hs
poked through his pajamas and into his skin. He voiced all the
complaints he could think of, after which he settled down to long,
rhythmic snores that could be heard all around the place, inside and
out. The purple twilight merged into blue shadows, then into black,
impenetrable darkness that swallowed up the pass and the two little
white tents of the Pony Rider Boys.

CHAPTER VIII

AN INTRUDER IN THE CAMP

"W'en de screech-owl light on de gable en'
En holler, Whoo-oo! oh-oh!
Den you bettah keep yo' eyeball peel,
Kase dey bring bad luck t' yo',
Oh-oh! oh-oh!"

"Stop that noise!" shouted an angry voice from the tent occupied by the
boys.

For a few moments silence reigned in the camp of the Pony Rider Boys.
Then the voice of the singer from somewhere outside was raised again.

"W'en de ole black cat widdee yella eyes
Slink round like she atter ah mouse,
Den yo' bettah take keer yo'self en frien's,
Kase dey's sho'ly a witch en de house."

"Who is making that unearthly noise?" demanded the Professor in an
irritated voice.

"That's Stacy singing," answered Tad politely.

"Singing?"

"Yes, sir."

"Nonsense! Does he think he can sing?"

"Yes, sir."

"Humph! I shall be obliged if some of you boys will remove that
impression from his mind so that I may go back to sleep."

"Yes, sir."

"W'en de puddle duck 'e leave de pon'
En start to comb e fedder--"

A stone struck the rock on which Stacy Brown was sitting. Some small
particles flew up and hit him in the neck.

"Hey, you fellows quit that!"

"Den yo' bettah take yo' umbrell,
Kase dey's gwine to be wet wedder."

"Yeow!"

The fat boy left the rock, jumping right up into the air, for the wild
yell had seemed to come out of the rock itself. At that juncture three
pajama-clad figures rose from behind the rock and threw themselves upon
him.

"Let go of my neck!" howled Chunky, fighting desperately to free
himself, not having caught a glance at his assailants, though he knew
well enough who they were. Stacy had calculated on aggravating them to
the danger point, then slipping away and hiding until breakfast time.
But he had gone a little too far with his so-called singing.

The boys picked the fat boy up and carried him, kicking and yelling, to
a point just beyond the camp where a glacial stream trickled down,
forming in a pool some three feet d