w that he had played a mean trick on Tad by
tying a string to the provision line and giving it a jerk to wake his
companion up, thus making him believe someone was at the provisions. He
suspected that the trick had been turned on him, but he wasn't quite
sure. Stacy was covertly watching every expression on the face of Tad
Butler, every word that was uttered, Tad in the meantime continuing to
worry his fat companion. The latter stood it as long as possible. Then
he arose rather hastily and strode around to the rear of the tent,
returning a moment later with a rope in his hand.

Tad recognized it instantly.

"Here, if you want to know what got hold of us last night. Look at
this!" exclaimed Chunky.

"What is it?" questioned Rector.

"It's a rope. Don't you know a rope when you see one? It is the same
rope that dragged us from the tent by our ankles last night. Oh, this is
a fine outfit!" jeered Chunky.

No one spoke for a few seconds.

"Ah!" breathed the Professor. "I begin to see a light."

"So did we," returned Stacy. "But it wasn't so very light that you could
notice it particularly."

Ned started up, his face flushing violently.

"Do you mean to tell me that one of our outfit dragged you and me out by
the heels last night?" he demanded.

"Yes!"

"Who did it?" cried Rector angrily. "I can thrash the fellow who did
that. Who is he, I say?"

"Well, I may be wrong, but from the look of his face, I should say that
Tad Butler knows something about the affair. Mind you, I'm not saying he
did it, but I reckon he knows the man who did," observed Stacy.

"Tad Butler, did you do that?" demanded Ned.

"Stacy seems to think I did."

"Then I've nothing more to say."

"I--I thought you were going to whale the fellow who did it," reminded
Stacy.

"I reckon I've changed my mind," muttered Ned. "I'll have a talk with
Tad later, though."

"No time like the present," laughed Butler.

"Young gentlemen, enough of this. I am amazed at you, Tad," rebuked
Professor Zepplin.

"Tell them the rest, Stacy," nodded Tad.

The fat boy hung his head.

"Maybe I was to blame, after all. I reckon Tad was after me, not Ned,"
admitted Stacy.

"What had you done?" questioned the Professor with a poor attempt at
sternness.

"I--I tied a string to the provision line. You know Tad had a line tied
to it with one end around his wrist so that he would know if an intruder
began to interfere with the provisions?"

"Yes. Go on."