"I can't sa-ay that I do—-yet," drawled the stranger.
"You'll never see a clearer case!" quivered young Dodge.
To this the stranger did not reply. He had been looking over this sextette of high school boys, and if one might judge from his face, the man seemed to be rather favorably impressed by Dick & Co.
"If these are your tires," Dick went on smoothly, "would you mind removing them from our camp?"
"I won't," Bert answered hotly. "You fellows, who stole the tires, will take them back to the car from which you stole them, and there you will put the tires on again."
"You've missed some part of the idea in your haste," declared young Prescott.
"What do you mean?" gasped Dodge.
"I mean simply that we'll have nothing whatever to do with taking back the tires, or putting them on your wheels."
"Then I'll see what I can do to punish you all!" flared Bert hotly.
"You're none of you any better than a lot of low-lived thieves!"
The situation was growing too warm for Dave Darrin, though Dick was still smiling.