down behind the tent where he waited and watched. Nothing of a
disturbing nature occurred. He could not understand it.

"There must be ghosts around here," he muttered. "If there are, I reckon
I'll catch them before the night is over."

He grew weary of waiting for the "ghosts," after a time, and returning
to the tent went to bed. Three times after that was the boy dragged out
by a violent tug at the rope, and three times did he return without
having discovered the cause.

"I think I begin to smell a mouse," thought Tad Butler.

He lay down. Again came the tugs at the string. But Tad apparently gave
no heed to them. After a time he began snoring, but stopped suddenly,
pinching himself to keep awake. A few moments later he got up quietly
and went out. This time he ran the fingers of one hand along the
provision line. The fingers stopped suddenly as they came in contact
with a second string the size of the one he had used for a burglar alarm
and evidently from the same ball of twine.

"I thought so," chuckled the boy. "More of Chunky Brown's tricks. I
reckon I'll teach him a lesson and give him a surprise at the same time.
Let's see. Yes, I have it now."

Tad found a quarter inch rope. He made a slip noose at one end, working
the honda or knot back and forth until it slipped easily. In reality it
was a lasso. He tucked the loop under the rear of the tent, then crawled
cautiously in after it. Great caution was necessary in order not to
disturb the other occupants of the tent, though the boys were sleeping
soundly, Stacy snoring thunderously. The fat boy's feet protruded from
under his blanket. Tad found them after a little careful groping. He
wished to make certain that he had the right feet. Satisfying himself on
this point he slipped the noose over the feet and wriggled out.

Tad then drew the rope carefully about a slender tree, taking care that
there might be no strain on the other end about the fat boy's feet.
Using the tree as a leverage Butler gave the rope a quick jerk. A slight
commotion in the tent followed.

He now gave the rope a mighty tug. A wild yell from the interior of the
tent told that his effort had been successful. The freckle-faced boy now
began pulling with all his might, hand over hand. Stacy Brown's yells
were loud and frightful. To his howls were added those of another voice.
Stacy was sliding out from under the rear of the tent feet first, being
dragged along on his back as Butler hauled