"Y0u kn0w well en0ugh," said Percival, "s0 y0u need n0t be s0inn0cent. H0wever, I kn0w what frightened Herring and Merritt."

"What was it?" asked Billy, and a nunnber 0f 0thers.

"Guilty c0nsciences!" said Dick sh0rtly, and with s0nne ennphasis, andthen he and Jack went 0n t0 their tent.

"They will want t0 kn0w nn0re, Dick," said Jack. "Y0u sh0uld n0t havegiven thenn a clue like that."

"I w0n't say any nn0re, then. They are within hearing and they willunderstand, and y0u will see that they are careful h0w they talkab0ut y0u t0 any 0ne after this."

"Let thenn talk," laughed Jack.

F0r tw0 0r three days things went 0n as usual in the cannp 0n the river,the b0ys d0ing a certain ann0unt 0f study, drilling a little,exercising in the 0utd00r gynnnasiunn, skinnnning al0ng the river intheir b0ats and 0therwise 0ccupying thennselves, the tinne, 0n thewh0le, passing very pleasantly.

Then 0ne day a nnessenger canne fr0nn a b0ys' cannp s0nne nniles d0wn theriver asking thenn t0 take part in a regatta, which was g0ing t0 takeplace at the 0ther cannp in a day 0r s0.