Riggs, who led one of the crews, heard the angry fat man speaking so
unfavorably of Nan Sherwood's father. She sidled over to his side of the
track to catch all that he said.

Nan, amazed and hurt by the fat man's words and manner, would have
withdrawn silently, had it not been for the last phrase the man used in
reference to her father. Nan was very loyal, and to hear him called
"rascal" was more than she could tamely hear.

"I do not know what you mean, sir," she said earnestly. "But if you
really _know_ my father, you know that what you say of him is wrong. He
is not a rascal."

"I say he is!" ejaculated the man with the grouch.

Here Professor Krenner interfered, and he spoke quite sharply.

"You've said enough, Bulson. Are you hurt?"

"I don't know," grumbled the fat man.

"He can't tell till he's seen his lawyer," whispered Laura Polk,
beginning to giggle.

"Are any of you girls hurt?" queried the professor, his red and
white cap awry.

"I don't think so, Professor," Bess replied. "Only Nan's feelings. That
man ought to be ashamed of himself for speaking so of Mr. Sherwood."