, striding up to Gus Plum and holding
out his hand. "Shake, my boy!"

"I don't care to shake hands with you," replied the former bully of Oak
Hall.

"Oh, so that's your lay, is it?" sneered the man. "Very well--but I
thought you were a better loser."

"Let us have this meeting over as soon as possible," put in Volney.
"Have you got the money?"

Instead of replying, Plum looked at Dave, and then for the first time
the two sharpers noticed that the lad they had come to meet was not
alone.

"Who's your friend? Thought you'd come alone," said Blodgett, somewhat
roughly.

"I believe your name is Blodgett," remarked Dave, drawing himself up and
looking as businesslike as possible.

"That's my name, yes. What of it?"

"And your name, I believe, is Volney," went on Dave, turning to the
second rascal.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"Never mind that just now. Both of you come from Hartford; isn't that
so?"

"What if we do?" asked Blodgett.

"Some time ago you got this young man to gamble with you, and he lost
considerable money. Now you want him to pay up."

"Hadn't he ought to pay up?" asked Volney. He was growing uneasy.

"He isn't going to pay you a cent."

"What's that?" came quickly from Blodgett.

"I say he isn't going to pay you a cent, Mr. Blodgett. Is that plain
enough for you to understand?" answered Dave, sharply.

"Who are you, I'd like to know, to interfere with our dealings!" cried
Jack Blodgett.

"Perhaps I'll tell you who I am later on. I found out about this just in
time, it seems. You came from Hartford, but you have been in Albany
lately. While you were in Albany you swindled a man named Dodsworth
Sadler out of a large sum of money--at least twelve or fifteen hundred
dollars."

"Say, look here----" began Blodgett, and his tone became nervous.

"You used marked cards, just as you did when you played with this young
man. I think when you find yourselves in the hands of the police---- Hi!
stop, don't be going in such a hurry!"

For, turning swiftly, Blodgett had rushed from the depot. Volney
followed him.

"They are running away!" cried Gus Plum. He could scarcely believe the
evidence of his senses.

"Let us give them a good scare while we are at it," answered Dave, and
he ran outside and after the swindlers, who cut across the tracks and
made for the freight-house. Here a freight-train was just starting out,
and the men hopped aboard and were soon out of sight.

"There, I guess you have