“Hark!” cried Hiram suddenly, “what’s that?”
From somewhere near by, possibly from some bushes that grew further down the street came the sound of suppressed giggling and cat-calls. There was no doubt as to what excited the merriment of the unseen scoffers, nor was there, in fact, any difficulty in guessing their identity.
Rob hardly knew whether to laugh or be angry. Others of the Patrol had no such hesitancy.
“It’s that Max Ramsay crowd,” shouted Tubby angrily. “Come out here if you’re not cowards.”
A sound of scuffling and retreating footsteps followed this challenge.
“There they go,” shouted Hiram, “the sneaks!”
“Let’s capture some of them and make them pay dearly for those soapy stairs!” shouted Paul.
“What about it, Rob?” asked Merritt anxiously.
But Rob shook his head.
“Let them go,” he said. “None of us are hurt, and if they are mean enough to find satisfaction in such tricks, let them.”