"Those are my tires hanging from that line!" "Are they ?" Prescott inquired, in a tone of the mildest curiosity.
"You know they are!" "Then, if the tires are your property, just help yourself!" Dick coolly answered.

"If they are your tires, I will even offer to forego making any storage charges for the time they have been.
hanging there." "Hang you!" choked Bert Then he turned to the man with them, demanding: "Don't you see a pretty clear case of grand larceny here ?" "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.
Darry jumped to his feet, advancing upon Bert Dodge, who retreated a couple of steps.
"Dodge," Dave began, "you want to put a halter on your tongue.
You can't come here to this camp and call too many names.

You don't amount to much, of course, and nothing that you know how to say should be treated very seriously.