ack! Hurrah!"

"They look as if they were having a row with Baxter and the mate,"
came from old Jerry.

A row certainly was in progress, and as they came closer they heard
Tom talking.

"Yes, Lesher, I want to know all about this quarrel with my brother
Dick. I am sure he was not in the wrong."

"See here, I know my own business," the mate growled. "You shut up
and leave me alone."

"We won't leave you alone," came from Sam. "We want to know the truth."

"Yes, tell us the truth, Lesher," said Captain Blossom sternly.

"All against me, aint you?"

"We want the truth," answered Tom.

"Well, if you must have it, all right. He got cheeky and hit me on
the head with an oar. Then I hit back and knocked him down. Then he
got mad and so did Jerry Tolman, and both refused to come back in
the boat with Baxter and me."

"I'll wager you started to boss things," said Sam. "Dick doesn't
raise a row without just cause."

"Good for Sam," murmured Dick.

"Your brother was entirely to blame," grunted the mate. He was still
far from sober.

"Jack Lesher, you tell what is not so," said Dick loudly, and joined
the group, followed by old Jerry.

Had a bombshell exploded, Lesher and Baxter would not have been more
astonished. Then stared at the newcomers as if they were ghosts.

"How--er--how did you get here?" stammered Baxter, while the mate
continued to stare, in open-mouthed astonishment.

"That is our affair," responded Dick. He strode up to Lesher. "You
miserable villain. How dare you say that I was to blame when you
attacked me without warning? Take that for what you did."

And hauling off, Dick hit the mate a fair and square blow in the nose
which sent Lesher flat on his back.

CHAPTER XXV.

TRYING TO COME TO TERMS

As the mate went down the girls gave a scream, and even Tom and Sam
looked at Dick in wonder. Never had any of them seen the eldest Rover
so aroused.

"My lad, that was a hard blow," observed Captain Blossom, as Jack
Lesher lay where he had fallen.

"Not half as hard as the blow he struck me," answered Dick.

"Not hard as hard as thet chap hit me," put in old Jerry, and turning
quickly he flew at Dan Baxter and bore him to the ground.

"Hi! hi! let up!" roared the bully. "Let up! Take him off!"

"I'll let up, when I'm done," panted old Jerry, and he gave him a
thump in the cheek, another in the eye, and a third on the chin.
"Now, then, Dan Baxter, see how you like that!" And then t