th me, see if I don't," he said to
Dave, as they arrived at the school. "I'm not going to lose all that
money."

"Well, be careful of what you do, Phil," warned our hero. "Don't get
into a fight."

The next day the shipowner's son sent out two sharp letters, one to
Jason Sparr and the other to Professor Smuller. He stated that he was
not responsible for the trip-up that had taken place, and demanded his
money be returned to him, otherwise he would put the matter in the
hands of the law.

To these letters came speedy replies. The musical professor said he
was sorry a mistake had been made, and he returned the amount paid to
him, and he further stated that if he could discover who had played
the trick he would make that party settle up.

"That's decent of him," said Phil. "I am going to send him back five
dollars for his trouble." And this he did, much to Professor Smuller's
satisfaction.

The letter from Jason Sparr was entirely different. He berated Phil
for the stand taken, and stated that he would pay back nothing. He
added that he had learned how the crowd had gone to Rockville to dine,
and said he was satisfied that it was all a trick to get patronage
away from his hotel. He added that he had had trouble enough with
people from Oak Hall school and he wanted no more of it.

"I guess I'll have to sue him," growled Phil, on showing the letter to
Dave and Roger.

"I don't think I'd bother," answered Dave. "Put it down to Experience,
and let it go at that."

"If you sued him it would cost as much as you'd get, and more," added
the senator's son.

"Humph! I don't feel like swallowing it," growled Phil. "I'll get it
out of him somehow."

"He must have lost something--if he got ready for the spread," said
Dave.

"Oh, I don't think he lost much. He's a close one--to my way of
thinking," responded the shipowner's son.

CHAPTER XVI

THE BLOWING UP OF THE BRIDGE

"Say, this is something fierce, Dave!"

"I agree with you, Roger. I don't see how we are going to do such a
long lesson."

"Old Haskers is getting worse and worse," growled Phil. "I think we
ought to report it to Doctor Clay."

"Just what I think," came from Ben. "He keeps piling it on harder and
harder. I think he is trying to break us."

"Break us?" queried our hero, looking up from his book.

"Yes, make us miss entirely, you know."

"Why should he want us to do that?" asked Roger.

"Then we wouldn't be able to graduate this com