thereabouts. Who they were was not learned, but Gerard's word
was accepted that the rah-rah boys had no connection with Saunders
College.

Dick & Co. had two more pleasant meetings with their high school
friends before an about-face was made, and the return hike to
Gridley started.

Their liveliest adventures were yet ahead of them.




CHAPTER XV

MAKING PORT IN A STORM


"Did you ever see a blacker, more peculiar looking cloud coming
than that one?" demanded Tom Reade, as the high school boys emerged
from the gloom of a long, narrow forest road into comparatively
open country.

"Is it a coming storm, or an optical delusion?" pondered Dick,
halting and staring hard.

"It looks like pictures I've seen of water spouts," Greg declared.

"That's what it is," Dick replied quietly. "Though I've never
seen one before, it's hard to be fooled, for that chap looks just