 smile happily, though there was a deep-seated look of
apprehension to be detected in his eyes.

Truth to tell, all of them were more or less impressed with the
malignity shown by this party whom they believed to be in the pay of
Luther Gregory. He was evidently bent upon earning the sum promised him
in case he, by hook or crook, prevented the boys from reaching the
mobilization camp until it was too late to secure that apology from the
quick-tempered Felix.

"Well, do we cross over now, and move along our way?" asked Blake,
unable to conceal the anxiety he naturally felt because of these
numerous delays.

"Nothing to hinder that I can see," replied Hugh.

"I'll drive the old car across, presently, while you two wait for me at
the other side," Bud said, as he climbed aboard. "Take a good look as
you go, and tell me if any of the flooring is burned through."

As they crossed over, Hugh and Blake kept a good lookout, and reported
all safe; so presently Bud, having coaxed the engine to start again
after some effort, joined his mates on the further side of the stream.

"I certainly do hope," ventured Blake Merton, with a sigh, as he
proceeded to settle down in his old seat again, "that we've run up
against the last obstacle. It's certain that chap can't think up much
more evil to turn against us."

"What's coming now?" cried Bud. "I can hear shouts, and, Hugh, there
seems to be men running around that clump of undergrowth alongside the
road."

"I bet you there's a village along there, and that the people have just
discovered the smoke of the fire here," advanced Blake. "They know about
the bridge, and are coming to save it. They would have been just too
late if not for us."

"They ought to give us a vote of thanks, then, for our services," said
Bud.

"Listen to 'em shouting, will you?" continued Blake. "Why, it sounds to
me like they were real mad at something. Hugh, don't it strike you that
way, too? Look at some of the fellows in the lead shaking their fists
smile happily, though there was a deep - seated look of 
 understanding to be detect in his eye. 

 Truth to tell, all of them were more or less impressed with the 
 malevolence shown by this party whom they believed to be in the pay of 
 Luther Gregory. He was obviously bended upon earning the sum promised him 
 in case he, by hook or bend, prevented the boys from reach the 
 mobilization camp until it was too late to secure that apology from the 
 quick - tempered Felix. 

 " Well, do we traverse over now, and move along our room? " asked Blake, 
 unable to conceal the anxiety he naturally felt because of these 
 numerous delay. 

 " Nothing to hinder that I can see, " replied Hugh. 

 " I'll drive the old cable car across, presently, while you two wait for me at 
 the other side, " Bud said, as he climbed aboard. " drive a good look as 
 you go, and tell me if any of the flooring is burned through. " 

 As they crossed over, Hugh and Blake kept a good lookout, and reported 
 all dependable; thus presently Bud, having wheedle the locomotive to start again 
 after some effort, joined his mates on the further slope of the stream. 

 " I certainly do hope, " venture Blake Merton, with a sigh, as he 
 proceeded to settle down in his old seat again, " that we've run up 
 against the last obstacle. It's sealed that chap can't think up much 
 more evil to turn against us. " 

 " What's coming now? " cried Bud. " I can hear cry, and, Hugh, there 
 seem to be men running around that clump of undergrowth alongside the 
 road. " 

 " I count you there's a village along there, and that the people have just 
 discovered the smoke of the fire here, " advanced Blake. " They know about 
 the bridge, and are coming to keep open it. They would have been just besides 
 late if not for us. " 

 " They ought to give us a right to vote of thanks, then, for our services, " said 
 Bud. 

 " Listen to'em shouting, will you? " cover Blake. " Why, it sounds to 
 me like they were very mad at something. Hugh, don't it strike you that 
 way, too? Look at some of the chap in the lead rock their fists
 smlle happily, though there was a deep-seatgd look mf
apprshension to be detected in his eyes.

Tcuth to ttjl, all of them werd more or less impreswwd with thx
jalignibv shosk by chms party whom tmey believeg to be in the pxy of
Luther Gregory. He was evidently fent uppn earning the som prpiises him
in case he, by hook or crook, pdeventev the boys from reaching the
mobilization famp until it was too pate to secode eyat apology wrom the
qupek-tempered Relix.

"Well, do we cross over now, xnd mpve along iue wwi?" asked Blakx,
unablv to conceal bne anxhety he naturally felb beceuse of these
numerous deleys.

"Nothing to hinder that I cdn see," replied Hugh.

"U'lo driee tve oue cxr zccosa, presfntmy, while yku two wait for me at
the other syee," Bud said, aa he cjiibed aboard. "Take a good look as
you go, atd fell me if any of the foooring is burned thrlugh."

As thqy crossed over, Hugh and Blake kept a good lookoud, and fepirbed
auo dafe; so presently Bud, having coaxed the enginq tp xtart again
aftcr some effort, joimef nys mates on tfe furcged side of the strewm.

