Ralph Henry Barbour

“ Me?” queried Chub. “Well, maybe so; I’m naturally of a brave and reckless disposition. In fact, as far as I’m personally concerned I’d like it, but there is the community to think of. Of course, I owe it to the community to be careful of myself and not—”
“You’re talking a great deal of nonsense, Thomas H. Eaton,” said Harry. “If Dick asks me to go with him I’ll go mighty quick!”
“If it’s any sort of a boat that’s just the way you will go,” observed Roy dryly. “So quick you won’t know what’s happening to you.”
“It must be lovely!” cried Harry, clasping her hands and looking enraptured. ”

“ When he gets good and ready he will probably tell us what he’s up to.”
“Leave him alone nothing!” said Chub. “Even if we can’t find out what he’s doing, we can make his life a burden to him. And I, for one, propose to do it. Look at the way he treated us in Silver Cove the other day! Let him alone? I guess not!”
“No, indeed,” agreed Harry. “It’s war to the death!”
“‘Revenge!’” suggested Roy laughingly.
“You bet,” answered Chub.
The next day Dick, for some reason, refused to disappear or even attempt to. ”

“ Where are you going to get your sails, Dick?”
“At the Cove. There’s a fellow there makes them. And, say, you fellows, I’ve got to finish this plan this afternoon so as to take it over to-morrow. I don’t want to seem inhospitable, but if you’ll just let me alone for about an hour I can do it.”
“Of course we will,” Harry declared. “We’ll go right away. Come on, Vidocq, and Sherlock Holmes!”
“You’re sure you don’t want me to stay and help you?” asked Chub. “I’m a terror at planning; once I planned a dog-house.”
“I’ll bet it was a peach!” jeered Roy. ”

“ And so he didn’t hear the soft rustlings which came from the top of the haymow a few feet away when three heads were thrust into view. Heard nothing, in fact, until the silence was suddenly shattered by a sudden “ah, there!” ”

“ Johnson has it.”
“That’s what you bought the lumber for!” exclaimed Chub. Dick nodded.
“Yes. And I’ve bought a lot more since then. It’s costing like anything, but it’s lots of fun. I want you all to go over with me Saturday and have a look at it.”
“How big is it, Dick?” asked Roy.
“It’s just a smallish one,” was the answer. “Twenty-nine feet long by eighteen wide.”
“Phew!” cried Roy. “It doesn’t sound small! When will it be done?”
“I don’t know; about a week, I guess. The worst thing is figuring about the sails. You see, I don’t know very much about sailing ”

“ Then he turned to the right and wound between the trees, crossing the path to the boat-house and river at right angles, and keeping well out of sight of the windows of the halls. Five minutes of this brought him to the corner of the hedge. Here the trees ceased abruptly and gave way to snow-covered fields. Crouching behind the hedge so that his head was below the top of it, he followed it at right angles to his first course until opposite the barn and stables. Here he raised his head and reconnoitered. ”