of the shore. At once, Snap, who was in the lead, set up a shout:

"There he is!"

"And skating for all he is worth!" added Shep.

"Hi, you! stop!" yelled Giant. "Stop, you rascal!"

At first Kiddy Leech did not hear, but presently, as they drew closer,
he turned in a startled way. Then he tried to skate harder than ever.

"Stop where you are, or I'll shoot you!" called out Snap, who had
brought his shotgun along.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" yelled the tramp, in wild alarm.

"Then stop," went on Snap.

The tramp skated a few strokes more and then halted. Soon the three
boys swept up to him.

"Don't shoot!" cried Kiddy Leech again. It's--er--all a mistake.
I--er--I didn't mean any harm."

"You didn't?" said Snap, indignantly. "No harm to steal our things?
You're a rascal if ever there was one. We ought to hand you over to
the authorities."

"No! no. I--er--I wasn't stealing anything. It's all a joke. I was
coming back. I thought I'd scare you a little, that's all."