"Huh! I'd rather _warm_ their jackets for 'em," growled Bobolink; who,
having suffered before at the hands of the meanest boy in Stanhope, Ted
Slavin, had only the poorest opinion of him, and of those who trained in
his company.

"When I come back tonight, after supper," continued Paul, "I'm going to
fetch my shotgun along. It might come in handy on the cruise in case we
ran up against a wildcat, or something like that. And I've known such a
thing as a double-barrel to be mighty useful, when fired in the air, to
make sneaking boys nearly jump out of their skins with alarm--but always
in the air, remember, Bobolink."

"Oh! don't worry about me; my bite is not half as bad as my bark. I like
to make out I'm just fierce, when all the while, if you could look
inside, you'd find me chuckling to beat the band. I wouldn't shoot a gun
at anybody, unless it was to save another fellow's life; and then I'd try
to pepper his legs. Fetch the gun, Paul; it'll come in real handy."

So, when Paul did come back after dark, he carried the weapon under his
arm in true hunter style; for Paul had been several times up in Maine,
and knew a good deal of woodcraft, having had actual experience, which is
better than theory, any day.

These four scouts were left in charge of the two boats, when finally Paul
went back home to get some sleep before the eventful day that was to
witness the sailing of the motorboat expedition:

Bobolink; Tom Betts; Spider Sexton, of the Black Fox Patrol and Andy
Flinn, who belonged to the Gray Foxes; and firmly did they promise Paul
to keep a bright lookout to make sure that no harm came to the boats