his voice as he thought fit when making reply.

"Do you want me to tell you the whole thing, sir?"

"I sartin do, every word. Blest if I kin make head or tail out o' it.
Reckons as how them leetle fairy twins ye read about must 'a' ben workin'
wile I slept; er else I'm dreamin' things that caint be true."

"Listen, Mr. Growdy," Paul went on. "Perhaps you may not know that we
have started a troop of the Boy Scouts here in Stanhope. Some twenty of
us have joined, and later on we hope to get uniforms, and other things
needed, when we have earned the money to buy them. Those boys you heard
running away were my friends and comrades, every one going to be a true
scout."

"Soldier bummers then, out on a raid, and ready to kerry off everything
they kin lay hands on," grumbled the old man, still unable to grasp the
true condition of affairs.

"At a meeting to-night in Mr. Shipley's barn we made further progress
looking to perfecting our organization. But boys will be boys, you know;
and one of our number asked the rest to help him get