CHAPTER IV

THE EXPLOSION


On the following afternoon Snap was walking down to the river front,
on an errand for his father, when he caught sight of Ham Spink and
Carl Dudder, under a lumber shed. The pair were conversing in an
earnest fashion, but ceased their conversation as Snap came closer.

Snap knew that Ham and Carl were in far from a friendly humor. Through
one boy he had learned how Carl had been treated by his father, and
through another how Andrew Felps had discovered that Ham had been his
aggressor. There had been a lively interview when Mr. Felps and Mr.
Spink had met, and in the end the latter had said he would stand for
all damage done. Then he had gone home and laid down the law good and
hard to Ham.

"To punish you I will cut off your spending money," said Mr. Spink,
and thus Ham and Carl found themselves in the same trouble so far as
cash was concerned. It galled them exceedingly, and, as was their
habit, they laid the blame entirely on others.

As Snap passed the shed both Ham and Carl scowled at him. Then, after
he had gone a dozen steps, Ham called out:

"Come back here. I want to talk to you."

"Did you address me?" demanded Snap, wheeling around.