The boys tipped their caps and the girls smiled.

“We are very thankful to you,” said Alice and Helen, almost in a breath.

“You are welcome to the little I did,” returned Dick.

“It was fun to pelt the old bull with rocks,” put in Tom.  “I’ll do as much for you any time,” and this caused a laugh.

Isaac Klem went off to drive his bull home and the girls also prepared to depart.

“When you are coming back this way you can stop at our house if you wish,” said Alice Staton.  “It’s the yellow one with honeysuckle growing over the porch.”

“I remember it,” said Sam.  “Thank you,” and the others also gave thanks for the invitation.  A moment later the two parties separated.

“What a difference between those cadets and the ones we met at the store,” said Helen to her twin sister when they were out of hearing.

“Yes, indeed,” said Alice.  “The Rovers are gentlemen, while those at the store were—­were rude.”

“Two nice girls,” declared Tom.  “How much alike their faces are!”

“Tom is smitten,” cried Sam.  “Going to forget all about Nellie Laning, Tom?” he went on quizzically.

“Oh, you needn’t talk!” cried Tom, growing red in the face.  “You were just as attentive as a dancing master yourself.”

“Don’t quarrel about it,” put in Dick good naturedly.  “You can be pleasant to them without forgetting all about Grace and Nellie Laning, I think.”

“Or Dora Stanhope either,” put in Sam slyly.  “Shall we stop at the house on the way back?”

“Why not?  They may offer us a piece of pie,” said Tom.

“I don’t know.  We can walk by slowly.  They may be on the lookout for us, you know.”

Once again the boys set their faces toward Oakville, and soon reached the outskirts of the town.

They were passing some of the stores when Lew Flapp caught sight of them.

“Hullo!” cried the tall boy.  “I declare! there are the three Rover brothers.  What brought them to Oakville?”

“We had better not let them see us with this stuff,” said Pender hurriedly.  “We’ll get into hot water if they do.”

They lost no time in putting their purchases out of sight.  Then they walked out on the street and stood leaning against the posts of a wooden awning.

“There is Flapp and his crowd now,” said Tom, catching sight of the trio.

“We want nothing to do with them,” said Dick.  “They are not our kind at all.”

“Hullo, Rovers!” cried Pender as they came up.

“Hullo, yourself,” returned Tom coldly.

“What brought you to town?” asked Rockley.

“My feet.”

“Thanks.  I thought it might have been your ears.  They’re big enough.”

At this sally both Flapp and Pender began to laugh.

“That’s a good one,” said Flapp.

“I suppose you used your tongue for a walking stick when you came over,” said Tom.  “It’s long enough.”