ecidedly uneasy. He was well aware what the Grammar
School boys in Gridley did to one of their own number who was voted a
sneak.

"I--I didn't mean any harm," muttered Hen, almost whimpering.

"See here," demanded Dick, another idea coming to him, "how much did
Fred Ripley pay you to help work against us."

"He didn't pay me nothing," young Dutcher protested ungrammatically.

"How much did he agree to pay you, then? Come--out with it!" insisted
Dick.

Hen saw the other chums pressing about him threateningly, so he almost
blubbered:

"Said he'd give me a dollar if I did the trick right."

"So there was a trick?" cried Dick quickly; then added ironically: "Hen,
you ought never to tell lies. You don't do it skilfully. You let out the
truth, despite yourself. You've admitted that you've been hired to work
against us--to help spoil our peace and comfort. Now, you've got to tell
us all the rest of it, or you'll have to take the consequences!"

"Say, don't be mean with a feller!" pleaded Dutcher, ready to snivel.

"We're not mean with you," Dick insisted. "We've a right to protect
ourselves, and we're going to do it. Besides, you joined us, and now
you've got to be one of us and tell us the whole scheme against us."

"I didn't join you!"

"Do you belong to Fred Ripley's crowd, then? If so, you'd better join
that choice gang! Grab hold of him, fellows!"

Dave Darrin and Tom Reade gripped Hen, on either side, with great
heartiness. Dan Dalzell ran to unbar the door, after accomplishing which
he turned to view what might follow.

"Are you going to tell us, Hen, what Ripley and his crew are plotting
against us?" Dick insisted once more.

"They were going to come down here to-night," confessed Hen.

"What were they going to do here?"

"Scare you fellers."

"How?"

"Oh, they've got a lot of sheets, and a frame to rig up on Bert Dodge's
shoulders. With the frame above him, and covered with sheets, Bert will
make a 'ghost' about ten feet high."

"What else?" pressed Dick.

"Well, they've got a queer kind of whistle they can blow on, and it
makes a long, loud moan, or a wail," explained Hen. "Whee! It gave me
the creepy shivers the first time I heard it."

"Has Ripley's ghost party got anything else to make the night merry
with?" questioned Dick.

"Some kinder colored fire, that they were going to light at quite a
distance from here, to give an 'unearthly' glow through the woods."

"What else?"

"Oh, som