"Why didn't you tell me, Pole?" demanded Judd. "If these fellahs are bad hurt …!"
"It was all my fault, Rube! Don't take it so much to heart," pleaded Pole, "The fellows are comin' along all right. Just plain knockouts, every one of 'em."
The appliance of water aided greatly in restoring the three bruised and battered highwaymen to their right senses.
Benz, when he came to, found only one eye ready for use. The other was swollen shut and one side of his nose felt like a small mountain. Potts groaned over a small lump behind his ear and Curns nursed a tender spot on his jaw.
"Gee!" said Potts, "You did that fast, Rube. Biff, bang, smash! and it was all over. I heard the biff and the bang but I felt the smash!"
"No more highway robberies for mine," groaned Curns.
Benz was too sore and disgusted to say a word. His latest plan had been a magnificent failure and Judd was more of a hero than ever.
"Did I say that fellow was slow?" said Benz to himself, "Well,—I take that much back. He's fast as greased lightning!"
"I'm sorry, fellahs," apologized Judd, brokenly. "I thought you were the real stuff; I hated to part with the money an',—an'—"
Here was an opening for Benz. He could not go back to college without some sort of an alibi.