Abe Blower, an' when I meet him--well, we'll have an account to settle,"
and the man lurched heavily against the door-frame.

"It's one of the fellows we met on the train!" whispered Phil. "The
fellow called Sol Blugg!"

"Yes, and that other man, Larry Jaley, is waiting on the sidewalk for
him," announced Dave, after a glance through a window. "And neither of
them seem to be very sober."

"You get right out of here, Sol Blugg!" cried Mrs. Carmody, with sudden
energy. "Abe ain't home, an' I won't have you hangin' around. You get
right out!" And she caught up her broom, which chanced to be behind the
door.

"Drop the broom, old woman!" snarled Sol Blugg, and it was plain to see
that he was befuddled by liquor. "I'm a-comin' in, and you sha'n't stop
me!"

He made a sudden grab and caught Mrs. Carmody by the arm. But as he did
this, Dave leaped into the little hallway and shoved him back.

"Let go of this lady!" he said, sternly. "Let go, or I'll knock you
down!"

Surprised and bewildered, Sol Blugg dropped his hold on Mrs. Carmody's
arm and glared uncertainly at our hero.

"Who--who are you?" he faltered.

"Never mind who I am," replied Dave. "You let this lady alone and go
about your business."

"I wanter see Abe Blower."

"He has gone away."

"Say, where have I seen you?" demanded the leathery-looking man,
suddenly. "Oh, I remember now, on the train, comin' from the land sale.
Say, was you there?"

"No."

"I know better! I saw you on the train--you an' them other fellers,
too!" And Sol Blugg pointed unsteadily at Phil and Roger. "I know how it
is," he went on, ramblingly. "You went there in place o' Abe--queered
the hull thing fer us, you did! I know! You're in with Abe, an' Abe's in
with you! Thought you'd do us out o' our little game, eh? Say, Larry!"
he called to the man on the sidewalk. "Look at these three fellers--same
ones was on the train last night. They are in with Abe--and they queered
us--put a crimp in the hull game. Now they say Abe ain't here. Wot are
we going to do, tell me that now, what are we goin' to do?"

"Them fellers!" exclaimed Larry Jaley, catching sight of the boys. "I
remember 'em. Say, maybe they heard us talkin'!"

"Sure--they must have," mumbled Sol Blugg.

"Do you know these men?" asked Mrs. Carmody.

"We saw them on the train last night, that is all," answered Roger.
"They said something about Mr. Blower queering a land deal for them."

"Yes, he told me about that