e craft.

Of course he had a padlock on the door. This was not because the
sprawling craft was so very valuable; but Bristles had expended
considerable time and money in fashioning the flier; and he did not mean
to put it in the power of any malicious boy to injure or steal, if a mere
padlock could prevent such a catastrophe.

There were some pretty mean boys in Riverport, as indeed you can always
find in any town. The leading spirit among this class of young rascals
was Buck Lemington, who had once been the bully of Riverport, until Fred,
coming to town, succeeded in breaking up the combination that had so long
held sway.

Ever since that time the Lemington boy had lost no opportunity to try to
get back at Fred Fenton. He had played several tricks on the other, and
his chosen friends, who also came under the condemnation of Buck; but as
a rule the vicious leader of the bad set had had these things recoil on
his own head.

Still, knowing how gladly Clem Shooks, Oscar Jones, Conrad Jimmerson and
Ben Cushing, the cronies of Buck, would seize upon a chance to destroy
his pet ice-boat, Bristles had always kept it under lock and key when not
in use.

"Everything seems to be lovely," said Bristles, opening the door of the
shed. "Somehow I never count on finding my things as I left 'em, because
often I've seen one of that bunch hanging around the river here, as if he
were only waiting for half a chance to get even with me. Why, each time
the fire bells have rung at night time this Winter, I've climbed into my
duds with the feeling that it was good-bye to my bully old _Meteor_."

"Oh! I hardly think they'd dare do anything as bad as that, after the
lesson they had before," Fred went on to say, as he bent over to help the
owner drag the rather clumsy craft out toward the nearby shore.

"Well, when you're dealing with such a tough gang as that," explained
Bristles, "there's only one thing to do, and that's believe 'em equal to
anything. I warrant you now that many a time it's only been the fear
they have for our hustling little fire eater of a police officer, Chief
Sutton, that's kept Buck and his crowd from trying a heap more stunts
than they did. Remember when they cut the wires, and left that big
meeting in pitch darkness? Yes, and that other time they turned loose a
dozen mice at the bazaar, and set the ladies to shrieking and fainting?
But thank goodness I've got through the Winter without losing my boat,
a