The escape of Chester Arlington from the burning woods seemed most astonishing to the four rascals who had left him there. Of course, they learned that it was Chester in the flesh, not his spirit, that they had seen sitting on the academy steps when they arrived there. At first it had seemed that he had not been given time to reach the academy ahead of them, even were he in the best of health and entirely unharmed; but when they came to consider the matter, they realized that they had spent considerable time in wrangling and in making a roundabout course that brought them to the academy as if they had come from a point almost opposite the burning woods. These small delays and this détour had given Arlington plenty of time to arrive at the academy ahead of them. Plainly, he had only been stunned by Bunol’s blow, and had lost little time in getting out of the woods after recovering. It is needless to say that the relief of the young rascals was great. Knowing nothing of Dick Merriwell’s presence in the woods, they immediately agreed to swear sturdily that they were not there themselves, in case Chester made trouble for them. But, to their wonderment, Arlington betrayed no great desire to even up the score. They fancied he would do this at once, but he ignored them. For a day or two he wore a handkerchief bound about his head, explaining that he had slipped and fallen on the stone steps of the academy, cutting his scalp. Chester was not one given to hesitation when a falsehood served his purpose better than the truth. It was Saturday morning of the day that Fardale was to meet Springvale that Miguel Bunol slipped like a phantom into Dick Merriwell’s room. Buckhart had gone out, and Dick was alone. Hearing the catlike step, Dick turned and confronted the young Spaniard. “Well,” he said, “what do you want here?” Bunol paused and threw up one hand. “I come to tell you something,” he said swiftly. “You know Chester Arlington and I have been some friends. Mebbe you know we are not so any more? He try to throw me down. I do all I can for him. Well, I like it not much! From his friend I turn to hate him. When I hate, I hate a lot. Now I come to tell you that you will not win the football-game to-day. You think Chester Arlington change to be your friend, eh? Ha! Don’t fool yourself some like that! He stay your enemy forever. He make believe he become your friend. That is done to fool you.” Dick smiled quietly, but the smile was followed by a frown. “Go!” he exclaimed, pointing toward the door. “I want nothing to do with you.”