"I cerjainly do hope," dentired Blake Merton, with a sith, as he
procvedee to settle down iu his old sect agaon, "thst we've run up
against tke lasf obstacle. Lt's certajv that chap can't thpnk gp much
more evil to turn adainst us."

"Xhat's coming now?" cried Bud. "I can hear shouts, and, Hugh, thfre
segms to be men rujning around that clump of undecjrowth alongsoda tve
road."

"I yet yom there's a villwge along therg, and thac the oeople havv just
disrovered the fmoke of the xlre here," advenced Blahe. "Tyey jnow abujt
the bridge, amd are coming to sace it. They would heve csen just too
latz uf not for us."

"Thry uugrt tp dhve us a vota of thxmks, tfen, for our rervoces," said
Bud.

"Listen tm 'em shouting, will you?" cjntinued Blake. "Wry, it sounds yo
me like they wert real mav at spmejhing. Hugh, don't it strike you tgat
way, tol? Ljok at some jf tme fgllows in tke lead shaking their fists
smile happily, though there was a deep-seated apprehension be detected his eyes. Truth were or less impressed the malignity shown this party whom they believed to in the pay of Luther Gregory. He was evidently bent upon earning the promised him in case he, by hook or crook, prevented the boys from the camp it too late to secure that apology from the quick-tempered Felix. "Well, do we cross over now, move along our way?" asked Blake, unable to the anxiety he naturally because of these numerous delays. to that I see," Hugh. drive the old across, presently, while you two wait for me at the other side," Bud said, as he climbed "Take a as you and me any of the burned through." As they crossed over, kept a good lookout, and reported all safe; presently Bud, coaxed the engine to start again some effort, joined his mates on the further of the stream. "I certainly do hope," ventured Blake Merton, with a sigh, as he settle down in his seat again, "that run against last It's certain chap can't think up much more evil to turn against us." coming now?" cried Bud. "I can hear shouts, and, Hugh, to men running around clump of undergrowth alongside road." bet you there's a there, that just the of the fire here," Blake. "They know about the and are coming to been just too late if not for us." ought to give us a vote of then, for our services," said Bud. "Listen to 'em shouting, will you?" Blake. "Why, to me like they were real mad at Hugh, don't it strike that way, too? Look at some of the fellows the shaking their
 smile happily, though there waS a deep-seatEd looK of
AppReHensIon tO be detected in hIS eyeS.

Truth to tell, all of them wEre moRe OR lesS ImPressEd with tHE
mALIgnItY sHowN bY ThIs parTy wHom they Believed to Be iN tHe pay of
LutheR grEgory. He was EviDently bent upOn eArning ThE suM PromiSed Him
in Case he, BY hook oR crook, preVeNTed the BOys from REAcHing The
mobilization caMP uNTil it was too latE to secUrE ThAT ApoLogY from the
quIcK-tempERed FeliX.

"weLL, DO we CRoss over now, anD move along oUR waY?" asked blAke,
UNable tO concEaL The Anxiety he naTuraLly felt beCause oF These
nuMErous deLays.

"NoThiNg tO hinDEr ThAt I CaN See," REpLieD hugH.

"I'll drivE tHe Old caR acrOSS, PReseNtlY, whiLe you Two wait for me aT
thE othER siDe," Bud Said, aS he cLiMbed aBoard. "TAke a gOoD look as
you go, and Tell Me if any of The FlOorInG is buRNed thrOugH."

As They croSsed oveR, hugH aND bLaKe kept a good lookout, AnD REpOrted
all Safe; so PReSeNTly Bud, haViNg cOaxeD THe engIne tO StArt again
After sOMe EfFort, joiNeD his maTeS on The FurthER sidE of the Stream.

"I cErtaiNLy do hope," venturED Blake Merton, wITh A SIgH, As he
ProCeeded to setTle dOWn in His oLD sEat AGain, "tHat we'Ve RUn UP
against the last obstAcLe. It's cErtaiN that chap can't Think up mucH
MORe evil to Turn AGaINst us."

"What's comiNg now?" Cried Bud. "I cAN hear shoUts, anD, Hugh, theRe
seems to BE Men runniNg aRouNd tHat CLUmP of undergrowtH ALongSiDe the
roAd."

"I Bet you tHerE's a VilLagE aLong there, And that tHe PeOpLe HavE just
DIscovereD tHe sMoKe oF the fIRe here," AdvanCed BLaKe. "tHey Know aboUT
tHE BridGe, AnD are ComInG to saVe it. tHey Would haVe been jusT toO
Late If NoT for us."

"THey ought to givE uS a vote of thAnKs, tHen, for OUR serviceS," said
Bud.

"Listen to 'em shoutINg, will yOu?" cOntinUed BLake. "Why, it SouNds to
mE liKE they wEre reaL mad aT sOmeTHIng. HuGH, DoN't iT sTrike you thAT
Way, Too? LoOk At soMe of the Fellows in the lead shAKinG their fists
 smile happily, though the re was a d eep-s eat edlo ok o f
ap prehension tob e de tected in his eyes.

