ashioned suit of rusty black
and with a big slouch hat pulled well down over his head. He was puffing
away at a large black cigar, and seemed to be very much in earnest in
what he was saying to Brassy.

"I saw that fellow around the school about a week ago," declared Randy.
"He didn't look like a very nice sort, either."

"He certainly has a fierce-looking mustache," was Andy's comment. "And
it's as red as his hair."

"I tell you I can't do it, and that's all there is to it," the boys heard
Brassy exclaim, in reply to something the stranger had said.

"And I say you've got to do it," returned the man, and his tone was
decidedly ugly. "You've got to do it--or otherwise you've got to take the
consequences."

"You wouldn't be so mean, Haddon!" pleaded Brassy, and now the Rovers
could see that he was more or less scared.

"Wouldn't I?" returned the strange man harshly. "You just try me and see!
The best thing you can do is to agree to what I said. If you don't,
well----" and here the tall man shrugged his shoulders--"you'll do as I
said before--or you'll take the consequences."

CHAPTER X

SPOUTER'S SECRET

"Say, this is rather interesting," remarked Randy in a low tone to his
brother.

"That fellow is certainly threatening Brassy," returned Andy. "I wonder
what it can be all about."

"He wants Brassy to do something."

The two Rovers kept on behind Bangs and the man called Haddon, and
presently saw them turn down a side street where was located a small
factory that had been in operation during the war but which was now
closed. Both disappeared into a shed attached to the factory.

"Let's see if we can find out what it's all about," said Randy.

"I'm willing," answered his twin. "Maybe that fellow will grow abusive
and hurt Brassy."

"Well, a good licking wouldn't hurt him," answered his brother, with a
grin.

"Oh, that's all right. But we don't want to see him half killed even if
we don't like him."

"You trust Brassy to take care of himself," was the quick reply.

The twins hurried to the shed and there found that the door had been left
open and that the man and their fellow-cadet had gone into another part
of the low building.

"You know as well as I do that that barn and them hosses was worth at
least twelve thousand dollars," the man was saying to Brassy. "That was a
big loss for John Calder."

"Please don't say another word about it!" pleaded Brassy.

"I won't if you'll do as I tol