to dally with food."

Reade did not wait until he had driven the wagon where he and
his friends could dress away from the view of people on the road.

"The cast-iron cheek of those scoundrels!" vented Dave Darrin
indignantly.

"I rather think we are their debtors," smiled Dick quietly, as
he drew his shirt over his head.

"You do!" demanded Darry incredulously.

"Yes; just think of all the zest they've put into our morning,
and they didn't harm us, either."

"But just think of what it would have been like if we hadn't stopped
'em!" gasped Danny Grin solemnly. "We couldn't have chased 'em.
It wouldn't have been decent for us to go along the road, making
four miles to every five covered by the horse. No, sir! We'd
have had to remain hidden in the forest until we could signal
some farmer to send to our folks for clothes to put on. Wouldn't
it have been great, staying in the woods two or three days, with
nothing to eat, waiting for the proper clothing to enable us to
go out into the world again!"

"It was a mean trick!" cried Darry hotly; and then he began to
laugh as the ridiculous features of the situation appealed to him.

"But nothing serious happened," laughed Dick, "so we owe that