"I'm in fighting trim, if you want to know it." And he stepped out
of the house, with Sam at his heels. Dick followed. At this hostile
movement Flockley and Koswell turned and walked hurriedly out of the
garden and down the country road, a row of trees soon hiding them from
view.

"They are as mad as hornets," observed Sam. "If they belong anywhere
near Ashton we'll have to look out for them."

"Right you are," answered Tom. "But I am not particularly afraid."

Having watched the two young men out of sight, the three Rover boys
returned to the farmhouse. Minnie Sanderson had now recovered somewhat
and she blushed deeply as she faced them.

"Oh, wasn't it awful," she said. "I--I don't know what you think of
it. They had no right to touch me. I thought they were gentlemen. They
have called here several times, but they never acted that way before."

"Then we came in the nick of time," answered Dick. "Will you allow me
to introduce myself?" and he bowed. "My name is Dick Rover and this
is my brother Tom and this my brother Sam. You are Miss Sanderson, I
suppose."

"Yes, Minnie Sanderson."

"We are strangers here. We were on the train, but there was a little
accident and we were in a hurry to get to Ashton, so we got off and
walked up this road, thinking we could hire somebody to drive us to
Brill College."