The Hilltop Boys on the River | Page 8

fool thing I ever saw any one do."
"Shut up!" snarled Herring. "What we want to do is to fix the boat so

that it won't run. Sheldon can't afford to buy another, and we will have
all the fun, while he has to stay on shore."
All right. To-night will be a good time. How are you going to manage it?
He may be watching."
"Why should he? He won't suspect anything. After all the boys have
gone to sleep we can steal down to the shore and fix it all right. All we
have to do is to see where he puts it."
It was a lovely night with a moon and stars, and a number of the boys
were out on the river with their boats, skimming over the water like
fireflies, and sending paths of colored light in every direction from their
side lamps or with their pocket flashlights.
Herring was prohibited from going out as the day was not yet over, and
he fretted at the prohibition, although it gave him a chance to watch
Jack when he came in and see where he tied up.
"That's all right," he whispered to Merritt. "It's in a line with the tent
where he and Percival sleep and right on the beach. We'll be able to
find that all right."
"Yes, and when Sheldon goes out in his boat to-morrow we'll be able to
walk right away from him. It's a pity you can't get him to bet on it, but
he won't bet on anything."
"No, but Percival might. He likes to spend money. I'll get him to bet
and win a lot from him."
The boys went to bed at the usual time, and before long all the tent
lights were out, only a few of the camp lights being seen, as the moon
was still up and there was light enough for all ordinary purposes.
There was a deep shadow on the bank of the river, however, on account
of the trees and the mountains behind them, and when all was still
Herring and Merritt stole from their tent and hurried toward the shore.

They wore soft shoes, so as not to betray themselves, and were dressed
in dark clothes so as not to be seen readily, having prepared themselves
for any possible emergency.
They had agreed between them that the safest thing to do was to bore a
hole in the bottom of the boat so as to cause it to leak, and they had
provided themselves with augers for the purpose.
Stealing down to the river noiselessly they easily found Jack's boat, as
they thought, and were preparing to bore the hole when suddenly a
voice piped up out of the darkness and from the boat itself:
"Hi! what are you going to do with this boat?"
The voice was that of young Smith who at the next moment stood up
and turned the light of a pocket flash upon them as they hastily beat a
retreat to the tents.

CHAPTER IV
THE BOAT AFFAIR UNSETTLED
The conspirators had not mistaken the boat, and got hold of young
J.W.'s by mischance, but had really begun operations on Jack's boat
when surprised by the boy who they supposed to be fast asleep.
It had happened that the little fellow had wanted to know some
particular point about the engine, and had asked Jack's permission to
look at his, which was simple and easily understood.
Jack had told him he could do what he liked, and the boy was under the
cover with his electric light turned on the engine when the evildoers
came up and got to work. The first turn of the auger startled him, and
he called out sharply wanting to know what they were doing.
Then he suspected mischief, and immediately threw aside the cover,
and turned his light upon the fleeing rascals.

He was unable to identify them, because there were several of the boys
of the same build, but he was satisfied that they would not return.
That was not enough, however, and he raised an alarm and brought out
Bucephalus and a number of the servants, and said:
"Somebody's been trying to monkey with Jack Sheldon's boat. There
ought to be a watch kept. Other camps have sentinels, and this should
have one. Stay on watch to-night, boys, and I'll give you a dollar
apiece."
"A'right, sah," said Bucephalus with a broad grin. "So dey tried to hu't
Mistah Jack's boat, did dey? Wha' yo' doin' in it you'se'f, sah? Was yo'
goin' to sleep in it?"
"Me?" exclaimed the little fellow indignantly. "No indeed. I was
looking over the engine to get the hang of it. Jack told me I might. Go
to sleep nothing! If I had