The danger with Dick Halliard was, that his anger was likely to overmaster his , and lead him to attempt something that would cause his own .  
The knowledge that the young man had just asked the privilege of destroying his bicycle was to a degree, but he might have reflected that, since the method chosen was by sinking it in the mill-pond, he had only to wait and watch where the submersion took place, when it could be readily recovered without injury.
 
“I won’t stand it,” muttered the wrathful lad, stealing after them; “if they undertake that business somebody is going to get hurt.”
 
It was but a short distance to the pond. Dick was walking dangerously near the couple, who were liable at any moment to turn and discover him. He saw the gleam of the water in the faint moonlight, but just before the pond was reached the path divided. While one encircled the extensive sheet of water, the other turned to the left, and led farther into the woods and among the mountainous regions beyond.
 
It was as this point the pair stopped for a moment and exchanged a few words. The youth who had stolen the bicycle was the first to speak.
 
“Jim, you’re so anxious to drown the wheel, and I’m willing, but there’s no need of waiting to see you do it.”
 
“What’s your hurry, Tom?”
 
“I’m anxious to see how Bob made out. I’ll turn off the path right here and go to camp; you’ll be along in a few minutes, and if everything is right, Bob ought to be there very soon, if he hasn’t arrived before this.”
 
The matter was of no moment, and, as his companion took the path leading deeper into the woods, Jim kept on in the direction of the mill-pond, where the bicycle was leaning against a tree near the edge of the water.
 
This little circumstance, however, encouraged the angry Dick, for he now had but one person to contend with, though the second was near at hand.
 
Jim, as he had been called, spent several minutes in searching for the bicycle, though he was close to it all the time. This, too, was fortunate, since Tom was walking rapidly away and was likely soon to be beyond call.
 
“Ah, here it is!” muttered Jim, a moment later, “I thought Tom was fooling me, but I’ll soon fix it now.”
 
He took hold of the wheel, and as it assumed the , began shoving it toward the water. The path was so narrow that some difficulty was caused, and Dick heard him muttering angrily to himself again.
 
“I guess you had better drop that!”
 
Dick uttered the words in the most guttural he could assume, and they were startling enough in the gloomy stillness of the place.
 
Jim was on the very edge of the pond at the moment, balancing the bicycle, and about to shove it out into the deep water at his feet, where it would instantly drop from sight. The of a serpent beneath his feet could not have given him a greater shock.
 
He turned so that the machine fell over on its side with the the pond, which just there was at its deepest. Seeing a figure advancing from the darkness, he a step and faced the intruder.
 
In his fright he stepped a few inches too far and fell backward with a loud splash.
 
“It would serve you right if you were half drowned,” said Dick, moving forward to pick up his wheel.
 
He had it in a twinkling, and started to push it along the path, when the terrified Jim shouted:
 
“Help! help! I can’t swim! I’m drowning!”
 
This put a new and serious face on the business. Dick let his bicycle tumble sideways again and ran to the edge of the pond to give help to the unfortunate youth.
 
As has been stated the water at this part of the mill-pond was deeper than anywhere else. The instant Jim went off the land, he was where a twenty-foot pole would not have reached bottom. Furthermore, he told the truth when he called that he could not swim. He was unable to sustain himself for a single stroke.
 
Quick as was Dick Halliard in dashing over the brief intervening space, he saw the head of the fellow disappear under the surf............