"

"It's sure that Slavin bunch, fellows! Come on, and let's get our hooks
on the sneaks before they fade away!" shouted Bobolink, jumping to his
feet excitedly.

CHAPTER III

BREAKING UP THE SCOUTS' MEETING

Boom! boom!

Upon the silence of the Summer night sounded the startling detonation of
the big bell in the square tower of the church.

The assembled scouts, arrested by this unexpected peal just as they were
in the act of rushing forth to try and capture those who had been spying
on the meeting, stared at each other in mute astonishment and
indignation.

Every one seemed to quickly understand just what it meant, nor were they
long in finding their voices to denounce the outrage.

"It's a punk trick, fellows!" exclaimed Jack, his face filled with
growing anger. "They want to force the church trustees to chase us out
of our quarters here!"

"Yes," echoed Bobolink, trembling with eagerness to do something, he
hardly knew just what, "it's a plot to throw us out in the cold, that's
what! Talk to me about a mean, low-down trick--this takes the cake!"

"Let's surround the feller at the rope! Then we'll have something to
show that it wasn't our fault the old bell jangled!" cried another
member of the troop.

"On the jump, Foxes!" shouted William.

Immediately there was a grand rush. Some went through the door, aiming
to gain the outer air, in the hope of cutting off any escaping enemy.
Others rushed towards the stairs, by means of which the vestibule of the
old church could be reached, where dangled the rope that moved the bell.

Paul led this latter group. He was boiling with indignation over the
trick that had been played, for it promised to put the orderly scouts in
bad odor with the custodian of the building, who had been so kind to
them.

The sexton, whose name was Peter Ostertag, usually lighted the gymnasium
for them, and then went over to his own cottage near by. It was his
usual habit to return at about ten o'clock, when the meeting disbanded,
in order to put out the lights, and close the building. Perhaps he might
even then be on his way across lots.

What with the shouts of the excited scouts, rushing hither and thither;
together with some derisive laughter and cat calls from dark corners in
the immediate vicinity, the scene certainly took on a lively turn.

The bell had ceased to toll, though there still came a ringing, metallic
hum from up in the tower. Paul had snatched up a lamp