Hope Seminary was not to close until the week following, and the evening before the Rovers had visited Grace and Nellie.  From them, Sam and Tom had heard news that interested them greatly.  This was to the effect that Dora had invited her cousins to visit her in New York City some time during the vacation.

“That will be fine!” Tom had cried.  “You come when Sam and I are there, and we’ll do all we can to give you the best kind of a time.”  And so it had been arranged.

The boys and their friends were in the Rover touring car.  This machine, it had been decided, was to remain at the college garage, in care of Abner Filbury.  Abner was now driving, so that the boys were at liberty to do as they pleased.

“Let’s give ’em a song,” suggested Stanley, and the boys sang one college song after another, the tunes being caught up by those in the other turnouts.  Thus they rolled up to the railroad station in Ashton.  Then the train came in, and all the young collegians lost no time in getting aboard.

“Where are you going, my dear William Philander?” asked Tom, of the dudish student, who sat in front of him.

“I am going to Atlantic City,” was the somewhat stiff reply, for William Philander had not forgotten the ducking in the river.

“Atlantic City!” exclaimed Tom.  “Of course, you are not going in bathing?”

“To be sure I am!  I have a brand new bathing suit ordered.  It is dark blue, with pin stripes running——­”

“But see here, Billy!  If you go in bathing at Atlantic City this season, you’ll be chewed up.”

“What do you mean?” And now the dudish student seemed interested.

“Haven’t you heard about the sea serpents they have seen at Atlantic City?” demanded Tom,—­ “four or five of them.”  And he poked Sam, who sat beside him, in the ribs; and also winked at Spud, who was in the seat with William Philander.

“That’s right, Tubbs,” put in Sam.  “Why, they say some of those sea serpents are twenty feet long.”

“Oh, yes, I heard about them, too,” added Spud, and now he braced himself for one of his usual yarns.  “Why, they tell me that one afternoon the sea serpents came in so thickly among the bathers that it was hard for them—­ I mean those in bathing—­ to tell which was sand and which was serpents.  Some of the serpents crawled up on the boardwalk, and even got into some of the stores and hotels.  They had to order out the police, and then the fire department, and, finally, some of the soldiers had to come down from the rifle ranges with a Gatling gun.  You never heard of such a battle!  Somebody said they killed as many as ninety-seven sea serpents, and not less than three hundred got away.  Why, William Philander, I wouldn’t go within twenty-five miles of Atlantic City if I were you,” concluded Spud.

“Oh, how ridiculous!” responded the dudish student.  Nevertheless, he looked much worried.  “Of course, they do report a sea serpent now and then.”