be so!"

After he had gone they began to make their preparations looking to the
passing of another night. Each one believed he could make some
improvement on the former experience. This was especially the case
with Elephant, who had been very uncomfortable in that swinging canoe;
though it looked cozy enough.

Frank seemed to be busying himself after a strange fashion.

Elephant had cast a curious look that way several times as he labored
to improve his own conditions. Finally his natural desire to know
compelled him to turn to Larry, and put the question:

"What's Frank doing over at the end of the shed? Sure he don't mean to
change his bunk for a place like that?"

"Oh, rats! don't you understand? Frank's making a trap!" Larry replied.

"Rats--a trap!" repeated the runt, mystified by the coming together of
these two significant words. "But what does he have to go to all that
trouble for? I'd think one of them ordinary regular wire traps would
fill the bill as well."

Larry looked at him queerly, as if making up his mind whether the other
meant it, or was simply joshing him.

"This is a man-trap!" he said, severely.

"Oh! my!" Elephant gasped; and then fell to watching Frank more
intently than ever, as he continued to work on.

"And," continued Larry, "if you wake up in the night, and hear the most
awful racket in the wide world, make sure we've caught something, do
you understand, Elephant?"

"Meaning Jules?" queried the other, in an awed tone.

"Meaning Jules," repeated Larry, mocking the other by even assuming his
manner.

"But do you really think he'll drop in on us, Larry?" the small boy
asked.

"Wouldn't surprise me one little bit," returned his tormentor, calmly.
"You heard what the Colonel was saying about those Spanish brigands who
captured him--well, this Jules is just the same sort of customer,
revengeful, desperate and ready to take almost any sort of chances, if
he sees an opening. And Frank is that accommodating, he means to have
a most inviting opening ready, so Jules can't resist the temptation to
stick his nose in. Then slam! bang! and it's all over with Jules but
the shouting, believe me."

Naturally all this sort of talk had its effect upon the timid Elephant.
He could not keep his thoughts away from the trap Frank was making in
the rear of the shed, and the possibility of that dark-faced escaped
convict being caught in the act of entering the place, on mischief bent.

"