language, both Si and Ed sprawled out flat on their faces.

"Now, Bumpus, it's going to be your job to secure them both, while I
cover you with the guns; and if either of them tries any funny business,
he'll wish he hadn't right speedy, believe me," said Giraffe, loud
enough for the others to hear, for he wished them to wholly understand
the situation.

Bumpus placed his shotgun close to the feet of his chum. Then he looked
blankly around.

"That's easy to say, Giraffe," he remarked in a stage whisper; "I'm
willing enough to do it, tell you that; but where in Sam Hill am I
agoin' to get the rope? We didn't bring any with us, you know; though
I'm resolved never to go off again without a whole clothes line along.
How c'n a feller tie 'em up when he ain't got even a top string with
him?"

If Bumpus thought to get his chum in a corner with that question, he
figured too soon, for the other had discounted it already.

"Here, take this," he said, throwing his red bandana handkerchief on the
ground; "and I reckon you've got the mate to it in your pocket. Use one
to wrap around the wrists of each feller. And see to it that you tie it
in half a dozen of the hardest knots you know how. Understand, Bumpus?"

"That's right, and I c'n do it too. You watch me."

As the fat boy spoke he picked up the large bandana handkerchief, and
stepped gingerly forward, Giraffe accompanying him part way. Evidently
Bumpus had recovered somewhat from his fright. Possibly this new
boldness sprang from confidence in the ability of his comrade to handle
the situation.

At any rate, he threw a leg over the prostrate figure of Ed Harkness,
and seizing both his wrists, jerked them together. The man might have
raised some protest, or even attempted to show resistance; but once that
plump form of Bumpus came down on him he had the breath partly pressed
out of his body, and must have experienced a sudden weakness.

At any rate, he lay still, while the other wound the crude rope around
his wrists, and knotted it good and hard.

"Fine!" declared Giraffe, who had been watching the operation with one
eye, all the while he kept the other on Si Kedge; "now take your own
handkerchief, and use it on Si. And put in three extra knots, Bumpus,
because he's that much more a slick one than the other feller. Lie
still, now, I warn you, Si; we ain't going to stand for any fooling, I
tell you!"

Si also relapsed into silence as soon as Bumpus dropped on his ba