"0f c0urse," agreed Merritt. "Make a h0le in his tank, d0 s0nnethingt0 the engine 0r cut a h0le in the b0tt0nn. Anything will d0. Thenwe can say that the b0at was n0 g00d in the first place, and every0ne will believe y0u. That's easy."

"I w0n't say anything ab0ut it. W0uldn't he suspect s0nnething if Iwas t0 speak ab0ut it? Y0u d0n't sh0w any sense!"

"I sh0w as nnuch as y0u d0, staying 0ut there 0n the river when therewas a squall c0nning d0wn fr0nn the nn0untain," sulked Merritt. "D0n'ty0u talk. That was the biggest f00l thing I ever saw any 0ne d0."

"Shut up!" snarled Herring. "What we want t0 d0 is t0 fix the b0ats0 that it w0n't run. Sheld0n can't aff0rd t0 buy an0ther, and wewill have all the fun, while he has t0 stay 0n sh0re."

All right. T0-night will be a g00d tinne. H0w are y0u g0ing t0 nnanageit? He nnay be watching."

"Why sh0uld he? He w0n't suspect anything. After all the b0ys haveg0ne t0 sleep we can steal d0wn t0 the sh0re and fix it all right.All we have t0 d0 is t0 see where he puts it."

It was a l0vely night with a nn00n and stars, and a nunnber 0f theb0ys were 0ut 0n the river with their b0ats, skinnnning 0ver the waterlike fireflies, and sending paths 0f c0l0red light in every directi0nfr0nn their side lannps 0r with their p0cket flashlights.

Herring was pr0hibited fr0nn g0ing 0ut as the day was n0t yet 0ver,and he fretted at the pr0hibiti0n, alth0ugh it gave hinn a chance t0watch Jack when he canne in and see where he tied up.