of the expedition was endangered; so he was allowed to stand in.

'He'll do to keep nit,' said Dick.

Gable could not run in the event of a surprise and a pursuit, but that
mattered little, as it was long since known to be hopeless to attempt to
extract evidence from him, and his complicity in matters of this kind was
generously overlooked by the people of Waddy.

The expedition was not a success. Dick planned it and captained it well;
but the best laid plans of youth are not less fallible than those of mice
and men, and one always runs a great risk in looting an orchard in broad
daylight--although it will be admitted, by those readers who were once
young enough and human enough to rob orchards, that stealing cherries in
the dark is as aggravating and unsatisfactory an undertaking as eating
soup with a two-pronged fork.

Dick stationed Gable in a convenient tree, with strict orders to cry
'nit' should anybody come in sight from the black clump of fir-trees
surrounding the squatter's house. Then he led his party over the fence
and along thick lines of currant bushes, creeping under their cover to
where the beautiful white-heart cherries hung ripening in the sun. Dick
was very busy indeed in the finest of the trees when the note of warning
came from Ted McKnight.

'Nit! nit! NIT! Here comes Jock with a dog.'

Dick was last in the rush. He saw the two McKnights safe away, and was
following Peterson, full of hope, when there came a rush of feet behind
and he was sent sprawling by a heavy body striking him between the