He wheeled, and hurried away. Billie chuckled a little, as though amused, and as the showman turned and shot a vindictive glance back toward him it was evident he must have heard the sound, and also that it rankled in his soul. The three boys soon had their heads together, and of course this time the subject of their talk was the man who had made such a fool of himself as to threaten Adrian, because he had spoken his mind when the old chief asked his opinion. “He’s a sure enough bad egg,” Billie affirmed, and neither of the others seemed inclined to differ with him on that score, at least. “I saw him talking to two different men awhile back,” remarked Donald. “It was after you and the chief had been having that nice little confab, Adrian; and from the way he pointed over this way several times, I got the idea in my head he was telling them about what he’d seen you doing.” “In that case then, you would know who two of his crowd might be?” suggested the other chum, quickly. “That’s right, I do; and let me tell you both while I’m about it; because, if it seems we’re just bound to have a rumpus with Braddon and his set, the sooner we spot the whole outfit the better.” “Go ahead then, Donald,” urged Adrian. “First, there was that little sawed-off we were watching awhile back; he seems to be a lively specimen, even if he is so short; and I don’t fancy the cut of his jib any more’n I do that of Mr. Braddon, the showman.” “Call him Shorty, then, since we don’t know his real name,” remarked Billie. “The other was that young fellow who is dressed in the loud check suit, and who might be a son of the showman, for all anybody could say to the contrary. Seems to me they do look a bit alike, eh, Ad?” “All right, let’s take that for granted, and call him Mark Braddon Jr.,” Billie went on to say, before Adrian could give his opinion; for it seemed as if the fat chum was feeling rather lively since he had surprised his comrades by his prompt holding up of the furious showman when he was threatening violence toward Adrian. “Then we know three of the crowd,” Donald went on. “There may be others still, and we’d better keep our eyes open to pick the same out, from time to time.” “You talk as if you thought we’d sure have trouble with the bunch yet,” remarked Adrian. “Oh! you never can tell; but the signs all point that way right now,” Donald went on to say; “and you know, we’ve been brought up to keep on our guard all the time. They might take a silly notion to try and run us out of here.” “Say, I hope not before that old dance comes off!” cried Billie, “because I’ve got my heart set on taking some fine snapshots of the same, and it’d grieve me a heap to have to toddle out of here before then.”