ith every step. Remember, I've never had any practice in stealing
money. By the time I'd gone three or four miles that money in
my pocket got so heavy that I couldn't drag my feet another step.
I took the money out and threw it away. But that didn't help
me any, either, so I went back, found the money, and started back
this way to put that money back where I got it. I never knew
that anything I helped myself to would grow so heavy, but back
I had to come with that money. I can't understand what made me
feel that way about a little money. Maybe it was"

"Conscience," suggested Dick promptly.

"Conscience?" repeated Tag wonderingly. "What's that? I know
I've heard that word somewhere---some time."

Dick was wondering how to make sure of Tag this time. If he shouted
to his friends in camp Prescott felt positive that Tag would leap
up, knock him down and glide away. Give him a start of a hundred
yards in these forests, and Tag Mosher, otherwise young Page,
was quite certain to distance and elude all pursuit.

CHAPTER XXIV

CONCLUSION

As a last resort the high school boy decided to make one more
effort to use persuasion.

"Tag" he urged, "be a real fellow. Show some grit, and purpose.
No matter what you've done, or what you haven't done, show that
you've sand enough to get up and walk back into camp with me---to
meet your father. Come, get up and come along, like a real fellow
with real grit, won't you?"

"Get up?" echoed Tag bitterly. "If I could, do you suppose I'd
be lying here talking to you now?"

"Are you hurt?" cried Dick.

"If I hadn't been, do you suppose I'd have stayed with you as
long as I have?" mocked the other indignantly. "It all came of
that money, too, and what you call 'conscience.' If I hadn't come
back with the money I wouldn't have had that nasty tumble over
the root, and my ankle would be as sound as ever."

"Do you mean that you can't walk?" Dick demanded.

"I can crawl, and that's all," Tag declared. "I was at the spring,
getting a drink, when I heard you coming. Then I crawled back
in here, but not fast enough to keep you from seeing something
moving here. It was right over yonder that I fell and wrenched
my ankle. I crawled over here so as to be near water until my
foot got so that I could use it again."

"Hoo-hoo!" bellowed Prescott, through his hands. "Hoo-hoo the
camp! Hoo-hoo!"

"That's right," jeered Tag. "Go in after the reward, when I can't