"Great!" cried Dave.
"Grand, if we can all square matters at home," Tom Reade nodded. "Well, fellows, you all know what we've got to do now. We'll meet again at this same place. All do your prettiest coaxing at home. It spoils the whole thing if anyone of us gets held up from the trip. Did you hear about Rip's pony, Dick?"
"Yes."
"Served him ri—-" began Greg Holmes, but stopped suddenly.
For Fred Ripley, turning the corner, saw Dick & Co., and carefully walked around them to avoid having to pass through the little crowd.
"Speaking of angels——-!" said Dave Darrin dryly.
"Don't tease him, Darry," urged Dick in a very low voice.
But Fred heard all their remarks. His fists clenched as he walked on with heightened color.
"It's just meat to them to see me so badly sold on the pony, and to know that my father ordered the animal shot and carted away!" muttered young Ripley fiercely. "Of course the whole town knows of it by this time. Prescott's muckers and a few others will be in high glee over my misfortune, but, anyway, I'll have the sympathy of all the decent people in Gridley!"
Fred's ears must have burned that night, however, for the majority of the Gridley boys were laughing over his poor trade in horse flesh.