oon covered and then came to an opening that looked
familiar to them. Close at hand was their own camp. As they
approached they heard loud talking.

"You clear out, Ham Spink, and leave us alone," came in the voice
of Giant. "We don't want you around here. And we don't want
you, either, Ike Akley."

"We'll leave when we please," was the answer from Ham Spink.

"We aren't going to hurt you," said the boy named Ike Akley, another
of the Spink contingent.

"We don't want you around."

"Got anything good to eat?" demanded Ham coolly.

"Not for you."

"We'll not go until you give us something good."

"That's the talk!" cried Akley.

Let's take a look around and see if we can find any cookies!"
said Ham.

"You leave our things alone," said Giant firmly.

"Bah! You fellows didn't leave our boat alone, so why should we leave
your things alone?" growled Ham.

"I won't have you looking through our things," cried Giant.

He stepped up in front of Ham, who was much taller and heavier.
At the same time Tommy ran to a distance and picked up two good-sized
stones.

"You touch him or the things and I'll throw these!" cried the boy
from the circus. "And I'll set my dog on you, too!"

"You little rat, you!" roared Ham. "Don't you dare to interfere
with me."

"I'll take care of the kid!" cried Ike Akley, and strode toward
Tommy. But in a twinkling the boy from the circus had leaped
into a tree and was safe among the branches. The stones he had
put in his pockets, but now he brought them forth again.

"Just remember what I said!" he exclaimed. "I'm a good shot, too!"

"We'll get the best of 'em, and take what we please!" cried Ham
Spink.

"Will you?" called out Shep, advancing into the opening, with his
gun in his hands. "I rather guess not."

Ham looked around, and so did Ike Akley. When both saw the doctor's
son, Snap and Whopper, and all with their guns in their hands, they
fell back and grew a trifle pale.

"Thought you were going to rob us, eh?" said Shep sternly.

"N---no," stammered Ham. "We---er---we were only going to take
a---er---cookie or two, if you had 'em."

"Well, you'll not take a thing, so clear out!"

"You---you took our boat," said Ham.

"And you were going to take ours, only you didn't find it," said Snap
with a grin.

"You hadn't any right to touch our boat."

"See here, Ham, don't talk like a child. After all you did to harm
us in the past we've got a right to do alm