“That’s the talk!” said Charles.  “I never let any one stop me when I have once made up my mind to do a thing.  I would as soon knock Frank Nelson down as any body else.”

By this time the boat, which had been headed toward the shore, entered the creek, and Charles drew up to the wharf, and, after setting his companions ashore, and directing them to speak to every one whom they thought would be willing to join the company, and to no one else, he drew down the sails, and pulled up the creek toward the place where he kept his boat.

A week passed, and things went on swimmingly.  Thirty boys had enrolled themselves as members of the Regulators, as the company was called, and Charles, who had been chosen captain, had carried out his plans so quietly, that he was confident that no one outside of the company knew of its existence.  Their arrangements had all been completed, and the Regulators waited only for a favorable opportunity to carry their plans into execution.

Frank, during this time, had remained at home, working in his garden or shop, and knew nothing of what was going on.

One afternoon he wrote a letter to his cousin Archie, and, after supper, set out, with Brave at his heels, to carry it to the post-office.  He stopped on the way for George and Harry Butler, who were always ready to accompany him.  On the steps of the post-office they met three or four of their companions, and, after a few moments’ conversation, William Johnson suddenly inquired,

“Have you joined the new society, Frank?”

“What society?”

“Why, the Regulators.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Frank.

“Yes, I guess they have managed to keep it pretty quiet,” said William.  “They don’t want any outsiders to know any thing about it.  They asked me to join in with them, but I told them that they ought to know better than to propose such a thing to me.  Then they tried to make me promise that I wouldn’t say any thing about it, but I would make no such promise, for—­”

“Why, Bill, what are you talking about?” inquired Harry.  “You rattle it off as if we knew all about it.”

“Haven’t you heard any thing about it, either?” inquired William, in surprise.  “I was certain that they would ask you to join.  Well, the amount of it is that Charley Morgan and a lot of his particular friends have been organizing a company for the purpose of thrashing the Hillers, and making them stop robbing hen-roosts and orchards and cutting up such shines.”

“Yes,” chimed in James Porter, “there are about thirty of them, and they say that they are going to whip the Hillers out of the village.”

“Well, that’s news to me,” said Frank.

“For my part,” said Thomas Benton, “I, of course, know that the Hillers ought to be punished; but I do not think it is the duty of us boys to take the law into our own hands.”

“Nor I,” said James Porter.