“Well, isn’t it enough to make a fellow crazy! What will your mother say when I tell her? Nice sort of a girl you are!” Dick quickly stepped toward Chet. “Another insulting word from your lips and you will regret it!” he declared. Their eyes met, and for a moment there was a silent battle between them. At last Chester looked down. “Oh, this doesn’t end it!” he muttered. “Take the girls away, Merriwell,” urged Hal. “I’ll take care of him.” “No, no!” panted June. Turning his back on Arlington, Dick stepped to June’s side. “Come,” he said, “let me take you back to the academy. He will be all right when he cools down. It isn’t safe for you to trust yourself with him now. He is beside himself with rage.” It was quickly arranged that Hal should act as Zona’s escort, and the four set off down the path. Chester watched them a few moments and then deliberately started to follow, at the same time crying: “You’re both cowards! Merriwell is a coward and a sneak! I dare him to come back!” “Pay no attention to him, Hal!” said Dick. Although they disregarded Arlington, he continued to follow them all the way through the woods. “How did it happen?” asked June. “Why, I don’t understand it! Chester has been so good lately, and I thought he had changed.” “How did you two come to be there, Darrell?” asked Dick. Hal flushed. “I will tell you sometime,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about it now.” Coming to the border of the woods where they were in full view of Lakeside Academy, Dick paused. “I think I can handle Chester better than any one else,” he said. “I am going back. Darrell, take the girls to the academy.” June clung to his arm. “Dick, you—you won’t——” “Trust me,” he said. “I do,” she whispered. “I trust you fully, Dick.” Arlington saw Merriwell turn back and wondered at it. “He’s coming!” panted Chet. “I wonder what he thinks he’s going to do?” After a moment he turned and fled along the path, and, although Dick followed at a rapid walk, Chester soon disappeared from view. Wondering if Arlington would not stop, Dick continued to hurry along. The bridge was reached and recrossed, but nowhere could Chet be seen. Near the spot where the encounter had occurred Merriwell paused a moment. “Strange,” he muttered. “Strange Darrell should be here with him!” On the ground near his feet he saw a jackknife, and he stooped to pick it up. As he bent over something came whizzing through the air and struck him on the side of the head. It was a heavy stone, and Dick fell senseless to the ground. As the stricken boy lay there the bushes were parted and a pair of eyes peered out at him. They were set in a pale, wrathful face, and the voice of Arlington muttered: “Soaked you that time!” Then, as Dick continued to remain motionless, Chester came creeping from the bushes and hesitatingly approached him. “Hit him plumb on the head,” he said. “That was a big stone, too. By George! perhaps I cracked his skull!”