of any kind right now," sputtered
Eph angrily.

Dick crouched back into the doorway of the cave. He was trying to
think what to do. It was an awkward situation. He didn't want to be
caught in what looked, on the face of it, like an act of spying, and
yet he didn't wish Masterson and his cronies to think him a coward.

"Say, fellows," spoke up Higgins suddenly, "you don't think it could
be one of those kids from the camp below, do you? They may have seen
us snooping around there at night and got wise to where we are
hiding."

"It had better not be one of them," said Masterson in a loud,
threatening voice. "If I catch him, I'll break every bone in his
body."

"I guess I'll have a fight on my hands," muttered Dick. "Well, serves
me right for butting in," he added philosophically.

"Let's go up and see who it is?" said Eph. "He must be in the cave."

"You go first," said Sam Higgins, who was not over-brave, "it might be
a bad man or an Indian."

"Pshaw, I'm not afraid!" said Masterson. "Give me your pistol, Sam, if
you're scared."

"I'm not scared, but there's no use running into trouble," said Sam.
"Besides I'm kind of lame. I think I--er--wrenched my ankle getting
out of the boat."

"I guess you wrenched your nerve," sneered Eph.

Then, headed by Masterson, with the pistol in his grasp, they began
to ascend the pathway. Dick was in a quandary. But he decided that the
only way to tackle the problem was to take the bull by the horns. As
Masterson reached the mouth of the cave the boy dashed out like a
redheaded thunderbolt.

Taken utterly by surprise, Masterson stepped back.

Bang!

The pistol went off in the air and the next instant Masterson, despite
his efforts to save himself, toppled off the narrow path and went
rolling down the bank into the river. Luckily for him, he was a good
swimmer, and struck out lustily as he came to the surface.

"Wow!" yelled Dick, and charged like a young buffalo at Eph.

Young Compton tried to strike him but Dick, with lowered head, charged
him in the stomach. With a grunt Eph fell back, and in his fall
knocked over Sam Higgins, just behind him.

"Whoop-ee!" shouted Dick, rejoicing in his triumph. He leaped over
the recumbent forms of Eph and Sam and dashed down the path to the
place where he had beached his boat.

He jumped on board and poled off just as young Masterson reached the
shore and pulled himself out of the water.

"You infernal young spy!" shrieked Maste