resentment. "I swear
that was weak! I believe you are shaky. If so you'd better take your
money back--quick."

"No, no," objected Springer. "It's all right. It was ju-just my
rotten stammering, that's all. I wish I could break myself of it."

But suddenly Herbert grew very dignified. "We'll do this thing in a
business-like way," he declared. "You don't know much about me, and a
really square chap never gets haughty when he's asked to give some
proof of his squareness. Just come over under the lamp."

Protesting, Phil followed; and the city boy, heedless of those
protests, brought forth a pocket-notebook and pencil, scribbled an
acknowledgement of the money on a leaf of the book, dashed his name at
the bottom, tore the leaf out and handed it over.

"I insist," he said. "Now everything's all right. This is a wicked
world, and every fellow who's dead wise has a right to take
precautions. You say there's a bunch down by Stickney's, eh? Well, I
think I'll meander down that way and see if I can't prod them into
making a few wagers. Good night, old fel; sleep tight and don't worry
about the chink you've let me handle. It will be an investment that'll
pay a hundred per cent. in double-quick time."

It was a delightfully warm spring night, and there on the platform of
Stickney's store, where the softened light from within shone upon them
through a huge window, the boys had gathered. They were chatting,
jesting, chaffing one another, and occasionally playing pranks, which
once or twice started a squabble. As Rackliff sauntered up Chub Tuttle
was complaining that nearly a pint of peanuts had been stolen from his
pocket.

"Why don't you put Sleuth onter the case?" laughingly drawled Sile
Crane. "He'll ketch the thief, for he's sartainly got Sherlock Holmes
beat to a frazzle."

"My deduction is," said Piper, loudly shuffling his feet to drown the
noise as he stealthily cracked a peanut, "that there are scoundrels in
our very midst who would feel no compunction in swiping plugged money
from a contribution box. Doubtless," he continued, deftly snapping the
shelled kernels into his mouth, "the hands of those scoundrels are even
now at work."

"Sleuthy's right," said Chipper Cooper, swiftly stowing away a handful
of the peanuts which he had skillfully removed from Piper's coat pocket
while the latter was speaking; "there are villyuns among us. Anyhow,
there's liable to be one in a minute, unless we move."