"Where did you come from, Gus?" Bill asked, still inclined to laugh.

"The road. Slipped away from the others for I was wondering whether you
might not get into trouble. Couldn't imagine that chump would spring
anything that wouldn't make you mad, and I knew you'd talk back. So I
did the gumshoe."

"Well, I suppose he would have made it quite interesting for me and I am
eternally grateful to you. If it weren't for you, Gus, I guess, I'd have
a hard time in--"

"By cracky, if it weren't for you, old scout, where would I be? Nowhere,
or anywhere, but never somewhere."

"That sounds to me something like what Professor Gray calls a paradox,"
laughed Bill.

"I don't suppose you're going to peach on Thad," Gus offered.

"No; but wouldn't I like to? It's a rotten shame to have that lowdown
scamp under Mr. Hooper's roof. It's a wonder Grace doesn't give him
away; she must know what a piker he is."

"Bill, it's really none of our business," Gus said. "Well, see you in
the morning early."

The boys wished once more to go over carefully all the completed details
of the water power plant; they had left the Pelton wheel flying around
with that hissing blow of the water on the paddles and the splashing