“Why don’t you?” demanded Paul and Jerry, throwing themselves between the hulking bully who overtopped their chum by three or four inches.
“What are you doing in this? Get out of my way!” snarled Snooks.
But the two boys refused to budge and, realizing that he would not be a match for the pair of them, the bully skated away, growling to himself.
In the meantime, Elmer had gotten to his feet.
“I’ll fix you for this, you see if I don’t!” he snarled with a look of fierce hatred at the boy who had knocked him down.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you, Elmer. You only got what you deserved!” returned Paul. “Come on, Harry, if we’re going to have our sail on the Lightning, we’ve got to hurry.”
“Much obliged—but I don’t think I’ll go this afternoon,” exclaimed our hero; and despite the protests of his chums, he skated to the shore and then for home.
CHAPTER XXII—DARK DAYS
On his way to his aunt’s house, Harry met Jed Brown, hobbling along, a valise in his hand.
One look at the boy’s white face told the veteran that some new trouble had come to him, and he solicitously inquired its cause.