bought their way in--that is, their parents may have done it for them."

The three students had passed to the other side of the street. Now they
looked down the highway and saw the automobile go around a corner in
the direction of Rockville. But the machine soon came to a halt again,
although they did not know it.

"Well, I am going to lay them out for taking that boat, anyway," said
the senator's son.

"Ditto here," added Phil.

"Physically or mentally?" queried Dave, with something of a smile.

"Both--if it's necessary," returned the shipowner's son, promptly. It
was easy to see he was spoiling for a fight.

"I am going to see what they are doing," said Roger, after another
minute had passed. "Maybe they won't come out until they think we have
gone away."

He recrossed the street, and peered through one of the show windows of
the store. Then, of a sudden, he made a rapid motion for his chums to
join him.

"They are going out by a back way!" he cried. "The sneaks! They intend
to give us the slip!"

"They shan't do it!" exclaimed Phil. "Come on!" And he set off on a run,
with the others at his heels. They turned one corner and then another,
and soon reached an alleyway between two houses located on a street
behind the store. Here they plumped squarely into Merwell and Jasniff,
each with a bundle under his arm.

"So this is the way you sneak away, eh?" demanded Phil.

"Sneak away!" blustered Merwell. "Not at all--we were only taking a
short cut; ain't that so, Nick?"

"Sure," answered Jasniff, loudly. "We don't have to sneak away from
anybody."

"We've a good mind to give you both a sound thrashing," cried Phil,
angrily. "You had no business to touch our boat."

"And you had no business to talk about us to Miss Feversham and Miss
Rockwell," added the senator's son.

"See here, you let us pass!" muttered Merwell. "Don't you dare to lay
your fingers on us!" And he tried to edge to one side.

"See here, both of you," said Dave, sternly. "I want to give you a final
warning. You have been talking about us; I know it, and it is useless
for you to deny it. Now I want you to understand this: If you say
another word against me, or against Phil or Roger, I'll see to it that
you are exposed to every student at Rockville Academy."

"You won't dare!" cried Jasniff. His voice trembled a little as he
spoke.

"I will dare, Nick Jasniff. I know what you are--and I know what Link
Merwell is--and I don't propose to