of the garage.
Then, the charges paid, this pair of cronies, who considered themselves
much better than the usual run of High School boys, hurried over
to the railway station.

The train was waiting by the time that the pair arrived. Bert
and Bayliss hastily purchased tickets, then boarded the handiest
car. The train proved to contain few people except the Gridley
student body and boosters from that town.

"Here, what are you fellows doing in here?" angrily demanded Purcell,
as the cronies entered one of the cars.

"We're going to ride to Gridley, if you've no objections," replied
Bert, with sulky defiance.

"No, sir; not in this car!" declared Purcell promptly. "Too many
decent people here. The cattle car for yours!"

"Oh, shut up!" retorted Dodge, trying to shove into a vacant seat.

But Purcell gripped him and pushed him back.

"No, siree! Not in here! The cattle car is your number."

"You-----"

"We'll pitch you off the train if you have the cheek to try to
ride in this ear," insisted Purcell.

High School boys, when off on a junket of this kind, are likely to
be as wild as college boys. A score of the Gridley youths now
jumped up. It looked as though there were going to be a riot.

"Oh, come on," snarled Bayliss, plucking his crony's sleeve.
"We don't want to ride with this truck, anyway."

Into the next car stamped the two young men, their faces red with
anger and shame.

"Sneaks!" piped up some one.

CHAPTER XVII

FACING THE "SCHOOL CUT"

At the instant of their entrance into the car the air had been
full of merry chatter.

There were many High School girls in this car, and not many vacant
seats.

As the word "sneaks" sounded through the car everyone turned around.

Bert and Bayliss found themselves uncomfortably conspicuous.

At once all the talk and laughter ceased. Stony silence followed.

One of the girls was sitting alone in a seat.

Bayliss, unable to endure the situation any longer, glided forward,
dropping into the vacant place.

"That seat is engaged," the girl coolly informed him.

So Bayliss, redder than ever, hurriedly rose.

Bert had already started for the next car. Bayliss slunk along
after him.

"Sneaks!" cried some one, as they showed their faces in still
the next car forward.

Here, too, all the chatter stormed at once.

Bert, pulling his hat down over his eyes, went hurriedly past
the boys and girls of Gridley, and into the next car.

B