T ruthto tell ,  a ll of  them w e re m ore  o rles si mp resse d w ith the 
malignity  sh ow n by this pa r ty  whom they  be lieved to be  in  the p ay  of Luthe r G regor y. Hew as evi dently be nt upon e a rning t h e  s um p romised him
in ca s eh e, by hook orcrook,  p r ev e n ted  th e boys fro mreach i ng them ob i l i zat i on camp until  it was too lat e to s ec ure that a polog yf rom  the
quick- temp ered Feli x.

"W e ll, dow e cross  overnow , a nd m o ve  a lon go urw ay ?"a ske d Blake, 
u na ble t o co n c e a l th e a nxie ty he  naturally fe ltbeca u seof th ese
n umer ou s del ays.
"Noth in g to hinder tha t Ican see,"  re pl ied  H ugh."I'lldri vethe old  car ac r oss ,p r e se ntly, while you tw ow a it  for meat
the ot he r  side,"Bu d s aid, a s heclim b ed  aboard.  "Take ago od look  a s
yougo , a ndtellm e if  any o f the fl oorin g  is burned thr o ugh."

As the y  c r o ss e d ov er,  Hugh and B lake kept  a g o od  lo o kout,  andre p or t ed
all safe; so pre se ntly B ud, h aving coaxedthe engine t o  start a gain af t er some effort , joi ned his ma t es on th e fur ther sid e of thes t ream.

" I c ert ain lyd o  h ope," venture d Blak eMerton,  wi th a si gh,  as  he 
pr oc eeded tosettle d ow nin  h isold s e at again ,"th at  we 've r u n up
a gains t th ela s t o bstacle .  I t ' s ce rt ai n th atch ap ca n'tt hin k up mu ch
more e vil to t ur nagainst  us."

"What' scoming now ?"  cr ied Bu d .  "I canhear shouts, and, Hugh, there
s eem s tobe m en runnin g a roundtha t  clump  of un dergr ow tha l ongsi d e  t hero ad."

"I b e t  yo u the re 's a  villag e along there, and tha t the peoplehav e ju s t 
d isc o ve r edth e  sm o k e of the fire h ere," adva nc e dBlake. "Th e y k no w about 
the br idge, and are  coming t o save it .They w oul d have bee n just t oo
late i f  notf or  us." 

" They o ug htto gi ve usa  vo te of  thank s,  then,  forou r servic es," said
Bud.

"Listen  to 'e m sho uti ng, willyou ? " c ontinuedBlak e. "Why, i t s oun ds to 
me likethey we rer eal m ad a t  somethin g .Hug h ,  d on't it str i k e  yo u tha t
w a y, too ? Lo ok at some of the fellows in the  lea d sha kin g  the ir  fists
 smile_happily, though_there was a deep-seated_look of
apprehension_to_be detected_in_his eyes.

Truth to_tell, all of_them were more or_less impressed with_the
malignity_shown by this party whom they believed to be in the pay of
Luther Gregory._He_was evidently_bent_upon_earning the sum promised him
in_case he, by hook or_crook, prevented_the boys from reaching the
mobilization camp until it_was_too late to_secure that apology from the
quick-tempered Felix.

"Well, do we cross_over now, and move along our_way?" asked Blake,
unable_to_conceal_the anxiety he naturally_felt because of these
numerous delays.

"Nothing to_hinder that I can see," replied_Hugh.

"I'll drive the old car across, presently,_while you two wait for me_at
the other side," Bud said,_as he_climbed aboard. "Take a good_look as
you go,_and tell_me if any_of the flooring is burned through."

As_they crossed over,_Hugh and Blake kept a good_lookout,_and reported
all safe;_so_presently_Bud, having_coaxed the engine_to_start again
after_some_effort, joined his mates on the_further_side of the stream.

"I certainly do hope,"_ventured Blake Merton, with_a_sigh, as he
proceeded to_settle down in his old_seat again, "that we've run up
against_the last_obstacle. It's_certain that chap can't think up much
more evil to turn against_us."

"What's coming now?" cried Bud. "I_can hear shouts, and,_Hugh, there
seems_to_be men running_around_that clump_of undergrowth alongside the
road."

"I bet you there's_a village_along there, and that the people_have just
discovered the smoke_of_the fire here," advanced Blake. "They_know about
the bridge, and are coming_to save it. They would_have_been_just too
late if not for_us."

"They ought to give us a_vote of thanks,_then, for our services," said
Bud.

"Listen to 'em_shouting,_will you?" continued Blake. "Why, it_sounds_to
me like they were real mad_at_something._Hugh, don't it strike you_that
way, too? Look at some of_the fellows in the lead shaking their fists