The Heroes of the School Part 15

"No, what's he done now."

"Gone off camping in the woods, somewhere up along the river."

"Any one with him?" asked Bart.

"No, all alone. Hired a tent that Sid Edwards used last year and went off by himself."

"I thought he was afraid to stay out alone nights," observed Stumpy.

"There's something strange about it," went on Lem. "Tom Jasper, who lives next door, told me he saw a strange man talking to Sandy in the back yard one day. The next day Sandy arranged to go camping."

"What sort of a looking man was he?" asked Bart.

"All I remember is that he had a very black moustache."

The three chums looked at one another. The same thought was in the mind of each, that the man might be the one who had called himself King of Paprica.

"I'd like to go camping myself." Lem went on. "What you fellows going to do this vacation?"

"Haven't made up our minds yet," replied Ned. "We'll have some fun, though."

"Where's Frank?" inquired Lem. "Seems funny not to see the four of you together."

"He'll be along pretty soon," said Bart. "We were up to the swimming hole, and he had some business to attend to, so he came back ahead of us."

"Well I'm going after those nails," the pitcher went on. "The fence will fall down before I get back if I don't hurry. It's been threatening to topple for a week," and he went on, whistling a merry tune.

"That's funny about Sandy," remarked Ned, when Lem was out of earshot.

"And about that black-moustached man," went on Bart. "We'll have to look into this. h.e.l.lo, here comes Frank."

Their chum emerged from Judge Benton's place with a letter in his hand and hurried to the post-office, nearly across the street from the lawyer's office. He remained inside only a few seconds, and evidently posted the missive for, when he came out, his hands were empty. Then he saw his chums and hurried over toward them.

"Sorry I had to run away," Frank said, with a little bit of awkwardness in his air, "but I had to attend to some business in a hurry."

"There's the envelope you dropped," said Bart. "We found it when we came out to dress."

"Thanks," replied Frank, and, without looking at it he put it into his pocket. "Say," he went on, "what do you say to taking a walk after some wild flowers this afternoon?"

"Wild flowers; what for?" inquired Ned.

"Well, not for ourselves, of course," Frank went on. "I happened to meet Miss Mapes, the teacher you know, and she asked me if I knew where there were any. There's going to be an entertainment in her church and they want some to decorate with. I told her I thought I could get her plenty.

Do you want to go?"

"Sure," replied Bart, and the others nodded a.s.sent. Miss Mapes was a favorite with all the pupils.

"We'll meet at the dock, right after dinner," proposed Frank, "row up the river a way and then strike in through the woods. Right at the foot of Bender's Hill ought to be a good place. The woods are thick and shady there."

The others agreed to this and separated, to gather again about one o'clock.

"Stumpy, you and Bart row," suggested Ned. "You need the exercise to keep you from getting fat, and Bart wants to keep in training for football next term."

"Well, I like your nerve, Ned Wilding!" exclaimed Fenn.

"Same here!" came from Bart.

"I thought you would," observed Ned coolly, as he went to the stern, prepared to steer.

"He and I will row back," suggested Frank.

"That's right,--take the easiest part--come down with the current,"

growled Stumpy, but he took his place at the oars. Perhaps he thought he was getting too stout.

Bart grumbled some, but in a good-natured way, and ended by taking his place just ahead of Fenn, while Frank went to the bow, and soon they were underway.

They tied their boat in a secluded place about a mile above the Riffles and then struck off through the woods. It was two miles to Bender's Hill, a small mountain named after the man on whose property it was located, and it was the highest point in the vicinity. All about it, as well as on the sides and top of the hill, were dense woods, not often visited.

After some hard tramping through underbrush and over fallen trees, which the boys did not seem to mind (though they would have growled if they had been obliged to do it) they came to a little clearing. They were about to cross it when there came a sudden hail:

"You fellows can't come here!"

"I'd like to know why?" inquired Bart without seeing who had spoken.

"Because I'm here on guard to see that no one pa.s.ses," and at that the boys glanced up, to see Sandy Merton, with a little target rifle in his hands, standing on the other edge of the clearing.

CHAPTER XIV

PECULIAR OPERATIONS

For a few seconds the boys were too surprised to make any answer. They saw that Sandy was standing in front of a tent, partly hidden by the woods.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Bart. "Are you playing soldier, Sandy?"

"You'll see what I'm playing fast enough," spoke the former member of the baseball nine. "I tell you not to come across here."

"Why not?" asked Fenn.

"Because I say so."

"That's no reason."

"I'll make it one. Don't you fellows get fresh with me. You think because you can run the high school, and the nine, you can boss me but I'll show you that you can't."

"No one wants to boss you," spoke Ned. "You're making a big fool of yourself, Sandy."