d to see him, so the freckle-faced boy sat down on
the rock where Chunky had sat singing.

"Hello, Tad," piped a voice behind him, causing Butler to jump a little.
Stacy had been hiding behind the rock, to which place he had crept from
the cedar forest.

"Oh, it's you, is it?"

"I guess so. I'm cold and--and hungry."

"Go back to the tent. You should put on some dry clothes."

"You don't care whether I freeze or not. Go get them for me, please."

"I will not. You got yourself into this difficulty, now get out of it as
best you may," answered Butler. "There won't be any breakfast for three
hours yet. Tighten your belt."

"I--I haven't any belt. I haven't my clothes on."

"That's too bad," retorted Tad unfeelingly.

"What'd you soak me for?"

"A cold bath in the morning is an excellent tonic. Hadn't you ever heard
that?"

"If I had I'd know now that it isn't true. I didn't think you could be
as mean as that, Tad."

"I didn't think you could be so mean as to wake us up at three o'clock
in the morning with your screeching. Why did you do it?"

"I--I was exercising my voice."

"I should say so. But take my advice. Don't use it that way again,
especially so early in the morning. You'll ruin it and then you won't be
able to sing at all."

"That would be a catastrophe," mumbled Chunky.

"A blessing to the Pony Rider Boys community, you mean. Hello!"

"What is it?" cried Stacy.

Tad was staring fixedly at a rope suspended between two small cedars
near the tents. It was on this that some of the provisions had been hung
the previous evening.

"Where is that ham?" he demanded, apparently not having heard his
companion's question.

"What ham?"

"The one I hung up there last night?"

"I--I don't know. I didn't eat it."

Tad got up and hastened to the "stores-line," as they called the rope
that held their meats and other provisions. He discovered that several
other articles besides the ham were missing. Even the pieces of twine
with which the provisions had been fastened to the line were missing.

"Well, if this doesn't beat everything!" wondered Butler.

"It does," agreed Chunky, who had made bold to approach. "I hope the
fellows won't blame me, but I reckon they will. They lay everything to
me."

Tad did not reply. He was trying to make up his mind what had become of
the missing provisions. He turned sharply to Stacy.

"See here, you aren't playing tricks on us, are you?"

Stacy indignantly prot