"I'd liked to put a rock in every one of them," he declared bloodthirstily. "But Father said he'd lick me, if I ever did such a trick again, that time I hit Jimmy Smith. 'Twan't nothing but a bit of gravel either. I didn't suppose it would hurt him. But Father said it was lucky I didn't kill him 'cause it struck right square above the eye."

"'Tisn't safe, I guess, Father would never let me put anything in a snow ball," Ernest replied.

"Do you s'pose they'll come round?"

"Don't know--but say, boys, don't let on before Mother that any thing's up. And see that you keep mighty still, Jane Morton!" he admonished.

Chicken Little who had followed the boys upstairs unperceived and stood listening, round-eyed, was indignant.

"I don't know what you are talking about so how can I tell?"

"So much the better--now run along, don't bother, we're busy."

"But Mother said I could help you make candy and----"

"Hush," said Sherm, "I believe I heard somebody outside on the gravel."

The boys turned out the gas and tiptoeing to the window, peered cautiously out.

"It is--sure's you're born. I bet it's Mike and Pat!" said Carol.

"There's somebody else over by that tree!"

"Who--where--where?" Jane crowded up excitedly to the window.

"You might as well tell her," said Carol.

So Chicken Little was initiated into the mysteries of the feud and found it both interesting and terrifying.

"Do you s'pose they'll try to get in?" she quavered.

"Oh--Oh--there he goes!" she shrieked.

"Shut up," Sherm's hand was clapped firmly over her mouth.

"If you can't keep still you go straight to Mother. Do you hear?" added Ernest sternly.

But at this juncture "Mother's" voice was heard calling:

"Alice is ready for you now, boys. Try not to make too much muss."

"Well, let's go and make the candy now and we can slip out after a while."

"Gee, I'd like to take a shot at them from the window," and Carol fingered one of his snow b.a.l.l.s.

"Here none of that! They'd fire back and break the window and we'd have the d.i.c.kens to pay with Father and Mother!" Ernest remonstrated sharply.

After one parting look from the window, the boys filed reluctantly downstairs.

"I'm going to stay and watch them a while," said Chicken Little.

"All right--you come and tell us if they start anything."

"Whew, better pull the shades down!" said Carol as they entered the brightly lighted kitchen.

Alice looked up quickly. "What for? n.o.body can see in here at the back of the house."

"Oh, there might some of the boys be hanging round to steal the candy when we put it out to cool," answered Sherm easily, trying to be off-hand.

Alice set out the mola.s.ses and b.u.t.ter and sugar and went off up to her room. The boys pulling the shades carefully down, set to work, and became so absorbed in the candy that they almost forgot their foes for the next ten minutes. Just as they were lifting the sticky ma.s.s from the stove Chicken Little tore in.

"Boys, I guess they've heard you, because one boy came and told those two boys something and they all ran round to the back of the house--just now--and there were four! Oh, you must be awfully careful! Listen, wasn't that somebody at the door?"

There was an audible crunching of the snow outside. The door was bolted, but all four children stood for an instant with their gaze riveted upon it as if they expected to see it burst open at any moment.

"Pooh, they can't do anything!" said Ernest coming to himself, "and the candy'll be all spoiled."

"Say, let's go up to the north room and slip out on the kitchen room while the candy cools. I bet we can see 'em from there."

The boys set the candy in a pan of snow to cool and bolted softly up the stairs. Dr. and Mrs. Morton placidly reading in the sitting room were blissfully unaware of the excitement.

"I wonder what makes the boys so quiet tonight?"

The boys followed close by Chicken Little had reached the north room and were cautiously opening the window, inch by inch, lest the sound should be heard outside. Then they quietly clambered out. At first there seemed to be no trace of the intruders. But when Carol incautiously exclaimed in a stage whisper: "Bet they've all vamoosed!" a distinct "Hist!" was heard from below. Finally Sherm, who was flat on his stomach, holding on to the edge of the roof, solved the mystery. He held up his hand in warning to the others, and presently came crawling back and motioned them all inside.

"They're all close against the kitchen windows trying to find out what's going on. They like to caught us when Carol piped up that time. Gee, looked like there was a dozen, but some of 'em are little fellers. I wish we could make a rush at them, but I guess there's too many."

"Shucks, I hate to give up," growled Ernest.

"Well, we might as well go back and finish the candy!" said Carol after a pause. "We can't do anything with such a crowd--a sweet time we'll have getting home tonight," he added gloomily.

"Pshaw, they'll get tired and go home before that," Ernest rea.s.sured him. "Say I've got an idea they can hear about everything we say in the kitchen. Let's go down and pretend we're having an awful good time and----"

"Yes, and let's guy them!" interrupted Sherm.

"Sam's in my room at school and he can't stand being made fun of."

The trio returned to the kitchen, and ably seconded by Chicken Little laughed and frolicked, jeering noisily at the crowd outside. The foes soon gave evidence that they could hear distinctly. They began to return the taunts and to rattle and pound on the doors and windows. They were getting cold and the penetratingly tempting smell of the taffy had evidently drifted through the cracks, for one shrill voice piped up:

"Say, give us some!" to be immediately hushed by his more warlike companions.

If the trio had been clever enough to act on this suggestion and treat, the feud might have come to a speedy end, but the lads were not at a tactful age. Instead Sherm hurled the most insulting defiance he could think of.

"Go get some yourselves, you red-headed Irish beggars!"

This taunt roused the wrath of the attacking party to a white heat, and an instant later the kitchen window came crashing in and a giant snow ball burst into ma.s.ses of wet snow on the floor.

The boys made a dash for the door, but the bolt was hardly slid, when it, too, crashed, open, and Frank Morton stamped in, pushing Pat Casey and Mike Dolan ahead of him each securely gripped by the collar, in his strong hands.