"Good! That's the cheese!" cried Ben, slangily. "I hope they have to go without their supper and breakfast, too!"
It was decided to refuse all assistance, and this agreed upon, the four rowed to the vicinity of the stranded motor boat. They found Poole and Merwell still on board, both waiting impatiently for their return.
"It's a wonder you wouldn't come!" cried Poole. "Do you think we want to stay here all night?"
"Can you pull us off?" asked Link Merwell. "If you can't, Nat and I want you to go to Oakdale and get the tug Ella Davis to do the job."
"You talk as if we were hired to work for you," answered Dave.
"I wasn't addressing you, Porter—I was talking to the others."
"Well, we are not in your employ either," answered Phil.
"Look here, Merwell, and you, too, Poole," said Roger. "We've got a big bone to pick with you, but it won't take long to pick it. We think that the way you acted toward those young ladies was disgraceful, and it reflects on the honor of Oak Hall. For two pins we'd tell some of the other students, and you'd be tarred and feathered or run out of the school. We——"
"It wasn't my fault!" interrupted Nat Poole, turning pale. "I—I was willing enough to take them across the riv——"