them being pursued and lashed for a distance of many rods up
or down the road.

On all sides the fleeing wretches threatened their persecutors
with the law, but these threats did not stop the punishment.

"I guess it's all right now, boys!" called Farmer Hartshorn grimly,
as he strode up to the place where Dick & Co. had gathered just
beyond their tent.

"What was that mob, anyway?" Dick asked.

"A gang that came after revenge for what you did to Miller to-night,"
laughed the farmer.

"I thought as much," muttered Dick.

"They've been gathering at Miller's, and other like places, for
a couple of hours," Mr. Hartshorn went on. "But, as is the case
with all such movements, some news of it leaked outside. We got
word a bit late, or we'd have been here before that crowd came
along. When we knew the word was straight some of us telephoned
to others, and our crowd was gotten together, but as it is, we
got here in season. Are any of you boys hurt?"

"No, sir; not one of us," Dick declared. "But some of us might
have been seriously injured if you gentlemen had been delayed
for another minute."

"We'll know the rascals to-morrow," spoke up another of the rescuers.
"If they appear on the streets at all they'll be recognized.
We have marked them up pretty well. They've gone off vowing
to have the law on us."

"All they'll do will be to put arnica on themselves," declared
Mr. Hartshorn. "And they will send friends to the drugstore for
the arnica. They won't take the risk of being recognized on the
streets. They'll be a shame-faced lot in the morning."

"It was mighty good of you men to come down and help us out,"
murmured Dick Prescott gratefully. "We would have had a pretty
tough time if we had been left to ourselves."

"We'd go further than we've traveled tonight, to help out boys
like you," declared another man present. "Prescott, that was
a fine thing you did to Miller to-night, and Tom Drake will be
grateful as long as he lives."

"If Drake keeps away from drink in the future," Dick answered,
"he will have reason to congratulate himself."

"Oh, Drake will keep away from the stuff after this," said one
of the citizens. "Young Drake has a head of his own, and we'll
see that he uses it. We'll keep a friendly eye over him. Don't
worry. Young Tom Drake will never associate with any of Miller's
kind again."

"Whenever any of you boys want to go to sleep, just say so," urged
Mr. Hartshorn, "and we'