y
dropping to the ground.

"Shh!" commanded B.J.; "d'you hear that?"

Instantly they were all in motion again, for they heard the noise of
many runners crashing through the thicket.

Soon they saw a shadowy form ahead of them and overtook it, and
recognized one of the Crows. They gave him a glance, and then shoved
him to one side with little gentleness, and ran on. Two or three of
the Crows they overtook in this manner, but spent little time upon
them.

They were bent upon a rescue, not upon the taking of prisoners. Then,
just as they were approaching the edge of the woods, they heard a cry
that made their weary blood gallop. It was the "L`"iy-krim! L`"iy-krim!"
of Tug making his last charge on the flock of Crows.

In a moment they had reached the mass of humanity that was writhing
over him, and they began to tear them off and fling them back upon the
ground with fierce rudeness. Man after man they peeled off and flung
back till they got down to one fellow with his knee on somebody's
nose.

That nose was Tug's, and they soon had the boy on his feet, and turned
to continue the argument with the Crows. But there were no Crows to
argue with. The Dozen had made up in impetus and vim what it lacked in
numbers, and the Crows had fled as if from an army. A few black ghosts
flying for their lives were all they could see of the band that had
been so courageous with only History and Tug to take care of.

So the ten from Lakerim gathered together, and while B.J. beat time
they spent what little breath was left in them on the club yell. It
sounded more like a chorus of bullfrogs than of young men, but it was
gladsome enough to atone for its lack of music, and it was loud enough
to convince History that it was safe to come out, of the bushes where
he had been crouching in ghostly terror.

The Lakerimmers were inclined to laugh at History for his fears, but
Tug told them that if it had not been for his seizing the red-hot
pokers there would have been a different story to tell; so they hugged
him instead of laughing at him, and Sawed-Off clapped him on the back
such a vigorous thump that History thought the hazers had hold of him
again.

Now they took up their way back to the Academy, and B.J. began to plot
a dire revenge on the cowardly Crows. But Tug said:

"I move we let the matter drop. They're the ones to talk now of
getting even, for they have certainly had the worst of it. It'll be
just as well to keep a sharp eye