his fellow members. "Garbage cans
and doormats and ringing electric bells are fun, but isn't there a trick
we've never worked before?"

"Get some grease and spread it over a porch before you ring the bell,"
suggested Sid. "My big brother, who's away at college, used to do it.
Told me so, himself."

"I tried that once," Red broke in scornfully. "Nearly broke my back
getting away. Besides the fellow never steps where he ought to."

John spat with sudden deliberation at a chip of wood on the turf. "Who
can get a lot of tomato cans without any holes in them?"

Silvey mentioned a city dump just north of the park, where cans of all
sizes and conditions were to be found. His chum nodded approvingly.

"Sid, you and Perry go over there Saturday morning and bring back as
many middling-sized ones as you can carry. You other fellows cut up
pieces of string about as long as you are."

"S'posing the trick don't work after all that trouble?" asked Sid
irritably. John was always giving him jobs to do.

"I'll bring a hose key Halloween night," went on John, ignoring the
interruption. "We'll tie a string to a tin, fill it up with water from
the hose pipe on the front lawn, and tie it to the doorknob. Door jerks
open when the bell rings--you know how mad a fellow is then--and the
water goes flying into the hall, ker-splash! Bet you that'll make some
fun!"

The others regarded the inventor in silent admiration. "How about the
cop?" asked one of them finally.

"Never got mad last year, did he? He's all right. Besides, he's too fat
to run very fast."

The back door in the Silvey home squeaked disturbingly as Mrs. Silvey
appeared. A dusting cap was jammed determinedly over one eye, and in one
hand was a broom.

"Bill, you come in here right away. I want you to help me move the hall
rug."

Silvey drawled a response. "Jes' wait until we get through talking. It
won't be a minute." He turned to the rest of the "Tigers." "Everybody
got pea shooters?" They had, or would have before the eventful day
arrived.

"I bought a peachy false-face," Perry boasted in the lull of the
conversation which followed. "You ought to see it; looks just like a
circus clown."

"Leave it at home," said John brusquely. "You can't see out of 'em when
you're running away, and they get all sticky, anyway. They're for kids,
not for fellows like us."

"Bill!" scolded the maternal voice again. "Come in the house this
minute, before I tell your pa on you whe