"Oh, my eye!" groaned Carl. "Phew! what's this?"

"We're discovered!

"What's this they threw on us?"

"Oh, did you ever smell such stuff?"

"Robbers! thieves!" yelled Snap and Shep. "Shoot them! Give
them a dose of buckshot!"

"They are going to shoot us!" screamed Carl Dudder, and dodged
down. Then he lost his footing on the wet and slippery rails,
clutched at Ham to save himself, and both went down with a loud
splash into the dirty water under the boathouse.

"There they go!" cried Shep.

"Let us scare them some more," whispered Snap. "Pretend you don't
recognize them."

Quickly a lantern was lit and held over the opening in the floor.
Down below two dark forms, covered with mud and flour paste, could
be seen clutching at the slippery braces of the spiling. Snap and
Shep could scarcely keep from roaring.

"There they are! Get the gun!" yelled the doctor's son.

"Two dangerous burglars!" cried Snap. "Wonder where they came from?"