r--if I should decide to do that, you will--er----"

"We'll make good--and keep our mouths shut," finished Phil.

"Very well. I will think it over, young gentlemen, and let you know
to-morrow morning, before class. And in the meantime----"

"We won't say a word to anybody," said Ben, with a little grin.

"So be it;" and Job Haskers bowed. "There is the supper-bell. You may
go now. Come to me just before class to-morrow," he added; and then
the two students passed out of the room, and the teacher shut the door
after them.

CHAPTER VIII

AN UNUSUAL COMPACT

"He'll do it--he is bound to do it!" cried Ben, as he and Phil hurried
down to the dining-room.

"I think so myself, Ben," answered the shipowner's son. But, for some
reason, he did not seem as joyful over the outcome of the interview as
might have been expected.

"He won't dare let this news become public property," went on the
other student. "He is too afraid of public opinion."

"Ben, he thinks we got that lawyer to take the case up."

"You told him we hadn't."

"But he didn't believe it--I could tell that by his manner. And, Ben,
do you know, after all, this looks to me as if we had, somehow, bribed
him to be easy on us," continued Phil, with added concern.

"Oh, don't bother your head about that, Phil. We only asked for what
is fair, didn't we?"

"Yes, but----" And then the shipowner's son did not finish, because
he did not know what to say. In some manner, Phil's conscience
troubled him, and he wondered what Dave and Roger would say when they
heard of what had occurred.

During the meal that followed but little was said by any of the boys.
Once or twice our hero looked at Phil, but the latter avoided his
gaze. As soon as the repast was over, Phil rushed outside, followed by
Ben; and that was the last seen of the pair until it was time to go to
bed.

"They have been up to something, that is certain," was the comment of
the senator's son.

"Well, we can only wait and see what turns up," answered Dave,
thoughtfully. "I don't think I care to ask them."

In the morning, when Dave got up he looked over to where Phil was in
the habit of sleeping. The bed was empty, and the shipowner's son was
gone.

"Dressed half an hour ago," said another of the dormitory inmates.

"Went off again with Ben, I'll wager," murmured Roger. Ben was in
another room, across the hallway, that term.

Dave and Roger had been hard at work the evening before, do