Bob Bangs could run and fear lent speed to his flying feet. But he was no match for Randy, who had on more than one occasion won a running match amongst his schoolfellows. Bob started for home, several blocks away, but just before he reached his gate Randy came near to him, caught him by the arm and flung him over on his side. Then, to hold him down, our hero seated himself on top of the rich boy, who began to bellow lustily. "Get off of me!" "I will not!" "You are squeezing the wind out of me!" "What right had you to throw that chunk of dirt at me?" "I--er--I was only fooling." "Maybe I am only fooling, too." "You are breaking my ribs! Oh, let up, I say!" "Are you sorry for what you did?" demanded Randy. To this Bob Bangs made no reply. "I see you've got him," said Jack, running up at that instant. "Yes, and I am going to give it to him good," answered Randy. "Let up! Help, somebody! Help!" roared Bob, badly frightened. He began to kick and struggle, but Randy held him down and as a consequence he was covered with dust and dirt from head to foot. In the midst of the melee a carriage came along the roadway. It contained Mrs. Bangs and the man-of-all-work, who was driving. "Mercy on us! What does this mean?" burst from the fashionable lady's lips. "Can that be Robert?" "Help! help!" roared the rich youth, more lustily than ever. "It certainly is Robert," went on Mrs. Bangs. "John, stop the carriage. You rude boy, let my son alone!" she went on, in her shrill, hard voice. "Hullo, here is Mrs. Bangs," remarked Jack, looking around and discovering the new arrival. For the instant Randy did not see the rich woman and continued to hold down Bob, who struggled violently, sending up a cloud of dust in the road. Then he noticed the carriage and looked up, and his face fell. "You scamp! Leave my boy alone!" screamed Mrs. Bangs. "Oh, John, perhaps you had better run for a policeman!" she added, as Randy let go his hold and arose. "You had better not, Mrs. Bangs," said Jack. "Bob deserves what he is getting." "I do not believe it! It is disgraceful to throw him down in the road like this," stormed the fashionable lady. "He hit Randy with a chunk of dirt." "I--I didn't do nothing!" howled Bob, as he got up. He was too ruffled to think of his bad grammar. "And that elegant suit is about ruined," went on Mrs. Bangs. "I never heard of such doings before. Boy," she went on, looking at Randy, "you ought to be locked up!" "It is Bob ought to be locked up," retorted Randy. "He started this trouble; I didn't." "I do not believe it. My son is a gentleman." "I didn't do a thing," put in the rich boy, feeling safe, now that his mother and the hired man were on the scene. "They pitched into me for nothing at all." "Bob knows better than that," said Jack.