to the community, and Scranton ought to take them in hand right
away. That boy will set the town on fire yet I'm thinking, with his
desperate tricks."

"He will, unless he soon sees a light, and turns over a new leaf,"
admitted Hugh, who, it seems, had an idea of his own in connection
with the said Nick, which, perhaps, he might find an opportunity
to work out one of these days; but which he did not care to confide
to his chum, because he knew Thad would be apt to consider it impossible,
perhaps foolish.

"There they go now, Hugh," suddenly remarked Thad in an undertone.
"You see, he has both Tip and Leon along with him, and they're
grinning as they look over this way. I warrant you Nick has been
elaborating on that fine scheme of his; and, in anticipation, they
can already see you held up in that lonely place, kicking your toes
at the bottom of a miserable pit, or else tied to a tree."

"Don't scowl so savagely, Thad," warned Hugh. "There's no need of
letting them understand we're on to their game. The advantage always
lies in catching the other fellow off his guard. Let's laugh while we
walk past, as if we'd been figuring out how a certain prize was already
dangling close to our fingertips."

So Thad managed to "take a brace," profiting by the sage advice of his
comrade; and, as they passed Nick and his two cronies, Hugh remarked
as pleasantly as he could:

"I've been watching you run to-day, Nick, and I honestly believe you
are right up with the topnotchers in the game. There may be some