retorted Fred, grinning. "That may be
to-morrow or the next day."

"I suppose," Dick went on angrily, "you think you have a perfect right
to stay here and to go on stealing our food?"

"You call me a thief, do you?" flared Fred.

"Do you consider yourself any better?" Dick asked. He was at white heat,
fighting mad, and cared little what he said to these rowdyish intruders.

"Grab 'em, fellows!" ordered Fred, making a leap at Dick, while the
other intruders rose from their places at table.

But Dick's right fist landed on Ripley's face, leaving a big, red mark
there, while Dave's ready foot tripped the bully, sending him to the
floor. Ripley was on his feet again in a twinkling.

"Get back, Ripley!" ordered Dick, making a dash at him. "See here, you
rowdy, I'm smaller than you are, but I'm willing to go outdoors with you
and see if I can't teach you some manners."

"And I'll take pleasure in introducing myself to Bert Dodge at the same
time," announced Darrin, his eyes flashing.

"I'll do my best with any other tough who'll oblige me," added Tom
Reade.

"Bullies, toughs, rowdies, are we?" raged Fred Ripley, on his guard,
though just prudent enough to keep out of reach of Dick's fists. There
was a look in Prescott's eyes that the lawyer's self-willed son didn't
wholly like.

"You fellows know just what you are," Dick went on bitterly. "There is
no use in our calling you names. You can supply the names yourselves.
And, if you're afraid to fight us, man to man, then you know well enough
what else you are! Now, what has become of Greg Holmes and Dan Dalzell?"

"Oh, very likely they're still running as fast as they can go toward
Gridley," jeered Fred.

"That's a lie, and no one knows it better than you!" flashed Dick. "Greg
and Dan are not of the running kind."

"Oh, I'm a liar, also, am I?" choked Ripley.

"You know yourself better than any one else can," was Prescott's
taunting answer.

"Come on, fellows!" urged Fred. "Rush 'em!"

There was a prompt rush. Dick and his friends did not flinch, but met
the attack squarely. Hen Dutcher was the only boy present who did not
display much eagerness to get at too close quarters in the fray.

"Give it to 'em!" cheered Dutcher, hopping about at a safe distance
while the scuffle went on. "They need plenty! Give Dick Prescott and
Darrin each an extra one for me."

The odds against more numerous and larger boys were so heavy that it was
not long ere Dick, Dave, Tom