Each of the boys told all they had ever heard about, such slippery
customers; and it added to the interest of the occasion to know that
they had just been mistaken for a notorious character, for whom the
Government revenue men were on the watch.

"All the same," remarked Bumpus, complacently, "I ain't sorry it
happened, because you see, only for their mistake we never'd aheard
about them twins, Daniel and Luther Stebbens. I'm glad you wrote out
that message for 'em, Thad; and after we get back in Cranford I'm
meaning to send 'em my picture. Their daddy said they'd like it the
worst kind; and come to think of it, I've got a few showing me astanding
with my gun acovering them two bad men as had captured me out in the Big
Timber, Davy having snapped the picture off on the spot. Mebbe they'll
like that!"

He fell to musing over the lively scenes that had accompanied the
adventure covered by this episode; and paid no further attention to the
rest of the boys, as they continued to exhaust the subject of the
smuggler fraternity.

Finally, all of them admitted that they felt sleepy; and since they no
longer had reason to experience anything boarding on alarm, it was
decided on the whole not to bother keeping watch.

Already the hour must be near midnight, and they needed sleep, so as to
be ready to take up duties of another day when morning broke.

Accordingly, each of them was apportioned a place where he could wedge
in and in some way manage to obtain the rest of which he was in such