he Rattlesnake
Mountain country if we had no tents to sleep under, and nothing to eat?"

"But we have tents, and you bought enough bacon and supplies to last the
whole outfit for two weeks anyhow! Oh! Paul, do you mean--would they
dare try to dump all that fine grub in the creek, and perhaps ruin our
new tents?"

Jack's voice trembled with indignation as he said this; for the real
meaning of what his comrade was hinting at had suddenly burst upon him.

"Don't forget that Ted Slavin and Ward Kenwood lead that other crowd,"
remarked Paul, soberly; "and that times without number in the past
they've shown how little they cared for other people's rights when they
wanted to do anything mean. Bobolink had it on pretty good authority. I
rather guess one of the enemy got cold feet, and thought it was going
too far; so he threw out a hint."

"Bully for him, then, whoever he was! But what are you going to do about
it, Paul?" demanded the boy at the other end of the wire.

"Just what I said--get a few fellows to camp out to-night in the
gymnasium under the church where all our things are heaped up. Bobolink
says he can come. I'll ask William if either he or Wallace could join
us. Four should be enough to hold the fort, don't you think, Jack?"

"Sure! We know they're a punk crowd anyhow, when it comes to trouble;
ready to run at the drop of the hat," observed Jack, contempt in his
tone.

"Will you be there, then?" continued Paul, eagerly. "After all, it will
only be beginning our camping experience one day in advance, for
to-morrow night we expect to sleep under canvas, you know. Ask your
father, Jack?"

"Oh!" exclaimed his chum, "he'll say yes, right off the reel. He never
forgets the time he was a boy, and often says he envies me the good
times we have. When will you drop in for me?"

"About half an hour from now. Got some things to do first," came the
reply.

"Do you want me to take my gun along?" queried Jack, anxiously.

"Oh! no, it isn't that bad a case," laughed Paul, amused. "We ought to
be able to handle things without going to such extremes. Besides, you
know, I carried a number of those stout sticks into the gym the other
day, and William amused himself fastening a lot of cloth around them, so
that they look like the stuffed club we used in the minstrel show
last Winter. William is just itching to use one on some poor wretch.
Perhaps he might get the chance to-night. So-long, Jack."

"I'll look for you in h