again."

"I know he won't--you won't dare to come around," jeered Carl.

"Humph! I We'll see about that, sonny. Maybe I'll call on your father
to-morrow."

"The scarecrow is crazy," said Barney Hedge.

"No, I ain't crazy. But I know a thing or so, and I want to talk to
you two in private," went on the tramp, and motioned again to Ham and
Carl.

"What do you want?" asked Ham, curiously. He could see that the tramp
was not crazy.

"Come here,--or send that other boy away."

"Gosh, got a state secret, eh?" said Barney Hedge. "All right--I'll
keep out of it. If you want help, call," he added, as he circled away
to a distance.

"What do you want anyway?" questioned Carl, half angrily. "We are not
in the habit of associating with tramps."

"We are gentlemen's sons," added Ham, drawing himself up proudly.

"Say, do gentlemen's sons blow up boathouses?" asked Kiddy Leech, in a
low but distinct tone.