scooting
away, but a glance showed me the mischief they had worked, so
I followed them."

"Do you know where they are now?" Dick asked eagerly.

"I know where they were ten minutes ago," replied the bell-boy.

"Then please take us to them as quickly as you can," begged Darry
vehemently. "I'm fairly aching to pass the time of night with them!"

"I'll do it," agreed the bell-boy. "Follow me, please."

"I wonder why they went to all that trouble to be so disagreeable
to us," Prescott muttered, as the little party strode along.

"You had some dispute with that crowd, on the hotel porch to-night,
didn't you?" asked the bell-boy.

"Yes; they tried to address some of our girl friends, whom they
didn't know and we objected to their insolence."

"That was what made the rah-rah boys sore," went on the bell-boy.
"I heard them talking about it before I left them. It seems,
too, that the manager sent the head waiter to stop their nonsense
in the dining room to-night. For some reason these sham college
boys blame you fellows for that humiliation also. So they're
chuckling over what they've done to your outfit to teach you to
mind your own business, as they put it."

"I hope we catch up with 'em before they get back to the hotel,"
uttered Tom fervently. "But warn us, please, whenever we get
so close that they're likely to hear our voices."

The bell-boy now led them through an orchard.

"There seem to be a lot of apples on the ground," remarked Prescott,
halting.

"Green ones---they're no good," replied the bell-boy.

"Then they are good---just what we want!" ejaculated Prescott.
"Hold on, fellows! Fill your hats with these apples."

"What are you going to do when you come upon these fellows?" asked
the bell-boy.

"Scuttle 'em---the way they did our tent!" Tom retorted.

"I hope you pay them back generously," muttered the bell-boy.
"I've a score to settle with them for trying to blacken good
old Saunders! But see here! Up to date, at least, they're guests
of the hotel, and I'm an employe there. Now, if they get too
much the better of matters in a scrimmage, I'll sail in with you
boys, even though I have to resign my hotel job. But, if I see
that you can handle 'em all right, I shall just stand by without
taking any part in the fight"

"We understand your position, and appreciate it," Dick replied.
"We thank you, too, but we believe that we can take care of them
all by ourselves. If we can't, then we