Riverport all his life ought to have the right to
walk along the river here without having tricks played on him, and
bein' yanked head-down up in the air. You'll pay for your fun yet, see
if you don't, Chris Colon."

"Shut up!" roared the exasperated Colon, shaking the other, whom he was
now escorting to the door, with the intention of ejecting him, just as
Fred had directed. "You ought to be tarred and feathered, if you got
your dues. Like to see our boat go up in smoke; would you? And Buck
aims to keep us from using the river, just because he was foolish
enough as to smash his own boat? You tell him to come himself the next
time. We'll be glad to see him; and perhaps he might meet with a
surprise worse than the one I sprung on you, Conrad. Now don't forget
to tell him; you hear me!"

Colon had managed to get the door open while speaking. Then he gave the
other a little push, as if to start him going. Conrad somehow seemed to
suspect what was coming, for he tried to hug close to the tall boy,
who, however, gave him a shove. So Conrad, thinking he had a chance,
made a bolt; but that long leg of Colon shot out, and caught him fairly
and squarely, sending him flying.

The boy who was thus thrown out picked himself up, and thinking he
heard his enemy coming toward him, fled into the darkness, howling in
mingled pain and fear.

Colon, laughing heartily, closed and fastened the door, after which he
rejoined his watch-mate, to see out the balance of the eventful night
in Fred's company.

CHAPTER XX

IN THE HOLLOW OAK

After that there was no further alarm, and the two watchers secured
quite a fair amount of sleep before the coming of dawn warned them to
hie away home. They left the blankets at the boathouse, for they had
purposely brought old ones; and hence, when it came time for the next
watch to take up their duties, there would be no occasion for them to
duplicate.

On second thought the boys had come to the conclusion that it might be
wise for them to tell Brad what had happened. The fact that the
vengeful Buck had not stopped at such a grave thing as setting fire to
the shed, worried them both.

So a little later they both met again, having had breakfast. Together
they hunted up the other three who were in the game; indeed, Bristles
was meanwhile searching the whole neighborhood for Fred, having called
at his house after he had gone.

"Well," he remarked, after he had caught up with Fred, Sid and