voice a chance to earn him a living in the role of an auctioneer.

"Me too; and say, wasn't it a terror, though?" the tall scout declared.

"Well, I didn't wait long enough to have any words with the Thing,"
admitted Jud. "You see, I happened to be further away from home than the
other fellows, and I knew I'd have more space to cover. So, after letting
out a yell to sort of warn 'em, why I just put for cover. Never ran
faster even between bases. Thought he'd get me sure before I rounded that
bend; but when I looked back, blessed if he wasn't grabbin' up our
strings of fish like fun, and making off with 'em. I don't know right now
whether I'm just scared, or only boiling mad. Tell me, somebody!"

"A little of both, I guess!" declared Bobolink, grinning.

"Say, then, it wasn't just a big yarn about that wild man, after all; was
it?" said Tom Betts.

"How about that, Little Billie; did you see him?" demanded Jud.

"Did I? Think I was runnin' for my health? Why, he looked all of seven
feet high to me, and covered with long hair. Talk about your Robinson
Crusoe making him a coat of an old nanny goat, that feller was in the
same class; eh, Gusty?" loudly asserted the tall boy.

"I saw him, all right, don't you forget it," declared the one
addressed. "And I certain sure thought he was after _me_. But if Jud
says he took our nice string of bass, why that changes the thing, and
makes me mad as hops. Think of us workin' all that time, only to fill
up a crazy crank. Next time I go fishin' I'm meanin' to sit home, and