ght them before I turn back!" answered Roger.

"So will I," added Phil. "I don't believe they have any more right to
this road than we have."

"Oh, you mustn't fight," cried Laura.

"Do you want to let that crowd crow over us, Laura?" asked Dave, flatly.

"No, no, Dave! But--but----" And then Laura stopped short, not knowing
what to say. She did not wish to see an encounter, nor did she wish her
brother and his chums to give in to those who were so unjustly opposing
them.

CHAPTER IV

AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL

"This is the time we get the best of Dave Porter!" whispered Link
Merwell to his cronies. "I guess we have spoiled their picnic."

"I--I--don't think th--they'll fight," faltered Nat, as Dave leaped to
the ground, followed by his chums.

"Better arm yourselves with clubs," suggested Nick Jasniff. "Remember,
we are only three to five."

"Maybe we had better--er--go away," returned the money-lender's son,
hesitatingly.

"No, I am going to see the thing out," answered Jasniff.

"So am I," added Merwell. "Don't go, Nat--they won't dare to fight--with
the girls looking on."

"Whoa, there! Whoa!" came a cry from behind the two touring cars, and
looking back the boys and girls saw a man drive up on a buckboard drawn
by a spirited horse.

"Why, if it isn't Jed Sully!" cried Ben.

"Who is he?" questioned Sam.

"Sort of a roadmaster in these parts. I suppose he is going around,
inspecting the roads and bridges."

"Then he ought to be able to tell us about this road!" put in Phil,
quickly.

"Hello! What's the meaning of this?" demanded Jed Sully, after
alighting. And he strode forward and confronted the boys.

"How are you, Mr. Sully?" said Dave, for he had met the roadmaster
before.

"Oh, so it's you, Dave! Blocked up, eh?" And the roadmaster looked first
at Dave and his chums and then at those standing on the other side of
the barrier. "Who did this?"

"They did," answered Roger, and pointed to the other crowd.

"What for?" And the roadmaster's voice grew a bit hard.

"Nat Poole, there, claims that his father has a right to close this
road," explained Dave. "He put up a barrier some distance back, but we
passed it. Now he and his friends have put up this."

"And we want to know if they have a right to do it," added Ben. "I had
an idea the new paper company bought only one side of the road."

"So it did," answered Jed Sully. "And even if it bought both sides it
couldn't close off this