tor; namely,
that he was what Giraffe would call "a wind-bag," or a puff-ball, like
those every one has stepped on in the fields, that go off with a pop,
emit a little cloud of dust, and then collapse.

But what was there to be feared from a mere parcel of half-grown boys?
Kracker doubtless believed that he could awe them with that fierce
look of his, and the domineering way he had of holding himself erect;
while it was almost certain that when they heard his awful voice,
sounding like hoarse thunder, their very legs would tremble under
them, so that their knees must knock together.

But apparently no one was doing much trembling, as yet, for they
seemed to stand there in a line, and holding their guns half raised,
with the stocks hitched under their shoulders, in the manner of those
who have hunted much, and know which might be the easiest method of
flinging a gun to rest in a second of time.

One of the men had a rifle. He was the fellow whom Thad guessed went
by the name of Dickey Bird. But then, no doubt both Kracker and
Waffles carried smaller arms about their persons somewhere, for Thad
could see signs of their belts, and judged the heavy revolvers were
swung back of them, where a hand could sweep around and lay hold of
the butt easily.

The scoutmaster had made up his mind that Kracker was the only one
whom they had to fear in the least. With him removed from the game,
the other two would turn out to be easily handled. In fact, they would
probably throw up their hands in surrender the very instant anything
happened to take the big man off. And accordingly Thad meant to devote
all his energies toward cutting the claws of the colonel. He had given
Allan his ideas on the subject, and the Maine boy agreed with him fully.

They were coming close to the imaginary dead line Thad had marked
between that pile of rocks and the stunted tree. Half a minute more,
and he felt that he must call a halt.

Would they mind what he said; or, thinking that orders from a mere boy
were not to be taken seriously, would they insist on advancing further?

Thad gritted his teeth, and was more resolved than ever that if
Kracker invited trouble he would get it, good and hard. He would find
out that guns can be just as dangerous in the hands of boys, as men.

But now he noticed that the big man had slowed up a little. Perhaps he
did not just like the way they stood there waiting, and with so many
guns handy, too.

Thad deliberately