of men,
and they were not anxious to put the temptation of stealing a nice boat
in their way.

The grove was a delightful place; and when they had pitched the tent
under the shadow of the great oak-trees, they were glad of the prospect
of a good day's rest. Tom and Harry walked nearly a mile to church in
the morning, leaving the Sharpe boys to look after the camp, and they
all slept most of the afternoon.

About dusk, as the fire for cooking supper was blazing briskly, Joe
returned from a foraging expedition quite out of breath, and with his
milk-pail half empty. He said that he had met three tramps on the road,
which passed through the grove not very far from the camp, and that they
had snatched a pie from him that he had bought at a farm-house, and had
chased him for some distance.

He had been badly frightened, as he frankly admitted; but the other boys
thought that it was a good joke on him. They told him that the tramps
would track him by the milk that he had spilled, and would probably
attack the camp and scalp him. They soon forgot the adventure, however,
with the exception of Tom, who, although he said nothing at the time,
poured water on the fire as soon as the supper was cooked--an act which
somewhat astonished the rest. Soon afterward he went into the tent for a
few moments, and when he returned he was beginning to advise Joe not to
laugh quite so loud, when the crackling of branches was heard in the
grove, and three very unpleasant-looking men appeared.

It was fast growing dark, but Joe immediately recognized them as the
tramps who had stolen his pie. "We've come to supper," said one of them.
"Let's see what you've got. Give us the bill of fare, sonny, and look
sharp about it."

Tom immediately answered that they had eaten their supper, and that
there was nothing left of it but some coffee. "If you want the coffee,
take it," said he. "There isn't anything else for you."

"That ain't a perlite way to treat three gen'lemen as come a long ways
to call on you," said the tramp. "We'll just have to help ourselves, and
we'll begin by looking into your tent. P'r'aps you've got a crust of
bread there what'll save a poor starvin' workin'-man from dyin' on the
spot."

Tom hastily stepped before the tent. "You can't go into this tent," he
said, very quietly; "and you'd better leave this camp and go about your
business."

"Just hear him," said the tramp, addressing his companions. "As if this
yere identical