"Say, you don't mean to tell me you've gone and got a bodyguard to
escort me to my own dear little home, do you, Frank? Well, of all
the pranks, this certainly takes the cake! What do you think, that
they're already getting down to their fine little work, and mean
to kidnap me?" he exclaimed, greatly amused.

"No, but I know that crowd better than you do. When two sneaks
like Tony Gilpin and Asa Barnes make up their minds to gather a
bunch of skunks after their own stripe, and waylay a fellow they
hate, they lose no time about it. There's only one more day
between now and Saturday, when we play Clifford; and I saw them
turning to notice whether we kept on together. They know you are
here, sure."

"But I might slip out the back way, and give them the merry ha!
ha!" suggested Ralph; "though I hate to crawl that way from such
cowards, not one of them willing to face me outright."

"But that isn't it. We have talked it over, and come to the
conclusion that half of the fun would be lost unless those whelps
were treated to a dose of their own medicine. They need a good
sound licking, and I give you my word for it, they're due for one
if they try to tackle you on the road home to-night," and Frank,
as he spoke, brought his fist down sharply on his knee.

"Who did you invite to the party?" inquired Ralph, still laughing
at the absurdity of his requiring a bodyguard.

"Let me see," replied Frank. "There's Lanky Wallace, for one;