the four lads with a dark look
on his face, and this look grew even more resentful when he recognized
them.

"Ha! so you are going to come here in spite of my warnings, eh?"
he said, harshly.

"You haven't warned us or anything, Mr. Spink," answered Snap, calmly.

"Can't you read? Doesn't the sign say, 'All trespassing forbidden'?
That is plain English, isn't it?"

"I haven't seen any sign," said Shep

"Because you didn't want to see it, young man!"

"We have only been down to the cove swimming," put in Giant.

"This land is mine now, and I want you boys to keep off of it,"
exclaimed Mr. Spink, hotly. "If I catch you on it again I'll have
you arrested."

"We'll get off as soon as we can," answered Snap. And then he
added suddenly: "Is Ham home?"

"You mean my son Hamilton, I presume? Yes, he is home. What
do you want of him?"

"Nothing, just now. But we may want something later," answered
Snap, and started again for the road, his chums following.

CHAPTER IV

THE STORY OF A GHOST

"I say, what do you want of my son Hamilton?" repeated Mr. Spink,
coming after the boys with a look of curiosity on his face.

"We want to see him," replied Snap, after a look at his chums.

"What about?"

"We think he played us a mean trick," put in Whopper, as Snap
paused.

"Oh, I thought that affair was a thing of the past," said Mr.
Spink, loftily. "My son was not to blame so much as that tramp.
The tramp told a string of falsehoods---"

"We don't mean that, Mr. Spink," spoke up Giant. "We mean a trick
Ham and his friend, Carl Dudder, played on us this afternoon."

"Humph! You ahem!---you must be mistaken."

"If we are we won't say anything," said Whopper. "But if he did
play the trick---"

"We'll get square with him for it," finished Shep.

"What are you talking about anyway?" demanded the rich man. "I
don't see why you can't leave my son alone."

"We will---if he'll leave us alone," said Snap.

"What do you accuse him of?"

"While we were swimming two fellows came up, took our clothes, and
tried to run away with them," came from Giant. "We are pretty
sure the fellows were Ham and Carl. When we went after them they
dropped the clothes in a hurry. Two socks, a collar, and a necktie
are missing."

"Yes, and my undershirt was full of knots," grumbled the doctor's son.
"Just wait till I catch the fellows who did that---I'll show 'em!"

"Humph! is that all?" growled Mr. Spink. "I ima