"Humph!"
"Going to cut a fearful swath, I presume," said Nat Poole, who was the bully's close crony.
Dave's face flushed. He had anticipated trouble, but had not expected it to come so soon. A sharp answer came to his lips, but he suppressed it and remained silent.
"Don't start in now, Plum!" cried Ben. "If you are going to the Hall say so and get in."
"I'll go to the Hall when I feel like it," growled the bully. It was plain to see that he was in an unusually bad humor.
"Well, we are not going to wait for you to make up your mind," said Shadow Hamilton. As we shall learn later, he had good reasons for counting Gus Plum his enemy. "Are you going, or are you not?"
"See here, Hamilton, you can't boss me!" roared the bully. "I'll get in when I please."
"The carryall has got to wait for us," added Nat Poole, maliciously. "Dr. Clay said we could come back in it."
"Then come on," said Sam Day.
"We are not through with our errands yet," answered Gus Plum, and winked in secret at his crony.