It's an abominably mean
trick!"
"Who did it?" asked another man.
"Oh, you can't find that out now," replied still another. "You
all know the way that boys hang together in mischief. No one
would tell you, or dare to tell you, if he knew."
"I'd like to know the boy, for about one minute!" snapped one
stout, red-faced man, down whose cheeks the tears were trickling.
"It's that loutish trick of putting red pepper on a fire. No
one but a feeble-minded boy would think of playing an old, moth-eaten
trick like that!"
"It would pay us to get out of here quickly, if any one suspected
us," whispered Fred Ripley to his friend.
"Sh! Shut up!" returned Dodge in a hoarse whisper. "It isn't
best for us to be seen whispering. Look innocent."
From behind a heavy hand descended abruptly on either coat collar,
taking firm hold.
"Here are the young apes who played the trick!" roared an angry
voice. "I just heard them whispering about it, and when I was
finishing supper I remember that I looked out of the window and
saw these boys fooling about the pile."
"What did you put on the fire?" demanded a man, stepping in front
of the now frightened youths, who were hemmed in so that they
could not escape.
"Red pepper," returned Ripley sullenly.
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