t
contained numerous hollows of water and mud, around which the boys had
to make their way as best they could. They were rushing along as fast
as their handbaggage would permit, when they came up side by side with
three other lads also bound for the stage.

"Look out there!" cried Jack as one of the strangers leaped into a
puddle of water, splashing the mud right and left.

"Look out yourself!" cried the other youth, a big lad, much larger than
any of the others.

"That's Slugger Brown--the bully I was telling you about," explained
Spouter as he continued to run.

Directly behind Slugger Brown came another youth, loudly dressed in a
checkered suit and a soft checkered hat to match. He was rather
fastidious as to where he stepped, and with his eyes on the ground ran
directly into Fred.

"Hi! look where you are going!" cried the youngest of the Rover boys,
and then, to keep himself from slipping down, made a clutch at Randy's
arm. This brought Randy around, and both he and Fred bumped into the
elegantly attired youth.

"Stop that!" cried the stranger, and then, seeing a puddle directly in
front of him, attempted to leap over it. But his foot slipped in the
mud and down he went flat on his back with a loud splash.

CHAPTER VIII

AT COLBY HALL

"My! look at that!"

"Some tumble that, eh?"

"Why! he sent some of that water and mud over me!"

Such were some of the exclamations as the loudly-dressed youth went
down in the puddle of water and mud.

He was flat on his back, and it took several seconds for him to turn
over and get to his feet. The fall had attracted the attention of
everybody making for the auto-stage excepting Spouter and Jack.

"Oh, my eye! you're certainly a sight to see," came from the biggest
boy in the crowd, Slugger Brown.

"It wasn't my fault that I fell," retorted the unfortunate one. "Those
fellows bumped into me and made me lose my footing," and he pointed to
Fred and Randy.

"No such thing!" burst out Fred, indignantly. "You bumped into us
first; and you only fell when you tried to jump across the puddle and
your feet slipped."

"I say it's your fault!" spluttered the boy who had gone down. His
hands were covered with mud and water and he stood there helpless,
filled with rage.

"Take your handkerchief and wipe your hands off," advised Slugger
Brown. He looked coldly at Fred and Randy. "If they tripped you up,
they ought to have a licking for doing it."

"That's the