ust
crawls, and threatens every one with the power of his governor. I'd just
like to see him get his, some day!"

"Hold on. Don't forget you are a scout, and that you've got to look for
the good that is in every fellow, they say," laughed his companion.

"All right," admitted Jack, slowly, "but I just guess you'd need a
magnifying glass to find the speck of good in that cur. He's a sure
enough slick one. All I want him to do is to keep away from me. His room
is better than his company, any day."

"I'm ready to back you up in that last remark, Jack," said Paul, "for
if any fellow in Stanhope has reason to despise Ward Kenwood and his
sneaky ways, I ought. You know he's been my rival in most things ever
since we were knee high to grasshoppers."

"But in nearly every case he's come out of the little end of the horn,"
declared Jack, warmly; "I'm ready to count on my chum getting there!"

"Oh! well," said Paul, hastily, "that's because he's nearly always in
the wrong, you know. If Ward would only turn over a new leaf, and act
decently, I'm sure he'd make a rival to be respected, if not feared."

But his chum only scoffed at such a thing, exclaiming:

"Oh! splash! you know the Bushkill will be running uphill before either
Ward or Ted act on the square. Hasn't Slavin promised to reform more
than a few times; and look at what he's doing still! Get that idea out
of your head, Paul."

"Well, they did give us a run for our money to-night, to be sure,"
laughed his team-mate, as in fancy he once more saw the struggling heap
of boys sprawling in the aisle of the church, when they struck the rope
that had been slily stretched to trip unwary feet.

"You're right there," returned Jack, warmly, "and I can take a joke as
well as the next one; only these fellows have no respect for anything.
Think of that big bell booming out at such an hour of the night, will
you? Why, it must have startled some sleepers almost out of their seven
senses."

"Let's forget it then," continued the scout leader; "for we'll have our
hands full in getting ready for that great hike up to Rattlesnake
Mountain. Every time I think of it I seem to have a thrill. You see I've
had a sneaking notion I'd like to prowl around that lonesome district,
and learn for myself what it looks like; and now we've made up our minds
to do it, I just can't hardly realize it."

"A bully good plan, and I know we're going to have the time of our
lives. Look, who's coming ove