“Perhaps we’ve put our foot in it,” remarked Sam in a low tone to him.

“Never mind; we did what was right,” answered Dick.  “No fellow is justified in acting as Dan Baxter did.”

“That’s right.”

“Tell us something about Putnam Hall, won’t you?” said Fred Garrison, after a pause.

At this the three girls laughed.

“What should we know about that place?” asked Dora.  “We have never been inside, excepting at one Christmas entertainment.”

“But you must see some of the fellows occasionally.”

“Not often,” said Grace Laning.  “Captain Putnam does not allow his pupils to leave the grounds excepting on special occasions.  But papa caught three of the pupils in our strawberry patch once.”

“He did?  And what happened to the fellows?” put in Tom with deep interest.

“Father made them pick twelve quarts of berries for him for nothing, and didn’t let them eat a single one.”

“Great Caesar!  What a fine fellow your dad —­ I mean your father —­ must be.”

“Of course he is fine.  The boys had no right to attempt stealing the berries.  My father would have given them some for the asking.”

“But they wouldn’t have been half as sweet as if they were hooked on the sly,” said Tom wisely, and everybody laughed.

“You boys ought to have fine times at Putnam Hall,” went on Dora to Dick.  “I sometimes see the soldier boys marching; and once, last summer, I visited their encampment.”

“We are looking forward to a good time,"’ was the answer.  “And I trust we see you again,” went on Dick; and Dora blushed prettily.

The Golden Star was now approaching a little landing known as Hopedale, and all left their chairs to see the village, and people getting on and off.  It was an engaging scene, and the did not return to the bow of the boat until ten minutes later, after taking a walk completely around the steamer’s deck.

In the bow a surprise awaited them.  During their absence Dan Baxter had appropriated four of their camp chairs and was stretched out on them as if in sleep.

“Oh, what a cheek!” cried Tom.

“Let us haul him off,” suggested Sam.

“All right, come ahead,” put in Fred.

“Oh, please don’t have another row with him!” cried Dora in alarm.  “Let him keep the seats.  We can go somewhere else,”

“All right, let the pig sleep,” said Dick.

He felt tolerably certain that Dan Baxter was awake and heard him, but the bully made no sign.

The party walked away, and the bully sneered softly to himself.

“They didn’t dare to tackle me,” was what he thought in his conceit.  “I’d like to meet ’em one by one alone I’d show each a trick or, two.”

At last Cedarville was reached and the little steamer tied up at the dock, and the boys and girls went ashore.  Just before leaving, Dick took a look at Dan Baxter and saw that he wag now sleeping in earnest.