g here before that time, waiting
for me to cross over. And I must say it worked out to a charm---only for
the walking-stick, and you, Colon. They didn't figure on my receiving
such important reinforcements at the eleventh hour, as to turn the tide
of battle."

"Talk to me about Blucher coming up to help Wellington at Waterloo, you
were in just as good luck to-night. And the French didn't feel any more
sore when they had to run, than Buck and his pals do right now. I'd give
thirty cents to see what the lot of them are doing this very minute;
rubbing their bodies, and saying everything mean about us they can think
of. Ho! ho! ho!"

Colon seemed to extract a considerable amount of amusement out of this
unexpected happening. He evidently considered that he had been in for
more or less luck simply because he happened to be in Fred's company when
the other ran into the ambuscade. Colon was not averse to an occasional
measure of excitement, and although not all considered a pugnacious
fellow, he could at the same time hold his own when difficulties arose.

"Of course," pursued Fred, "if I thought it worth while I could easily
find out who sent that message to me, and played the part of Bristles."

"You mean by going to telephone headquarters, and learning who connected
with your number tonight about eight; is that it, Fred?"

"And after they had told me it was, say, Dudley's drug store," Fred
continued, as if figuring it all out, "I could step in there and ask
Gussie Lightly what boy used the booth about that time."

"Easy enough, because of course Gussie knows all the boys about town, and
if it was Ben Cushing or Clem Shooks or Oscar Jones, he could tell you
right off the reel. Why don't you do it, Fred?"

"I may when I get home, because it can all be done just as well over the
wire you know," the other replied. "Gussie is a good friend of mine, I
feel sure, and if only he knew what a mean game had been set up on me,
he'd do anything to square matters."

"And at school Monday," Colon suggested, "it might be a good thing for
you to be able to prove it was one of Buck's cronies that talked with
you, making out to be Bristles, who hasn't any cold at all."

"I'm glad of that, too," Fred observed, "because I was feeling that he
couldn't go along with us tomorrow on the trial spin."

"It was a dirty trick, Fred, but I must say pretty well worked out. I
can see the fine hand of our old friend, Buck, back of it al