d a dab
of jelly and his hand and shirt front were covered with broth. The sight
was such a comical one that the boys on the landing could not help but
laugh.

"Yo' dun bust de whole dinnah up!" was the waiter's comment, as he arose
and surveyed the wreck. The food had been scattered in all directions
and half of the dishes were broken.

"It wasn't my fault!" growled Tad Sobber. "Tom Rover knocked me down the
stairs."

"It was your own fault," cried Tom. "You started the fight, I didn't."

"Somebody's got to pay fo' dis smash," said the waiter. "I ain't gwine
to do it. Why, I ought to sue yo' fo' damages, dat's wot!" he added,
glaring wrathfully at Sobber.

"I'll fix Tom Rover for this!" exclaimed the bully, and looked up the
stairs at the laughing students. "I'll make him laugh on the other side
of his face!"

And he ran up the stairs with the intention of attacking Tom again.

CHAPTER XIII

DORA, GRACE AND NELLIE

That Tad Sobber was in a thorough rage was easily to be seen. His eyes
were full of hate and he looked ready to fly at Tom and tear him to
pieces.

All of the boys expected to see a great fight, and some backed away from
the landing, to give the contestants more room.

But before anything could be done Dick leaped to the front and barred
the bully's further progress.

"Stop it, Sobber," he said quietly but firmly.

"Get out of my way, Dick Rover!" roared the bully. "This is none of your
affair."

"Then I'll make it my affair," answered the eldest Rover boy. "You shall
not attack my brother here."

"Don't worry, Dick--I can take care of him," put in Tom, undauntedly,
and doubled up his fists. "Maybe he'd like to go down stairs again and
smash some more dishes."

"Not when John Fly am carryin' dem," put in the colored waiter, who
stood looking at the wreckage with a sober face. "I don't want no moah
such knockovers, I don't!" And he shook his woolly head decidedly.

The noise had summoned numerous cadets to the scene, and now George
Strong, the head teacher, appeared.

"What is the trouble here?" he demanded.

For the moment nobody answered him, and he gazed in wonderment at the
broken dishes and the scattered food.

"Been a accident, sah," said John Fly. "Dat young gen'man dun fall down
de stairs an' knock me ober, tray an' all, sah."

"Did you fall down stairs, Sobber?"

"No, sir, I was thrown down by Tom Rover," replied the bully.

"Thrown down?" repeated the head tea