Page:The Rover Boys on the Ocean.djvu/33

Rh "I—I—was thinking of the time we put the crabs in old Crabtree's bed," answered the younger brother.

"No, you weren't. You were—"

"Well?" demanded Tom, as Dick paused.

"You were laughing because I mentioned Dora, and—"

"'Pon my honor I wasn't," smiled Tom, but his look belied his words.

"You were. If I mention her cousins, Grace and Nellie Laning, I guess the laugh will be on you and Sam—"

"We'll call it quits," answered Tom hurriedly. "They're all nice girls, eh, Sam?"

"To be sure. But, I say, hadn't we best keep out of old Crabtree's way?"

"I don't know as it's necessary," said Dick. "I'm not afraid of him, I'm sure."

"Oh, neither am I, if you are going to put it that way," answered the youngest Rover.

"If he's stopping here I'm going to have some fun with him," grinned Tom.

The evening meal was soon finished, and the boys took a stroll around the grounds. They were just on the point of retiring when Dick drew his brothers' attention to a figure that was stealing through a nearby grove of trees.

"There goes Crabtree."