“Oh, Mrs. Barnaby!” cried Elsie. “Oh, Aunt Hannah!” exclaimed Kate. “Stop them!” palpitated the girl with the blue eyes and golden hair. “Drive away those horrid fellows who are trying to whip the one in the bicycle suit!” urged the other girl. “What’s all the row about, anyhow?” asked the woman. Then, hurriedly and brokenly, the two girls told her what had happened. Her kindly face grew stern and her eyes flashed as she listened. “The rascals!” she exploded. “They oughter be hoss-whipped! I’d like to do it, too! Hey! you git out!” She flourished her hands and swung the basket about, but the fighting lads did not heed her command. Then Aunt Hannah hastened forward boldly and resolutely struck Rolf Harlow over the head with the basket. Smash—spatter! The basket contained eggs, and they were broken and smashed over Harlow’s head. Out flew the sticky, yellow mass, spattering all over Rolf. A howl of astonishment and dismay broke from the lips of the rascal, and then, taking one look at the angry woman, he turned and fled, while Kate Spencer screamed with laughter. Seeing he was deserted, Berlin Radford did not delay about following his friend, and the two were hard scrambling up the path, and uttering cries of impotent rage. There was a hammock near, in which Elsie Bellwood had been reclining when Rolf Harlow came upon her and into it Kate Spencer dropped, holding her handkerchief to her face and laughing as if she would lose her breath. “Oh, goodness!” she cried. “Oh, Aunt Hannah! didn’t you do it that time! Ha! ha! ha! How astonished and disgusted that chap looked! And what a spectacle he made as he stood there, with those broken eggs dripping down his face and neck! Oh! oh! oh! Brother Kent will die when I tell him about this!” “The rascals!” burst forth the woman, as she stood with her smashed and dripping basket in her hand, regarding it in dismay. “All them good eggs broke to pieces, and I jest bought ’em over at the store! Who’s goin’ to pay for them eggs?” “I will be happy to pay for them,” laughed Frank. “It was worth the price of a bushel of eggs to see Rolf Harlow after you struck him with the basket. I have to thank you for saving me the trouble of finishing both those chaps.” Elsie ran to Frank. “Oh, are you hurt much?” she fluttered. “I am afraid you are hurt!” “Not a bit, dear little girl,” smiled Merry, tenderly. “They did thump me a few times, but all that thumping did not damage me at all.” It was nearly ten minutes before Kate Spencer could stop laughing, and for an hour afterward she would break out occasionally when she remembered how Harlow had looked after being struck by the basket. The whole affair was explained to Mrs. Barnaby, and Frank was introduced. He promised to send her over another basket of eggs from the store, which eased her feelings greatly. “I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Merriwell, sir,” said the good woman. “Elsie has told us lots about ye, but I never expected to see you here.”