The fellow started, and for the instant his face changed color.  But then he saw that Dick was but a boy, younger and smaller than himself, and his bullying manner returned.  “Who are you talking to?” he demanded.

“I am talking to you.  I told you to get out —­ and be quick about it.”

“Oh, cried the eldest girl, but her face took on a look of relief, for she saw that Dick was a thoroughly gentlemanly youth.”

“Who are you anyway?” blustered Dan Baxter.

“My name is Dick Rover, if you want, to know.”  Dick turned to the girls.  “He was annoying you, wasn’t he?”

“Very much,” answered the three promptly.  “Then you’ll get out, Daniel Baxter.”

“Supposing I refuse?”

“If you refuse, I’ll pitch you out, and make a complaint to the police at our first stopping place.”

“You talk big!” sneered the bully, but he was much disconcerted.

“Don’t you talk back to my brother,” put in Tom, who had come up.  “You think you’re a regular masher, as they call such silly fellows, but I don’t think your game is going to work here.”

“That’s it,” chimed in Sam.

“Humph! three of you, eh?” muttered the bully.  “We’ll see about this some other time,” and leaving his camp chair he made for the cabin and disappeared, from view.

“He’s a bad egg,” was Tom’s comment, but how thoroughly bad the Rover boys were still to learn.

CHAPTER VI

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

“I must thank you for ridding us of that fellow,” said one of the girls.  “He has annoyed us several times.”

“It was a pleasure to assist you,” answered Dick, with the politeness of a dancing master, and tipped his hat; and his brothers and Fred Garrison did the same.

After this there seemed nothing to do but to be introduced, and Dick did this for the boys, while the eldest girl acted for herself and her companions.

“My name is Dora Stanhope,” she said.  “These are my cousins Nellie and Grace Laning.  We live at Cedarville.”

“Just the place we are going to!” cried Torn.  “We are bound for Putnam Hall.  I suppose you know the place?”

“We do —­ very well,” answered Dom Stanhope.  “It is less than quarter of a mile away from our farm.”

“And it is quite near to our place too,” added Nellie Laning.

“Then perhaps we’ll see more of each other,” remarked Fred Garrison.

“Perhaps; but isn’t Captain Putnam rather strict about letting you boys out?” questioned, Dora.

“We don’t know yet —­ we are newcomers.”

“Newcomers!” cried Nellie.  “Then you don’t know that fellow who was just here?”

“No.  Does he belong at Putnam Hall?”

“Yes.  I know nothing of him, however, further than that I have seen him several times on the Hall road.”

Dick gave a low whistle.