“Well, I’m glad you told me, Bobolink.  A good scout is always on the alert to do his comrade a clever turn; and I won’t forget this.  That all?”

“But now I’ve told you, Paul, aren’t you goin’ to slip around the back way, and let them fellers take it out waitin’?  Three to one is too much.  They’ll do you up, and make out ’twas only horseplay.  Please give ’em the slip, Paul.  We need you in our business, you know.”

“I’ll see about it, Bobolink.  Thanks, good-bye!” and Paul switched off.

“Well, what’s all this about?” asked Jack, as his chum turned toward him, with a frown on his face, and a gleam in his eye that the other knew stood for grim determination.

“He says there are three fellows lying in wait in the bushes near my place, all rigged up in their Hallowe’en toggery; and that he believes they know I am over at your house.  That’s all,” remarked Paul, with a little nervous laugh, and a clinching of his hands.

“Good gracious! you don’t say; three of them waiting to pounce on you!  Did he seem to know who they were?” asked Jack, looking worried.

“Well, you might guess that easy enough,” replied Paul, scornfully.

“Ted Slavin and some of his ugly ducklings?”

“Bobolink says he recognized Ted’s voice.  And, I suppose my warm friend Ward is one of the others.  He never loses a chance to get a dig in at me.”

“I don’t know,” returned Jack, thoughtfully; “to tell the honest truth I hardly think he can be one of the bunch, because his sister took Arline home with her to supper; and I guess Ward couldn’t be coaxed out while she is there.”

Paul winced, but said nothing.

“Oh! well, it doesn’t matter much after all.  They’re a lot of cowards, or else they wouldn’t be concerned in such a low game.  You can give them the slip by going around the back way,” and Jack chuckled at the thought of those silly fellows waiting an hour or two for the expected victim who never came, and then going home in sheer disgust.

Paul shook his head.

“Now, that’s just what Bobolink said, too; but I’ve made up my mind that I’m not going to sneak home, like a dog with his tail between his legs,” he said, shutting his teeth hard together.

“You mean that you’ll take the street that leads to the front of your house?  Oh I well, they’ll hardly tackle us when they see there are two,” remarked Jack.

“And by that you mean you expect to go along.  I won’t let you do anything of the kind.  Even if they allowed us to pass by, don’t you think they’d be apt to take it out of you when you returned alone?  No, I’m your superior officer, and I order you to stop right here where you belong; do you understand, Jack?”

“Well,” grumbled Jack, shaking his head as if convinced against his will; “I know you too well to try and go up against you when your mind’s made up; but just the same I think it’s a mean shame that you won’t let me walk home with you.  Think if they did jump out at us what a jolly time we’d have handing ’em more than they expected.”