wd of
youngsters. As the officer caught up with Ross he found out that they
were "chasing Fits."

Though the man ahead ran rapidly, the foremost boys gradually overtook
him. The policeman, too, was well in the front of the running.

Then the fugitive stumbled and fell to the ground. He sat up, but made
no further move to get away.

"I may as well give meself up," remarked the recent fugitive resignedly.
"The law is always sure to git a feller."

"Why, this isn't Mr. Fits!" ejaculated Dick and Greg in the same accent
of disgust.

"Who's going to gimme fits?" demanded the man, looking stupidly about
him, while the crowd circled him and the policeman peered down into his
face. "Who's going to gimme fits, I ask? Will it be Jack Ryan?"

"This fellow is Dock Breslin, a teamster," muttered the policeman
disgustedly. "Who said it was the thief that the chief wants so badly?"

"I--I thought it was, when I saw him," stammered Greg Holmes, rather
abashed now. "He's the same build as Fits, and looked like him at a
distance. And this man, Breslin, was peering around the corner and
acting suspiciously. He ran away, too, when we started after him."

"I'll go with ye, peaceable like," promised Dock Breslin, getting upon
his feet and addressing the blue coated one. "'Twas Jack himself swore
out the warrant, I suppose."

"What warrant?" demanded the policeman.

"Didn't he swear out one?" insisted Breslin.

"Who?"

"Jack Ryan. 'Twas meself that gave Ryan a big wallopin' this afternoon,
all on account of a bit of a dispute we had. Jack swore he'd be even
with me, and I heard he'd sworn out a warrant against me," explained
Breslin, who had the air of one stupidly rejoicing that his suspense was
ended.

"I heard of no warrant for you, Dock, when the night watch had the
orders read before we came out to-night," replied the policeman.

"Then Jack didn't do it?" demanded Breslin.

"If he did, he didn't let the police know about it," laughed the
policeman. "If there'd been a warrant against you, Dock, the orders
would have been read to the night watch at the station house. Did you
run from the boys because you thought there was a warrant against you?"

"I did," the teamster admitted.

"Then Jack Ryan will be laughing at you to-morrow," grinned the officer.
"Go home, Breslin, and behave yourself. Boys, you'd better scatter."

It was not long after that that Gridley Grammar School boys were at home
and in bed. By morning the