"Well, I heard that the military academy was rather hard up for pupils this term," answered Sam. "About a dozen of the sophs and juniors left, and the enrollment of freshmen was rather slim. I suppose on that account the authorities can't be overly particular as to who they take in."
"And of course Merwell and Jasniff had their sides of their stories to tell," said Dave. "You can be sure they didn't tell matters as Doctor Clay would have done."
"Or as we might have done--had we been asked," broke in Sam.
"Well, I hope you boys keep away from them when you get to school," said Laura.
"What do you suppose they are up to now, Dave?" asked the shipowner's son.
"I don't know, Phil; but from the look on Nat Poole's face I should think----" And then Dave stopped short.
"What?"
"Well, never mind now. I may be wrong, and there is no use of worrying. Come on, let us get to the Falls,--and try to forget that crowd." And so speaking, Dave started up the touring car he was running, and followed in the direction Pete Barnaby had taken, and Roger came after him.
The meeting at the tavern had disturbed all of the girls, and the boys had hard work trying to cheer them up and make them forget the unpleasant encounter. Everybody felt that there was "something in the air," but each person hated to mention it to the others.
Presently Dave reached the point where they would have to take to a side road that was deep with dust and hemmed in on both sides by rocks and bushes. Here, in the dust, could plainly be seen the marks of another automobile.
"Think they came this way, Dave?" questioned Sam.
"Yes,--although some other folks may be at the Falls on an outing."
"Oh, I hope we don't meet them again!" said Belle Endicott. The two machines were running slowly and close together.
They passed on around a long curve, and over a small hill, and then came in sight of the river, glistening in the sunshine between the trees. From a distance came the roar of the Falls, where a fairly large body of water rushed steadily over the rocks.
"Isn't it a shame that they are going to use the Falls for a mill!" said one of the girls.
"Well, this is a commercial age, and so one must expect those things," answered Dave. "But I shall hate to see the Falls used for business. They are so pretty."
There was another turn just ahead, and it was lucky for Dave that he was running slowly, for there, across the road, were placed several logs and dead limbs of trees. As it was, he ran directly on top of some of the tree limbs before he could come to a stop, and Roger, so close behind, had to turn into some bushes to avoid ramming the car in front.
"Well, of all things!" burst out Phil, while several of the girls screamed in fright.
"Who did this?" demanded the senator's son.
"It is easy to see who did it," answered Dave. "See the sign?" And he pointed to a big white card, tacked to a post propped up among the logs and tree limbs. On the card was painted, in red, the following:
THIS ROAD CLOSED
_By Order of Aaron Poole Pres. Eureka Paper Co._
"This is some of Nat's work!" burst out Phil. "That is why he was in such a hurry to get ahead of us."
"I believe you," answered Dave. "I was afraid he was up to some trick, but I didn't want to say anything about it until I was sure."
"But if Nat is guilty, how did he know we were coming here?" asked Roger.
"I guess I can explain that," said Ben. "I was talking to my cousin about it, down at the drug store. Just as we were coming out, after having some soda, I saw Nat behind one of the partitions. He must have heard all we said, and I suppose it made him mad to think we were going to have a good time, and that he wouldn't be in it."
"Exactly," returned Dave. "Just as he was mad when he wasn't invited to the party, and tried to spoil the ice-cream."
"Do you suppose they have a right to close the road?" questioned Roger.
"I don't know. I always thought this was a public highway."
"So it is," added Ben. "The paper company bought the ground on one side of the road but not on the other. I don't think they can stop us from going through, even though they may stop us from going down to the Falls."
"But if we can't go to the Falls, what is the use of keeping on this road?" asked Laura.
"We can go above the Falls, Laura," answered her brother. "There is a beautiful spot there called Lookout Point, where you can look out all over the valley."
The matter was talked over for a few minutes, and the boys decided to go ahead, to show that they considered that they had a right to use the road, even if they did not go down to the Falls. The roadway was cleared sufficiently to let the cars pass, and the power was turned on once again.
"Be careful, Dave, that you don't run into more trouble!" sang out Roger.
"I'll be on the lookout!" was the answer. "And you be prepared to stop quick, too, so as not to run into me."
"I'll drop back to a place of safety," returned the senator's son. "There is no use of keeping so close together, anyway."
The road wound in and out among the trees, and in some spots was so narrow that the boys had to run with great care, for fear of bumping into the stump of a tree or on the rocks, or switching into some low-hanging branch. Dave had his foot on the brake, ready to stop quickly, should it become necessary to do so.
"Hi, there! Stop! Don't you dare to come any further!"
The call was an unexpected one, coming just as the leading automobile hove in sight of the Falls. Dave saw Nat Poole hurrying towards him, followed by Merwell and Jasniff. Pete Barnaby was nowhere in sight, and the marks on the narrow road told that his racing car had gone on ahead.
"What do you want, Nat?" asked Dave, as coolly as he could, having brought his machine to a standstill.
"Can't you read, Dave Porter?" fumed the son of the Crumville money-lender.
"Certainly I can read."
"Well, then, what are you doing on this road? You know it is closed. You haven't any right on it at all--you or anybody else. You turn around and go back, just as quick as you can."
"This is a public road, Nat Poole!" cried Ben. "You hadn't any right to put up that sign."
"Humph! A lot you know about it, Ben Basswood! This is my father's land, and I reckon he knows his rights. You are not going down to the Falls to-day to have your picnic." And Nat's small eyes gleamed maliciously.
"We don't intend to go down to the Falls,--now that we know how matters stand," said Dave. "But we are going through on this road."
"Not much you ain't--not another step!" roared Nat.
"That's right, Nat, make 'em keep off your property," put in Link Merwell.
"Show 'em that you won't allow a poorhouse nobody to dictate to you," added Nick Jasniff, but in such a low voice that Dave did not catch all he said.
"I said we were going through on this road--and we are," answered Dave, calmly, and he started to turn on the power again. As he did this Nat Poole leaped to the road directly in front of the touring car, and Jasniff and Merwell followed suit.