ng Mosher cocked both hammers of the shotgun,
Dick heard the clicks, but still walked on.

"I hate to do it!" called Tag warningly.

"Oh, you won't do it," Dick answered in a tone of calm self-assurance.

Young Prescott kept on for another hundred yards. No sound came
from behind him. Unless young Mosher were creeping upon him,
Prescott knew that he was now out of range of the shotgun.

Impelled by curiosity, Dick wheeled about Tag Mosher was nowhere
in sight.

"Either that fellow isn't half as bad as he pretends to be, or
else not half as desperate as he likes to think himself," Dick
chuckled.

Then, remembering, in a flash, the herbs that he had come to get,
the Gridley High School boy deliberately walked back to the spot
where he had left this strange vagrant of the forest.

But Tag was no longer there---not in sight, at any rate. Bending
over, Prescott collected a goodly bunch of the herbs. Then, after
glancing at his watch, he started back to camp.

It was late when he returned. Dave was back from his swim, the
table was set, and all was in readiness to sit down.

"Too late to use the herbs to-day, I guess," said Tom, as Dick
laid them down. "You were gone a long time, old fellow."

"I had quite a way to go," Dick replied quietly. Then he cut
a number of grass stalks, trimming them to different lengths.
"Fellows, I want you to draw lots. I don't feel any too much
like a walk to Five Corners after dinner, but if I get the short
straw I'll go."

"No; you'd better not try it," warned Darrin. "Your hip might
begin to give you trouble before you get back. If someone has
to go, let the other five draw."

But Dick insisted that the draw should decide it all.

"What's the matter?" asked Tom Reade shrewdly. "Have you found
traces of Tag Mosher?"

"I've seen him," Dick replied, "and talked with him. Come to
think of it, I believe two fellows had better go. The two who
are to go will be those who draw the shortest straws. All ready?"

Dick covered one end of the grass stalks, so that no one could
be sure as to which lot he drew. The lots fell to Reade and Darrin.

"Now, tell us about the meeting," begged Hazelton.

"Let's sit down and begin to eat," Prescott proposed. "As we
eat I will describe the meeting."

Plates passed rapidly until all were served. Then Dick told his
chums the story of the meeting with Tag Mosher.

CHAPTER XVII

DURING THE BIG STORM

"Hoo-hoo! Hoo-ho