A KETTLE OF HOT WATER FOR SOMEONE

It was a wonderfully elaborate scheme to which the high school
boys were privileged to listen.  Such a scheme, really showed
Dodge, in a way, to be possessed of more brains than people in
Gridley commonly credited him with possessing.

But Dick smiled at Dave Darrin's scowl as the plot was unfolded
in the next booth.

Fortunately for Dick and his chums the steak order was delayed
in the serving.  Thus Dodge and Bayliss finished their ice cream
and left the place without discovering the presence of their intended
victims.

"Say, aren't that pair just going to enjoy themselves at our expense?"
chuckled Hazelton, after the plotters had left.

"Unless I miss my guess, they're going to dance to our music to-night,"
laughed Dick gleefully.

Their meal was served soon after, and eaten with relish.  As soon
as it had been finished Dick asked the waiter for a sheet of paper
and envelope.

"Don't worry about any weird doings you may hear of from our camp,"
Prescott wrote his mother.  "We've just learned of a big scare
Dodge and Bayliss are planning to spring on us up at our camp.
We're going to turn the tables on them---that's all.  But I write
this for fear you may hear some awful tales when that pair reach
Gridley."

As they left the restaurant, Dick returned to the post-office,
mailing this second letter to his mother.

"Now, we must buy a few things here," Dick explained to his friends.
"Then we must get out of this village by a back road, and we
must make sure that we don't run into that pair of ex-soreheads."

The "sorehead" reference, as readers of our "_High School Boys
Series_" will recall, had to do with Dodge and Bayliss, ere they
had been chased out of Gridley High School.  These boys had belonged
to the notorious "sorehead faction" in the high school football
squad.

Going in different directions, Dick, Dave and Harry were able
to make all their needed purchases in a short time.  Right after
that, they got out of the village, and back upon the rough trail
for camp without having met their enemies.

It was nearly seven o'clock when the three travelers, all but
fagged out, pushed their cart in sight of camp and gave a hail
that brought the other chums running to meet them.

First of all, word was passed as to the successful outcome of
the fish-selling expedition.

"I thought you fellows would bring us some fresh meat," Tom cried,
when Dave unloaded the cart.  "Fresh vegetables, too?  Wow!  Won't
we live?  I told the fellows not to try to get supper until you
got back, as you'd be sure to bring something that would make
us sorry we had eaten.  We've the fires all ready."

"And now, listen!" commanded Dick Prescott, after the first preparations
had been made for supper.

Thereupon the young leader of Dick & Co. repeated the plot they
had heard Dodge and Bayliss unfold that noon.

"Hang those two heathens!" sputtered Tom Reade indignantly.

"Oh, I'm glad they're coming," laughed Dick.  "All I hope is that
nothing will happen to keep them from coming to-night."

Then Dick outlined his plan.  Tom Read, after listening for a
few moments, lay on the ground, rolling over and over in his glee.

"Wow!  But won't that be great?" demanded Greg, laughing until
the tears ran from his eyes.

"Say, we mustn't talk any more now.  We must eat supper, and then
get ready if we're to play the reception committee successfully
tonight."

At a very early hour, considering the lateness of the evening
meal, Reade, with his knack in woodwork, and with no other tool
than his jackknife, had fashioned the stocks for two "rifles."
These Hazelton carefully treated with mud from the lake so as
to give them a dark color.

"If the guns are seen by the light of the campfire, the stocks
and barrels ought to be of different colors," Dick explained.

Dave was now fashioning two straight sticks into semblance of
rifle barrels.  These were lightly treated with mud and fastened
to the two stocks.  Then two additional "rifles" were to be manufactured.

Other work was performed, and all was gotten in readiness.  Prescott
had a number of mysterious-looking little packages that he had
bought in the village.

"Oh, dear, but I hope nothing happens to keep Dodge and Bayliss
from coming to-night," breathed Tom, as he labored fast.  "David,
little giant, hurry up with those barrels.  There can be no telling
how soon we shall have to defend ourselves with these 'Quaker'
guns!"

As they worked, the high school boys indulged in many a chuckle.

"It takes something like this to keep me awake to-night," Dick
yawned.  "If there were no excitement coming, I'm so dead sleepy
that I could go right into dreamland standing up."

"So could I," chirped Dave.  "But I manage to keep awake by enjoying
the thought of how thoroughly we'll wake up someone else tonight!"

"If our plans don't miscarry," warned Dick.

"Please don't croak about failure or disappointment," begged Tom
tragically.  "My warm, impulsive young heart won't stand any
disappointment to-night."

So they toiled on, their preparations all along the line taking
shape rapidly.

By ten o'clock they had everything completed, including the
manufacture of the "Quaker" rifles.

"Now, to our posts," chuckled Dick, after a rapid distribution
of things from the packages brought up from the village.

The campfire was allowed to burn low.  Some light was still needed
for the full success of their plans.

Tom and Dan took up their stand in front of the tent, each armed
with a "Quaker" gun.