said Alice. "The Rovers are gentlemen, while those at
the store were--were rude."

"Two nice girls," declared Tom. "How much alike their faces are!"

"Tom is smitten," cried Sam. "Going to forget all about Nellie Laning,
Tom?" he went on quizzically.

"Oh, you needn't talk!" cried Tom, growing red in the face. "You were
just as attentive as a dancing master yourself."

"Don't quarrel about it," put in Dick good naturedly. "You can be
pleasant to them without forgetting all about Grace and Nellie Laning,
I think."

"Or Dora Stanhope either," put in Sam slyly. "Shall we stop at the
house on the way back?"

"Why not? They may offer us a piece of pie," said Tom.

"I don't know. We can walk by slowly. They may be on the lookout for
us, you know."

Once again the boys set their faces toward Oakville, and soon reached
the outskirts of the town.

They were passing some of the stores when Lew Flapp caught sight of
them.

"Hullo!" cried the tall boy. "I declare! there are the three Rover
brothers. What brought them to Oakville?"

"We had better not let them see us with this stuff," said Pender
hurriedly. "We'll get into hot water if they do."

They lost no time in putting their purchases out of sight. Then they
walked out on the street and stood leaning against the posts of a
wooden awning.

"There is Flapp and his crowd now," said Tom, catching sight of the
trio.

"We want nothing to do with them," said Dick. "They are not our kind at
all."

"Hullo, Rovers!" cried Pender as they came up.

"Hullo, yourself," returned Tom coldly.

"What brought you to town?" asked Rockley.

"My feet."

"Thanks. I thought it might have been your ears. They're big enough."

At this sally both Flapp and Pender began to laugh.

"That's a good one," said Flapp.

"I suppose you used your tongue for a walking stick when you came
over," said Tom. "It's long enough."

"Bah!" cried Rockley, and turned away in disgust.

"Those Rover boys have got the swelled head," muttered Flapp. "But
we'll turn 'em down before the encampment is over, eh, fellows?"

"That's what," replied Rockley.

While the Rover boys were making their purchases Lew Flapp and his
cronies turned back into the tavern. There was a billiard room in the
rear and here they began to play billiards.

"We'll let the Rovers start for home first," said Rockley. "It will be
safer."

CHAPTER XXI

A TUG OF WAR

When the Rover boys reached the vicinity