demanded Thad,
as he breezed into the hutch, seeming to guess that he would find his
chum there, and not in the house.

"I've just been fixing things in my mind," returned Hugh, quietly, "and
trying to determine how any intruder would expect to get in here. Why,
up to now such a thing as having my hares stolen never once occurred to
me. Really I'm surprised to find what confidence I've been placing in
all Scranton; when there have been bad eggs among the boys from away
back. Do you know I've never had a fastening on this window here, not
even a stick to hold the lower sash down. It's about time I woke up
and insured the safety of the poor things."

"But you do lock the door every night," interjected Thad; "because
I've seen you do that same thing."

"Oh! just as a matter of form," confessed the other, "for I've never
dreamed it was necessary. Any fellow could have climbed in by that
window of a night, if he'd chosen to."

"Do you suppose, Hugh, that Nick Lang knows about that unguarded
window'?"

"I was figuring that out," mused Hugh, "and, really, I believe he does.
I'll tell you what I base that supposition on. Some time ago, a fellow
came to see me, and tried to buy a pair of my hares; but his figures
and mine didn't agree, and so we failed to make a bargain. But I
showed him my place here, and he examined it all through. I even can
remember that he gave the window a little upward push, speaking at the
time of the necessity for all pets to have plenty of pure air, or their
dens would become foul smelling. That boy was Tip Slavin, and I
understand that he's pretty thick with Nick and Leon. They must have
heard about his visit here, and pumped him dry. So if they do make me
a night visit, depend on it this window will figure big in their
calculations."

Thad chuckled as though pleased.

"That makes it simple, then, Hugh," he went on to say, exultantly, "for
with such a thing settled, it ought to be easy for us to hatch up some
scheme to play hob with their plan of campaign. It'd just about serve
the sneaks right if we set a spring-gun trap that'd give them a dose of
fine bird-shot; but then I don't suppose you'd want to go quite as far
as that. Look here, Hugh, I believe right now, you've already settled
on some sort of surprise for those fellows when they come snooping
around here. If that's a fact, you're going to up and explain its
workings to your best chum, ain't you?"

CHAPTER XII