“Wonder what they are up to?” said Pepper. “I am going to see.” And the Imp moved forward before anybody could stop him.
When Pepper was close enough he made out six boys seated in a circle. They were smoking cigarettes and talking in low but earnest voices.
“We can do it,” Dan Baxter was saying.
“Maybe we’ll get caught,” put in Mumps.
“No, we won’t,” came from Reff Ritter. “It’s a boss plan. We’ll carry it out to-night, and make somebody feel sick.”
“Better see if anybody is around,” cried Gus Coulter, and leaped up. Pepper had just time enough to regain his companions when the whole party was discovered. At once the Baxter crowd put away their cigarettes.
“Hullo, are you following us?” demanded Reff Ritter, striding forward.
“I guess you are following us,” said Pepper, quickly.
“Why should we follow you?” asked Jack.
At this Ritter and Baxter muttered something the others could not understand. Then the bully of the Hall and his cronies walked away to another part of the island.