“And who do you think they were?” asked Snap.

“Ham Spink and Carl Dudder.”

“Why, they aren’t home from boarding school yet!” cried Shep.

“I don’t care, that’s what I think,” said Giant, sturdily.  “I know just how those fellows look and walk.  Of course I didn’t see their faces, but I am pretty sure they were Ham and Carl.”

“They may have gotten home during the last day or two,” said Snap, slowly, “and it would be just like them to lay around waiting to play some mean trick on us.  If they had gotten off with our clothing we’d have been in a fine pickle truly!”

“That’s right—–­worse than with the ram,” answered the doctor’s son, and then he and Snap told of what had occurred on the other side of the river.

“Too bad you lost those strawberries,” sighed Whopper.   “I like
strawberries so much I could eat about-----”

“A million platesful,” finished Snap, with a grin.

“No, I was going to say a spoonful or two,” said Whopper, and then Snap groaned.

The boys found two socks, a collar and a necktie missing, and a long search around failed to bring the articles to light.  One of the undershirts had been knotted up tightly, and Shep had to “chaw on the beef,” as boys call it, to get the knots untied.

“I’d like to know if it really was Ham and Carl,” he growled.  “If it was I’ll fix them for this new trick of theirs.”

“How were they dressed?” asked Snap.

“Each wore a brown suit, kind of yellow brown,” answered Whopper.  “I’d know ’em out of a million.

“We’ll lay for them, Whopper.”

Having donned their clothing, the four boys started back for town.  To get to the road they had to cross a wide pasture, and when they were in the middle of this they saw a man approaching.  The man carried a heavy cane, which he shook at them.

“Hello, it’s Mr. Spink!” cried Snap.

“Come to warn us away, I suppose,” grumbled the doctor’s son.  “Shall I tell him about what was done to our clothing?”

“No,” answered Whopper.  “We are not certain it was Ham and Carl.”

Mr. Spink was a tall, overbearing man, who dressed almost as loudly as did his son.  He strode up to the four lads with a dark look on his face, and this look grew even more resentful when he recognized them.

“Ha! so you are going to come here in spite of my warnings, eh?” he said, harshly.

“You haven’t warned us or anything, Mr. Spink,” answered Snap, calmly.

“Can’t you read?  Doesn’t the sign say, ‘All trespassing forbidden’?  That is plain English, isn’t it?”

“I haven’t seen any sign,” said Shep

“Because you didn’t want to see it, young man!”

“We have only been down to the cove swimming,” put in Giant.

“This land is mine now, and I want you boys to keep off of it,” exclaimed Mr. Spink, hotly.  “If I catch you on it again I’ll have you arrested.”