“I don’t know how good a guesser I am,” he laughed, as he held out a hand to each, “but I’ll bet you fellows are going to Rally Hall.”
“Guessed it right, the first time,” smiled Fred, as he and Teddy grasped the extended hands.
“Good,” was the answer. “Then we’re fellow sufferers, and we’d better get acquainted right away. Melvin Granger is my handle. What are the names you fellows go by?
“Brothers, eh?” he went on, when the boys had introduced themselves. “That’s dandy. It won’t be half as lonesome for you at the start as it would be if either of you came alone. Still, there’s a bunch of good fellows here, and it won’t be long before you’ll feel at home. I think you’ll like them, most of them, that is. Of course, there is, here and there, an exception—”
He paused just here to nod carelessly to a passer-by.
“How are you, Shanks?” he said indifferently.
The boys followed the direction of his glance, and Teddy clutched Fred’s arm.
“Why!” he exclaimed, “that’s the fellow we had the scrap with on the train.”
“Scrap,” repeated Granger, laughing. “Well, I don’t wonder. Scrap is Andy’s middle name. He,” and his eyes twinkled, “he’s one of the ‘exceptions’ I just mentioned.”