The Hilltop Boys on the River

trying to discover the miscreants who had sought to inj

d, the owner of which, quite a wealthy man, complimented Dr. Wise o

plain of on account of your boys. Most boarding school boys are inclined to be mischievous, a

school, Mr. Vanderdonk, and the charact

sis upon each syllable, not Vanderdonk, with the accent on the first. I am most particular about the pronunciation of the name, which is that of one of the earl

and you should not have spoken of the Academy boys as boarding school boys. They attend a military Academy, the fame of which is as great a

d the puzzle of her mother, who wished her to be a young lady of society, and was greatly g

them a very fine set of young gentlemen. Why, we have not had our lawn tramped over by them, nor our fruit trees pilfere

had not learned the first rules of manners," laughed Margaret gaily.

replied Van der Donk loftily, "but

ayest fashion. "Could you blame the poor unfortunates for wanting to shin up them and pick peaches and apples and everything else? The only fruit t

n the river, her father and mother accompanying her, of course, and Percival going alo

er company than her father who was forever trying to impress everybody with the renown

d has lots of sense, but what a tire

de their blue blood and fine ancestry before the world just as mu

never spoken of. He is one of the wealthiest men along the river, and employs a man to do nothing but cut off his stock coupons. They may invite us to th

and she is really very pleasant company. By the way," with a smile,

Jack!" exclaimed Dick. "Of cours

Dick," with another chuckle. "Th

grinned again. "We will g

r was made sooner than the boys anticipated,

e camp when all at once there was a wild alarm, a sudden ringing of bells and

dere am a big

to be aroused, and to run out o

xclaimed Jack, smelling smoke

nk's," cried Percival.

d get dressed, Jack

is way and that, rubbing their eyes or standing in a bewilde

sking for help to put out the fire, which had just been dis

ion with its costly furnishings would have to go, as there was no fire engine com

about half dressed. "We can at least form a bucket brigade.

half dressed, most of them, they quickly formed in good order, an

river for washing purposes, and now they each

re Jack and Dick formed them into a double line reaching from t

went into the house, on the balconies and ever

the lines, and passed back empty after their contents h

the flames if not to subdue them when a fire company from Riverton arrived, and with

deal of confusion, during which the Hilltop boys worked steadily on and soon began to show the

ter on the flames that poured from a corner of the piazza roof wh

up there in the extension. No one

illy, Arthur, take my place. I

e, and he ran inside and up the stairs to the room indicated by Marg

open, and saw a bed in a cor

blankets, pressed it close to him, and r

d a nurse ran up to him, and

cried hysterically. "I do not know what I would

baby!" sputtered Percival, who had run to

e shave. Look! the plac

I went up the

running up to him and seizing his h

ack simply. "I am glad that I was able to

e is always with him at night. I suppose she was frightene

ed again in her excit

Percival raisin

t, and Jack Sheldon has shown himself a

aret, and then her father and mother took

his time, but if the Hilltop boys had not made a g

rol, and, although considerable damag

tly marched back to

their tent, tire

k, as he was undressing, seeing some

lady's go