where your mind is. Another fellow wouldn't ever let such a fool notion
get a grip on him. And you'd better put a reef in that tongue of yours,
my boy, unless you want to have it get you into trouble."

Andy flared up at once, and would have replied; but Frank calmly stepped
in between the two, as though he claimed first right.

"Neither of us have charged you with intentionally trying to disable our
aeroplane by dropping that sand bag, Puss," he remarked quietly. "All we
say is that it was a queer coincidence you wanted to get rid of your
ballast just when we were walking up on you hand over fist, and about to
pass under you, to take the lead. That's all!"

Again there was a low laugh from among the boys who stood around
listening. To them it was a rich treat to see the recognized bully of
Bloomsbury baited to his very face in this characteristic way; and they
were enjoying it hugely.

"Well, let me tell you it ain't all, not by a jugful!" exclaimed Puss,
his face taking on a purple hue, as it always did when he became
enraged. "Both of you fellows have got to stop speaking about that sand
bag dropping, or there's going to be a licking in store for you. See?"
and he thrust his face close to that of Frank as he said this. Larry
Geohegan fairly held his breath. "Now it's coming; don't I know the
signs?" he whispered to the boy next him.

Frank continued to stand there, close to the side of the speeding
launch. They were about half way across the deep lake at the time.
Evening was coming on, for the sun had just reached the distant rugged
horizon in the west.