ccess.

Indeed, the loop of the handy rope had dropped over the feet of Noodles,
and was speedily drawn tight by a quick movement on the part of the
operator.

The balance of the boys laid hold on the rope and every one felt that
the tension was relieved--that is, every one but Noodles, and when he
found himself being drawn upward, with his head down, he probably
thought things had tightened considerably.

As the obliging branch saw fit to let go its tenacious grip about that
time, of course Noodles was soon drawn in triumph over the edge of the
shale, protesting more or less because he was scratched in several
places by sharp edges of the rock.

"Hurrah for Scout tactics; they count every time!" exclaimed Eben.

Fritz was unusually solicitous, and asked Noodles several times whether
he had received any serious hurt as a result of his strange experience.
The German boy felt himself all over, grunting several times while so
doing. But in the end he announced that he believed he was all there,
and beyond a few minor bruises none the worse for his adventure.

"Put you pet me I haf a narrow escape," he added, seriously. "How far
must I haf dropped if dot pully oldt khaki cloth gives vay?"

"All of twenty feet, Noodles," declared Andy.

"Dwenty feets! Ach, petter say dree dimes dot," asserted Noodles. "I
gives you my word, poys, dot it seemed I was on der top of a mountain,
mit a fine chance my pones to preak on der rocks pelow. Pelieve me, I am
glad to pe here."

"I hope you don't think I did that on purpose, Noodles?" asked Fritz,
contritely.

The other turned a quizzical look upon him.

"Tid for tad, Fritz," he remarked, "iff I had nodt peen drying to choke
mit you meepy I might nodt haf met with sooch a shock. Petter luck nexdt
time, hey?"

"I don't know just what you mean, Noodles, blest if I do," remarked
Fritz, with a puzzled look on his face, "but I agree with all you say.
This practical joke business sometimes turns out different from what you
expect. I'm sure done with it."

But then, all boys say that, especially after they have had a little
fright; only to go back to their old way of doing things when the shock
has worn off. And the chances were that Fritz was far from being cured
of his habits.

"How lucky we had the rope along," ventured Jotham, who was coiling up
the article in question at the time he spoke.

"I always said it would come in handy," remarked Eben, quickly and
proudly, "and i