owboat, and were wondering if the lads were
safe.

"You've given us a terrible scare," declared Martha to her brother.
"You shouldn't have taken such a risk!"

"Well, it was worth while," answered Fred, and then told of the rescue
of Jed Kessler.

"Well, we've had a surprise since you went away," said Ruth Stevenson
presently.

"A thoroughly disagreeable surprise, too," added May Powell. "You'll
never guess who was here only a few minutes ago!"

"Some of our folks from New York?" questioned Jack quickly.

"No such luck," answered his sister.

"They were two persons we didn't care to see," said Ruth. "They were
Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell!"

CHAPTER V

MEETING OLD ENEMIES

"Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell!" The cry came from all of the Rover
boys simultaneously.

"What were those fellows doing here?" continued Jack.

"Did they dare to speak to you?" demanded Fred.

"Of course they spoke to us--you can't stop fellows like Brown and
Martell from doing that," answered Ruth. "But you can be sure we gave
them both the cold shoulder."

"What did they want here?" questioned Jack.

"I don't know what they wanted or where they came from," continued
Ruth. "Their appearance gave us such a shock we didn't know what to do
at first."

"We were on our way from the school to the boathouse, and were just
crossing the roadway when Slugger and Nappy came along in a runabout,"
said May. "The minute they saw us they stopped and jumped out. They
asked us a whole lot of questions about how we were getting along at
school and if your sisters were here."

"Our sisters!" cried Fred. "What business have they got to ask about
Martha and Mary?"

"Of course we didn't answer their questions, and Martha and Mary had
gone on ahead, so Brown and Martell didn't see them," said Ruth. "They
tried to act in a friendly manner, but we gave them to understand that
we wanted nothing to do with them. Then they jumped into the runabout
again and drove off."

"Did they go toward Haven Point?" questioned Randy.

"Yes."

"Those fellows certainly have their nerve with them--to show
themselves anywhere near Colby Hall after what happened!" burst out
Andy.

"One would think they wouldn't want any of their old classmates to see
them," remarked Fred.

"They are not that kind," replied Jack. "Both of them are too
thick-skinned to be sensitive. More than likely they have been telling
their friends that we did our best to get the