The Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour

au

d the arm of his chum as h

close at hand, showing tha

it?" asked J

ed as though he must have been the first one to get to slee

door," answered the patro

. Shall I wake Bobolink

m gave a shout it would tell

Three was enjoying a nap. He shook him gently, and when

nd was instantly cut off by Paul's cl

or right now!" he breathed int

first impression had been that the enemy had stolen a march o

Paul by degrees removed his muffling hand,

up by now, and fairly quivering with eagerness, as he fondled

without, finding themselves balked by the fact that the door

y," suggested William, as he and the other

energetic plotters so often in the past, that they were well acquainted with

door, so as to be ready in case they d

ce. All of them gripped their novel weapons of offense and defense with a gr

ed his club through the air, as though eager to test its qualities on an unluck

ers were disputing as to their best course under the circumst

d Slavin himself; "Who's afraid? Go get the old gravestone, boys, and w

ch property, and we could be punished for it. Better try and open a wind

eak. But we can get in that way easy, boys. If you say the word, Ted, I'll creep in

we'll be awaitin' there at the ash door, ready to

. He ruled his camp followers through sheer force of brutal instincts; and many a head had ach

zing the signal, passed it on to William; and in tu

or. Some boys seem to be gifted with the remarkable faculty of seeing in the dark, that a cat enjoys. Jack was of the opinion that his

presently came to a number of metal receptacles in which old Peter stored the ashe

r, for Peter had kept putting off his last c

his can and hide behi

e himself slipped back to the connecting doo

me gave light to the gymnasium. Looking intently in that quarter, Paul was soon able to m

pushing his way in through the little opening, after

floor. And just as he had anticipated, the intruder was supplied with matches,

as his cover. When settling down he managed to give the signal that the other three would r

he banged into the open door, simply because his sense of observation

mpsed by Paul, spying around the edge of his screen, and seemed to be rubbing his forehe

ounded fro

you?" demanded Ted, gruffly, u

llers," said Bud, who had struck a third match in order to

sign of the presence of those four forms cowering behind as many tall ash

you open up?" called Ted, again rappi

door," declared Bud; and to himself he muttered: "and I just don't like the looks of this hole any too much, tell yuh that, now

fighting rat. But Paul understood instantly that Bobolink must be the cause of all this racket; for

ay to go. Twice he tried to strike a match, but each attempt proved a failure, on account of his extreme nervousness. And now he

outside. He used his knuckles on the

o rage at the delay, when his fingers were fairly itching to lay hold of those t

ats. They're all around me in here, and wanting to take a nip out of my legs. Oh! get out of that, hang yo

hed him on the sly. Still, since the other did not

you want us to break the

out a voice just like the sharp

tonished and enraged Ted, who believe

an' if you talk till you're blind I aint agoin' to

Jones; if I don't make you eat them words, my na

g with the ashcans in the darkness, and kicking right and left at imagin

o. I'm goin' to make you eat it just as soon as I get hold of you!" declared the furi

e, only waiting for a chance to give him a thrashing he would never forget. And the mysterious voice that sounded exactly like his own, startled him; for

space; though he sometimes bruised his toe by striking it against one of the ash receptacles near by; "and I'm going

shout at this, for he knew that poor Bud must

ckle the door, if the varmints will give me ha

t secured the door, now and then giving a dismal little squeal, as in i

" he cried suddenly, as

eager figures. So Ted Slavin led his backers into the furnace room of the church, whe