“They are going to the old Jamison place at Rushville.”

“Well, what of it?”

“I was thinking,” answered Larkspur meaningly.  “You said you would like to square up with the Rovers, and with Tom especially.”

“So I would.  Show me how it can be done and I’ll go at it in jig time.”  And now Koswell was all attention.

“I happen to know that Tom Rover and Professor Sharp are on the outs again,” said Larkspur.  “The professor wouldn’t like anything better than to catch him doing something against the rules.”

“Well, what do you propose, anyway?” demanded Jerry Koswell.

“Come up to the room and I’ll tell you,” answered Larkspur, and then the two hurried off and, joined by Dudd Flockley, hatched out a scheme to get the Rovers into dire trouble with the college authorities.  They had a number of preparations to make, and paid a hurried visit to Ashton and several other places, Flockley hiring a runabout for that purpose.

Saturday proved clear and warm, and the Rovers and their friends started directly after lunch for Rushville in a two-seated carriage, hired from a liveryman of Ashton.  As they did not wish to excite any curiosity, they told Tubbs and Max that they were going out merely for a long ride.

“Going to call on Miss Stanhope and the Misses Laning, I suppose,” said William Philander.

“No.  They have some lessons to make up to-day,” answered Dick, and this was true; otherwise the Rovers might not have been so willing to spend their time at the haunted house.

No sooner had the Rovers and their two friends driven away from Brill than an automobile dashed up on the side road, and Flockley, Koswell and Larkspur climbed in.  The automobile kept to the side road until the Rovers turnout was passed, then took to the main highway, passing the upper end of Ashton.

“Here is where you can leave us,” said Koswell to the chauffeur.  “I’ll see to it that the machine comes back safely.”

“You are sure about being able to run it?” asked the man.

“Of course.  I ran a big six-cylinder at home.”

“Very well, then.  This is a fine car, and there would be trouble with the boss if anything happened to it.”

“Nothing is going to happen, so don’t worry,” answered Koswell coolly.  Then the chauffeur left, and the automobile dashed on its way in the direction of Rushville.

As the Rovers and their chums were out purely for pleasure, they took their time in driving to Rushville, going there by way of Hope Seminary.  They thought they might catch sight of Dora and the Lanings, but were disappointed.

“Too bad that they have got to grind away on such a fine day as this,” said Dick.

“Well, such is life,” returned Sam.  “One good thing, schooldays won’t last forever.”

“Just wait till the summer vacation comes!” cried Tom.  “I’m going to have the best time anybody ever heard about.”