That day came a welcome letter from Phil Lawrence. He was getting better rapidly now and expected to come back to Oak Hall in a few weeks.
"This is glorious news!" cried Dave. "Poor Phil! How he has suffered!"
"And all for the glory of a football game," answered Roger. "Pretty rough sport, no mistake about it."
"Well, that's what makes it exciting," said Buster Beggs.
"Which puts me in mind of a story," came from Shadow. "A boy went to the country for his health. After he had been there a week he wrote to his mother: 'Having dead loads of fun. Fell from the cherry tree and sprained my wrist, had the bull horn me over a fence, got sick eating green apples, and yesterday, when I fell in the well, I lost the dollar pop gave me. Send another dollar and it will be all right.'" And the usual short laugh went up.
On Monday came in news that Pud Frodel had been captured. It was also learned that Nick Jasniff had sneaked on board of a steamer and sailed for Europe. The next day Gus Plum received a letter which he showed to the doctor and to Dave. It ran in part as follows:
"You were a fool to go back on me. If you had stuck to me we could have made a lot of money. They are after both of the men, so I am going to clear out. I've got several hundred dollars and I expect to have a good time in Europe on it."
This communication was unsigned but was in Nick Jasniff's handwriting. Gus Plum shivered as he perused it.