“Thank you, Holmesy, I’ll do it,” Martin eagerly promised.  “And
I’ll thank you, too, from the bottom of my-----”

“You can keep the thanks,” proposed Greg gravely.  “But you can hand over the half dollar.”

“E-e-eh?” stammered Hi, nonplussed, rubbing one hand, for an instant, over his naked thigh in the usual neighborhood of the trousers’ pocket.

“Fork over the half dollar!” Greg insisted.  “This is a strictly cash-in-advance proposition.”

“Why, you---you---you-----” stuttered Hi in his wrath.  “How
can I pay in advance when Ted Teall is a mile away from here with
my—–­my trousers and all?”

“Cash right in hand, or I don’t stir on your job,” insisted Greg.

“I—–­I’ll pay you a whole dollar as soon as I can get home,” Hi offered eagerly.

“Hi Martin, after what you’ve done to us to-day,” demanded Greg virtuously, “do you think there’s a fellow in this crowd who’d take your word for anything?  If you don’t pay right now, then I won’t stir a step for you.”

Again tears of helpless rage formed in Hi’s eyes.  Amos Garwood stood looking on, unseeing.  But Dick Prescott’s thoughts were flying like lightning.  He knew that, somehow, Garwood ought to be seized and held until the friends searching for him could be notified.

Chapter X

“Babbling butt-in”

“You fellows seem to think that everything is done when you get your own old duds back,” complained Hi Martin angrily.  “You don’t seem to think that there’s any need of doing anything for me.”

“Why should we?” demanded Dick curtly.  “You’re the fellow who helped put up a job to hide our clothes.  Now, you yell because you can’t find your own.”

“I’ll go and get you some other clothes, whenever I’m paid for it in advance,” Greg smilingly repeated his offer.

Dick’s brain was busy with plans for holding Amos Garwood until the latter’s father and friends could take charge of him.

“You’re all the meanest lot!” protested Martin, tears of anger standing in his eyes.

“And you’re the funniest fellow,” mocked Tom.  “To see a lot of sport in playing a trick on us, but howling like a dog with a can tied to his tail when you find yourself the only one stung by the joke.”

“I’m going to leave here,” Dick suddenly declared.

“Oh, I wish you would find my clothes and bring them to me,” begged Hi.

“Come along, Greg.  You, too, Dave.  The rest wait here until we come back.”

Dick shot a significant look at Tom Reade, then glanced covertly in Amos Garwood’s direction.  Reade understood and nodded.