eeling that he was defied, he said
doggedly:

"You'd better ask Sheldon how he is interested in the matter."

"What has he got to do with it?" asked Percival, hotly, having just
arrived on the scene.

"What has he got to do with it?" sneered Herring. "Oh, nothing very
much. He signaled to the robbers to keep away from the bank last night,
that's all. He must have some interest in them to do that."

Jack said nothing, although he was clearly agitated and Percival turned
to him and asked kindly:

"It is not so, is it, Jack? Say that it is not so."

"No, it is not so. I signaled to Brooke and told him to warn the bank
officials that there was to be another attempt to rob it."

"You knew this, Jack?" asked Dick.

"Yes, I knew it," quietly.

"Of course he knew it," said Herring, with a disagreeable laugh. "Why
wouldn't he know it when he had a meeting with the chief robber
yesterday afternoon and told him that he would keep him and his pal
posted as to a good time to rob the bank?"

"Peter Herring," said Jack, turning white but retaining full command of
himself, "you are a miserable liar!"

"Oh, am I?" and Herring began to bluster, feeling sure of his ground.
"You won't deny that you had a meeting with a disguised man yesterday
afternoon in the woods near the foot of the Academy hill, will you? Will
you deny that you telegraphed with your pocket flashlight, 'Keep away
from the bank on account of danger?' You did not do that?"

"That was only a part of my message. It was sent to Mr. Brooke, the
editor of the _News_ at Riverton and not to the robbers."

"Why should he send warning to the robbers, you toad?" demanded Dick,
angrily.

"Stop, Dick, never mind," said Jack, putting a hand on his friend's arm.
"The fellow is lying and he knows it."

"Oh, I do, hey?" and Herring turned purple with rage. "Maybe I am lying
when I tell the boys that you had a secret interview with your father
yesterday afternoon and that he is the chief robber, the one with the
white mustache, the one that Jones shot at. Maybe you will deny that you
have a father?"

"I do deny it," said Jack, quietly. "My father is dead, as I told you
once before."

"You are a liar!" roared Herring, "and I'll bet that you are just as bad
as this----"

That was as far as he got for in an instant Jack had knocked him down.

CHAPTER XII

THE TROUBLES OF AN EDITOR

There was great excitement among the boys in an instant and while the
grea