est---not our policeman."

"Are you going to try to keep me out of all the excitement and fun?"
Lieutenant Dick demanded, indignantly. "Sleep? Can't I get enough of that
when I go aboard a Pullman again and am riding out to Colorado? Of course
I'm going to help---and I'm going to have my share of all the opportunities
for excitement here---or else I'm going to cut your acquaintance."

"Why, of course we'll be delighted to have your help, Dick, if you want to
stand the racket," Reade made haste to say. "It will surely seem like
doubling---or trebling---our forces, to have Dick Prescott working hand in
hand with us."

"Then that's settled," cried Dick, with an air of satisfaction.

"You haven't had any sleep lately, have you, Dick?" inquired Tom, after
they had chatted a little longer.

"No; I haven't."

"Then you must turn in and get a few hours," proposed Reade. "I must have
a little myself, as I shall have to be up and go into court during the
coming forenoon."

"I'm wide awake now," said Harry. "So I'll sit right here on the porch
and dream of Dick and Greg, and good old Dave Darrin and Danny Dalzell,
and the good times we had in old Gridley. What time do you want to be up,
Tom?"

"Not later than eight," Reade answered.

"Trust me," said Harry promptly. Harry went to his own bedroom, pulled his
bed apart, remade it with fresh linen, and with a final grip of Dick's
hand, he left the army officer to turn in there.

At eight o'clock Hazelton called both Tom and Dick. They turned out
promptly, to find that Nicolas had laid an appetizing breakfast on the
porch.

Then Tom had to hurry over to Blixton, Dick going with him, while Hazelton
went down to the breakwater to superintend the day's work there.

Only a little time had to be spent in the justice's stuffy court. Hawkins
and his fellow gamblers and bootleggers were arraigned and held in one
thousand dollars' bail each for trial. As none of them had the money the
eight men were sent to the county jail pending trial.

"That's queer," mused Tom, aloud, as he and Dick walked back to camp.
"You'd think that professional gamblers would have money enough to put up
small bail."

"Not if they're working for other people," suggested Dick. "These men may
be merely the agents of some larger crowd."

"Meaning that the larger crowd may be a sort of vice trust, operating in
many fields at the same time?" queried Reade.

"Something of the sort," replied t