"While we are waiting for Mr. Bissell, I should like to go up to his house and get my sister's valise, which she left there," said Paul to the coxswain of the Marian.
Dick consented, though he would not have permitted any of the crew to leave without a good reason for it while the Chesterfields were so near. Paul hastened up to the main street. He saw the institute students halt in the grounds of Major Billcord's mansion. They broke ranks, and the magnate was talking to them.
"I will give twenty-five dollars to any student or party of students that will capture that young scoundrel, Paul Bristol, and hand him over to me at Sandy Point." This was what the great man said to a group of half a dozen of the students.
The party in front of him promised to carry out his wishes if he would not mention the matter to the rest of the students.
CHAPTER XVII. THE MISSION OF THE SIX RUFFIANS.
Paul Bristol saw the conference between the six Chesterfield students and Major Billcord; but he could not hear what passed between them, and had no suspicion that he was the subject of remark. None of them saw Paul when he entered the gate to Mr. Bissell's premises, though his curiosity prompted him to stand there a few minutes to observe the proceedings of the party.
He expected to see nothing more than a sort of reception of the magnate, who was evidently to be their passenger to Sandy Point, and the students proposed to take him to the scene of the afternoon's sport in state. But Major Billcord appeared to have selected the six ruffians best suited to the undertaking in which they were to engage. He had called them aside, and made his offer to them.
Those who were near enough to the magnate to see his face could not help noticing that he had a pair of black eyes. In this respect he was the counterpart of his hopeful son, though the mourning of the latter was of a deeper shade than that of his father. The major had remained in his elegant mansion all the forenoon, for he was more modest in the display of the weeds under his eyes than he was of his person generally. Doubtless he had often looked in his lofty mirrors to observe the condition of his face.