the car.
During the last three hours both had slept at Bert's, but now
they were out and abroad again in order to hear the latest
developments.

Suddenly a hush fell over the crowd. Bert and Bayliss were allowed
to drive in silence to the curb.

Then, just as suddenly, a dozen men leaped at the car, dragging
both youths to the sidewalk.

"Wha-a-at's wrong?" faltered Bert Dodge.

"We'll soon show you!" came the jeering answer of the captors.

Then a mighty shout of derision went up from the crowd.

CHAPTER XXII

TOM TELLS THE BIG SECRET

"Take 'em to the horse trough!" roared more than one voice.

So Dodge and Bayliss, the centre---of a jeering, resolute crowd,
were dragged down the street a short distance. The crowd swelled
in numbers.

"Stand Dodge on the edge of the trough, and make him read the
paper!" shouted one man.

That was accordingly done. Bert was shaking so that he had to
be supported in the place chosen for him.

Bayliss was whimpering in abject terror.

"Now, read this in the 'Blade,' Dodge," ordered a tormentor, shoving
a paper forward. "Read it aloud."

Bert began, in a wavering voice.

"Louder!" yelled a score of voices from different points in the
crowd.

Bert tried to obey, but his voice was shaky.

However, he read the article through to the end, while the crowd
waited ominously.

"Heroes, weren't you?" jeered many voices when white-faced Bert
had finished the reading.

"Duck him!" came the answer.

Bert was well splashed in the water of the trough. Then Bayliss
shared the same fate.

"Now---git! Travel fast---both of you!" came the order.

Nor did Bert or Bayliss need any further commands. Frightened
as they were, they nevertheless summoned the strength to run
desperately. No one struck them, even in fun. Only jeers assailed
them. Neither boy made any effort to get back to the automobile, but
both kept on until they had turned a corner and vanished from
sight.

"Pity we didn't have some rifle fire to tie to their coat tails,"
laughed one citizen. For the "Blade" had made it plain that
firecrackers, exploded in packs, had provided the sounds of gun fire
up at the camp on the second lake.

"Oh, we'll make somebody sweat for this outrage!" quivered Bert,
his face dark and scowling, as he and Bayliss slowed up on a quiet
side street. "There are laws in this land! We might even get
damages out of someone!"

"I feel as if I had collected about al