led off, looking anything but pleased. Hardly had he gone
when several came in from the car ahead, also looking for seats. Among
them was Isaac Pludding. He had had a seat near a door, but had given it
up to look for something better, and now he had nothing. He glanced
bitterly at the students as he passed, then came back and leaned heavily
against the seat Dave and Roger were occupying. In doing this he almost
knocked Dave's hat from his head.

"I'll thank you to be a little more careful," said Dave, as he put his
hat into place. He felt certain that Isaac Pludding had shoved against
him on purpose.

"Talking to me?" growled the stout man.

"I am. I want you to stop shoving me."

"I've got to stand somewhere."

"Well, you quit shoving me, or you'll get the worst of it," answered
Dave, decidedly.

At that moment the car lurched around a curve and Isaac Pludding bumped
against Dave harder than ever. Thoroughly angry, the youth arose and
faced the stout man.

"If you do that again, I'll have you put off the train," he said.

"That's right, Dave, don't let him walk over you," added Roger.

"If he doesn't know his place, teach it to him," was Phil's comment.

"Have me put off the train?" cried Isaac Pludding. "I'd like to see you
do it! I want you to know I am a stockholder of this line."

"Then it's a shame you don't provide seats for all your passengers."

"That's true, too," remarked a gentleman who was standing close by.

"I don't believe he owns more than one share of stock," observed Sam.
"And that he most likely inherited from his great-granduncle."

"I own five shares!" howled Isaac Pludding. "And I want you to know----"

What he wanted the boys to know they never found out, for at that moment
the train gave another lurch. It came so suddenly that the stout man was
taken completely from his feet and sent sprawling in the aisle on his
back. A valise from a rack over a seat came tumbling down, and, not to
get it on his head, Roger shoved it aside and it struck Isaac Pludding
full on the stomach, causing him to gasp.

[Illustration: Roger shoved it aside and it struck Isaac Pludding full
on the stomach.--_Page 25._]

The boys uttered a shout of laughter, and many other passengers joined
in. The floor of the car was wet from snow, and when Isaac Pludding
scrambled up he was covered with dirt. Dave caught up the valise and
turned it over to Sam, to whom it belonged.

"Who threw that valise on me?" de