“I can prove that with ease,” smiled Frank, thrusting his hand into his pocket and pulling forth some letters. “Here is some of my correspondence, here is my card, and here is my name and address on this key check. If you want further proof, gentlemen, I can show you my name marked upon my clothes.” “That is quite enough,” assured Spencer. “We are satisfied that you are what you represent yourself to be. And now will you be good enough to tell us the meaning of this struggle here on the bank?” “With pleasure,” bowed Frank. “My friend here, Jack Diamond, a Virginian born and bred, asked me to leave the road over yonder and come here, where he could show me a pretty view of the Potomac. We locked our bicycles to a tree, where it was not likely they would be seen, and came this way. As we approached, we saw this chap in flannels standing on the bank and shouting his orders to your crew. Curiosity brought us nearer, and then we heard him talking with another chap who was hidden in the bushes where he could watch your work. From what we overheard——” It was getting too hot for Harlow, and he interrupted Frank. “It is plain to me,” he cried, “that you are ready to take the word of a stranger instead of mine, and that is too much for me to stand. That being the case, I’ll leave you with your new friends.” He was about to hurry from the spot, but Frank checked him. “Hold on, Harlow,” he said, suavely. “I have your revolver, you know.” “Then give it to me!” “Come take it.” Although thus invited, Rolf did not hasten to obey, for the muzzle of the weapon was looking straight at him. “I thought you would wait a while,” nodded Frank. “You shall have the gun directly.” Then he continued his story: “From what we overheard, we learned that your coach and the spy in the bushes were in league with each other. Evidently, the spy belongs to a rival crew, and he was watching to get points from your work.” Exclamations of anger broke from the rowers, and it was plain they were greatly incensed. Harlow fidgeted uneasily. A short time before, he had been very popular among these fellows, but now they regarded him with distrust and positive contempt. All through Frank Merriwell! How he hated Merriwell! “It was one of the A. A. C. fellows!” cried a red-headed fellow, whose name was Fred Dobbs. “I thought I recognized him from the river.” It was plain that Spencer was loath to believe such a thing about any person. “Why should Mr. Harlow betray us?” he asked, in an undecided way. “That’s it!” cried Rolf, catching at this as a drowning person might catch at a floating chip. “Why should I do such a thing?” “He’ll do anything for money!” scornfully exclaimed Jack Diamond. “And the Alexandria fellows have money to burn,” came from Fred Dobbs. “They are furious because we won the championship of the Potomac last year, and they mean to win it back this year by fair means or foul. I can understand why they should buy up our coach.”