acter. No, it is not. I had
my suspicions on that score, too. If you had asked me to name the
fellows who were most likely to do a thing of that sort I would have
named them in a moment. They are just mean enough."

"Well, it does not matter," said Jack. "No one would believe them
who knows me. It is not worth thinking about."

"But I think it is!" said Percival hotly. "You don't know how far
a thing of that sort might go. Suppose the detective had arrested
you before he saw the doctor or you had a chance to explain? It
would have taken a long time to explain things away."

"I do not think so," Jack replied. "I have friends enough in town
to say nothing of the Academy. Besides, who is going to arrest me
in any such peremptory fashion as all that? Do you suppose I would
submit to it?"

"No, I guess not!" and Percival laughed again. "You are a quiet
sort of fellow, Jack, but when it comes to a thing of that sort you
can be as lively as any one, myself for instance. I remember the
time you knocked this same Herring bully down for insulting you.
It was a surprise to him, and to all of us, for we all thought you
were a quiet chap who would stand most anything for the sake of peace."

"Well, I don't seek quarrels," Jack replied, "but being in one-----"

"As Shakespeare says you stick it out," and Percival laughed again.
"I think it ought to be known that Herring and Merritt tried to
give you a black eye, Jack. It is no more than right."

"But they did not give it to me, Dick, and there is no use in
stirring up trouble. Let it go. Both Herring and Merritt must
know by this time that the Hilltop boys in general will not believe
their lies."

"Well, if they do not they must be very stupid," grunted Percival,
and by this time the boys were in the camp.

"Pete Herring and Erne Merritt saw a ghost!" laughed Billy Manners,
as the boys came in. "They were frightened to bits. I believe
myself that it was nothing but a white calf."

"You were frightened by a calf yourself once, Billy," chuckled Dick,
"and declared that it was a roaring bull."

"Did I?" asked Billy innocently. "When was that?"

"You know well enough," said Percival, "so you need not be so
innocent. However, I know what frightened Herring and Merritt."

"What was it?" asked Billy, and a number of others.

"Guilty consciences!" said Dick shortly, and with some emphasis, and
then he and Jack went on to their tent.

"They will want to