smile.

"Of course not," Dick indignantly replied.

"Then you needn't be afraid of us, though I admit that we do look
rough," answered the same man, displaying a badge. "We're officers
of the law."

"What can we do for you, sir?" Prescott inquired more respectfully.

"Do you boys know anything about Tag Mosher?" demanded the same
speaker.

"Son of Bill Mosher?" Dick counter-queried.

"The same. Know anything about him?"

"Nothing, except that he bothered us a good deal when we were
first camped here," Prescott replied.

"Do you know him by sight, then?"

"We all do."

"When was Tag here last?" pressed the officer.

"About three days ago," Dick answered. "He stole quite a bit
of our food supply."

"That's an old trick of that young tough," rejoined the deputy
sheriff. "That's how the boy got the nickname of 'tag.' He won't
work, and lives on other people's work. Anything that he can
say 'tag' to he thinks belongs to him."

"Then, in other words, sir," asked Dave Darrin, "Tag Mosher is
just a plain thief?"

"A good deal that way," replied the deputy. "But with this difference:
Up to date Tag never stole anything except what he needed at the
moment for his own comfort. He never robbed people to enrich
himself, but just to save himself the trouble of working. Now,
however, we've a more serious charge against him."

"What?" asked Dick,

"I don't know whether the courts will call it felonious assault,"
replied the deputy. "But Tag stole two chickens out of the chicken
coop of Henry Leigh, a new farmer in these parts. Leigh trailed
Tag to the woods and found him cooking the chickens. Leigh tried
to grab Tag, but Tag caught up a big stone and just slammed it
against Leigh's head. Leigh is now in bed at home, with a fractured
skull, and likely to die. He described Tag to us, and we're after
him. The county has put a reward of two hundred and fifty dollars
on Tag's head. After we've come up with him I guess it will be
many a year before Tag Mosher will have a chance to do any more
stealing or fighting. But if you haven't seen him here in three
days we may as well be moving on. Thank you. Of course, if you
see Tag, you won't tell him anything about our being here?"

"Certainly not, sir," Dick answered. "By the way, do you want
any help?"

"Meaning some of you boys?" asked the deputy.

"Some of us will help you, if we can," Dick assured him.

"How many?"

"We ought to leave half ou