called a halt.

"No use chasing them," he said, when they had gotten their breath a
little. "They know the neighborhood and we don't, and the chances are
we'd never catch them. We licked 'em good and proper though, didn't we?"

"That was _some_ scrap, all right," said Dick with a long whistle, "and
we didn't get off scot free, either. My left eye feels as though a coal
wagon had fallen on it."

"It looks it, too," said Bert with a wry grin; "we're all marked up a
little, but I'll bet that bunch of roughnecks will remember us for a
little while to come. But how did they come to get you, Tom? Tell us all
about it."

Tom then told them about receiving the note, and getting into the
automobile. "After that," he said, "there's not much to tell. It was
dark, and I didn't notice what kind of a neighborhood that rascally
chauffeur was taking me into. After a while he stopped and opened the
door, telling me we had arrived at Dave's house. As I stepped out those
three 'bad men' jumped on me. One of them pressed a rag soaked in
chloroform over my face, and I went to sleep almost before I had a
chance to fight. When I came to I found myself in that room, with one
lowbrow on guard. I waited until my head cleared a little, and then I
sailed into him. The noise of the shindy brought up the other two, and
then the argument got pretty hot. There's no doubt but what they'd have
won the decision soon, too, if you fellows hadn't happened to butt in
just as you did. I couldn't have held out much longer against odds like
that."

"Yes, it is rather lucky," agreed Bert; "we weren't a minute too soon."

"How did you learn where I was?" inquired Tom.

Bert then told him how they had discovered the slip of paper containing
the note to him, and gave a brief outline of his and Dick's actions
after discovering it.

"Pretty good detective work," said Tom admiringly. "Sherlock Holmes
would better look out for his laurels."

Meanwhile they had been walking back toward the college, and with the
aid of a street car were not long in reaching it.

As they were crossing the campus, they met Reddy.

"For the love of Hivin," exclaimed the trainer, as he caught sight of
their swollen faces, "what in the world have you been doin' anyway? You
haven't been lambastin' each other, have ye?"

"Not exactly," said Bert, and then proceeded to give the trainer a
detailed account of the recent happenings. Reddy listened attentively,
and when Bert finished