e you, may I ask? I do not remember seeing you before."

"I am Dave Porter. Link and I went to Oak Hall together."

"Ah, I see!" Mr. Merwell drew a long breath and nodded his head
knowingly. "Dave Porter, you said. And who are these young men?"

"My school chums, Roger Morr and Phil Lawrence."

"Indeed! Then you are the young men who caused my son so much
trouble--caused him to be sent away, in fact," continued Mr. Merwell,
and he glared hatefully at the three lads.

"It was Link's own fault that he was sent away," answered the senator's
son. "If he had behaved himself he would have had no trouble."

"Oh, of course, it is natural that you should shield yourselves. But I
know my son, and I know he is not the person he has been made out to be
by Doctor Clay and others. It was an outrage to allow the other boys at
the school to get him into trouble as they did, and I have written to
Doctor Clay to that effect."

"Your son was entirely to blame," said Phil, bound to stand up for
himself.

"He can be thankful that he was let off so easily," added Dave. "If it
hadn't been for the honor of Oak Hall, there might have been a public
exposure."

"Bah! nonsense! But it is useless to continue this discussion here, in
the presence of these young ladies. Perhaps I'll see you again about the
matter--after I have interviewed my son personally."

"Mr. Merwell, these young gentleman are my guests," put in Mr. Endicott,
bluntly. "While they are stopping at my ranch I trust they will not be
annoyed by any one."

"Mr. Endicott, I shall respect your wishes so far as I can," returned
Felix Merwell, with great stiffness. "But if these young men have done
my son an injustice, they will have to suffer for it. I bid you
good-day." And having thus delivered himself, the man wheeled around his
coal-black steed and was off in a cloud of dust down the road.

"Oh, Dave, what do you think he'll do?" asked Jessie, in alarm.

"I don't know," was Dave's reply. "Of course, he is bound to stick up
for Link."

"I never liked him very much, and now I despise him," said Laura.

"One can readily see where Link gets his temper from," was Phil's
comment. "He is nothing but a chip of the old block."

"I am sorry that Mr. Merwell is my neighbor," came from Mr. Endicott.
"But it can't be helped, so we'll have to make the best of it. My
advice is, while you are out here, keep off his lands, and if he annoys
you in any way, let me know."

"We'll ha