idea of the trap.

He saw Phil saunter over to the door, which, with something of an effort
he managed to get to close tight enough so that the bar could be dropped
into place. That avenue seemed quite safe; and as the windows had each
one a couple of stout bars fastened across them, it looked as though
there could be no ingress unless the intruder were a mere child, or else
made use of that wide-throated slab-and-hard-mud chimney.

The other boys were more or less amused to see what the ingenious Lub
was doing, in order to further his plot. First of all he arranged the
stools and other bulky objects that he could gather about the room in
such fashion that they formed a species of rude barricade on either side
of the hearth, where the red embers still held forth.

"Looks like a regular wild animal trap, all right!" Ethan sang out, as
though more or less surprised that Lub should know as much as he did
about such things. "That forces the intruder to step out in the middle;
and I guess now that's where you're going to fix things to give him a
warm reception, eh, Lub?"

"You wait and see," was all the other would say.

They quickly understood what he had in mind. Everything they had along
in the shape of cooking utensils, that would be apt to make a jangling
noise if thrown down, was utilized. The big frying pan crowned the
pyramid, and Lub was very particular just how he placed this, so that
the least jar was apt to dislodge the aluminum skillet, which would be
certain to arouse even the soundest sleeper when it rattled on the
floor.

"Don't kick over our grub that we've got piled up close by you there,
Lub," warned X-Ray, after chuckling to see how the other was making such
elaborate arrangements; for he did not have the remotest idea they would
amount to anything in the end.

"That ought to finish your trap, Lub, I should think," said Phil, who
was almost ready to climb into his bunk, having removed most of his
clothing, and arranged his sleeping quarters in a jiffy; he too had a
small pillow-slip filled with some of the hay, upon which he expected to
rest his head comfortably.

"Why, yes, I don't seem to think of anything else we've got that would
help to make a big noise," the other replied, soberly; "what with four
cups, as many platters, the coffeepot, and the frying pan ought to make
plenty of racket. But say, you should have seen the heap of tin-pans I
piled up the time I caught that chicken thief."