“Maybe he means me, too,” murmured Ben.
“He does, and all the others in the crowd, too. He thinks it’s a plot to get square because he wouldn’t give Phil his dinner money back.”
“I had nothing to do with it,” declared Phil, stoutly.
“Nor I,” added Ben.
“Well, I am sure I wasn’t in it,” said Dave. “I didn’t dream of such a thing.”
“Nor did I,” added Roger and some others.
The news soon spread through several dormitories, and the boys discussed the startling happening in whispers. Phil was greatly disturbed.
“I didn’t do it, but I know he’ll try to fasten it on me,” he told Dave. He did not add that he had written to his father about the affair of the feast and his parent had sent a warning letter back, ordering his son to have nothing more to do with Jason Sparr.
The next morning the news was all over the school. Nat Poole heard of it, and he and some of his cronies declared it as their opinion that Phil and some others were to blame. This brought on a fistic encounter between Ben and the money-lender’s son, and the latter got a black eye in consequence. 164
“You sha’n’t say I did it—or had anything to do with it,” said Ben, when Nat backed away, having had enough of the battle.