trong resentment.

"Well, I like that, now!" exclaimed Tom Betts. "When Bobolink here has
been working like a beaver to save Mr. Briggs' stuff from the maw of
the flames."

"That was only meant to be a blind to hide the truth!" cried Mr.
Briggs. "After he set the fire he must have become frightened at what
he had done, and tried to cover up his tracks. Oh! I know what boys
are capable of; but I'll have the law on this miscreant who tried to
get revenge on me this way, see if I don't."

"Shame on you, Mr. Briggs," said a stout woman close by. "And the boy
nearly killing himself to carry out big loads of your silks! It's many
dollars he saved you, and little credit he'll ever get."

"Don't you know Bobolink has the best kind of alibi, Mr. Briggs?" said
Frank. "He was over at Doctor Morrison's house along with the rest of
us until just before the alarm sounded. We were on our way home when
the bell struck first."

"The doctor himself will tell you that, if you ask him," added Jack,
indignant now because of what had passed after all they had done for
the old man. "Mr. Forbes, I wish you would warn him not to make such a
reckless accusation again, because he might have to prove it in court.
Boys have rights as well as storekeepers, he must know."

"It's just as you say, Jack, my lad," asserted the big foreman of the
truck company, warmly. "I stood all your abuse, Mr. Briggs, when it
was directed against myself, but I advise you to go slow about
charging any of these young chaps with setting fire to your store. All
of us have seen how they worked trying to save your property, sir. It
is a poor return you are making for their efforts."

Others shared this opinion, and realizing that he did not have a
single friend in the crowd, Mr. Briggs had the good sense to keep his
further suspicions to himself. But that he was still far from
convinced of Bobolink's innocence could be seen by the malevolent
glances he shot toward the boy from time to time, while the scouts
stood and watched the final work of the fire-fighters.

The last spark had been extinguished, and all danger was past. Many of
the townspeople began to leave for their comfortable homes, because it
was bitterly cold at that hour of the night, with a coating of snow on
the ground.

Paul had come up during the excitement, but somehow had failed to join
the rest of the scouts until later on. The other scouts thought that
doubtless he had found something to claim