Frank Roscoes Secret | Page 5

Upside Down Club who might be in the vicinity.
"Going out rowing?" asked Sandy, and he winked at Bart.
"Yes," was the answer, as Bart comprehended what Sandy meant. "Want to go 'long?"
Sandy nodded, and, with his help, Bart got the boat from the house and rowed it out into the middle of the river.
"Now I guess we can talk without being overheard," said Bart, when they were well out from shore, and rowing up stream. "What's up, Sandy?"
"The Upside Down boys have a plot on foot to spoil the dinner."
"What dinner?" asked Bart, wishing to see just how much Sandy knew.
"Oh, the dinner the baseball nine is going to have. It's all over. Some one must have talked. I heard of it late Saturday night, but it wasn't until last night that I heard of the conspiracy."
"What are they going to do?" asked Bart.
"That I can't tell," Sandy replied. "You know that, though I'm in the first-year class, I don't belong to the society. I didn't join. One of the members thought I was in and before he knew what he was doing he had blurted out something about their going to take the dinner stuff from Fenn's barn. Then he found out I wasn't a member, and a lot of 'em got around me and made all sorts of threats if I told. I wouldn't promise not to, but I can't find out any more, except that they're going to make a raid on the place just before it's time for the dinner."
"How many?" asked Bart.
"About fifty of 'em."
"Whew!" exclaimed the captain of the nine.
"That means trouble !"
CHAPTER III
NED IS CAPTURED
For a few minutes after receiving this information Bart was busy thinking. Then, turning to Sandy he said "Will you help me row the boat up to the swimming hole?"
"Sure. But let me out just before you get there. If any of the Upside Down boys see me with you they'll suspect I've given the thing away. Are you going to do anything?"
"I rather think we will," replied Bart "But I don't know yet what it will be. Row fast now, Sandy."
In a little while the boat was near enough to the Riffles so that Bart could manage it alone for the rest of the distance. Sandy went ashore and disappeared in the woods that lined the bank while Bart tied the craft to an overhanging limb and got out.
He found his three chums were enjoying themselves in the water, splashing about and ducking one another. There were a number of High School boys with them, including several of the first-year class, from the ranks of which the secret society was made up.
"There's Bart!" cried Fenn. "Come on in!"
Anxious to tell his chums the news he had heard, but not wanting to awaken the suspicions of the Upside Down Club members, Bart prepared and went in swimming. He managed to get close to his three friends in turn, and quietly told them to go out, dress, and wait for him near the boat, which he told them was tied close at hand.
"Go out one at a time," Bart cautioned, "or they may suspect something."
In a little while the four boys were seated in their boat and were rowing down stream.
"Now what's up?" demanded Ned. "I declare you're as mysterious as though something had happened."
"Something's going to happen," said Bart.
"What?"
"The Upside Downs are going to spoil our dinner--if they can!"
"How did you hear of it?"
"Who told you?"
"What are they going to do?"
The three chums asked these questions of Bart all at once.
"What do you think I am, a lightning calculator?" demanded Bart. "One at a time, please! The line forms on this side."
Then he proceeded to tell them what Sandy had revealed.
"Good for Sandy!" exclaimed Ned. "He treated us pretty mean once, but he's making up for it now."
"Yes, it was a good stroke of business the day we helped him load the overturned sleigh," said Fenn, referring to an incident of the previous winter, as related in "The Darewell Chums in the City."
"What are you going to do?" asked Frank quietly.
"I haven't made up my mind," Bart answered. "I thought we'd better tell the rest of the nine, and then think up some plan to turn the joke on the Upside Downs."
"Maybe it would be just as well not to tell the others on the nine," suggested Frank.
"Why?"
"If you do, it will surely come to the ears of the first-year boys that we are onto their game. Then they may change their idea and be up to some dodge that we can't fathom. I guess we four can spoil their plans."
"Well, maybe that would be the best way," admitted Bart. "What do you propose?"
"Are there plenty of boards, planks and boxes around your barn, Fenn?" asked Frank.
"Lots of 'em."
"Then we'll