"Well," admitted Jack, "it came out about as well as I expected."
"Betcherwhat!" exclaimed Budge, as he walked off, stretching his gum out at arm's length.
The news soon spread that Jack had been vindicated, and there was an impromptu celebration in his room.
"Lopsided lollypops!" exclaimed Nat Anderson. "We ought to do something to get even with Bagot, Jack."
"Oh, I'm satisfied, let it go as it is." "But we're not," Sam Chalmers put in. "You got vindicated all right, but an insult to you is one to all this crowd you travel with. I'll bet Dr. Mead has a sort of idea that some of us had a hand in the joke. We may not be able to prove we didn't, but we can get even with that sneak Bagot for making all the trouble."
"L-l-l-lets puncture h-h-h-is t-t-t-t-ti—" sputtered Will Slade.
"What's that about his necktie?" asked Sam with a grin.
"W-w-w-who s-s-s-said n-n-neck t-t-ti-?"
"I thought you were trying to, and I wanted to help you out," replied
Sam.
"I-I-I-I ni-m-m-meant his autototototo—"