“You can’t blame that on us!” cried Carl.

“We can, and do,” responded Snap.  “You ought to be locked up for it.”

“Oh, give us a rest!” growled Ham.

“What brought you here?” demanded Snap sharply.

“Oh, we knew we were being followed—–­saw you from a distance—–­and made up our mind to see who it was.  I don’t see why you can’t leave us alone.”

“We are not following you,” said Giant, “And if you’ll leave us alone we’ll not bother you.”

“But you have got to keep your distance,” added Whopper.  “No more underhanded work, like we had before.  Understand?”

Ham paid no attention to the last words.  He and his crony were looking at Tommy.  Now they whispered together.

“Say, aren’t you the kid that ran away from the circus?” demanded Ham, turning to the small youth.

At the question Tommy looked surprised and then scared.

“Wha—–­what do you know about me?” he stammered.

“Answer me,” ordered Ham.  “You ran away from Casso’s Railroad Shows, didn’t you?”

“Don’t tell him a thing, Tommy!” cried Snap quickly.  “It is none of his business.”

“Ha!  I knew I was right!” cried Ham triumphantly.  “You’re the boy they called Buzz, the Human Fly.  I saw you perform at Chester, and I heard later about your running away.  And you helped to let a lion and a chimpanzee escape, too.”

“I did not!” cried Tommy.  “The men who were discharged let those animals get away.  I had nothing whatever to do with it.”

“Oh, yes, that’s your story; but the circus people tell it differently,” put in Carl Dudder.  “I was talking to one of them only the other day.  They’d give a good deal to catch you and those men.”

As he spoke he advanced toward Tommy as if to catch hold of the lad.  The boy from the circus shrank back and looked very much alarmed.

“Here, Carl Dudder, you leave that boy alone!” cried the doctor’s son.  “Don’t you dare to touch him!”

“I’ll do as I please.  The boy doesn’t belong to you,” blustered Carl.

“I know that—–­but you are not going to lay the weight of your finger on him.”

“Don’t do it,” whispered Ham to his crony in alarm.  “Remember, they are five to two.”

“I think there is a reward for this boy,” answered Carl in an equally low tone of voice.

“Well, if there is, keep mum and we may be able to get it.”

There was an awkward pause.  Tommy looked appealingly at the doctor’s son and his other friends.

“Don’t you worry; they shan’t touch you,” said Shep kindly.  “They are big bullies, that’s all.  We know them thoroughly.”

“Are you going to stay here?” asked Ham.

“That is our business,” answered Snap.  “Where have you located?”

“That is our business.”

“So it is; but I want you to understand, once for all, Ham Spink, that this time you must keep your distance.  If you try to molest us in any way you’ll get the worst of it.”