y a jingling of glass.

"Hi, you! what do you mean by stopping so suddenly?" yelled an irate
voice from the rear.

"They've busted one of our headlights!" added another voice in surly
tones.

Those in the tonneau of the Rovers' automobile looked around quickly.

"Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown!" ejaculated Fred in surprise.

"They must have been following us!" added Randy quickly.

"Say, I didn't know those fellows were anywhere around here!" burst
out Frank Newberry.

"I thought from what you fellows told us those fellows would steer
clear of this vicinity," added Bart White.

By this time Jack and Andy, who were on the front seat, were also
looking back to see what had happened. They beheld a runabout standing
close up to their own car. The collision had not been sufficient to do
any more damage than to break the glass in both of the headlights of
the runabout. They had struck the framework holding an extra shoe on
the rear of the Rovers' car, and for this reason the other automobile
had not suffered any damage whatsoever.

"You fellows will pay for this damage!" grumbled Slugger Brown, who
was at the wheel of the runabout.

"You did it yourself," answered Bart White quickly.

"You fellows had no business to stop so suddenly!"

"They did it on purpose!" burst out Nappy Martell.

As was usual with the youth, he was loudly dressed, wearing a light
checkered suit with a cap to match and a flaming red tie. He looked
somewhat dissipated.

"I'll attend to this," said Jack to his cousins and the others. And
without delay he leaped from the front machine and walked back to the
other.

"Just see what you've done, Jack Rover!" began Slugger Brown. But then
the stern look in Jack's face caused him to come to a stop.

"I'm glad I met you, Brown--and you too, Martell," said Jack in a low,
steady voice. "I was hoping I'd see you before you had a chance to
leave Haven Point."

"Wanted to see us, eh?" said Slugger; and now a somewhat uneasy look
took possession of his face.

"Don't let him talk himself out of paying for the damage done," put in
Nappy loftily. He was puffing on a cigarette and blew the smoke high
into the air as he spoke.

"We're not going to pay for any damage done," said Jack. "This little
accident is your own fault, for you had no business to be driving so
close behind our car."

"We'll see about that," grumbled Slugger.

"What I want to talk to you about is another matter," went on Jac