Young Hunters of the Lake | Page 9

Andrew Felps chasin' ye away---as was the case up to Lake
Cameron."
"No, but we may have the ghost chasing us," answered Giant.
"Say, maybe we had better go somewhere else," suggested Whopper,
hesitatingly.
"Whopper, are you afraid of ghosts?" demanded Snap.
"N---no, but I---er---I'd like to go somewhere where we wouldn't be
bothered by anything."
"I am going to Lake Narsac, ghosts or no ghosts!" cried the doctor's
son.
"So am I," added Snap, promptly. "If Whopper wants to stay behind---"
"Who said anything about staying behind?" demanded Whopper. "If

you go so will I, even if there are a million ghosts up there."
"I don't believe in ghosts," came from little Giant. "It's some humbug,
that's what it is."
"Maybe, maybe," answered Jed Sanborn. "But if you hear that voice
and see that yellow thing---well, I reckon your hair will stick up on end,
jest as mine did!"

CHAPTER V
A FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION
On the following Monday Snap and Shep were walking down the main
street of Fairview when they heard a cry and saw Giant beckoning to
them from the post-office steps.
"What's up?" asked Snap, as he came up to the small youth.
"Ham Spink and Carl Dudder just went in to mail some letters," said
Giant.
"What of that?"
"Whopper went in after them. Whopper and I are now sure it was Ham
and Carl who tried to steal our clothing the day we went swimming."
"How do you know that?" asked the doctor's son.
"By the way they are dressed. They have the same yellow-brown suits
on they wore that day."
Giant had scarcely spoken when Whopper came out. His face showed
that he was angry.
"I told you they did it," he said to Giant. Then, seeing the others, he
explained:

"I accused them of it and they admitted taking the clothes--- they said it
was nothing but a little joke and they laughed at me. Then when I said
they could pay for the missing things they told me to clear out or they'd
have me locked up for trespassing on Mr. Spink's land!"
"That's like Ham," answered Snap.
"I wish we could pay them off good," went on Whopper.
Just then Ham Spink and Carl Dudder came out of the post-office. Snap
and the others were standing behind some boxes of goods and the dude
and his chum did not at once see them.
"We'll have a celebration with those fireworks when they come," Ham
was saying. "We'll show Fairview a great sight."
"That's right," returned Carl Dudder. "We'll put them in my father's
barn until we want to use them."
Then both boys caught sight of Snap and the others and broke off their
talk. They, wanted to brush past without speaking, but Snap and Shep
blocked the way.
"We want to talk to you," said Snap.
"We have nothing to say," cried Ham, haughtily. "Get out of my way!"
And he tried to brush past again.
"Ham Spink, I want to say just one thing," answered Snap. "I think you
are as mean as you ever were, and I, for one, am going to pay you back
for what you did the day we went swimming."
"Oh, give us a rest" muttered the dudish youth, and went on, and Carl
Dudder followed, sticking his tongue in his cheek as he passed.
"Say, shall we pitch into them?" whispered Whopper. "We can knock
them into the middle of next month!"
"No---wait---I've just thought of something," interposed Snap. "Let

them go and come with me."
He led the way to a safe distance and then turned to Whopper.
"Did you hear them speak of some fireworks?"
"Sure."
"Did they say anything about the fireworks in the post office?
"Why, yes. But what has that got to do with------"
"What did they say, Whopper?"
"Why, it seems Ham and Carl and some other fellows---the same crowd
that has been against us for so long---have chipped in and ordered some
fireworks from the city. They are going to set the fireworks off in front
of the Dudder house on Fourth of July night. The Spink family and
some others are to be there. Ham and Carl are boasting what a fine
celebration it is to be."
"Then I know what I'm going to do," said Snap.
"What?" came from all of the others.
"They took our clothing---why can't we take the fireworks?"
"Whoop! Just the cheese!" ejaculated Whopper. "We can set them off
in the public square."
"Where the whole community can see them," added Giant.
"And we can return the remains after they are shot off," came from the
doctor's son.
The matter was talked over for a half hour. All of the boys knew it was
not just right to appropriate