"Jordan, you're a true-blue brick," declared Ned heartily, "but I know from
experience how these things go----"

"There's the rally whistle for our crowd, so I've got to go," interrupted
Frank; "but four o'clock at my room. You come, or I'll come and fetch you."

Frank bolted off for the campus. As he neared his group of friends he
observed the Banbury crowd, just rejoined by their leader and Durkin.
Banbury was pointing at Frank and saying something, derisively hailed by
his companions. Then Frank saw his stanch champion, Bob Upton, spring
forward with clenched fists. Frank hurried his steps, guessing out the
situation, and anxious to rescue his impetuous friend from an outbreak.

"Hi, chef!" howled out Durkin, as Frank approached, and Frank knew that the
mean-spirited cads had been spreading the story of his meeting with Ned
Foreman.

"What have you got to say about it, huh? Who are you?" Frank heard Bob cry
out angrily, as he came nearer to the crowd.

Frank could not repress a start as he observed the boy whom Bob was facing.
He was a newcomer--he was Gill Mace. It appeared that the nephew of the
Tipton jeweler had been sent to the same school as Frank.

Gill Mace looked as mean as ever. There was a sneer on his face. He was
loudly dressed, or rather overdressed. His uncle had probably provided him
with plenty of spending money, for he was jingling some coins in his
pocket. His money and his natural cheek had evidently made him "solid" with
Banbury and the others, for they seemed to be upholding his braggart