As the High School crowd rushed around the corner, giving their vocal chords full play, Dick and his chums were hustled inside of the inverted “V” formation.

It was a human battering ram that launched itself into the lane—–­filling that narrow passage, choking it.

One of the bank robbers was still on the lookout duty.  At the first sound he had drawn his revolver, prepared to shoot right and left.  But this avalanche of torsos, arms and legs was more than the fellow had bargained for.

If it be true that a community can’t be indicted, then it is still truer that a community can’t be murdered.  The armed rascal gasped at the magnitude of his task of defense.

In another second he had been bowled clean over off his feet, and a half a dozen seniors were reaching for his weapon.

As Dick Prescott and his chums got out of the wedge they made a dash for the automobile.

At that same instant the air bore to them the battle-yell of juniors and sophs at the front of the bank.

The rear door of the building was yanked hastily open.  Two masked men shot the rays of their bulls-eye lanterns out into the lane, while their right hands held revolvers.

Bang-bang!  Bang-bang!

The rear door slammed, the robbers retreating behind that barrier.

In the first moment the High School boys themselves were a good deal startled, though they didn’t make any effort to run.

Then the news pulsed swiftly through the senior crowd.  The noise hadn’t come from pistols.  Dick & Co. had shut off any possibility of automobile flight by falling upon the tires with their pocket knives.  Any robbers that could bluff their way through the crowd and start the engine would have to hobble along on flat tires!

The rear lookout of the robber band was now a safe prisoner in the hands of four stalwart seniors.  Ben Badger had the fellow’s revolver.

Out in front of the bank the juniors and sophs held the enemy at bay inside.  The lookout, after trying to hold up the rush at the point of the pistol, had turned without firing, and had tried to get away.  But four of the juniors had sprinted after him and caught him.

Thus the forces stood.  Inside the bank building were at least two of the robbers, armed and presumably desperate.  Yet they knew they couldn’t shoot their way out through a multitude, either at the front or the back of the building.

On the other hand, the High School boys didn’t care about rushing into a darkness that was held by armed men.

Thus the opposing sides stood holding each other at bay until new actors came upon the scene—–­the police reserves.

Four officers ran to the front of the bank.  Chief Coy and four more appeared in the lane among the High School boys.

“Now, young gentlemen, jump out, if you please!” rang the chief’s order, “We’ve got to get inside at those fellows, and there may be a good many bullets flying.”