"Tried to talk to him, and Fox told him to mind his own business,
that he could have what fruit hung over his fence. So he could,
but not half of it hung that way, and he took every blessed
pear."

"Fox always was a mean man," murmured Tom. "I'd like to square
accounts with him before I go back to Putnam Hall."

"I reckoned as how you might be up to something like that," said
Ness, with another grin. "But you want to be careful. Only
yesterday Fox shot off his gun at some boys who were after his
apples."

"Did he hit the boys?"

"I don't think he did."

"Who were they?"

"I don't know. And I reckon he don't either."

"Humph!" Tom mused for a moment.

"I'd like to scare the mean fellow by making him think one of the
boys was killed."

"That's an idea!" cried Sam, and winked at his brother. "Let's
do it!"

They were soon bowling over Swift River and along the road