Bunker halted, for he saw that Hodge was in deadly earnest, and the rifle, small though it was, was not exactly pleasant to look upon just then.
“You fool!” panted the man. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“Oh, yes, I would!” grated Hodge. “I’d like to do it! It would give me great satisfaction, but I thought it best to give you fair warning first. Drop that club!”
Bunker hesitated.
“Drop it!” flashed Bart. “Drop it, or I’ll drop you!”
The man let the club fall on the sand, and then he laughed.
“Well, you chaps have more sand than I thought,” he said. “I was trying you—that’s all. Of course, I didn’t mean to do you any harm.”
“Oh! of course not,” said Merriwell, with sarcasm. “You are one of the most harmless chaps in the world.”
“Don’t think we’re fools,” snapped Hodge. “We stopped your little game, that’s all. Now, git.”
“Yes, go,” cried Frank.