Cliffwood, on this account, had more than its share of workers, who, as a rule, received fair wages, and were seemingly contented.
Dick Horner looked forward to the time when he would be big enough to start to work and earn enough money to supply his dear mother with more of the comforts of life. He hated to be so poor, and this desire to do something for his mother was really one of the best things in the boy’s nature.
Dick did not have so bad a reputation in the town as the big bully, Nat Silmore, but all the same the stories that drifted to the ears of his anxious mother often caused her gentle heart pain. Dick, upon being appealed to, always promised to turn over a new leaf, and then in the end his natural overflow of wild spirits led him into some new mischief, for which in turn he would be sorry.
The vacant lot which Dick had in view was not far distant, so the seven boys out for Hallowe’en sport soon arrived there. Eager to hear what Nat had to say, the others clustered around the big fellow. As a rule the others rather preferred Nat’s room to his company.
“Here we are waiting for you to give us the particulars of your grand stunt, Nat,” remarked Dan, impatiently tugging at the other’s sleeve.
“Yes,” added Peg, “and the sooner you open up the quicker we can get busy; that is, of course, if we think it’s a good idea.”
“Oh! I ain’t worrying myself about you backing out,” said Nat, with fine scorn. “I’ve done some big things in my time, and if I do say it myself this takes the cake for boldness. We’ll pay the crusty old skinflint back for all the snappy things he’s done to the boys of Cliffwood.”
“Get busy, Nat,” said Dick, shortly.
Somehow these few words seemed to have more effect on Nat than all the urging of the other fellows. He knew Dick could veto the scheme if he felt inclined, and since his own cronies were debarred from keeping him company on this one wild night of the year, by reason of sickness, and absence from town, Nat had to depend on Dick’s crowd for assistance in carrying out his plan.
“All right, Dick, here goes then,” he hastened to say, as he started to unwrap the bundle he had been carrying around with him. “You can see just what I’ve toted along so as to be ready for business when the right time came.”