" replied Fred, at the same time wondering who it could be, because
there did not seem to be anything familiar about the half muffled tones.

"This is Bristles!" came the voice.

"What's that?" exclaimed Fred, wondering if his friend could be trying to
play some trick on him by pretending to change his voice.

"Bristles, don't you know? Wait a minute till I cough," and then
followed a series of explosive barks that sounded wonderfully realistic
over the wire, after which the muffled voice continued: "Seem to have
taken a beastly cold somehow, after school. Sneezing to beat the band,
in the bargain. But I want to see you, the worst way, Fred. Can't you
come over to my house, for I oughtn't to go out in the night air with
this cold?"

"Now, you mean, Bristles?"

"Sure, right away. It's only eight o'clock, and I've got something to
tell you that'll make you sit up and take notice. Excuse me while I bark
a few times, Fred," which he accordingly did in a way that made the other
remove the receiver from close contact with his ear.

"Well, you do seem to have a good dose of it, Bristles," Fred remarked,
laughingly, when the bombardment had finally ceased. "I'm almost afraid
that cold will be catching over the wire. Hope it won't be anything
serious, old fellow."

"Oh! I'm not bothering about that, Fred," he was told, "but I'm just
aching to tell you something great. You'll be tickled half to death when
you hear what it is. Never mind asking me, either, because I won't
whisper a word over the wire."

"All right, then, Bristles."

"You'll sure come, Fred?" anxiously asked his unseen chum.

"Why, of course I will," Fred hastened to assure him. "I meant to run
over to your place to-night, anyway, because I've got a little news you
ought to hear."

"And Fred, you'll take the short-cut, of course?"

"It's mighty seldom I go any other way, Bristles. Why do you ask?"

"I was only afraid you might have some errand down-town that'd take you
the long way around, that's all, Fred. Now, hurry up, because I'll bust
if I have to hold this great thing in much longer. So long, Fred!"

As the thick voice ceased to come over the wire Fred put the receiver on
the hook, and there was a little frown on his face.

"Now I wonder if he's happened to learn about that Corny Ludson, and
means to explode it on me?" Fred was saying, as he picked up his hat.
As he did so, his glance happening to fall upon a heavy cane with a