, "The fellows are comin' along all right. Just plain knockouts,
every one of 'em."

The appliance of water aided greatly in restoring the three bruised and
battered highwaymen to their right senses.

Benz, when he came to, found only one eye ready for use. The other was
swollen shut and one side of his nose felt like a small mountain.
Potts groaned over a small lump behind his ear and Curns nursed a
tender spot on his jaw.

"Gee!" said Potts, "You did that fast, Rube. Biff, bang, smash! and it
was all over. I heard the biff and the bang but I _felt_ the smash!"

"No more highway robberies for mine," groaned Curns.

Benz was too sore and disgusted to say a word. His latest plan had
been a magnificent failure and Judd was more of a hero than ever.

"Did I say that fellow was slow?" said Benz to himself, "Well,--I take
that much back. He's fast as greased lightning!"

"I'm sorry, fellahs," apologized Judd, brokenly. "I thought you were
the real stuff; I hated to part with the money an',--an'--"

Here was an opening for Benz. He could not go back to college without
some sort of an alibi.

"You thought it was the real stuff? Bah! Pole put you wise and you
went in to do us all up. That's what you did, you big stiff!"

"I never said a word to Rube!" cried Pole, hotly. "The joke's on you
if there is any and you know it! Don't put the blame on anyone else!"

"Well,--let's hush this affair up, fellows. I'd hate to have it get
around college. Don't say a word about it, will you, Judd?"

"Hush this up? Nothin' doin'!" broke in Curns. "This joke is too good
to keep. Gee, I won't be able to chew any food with this jaw of mine
for a week! Good-night, gentlemen, it's getting late. Going home,
Rube?"

CHAPTER XI

BENZ BROODS

News travels fast. Chapel Sunday morning was conspicuous by the
absence of Potts and Benz. But Curns was present with a smiling face
and piece of court plaster attached to his chin. He attracted crowds
of students as a magnet attracts iron filings. The students clung to
him until they heard the last word of the episodes of one Judd Billings
and then, bent almost double with laughter, they rushed off to tell the
news to someone else. Information was freely and cheerfully given. By
Sunday noon everyone in college, even the professors, had learned of
the exploit. Students cheered whenever Judd put in appearance and
questioned him as to Dynamite or how to administer a