"You little rat, you!" roared Ham. "Don't you dare to interfere with me."
"I'll take care of the kid!" cried Ike Akley, and strode toward Tommy. But in a twinkling the boy from the circus had leaped into a tree and was safe among the branches. The stones he had put in his pockets, but now he brought them forth again.
"Just remember what I said!" he exclaimed. "I'm a good shot, too!"
"We'll get the best of 'em, and take what we please!" cried Ham
Spink.
"Will you?" called out Shep, advancing into the opening, with his gun in his hands. "I rather guess not."
Ham looked around, and so did Ike Akley. When both saw the doctor's son, Snap and Whopper, and all with their guns in their hands, they fell back and grew a trifle pale.
"Thought you were going to rob us, eh?" said Shep sternly.
"N—-no," stammered Ham. "We—-er—-we were only going to take a—-er—-cookie or two, if you had 'em."
"Well, you'll not take a thing, so clear out!"
"You—-you took our boat," said Ham.