The boys gathered excitedly about their leader.

“See here, Dave,” cried Sammy, “this is the work of ‘The Blues!’”

“Of course it is,” said Frank.

“Let’s capture them,” shouted Bob.

“Yes, it’s pretty near time to go home, anyway,” agreed Dave. “Keep together, fellows. If we catch any of them, we’ll put them through a course of sprouts.”

“Hear them! hear them!” yelled Sammy.

Derisive cries floated down to the beach. This nettled some of the boys. All of them were glad of a chance for new fun and excitement.

“Divide, fellows,” ordered Dave.

“Yes, surround the enemy!” cried Sammy.

The two crowds scrambled up the bluff. Bob looked about for some trace of the two men he had found in their hide-out. They seemed to have gotten away from the spot.

The two parties got to the top of the bluff and ran towards each other, hoping to capture the mischief makers in a group.

[60]

[60]

They found a wagon which Jed and his friends had dragged from some farm near by, loaded for the market. It was only half filled with pumpkins. The rest of the load had been used to bombard the boys on the beach.

“They’ve sneaked across the meadow yonder,” said Dave.

“Yes, I see some of them now,” cried Sammy, eagerly. “See, they’re making for that grove yonder.”

There was a hot chase. Sammy had called to Bob and Frank to join him. They and several others kept with Sammy.

They reached the patch of timber and ran in and about it. They hunted in the bushes and even up in some of the trees, but got no sight or trace of the enemy.

Suddenly the well-known signal of the crowd rang out over near some haystacks. The scattered group ran in the direction of the call. They came upon Dave and six of his fellows, who had 

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