here Jack gave the editor a
few little items, writing them out on the typewriter, Percival
looking on in great admiration, although he had seen Jack write before.

"One would think you had been born at a typewriter, Jack," he said.
"Now I could not do that. The very noise of the thing would bother
me and then, having that bell ring every few seconds would get on
my nerves."

"Don't listen to it, Dick. You don't mind the chug of an auto or of
a motor-boat, do you? This is not nearly as bad."

"Well, no, I suppose not, but I don't see how you can think with that
thing making such a clatter. It would drive all the thoughts out of
my head in a minute. None too many there, to start with!"

Leaving the office at length they came upon Herring on the main
street, his late companion not being with him.

"You fouled us!" growled the bully. "I'd have passed you in another
second. You'll have to pay for Erne's clothes and his doctor's bills,
too. He's taken an awful cold. It'll cost you something, let me
tell you."

Just then Merritt himself, in a ready made suit of clothes came out
of a hotel on the corner, the boys seeing him before he saw them or
Herring got sight of him.

"He does not seem to have suffered any," said Percival in a whisper.

"No, he has bought another suit of clothes, and does not appear to
suffer from colds or influenza or any of those things," laughed Jack.

"Hello, Pete, why didn't you wait?" Merritt called out, and then
Herring saw him and he saw the boys.

"Huh! you made me fall into the river!" Merritt snorted, "and I had
to buy a suit of clothes. You'll have to pay for them."

"And for the doctor's prescription?" said Percival pointedly, for
the bully's breath smelled of something stronger than milk or
lemonade. "Spirits may be good to prevent a chill, Merritt, but
you want to be careful how you use them."

"Come on, Pete," snarled Merritt, turning red. "They aren't worth
wasting time on," and the bullies went one way while Jack and Dick
went another.

"There won't be any trouble, Dick," said Jack.

"No, I don't think there will"

CHAPTER III

EVIL INTENTIONS THWARTED

The Hilltop boys marched down to their camp the next day, and after
they were settled Jack went with Percival to get his boat, Dick's
having been sent down to the camp in the morning.

The camp was on the river away from the railroad in a pleasant bit
of woods a mile or so below the town so that t