es, who immediately came bustling up to him, with a mysterious
wink, and drew him aside.

"I made up my mind I ought to say something to a few of the fellows,
Fred," he began, by remarking; "and you're one of the select. Colon and
Corney I've seen already, and they're of the same opinion as myself."

"Well, what's all this row about, Bristles?" asked Fred, somewhat
amused; and at the same time pleased because the other did not seem
about to put questions to him which he might find it difficult to
dodge, without arousing suspicion.

"Why, about Buck, to be sure," replied the other, confidentially.

"But since his boat has gone to flinders, isn't he out of the game
altogether?" demanded Fred.

"That's just it, Buck being out of business is the kind of a fellow who
can't bear to see anybody else prospering. He won't have a boat for the
whole summer; and we have. All the fun's going to come our way. That
makes Buck grit his teeth, and feel ugly. Are you following me, Fred?"

"Sure I am, and it might be I understand what you're going to say
better than you think I do," answered the one addressed, with a smile
on his face.

"Looky here, did you see how Buck glared at our boat when we started
off, and did you notice the cunning expression, almost like a grin,
that came over his face? Tell me that, Fred Fenton."

"Yes, I saw all that," answered Fred.

"And what did you think it stood for?" queried Bristles.

"Oh! I just kind of thought Buck was wishing we'd run on a snag, the
same way he did, and lost our boat, too, replied Fred, promptly; at
which Bristles chuckled.

"I see you're on, all right, Fred," he continued; "but as you don't
know Buck quite as well as some of the rest of us, you're not on to his
curves as much. Now, I'm willing to risk my reputation on it that when
Buck eyed our boat, and then let that half grin come on his black face,
he was thinking how easy it would be to make sure that something
_did_ happen to upset all our calculations."

"Do you mean he'd put a snag in the course, so that Brad would run on
it, never dreaming there was such a thing there?" asked the indignant
Fred.

"Huh! worse than that," pursued Bristles with vehemence; "Buck wouldn't
stop a minute to hack our boat to pieces, or even set fire to that old
shed, if he believed he could do it on the sly, and not be caught!"

Fred saw that his chum meant every word of what he said. The idea was
startling.

"That's a pleasant loo