he boy. "What's the matter?"

The girl pointed at the sleeping colonel.

"Said he'd set the dog on you if you came around the way the others
did," replied Bess Thornton. "They woke him up. My! wasn't he mad?
Here," she added, handing a small box to the boy, "George Warren left
this for you. Said they wanted to make time. That's why they didn't stop
for you."

"Thanks," said the boy. "Thought I'd got to walk clear back to Benton.
But I was going to have a swim first. Guess I'll have it, anyway. It's
hot, walking through this dust."

"I'll tell you where to go," said the girl. "Do you know what's fun? See
that tree way up along shore there, the one that hangs out over the
water? Well, I climb that till it bends down, and then I get to swinging
and jump."

Tim Reardon gave her an incredulous glance, with one eye half closed.

"Oh, I don't care whether you believe it or not," said the girl. "But
I'll show you some time. Can't now. Got to wash dishes. Don't wake him
up, or you'll catch it."

She disappeared through the doorway, and Tim Reardon, leaving his wheel
leaning against a corner of the house, went up along shore. In another
half hour he returned, took from his pocket the box the girl had given
to him, got therefrom an awl, a bottle of cement and some thin strips of
rubber, and began mending the punctured tire of the bicycle. The tire
was already somewhat of a patched affair, bearing evidences of former
punctures and mendings.

"It's Jack's old wheel," he remarked by way of explanation to Bess
Thornton, who had reappeared and was interestedly watching the
operation. "He's going to give me one of his new tires," he added, "the
first puncture he gets."

"Why don't you put a tack in the road?" asked the girl promptly.

Tim Reardon grinned. "Not for Jack," he said.

"Say," asked the girl, "what's Witham mad with those boys about? Why
did he send 'em out of the hotel the other night?"

"Oh, that's a long story," replied Tim Reardon; "I can't tell you all
about it. Witham used to keep the hotel down to Southport, and he was
always against the boys, and now and then somebody played a joke on him.
Then, when his hotel burned, he thought the boys were to blame; but Jack
Harvey found the man that set the fire, and so made the colonel look
foolish in court."

But at this moment a yawn that sounded like a subdued roar indicated
that Colonel Witham was rousing from his nap. He stretched himself,
opened his eyes bl