ame from a third
boy of the party in the parlor car. "I think the engineer is trying to
make up some of the time we lost at the last stop."

"That must be it, Dick," said Sam Rover. "Gracious, how we are
rocking!" he added as the train rushed around a sharp curve and nearly
threw him from his chair.

"I hope we get to Ashton on time," remarked Tom Rover. "I want to take
a look around the grounds before it gets dark."

"That's Tom, wanting to see it all before he sleeps!" cried Sam Rover
with a grin. "You look out, Tom, that you don't get into disgrace the
first thing, as you did when we went to Putnam Hall Don't you remember
that giant firecracker, and how Josiah Crabtree locked you up in a
cell for setting it off?"

"Ugh! Will I ever forget it!" groaned Tom, making a wry face. "But
I got the best of old Crabtree, didn't I?" he continued, his face
brightening.

"Wonder if we'll make as many friends at college as we did at Putnam
Hall," remarked Dick Rover. "Those were jolly times and no mistake!
Think of the feasts, and the hazings, and the baseball and football,
and the rackets with the Pornell students, and all that!"

"Speaking of hazing, I heard that some of the hazing at the college
we're bound for is fierce," came from Sam Rover.

"Well, we'll have to stand for what comes, Sam," answered his big
brother. "No crying quit' here."

"Right you are, Dick," said Tom, "At the same time if--Great Caesar's
ghost, what's up now!"

As Tom uttered the last words a shrill whistle from the locomotive
pierced the air. Then came the sudden gripping of the air brakes on
the car wheels, and the express came to a stop with a shock that
pitched all the passengers from their seats. Tom and Sam went
sprawling in a heap in the aisle and Dick came down on top of them.

"Hi, get off of me!" spluttered Sam, who was underneath.

"What's the matter? Have we run into another train?" asked Tom as he
pushed Dick to one side and arose.

"I don't know," answered the older brother. "Something is wrong,
that's certain."

"Are you hurt, Sam?" asked Tom as he helped the youngest Rover to his
feet.

"No--not much," was the panting reply. "Say, we stopped in a hurry all
right, didn't we?"

With the shock had come loud cries from the other people in the car,
and it was found that one young lady had fainted. Everybody wanted to
know what was the matter, but nobody could answer the question. The
colored porter ran to the platform and