"Now you dare to come back!" said Dick, shaking his fist at the fellow. "If you come, I'll have you locked up."
"We'll see about it, Dick Rover," snarled Dan Baxter. He paused for an instant. "'He laughs best who laughs last,'" he muttered, and strode off as fast as his long legs would carry him, in the direction of the lake.
When Dick returned to Dora he found that the girl had sunk down on the piazza steps nearly overcome."
"Don't be afraid, Dora; he's gone," he said kindly.
"Oh, Dick, I'm so afraid of him!" she gasped.
"Was he here long before I came up?"
"About ten minutes. He brought a message from Mr. Crabtree, who wants to see me in Cedarville, I told him I wouldn't go — and I won't."
"I shouldn't either, Dora. Perhaps Crabtree only wants to get you away from the house so that he can come here and see your mother."
"I never thought of that."
"Where is your mother now?"
"Lying down with a headache. She is getting more nervous every day. I wish Mr. Crabtree was — was — "
"In Halifax, I suppose," finished Dick.
"Yes, or some other place as far off. Every time he comes near mamma she has the strangest spells!"
"He is a bad man — no doubt of it, Dora. I almost wish we had him back to the Hall. Then I could keep my eye on him."
"I'm glad you are back, Dick," said the girl softly. "If there is any trouble, you'll let me call on you, won't you?"
"I shall expect you to call on me, Dora — the very first thing," he returned promptly. "I wouldn't have anything happen to you or your mother for anything in the world."
By this time Sam and Tom were coming up, and they had to be told about Dan Baxter.
"He and his father are a team," said Sam. "I wonder if he knows what his father has done. If I meet him I'll ask him."
Dick had expected to pay his respects to Mrs. Stanhope, but now thought best not to disturb her. All the boys had a short chat with Dora, and then set out on the return to school.
On the way the three boys discussed the situation, but could get little satisfaction out of their talk.
"Something is in the wind," was Dick's comment. "But what it is time alone will reveal."
And he was right, as events in the near future proved.
CHAPTER XIII
THE FIRE AT THE HALL
Sam had been right when he said that Dan Baxter was like his father. Parent and son were thoroughly bad, but how bad the Rover boys and their friends were still to learn.
On Saturday the cadets had a half-holiday, and some of them went over to the lake to fish, Sam and Tom accompanying the party.
While the boys were waiting for bites they espied a large sail-boat skimming along the lake shore. As it came closer Tom and Sam were much astonished to see that the boat contained Dan Baxter, Josiah Crabtree, and Mumps.
"By jinks, there is Mumps' yacht!" ejaculated Tom. "How in the world did he get her up here?"
"Brought her by way of the canal and the river, I suppose," answered Sam.
"Hullo there!" called out Larry Colby, who was in the crowd. "Mumps, you might be in better company." "You keep your mouth shut!" retorted Fenwick.
"If you talk to me I'll come ashore and give you a thrashing," put in Baxter.
"I dare you to come ashore!" burst out Tom. "You'll stay where you are if you know when you are well off."
No more was said, and presently the boat sped out of sight around a bend of the lake shore. Fishing proved to be good, and in the excitement of the sport Baxter and the others were, for the time being, forgotten.
It was late when the boys packed up. Sam had six fish, Tom as many more, and all of the others a fair catch.
"We'll have fish to-morrow for breakfast, sure," said Larry. "Hurry up, or we'll be late."
The party started off, but had only gone a short distance when Sam remembered that he had left his knife sticking in the stump of a tree, and ran back to get it, in the meantime turning his fish over to Tom.
The fishing place was behind a grove of trees, and when Sam reached it again he was much surprised to see Dan Baxter on shore, he having just left the yacht, which was cruising some distance away.
"Hullo! so you came back to have it out with me, eh?" cried Baxter, and before Sam could say a word, he was hurled flat and the bully came down on top of him.
Sam fought bravely, but was no match for the big fellow, who began to hammer him unmercifully. Realizing how matters were turning, the youngest Rover began to cry for help.
"You shut up!" stormed Dan Baxter. "Shut up, or I'll give it to you worse than ever!"
But Sam had no intention of taking such a drubbing quietly, and he yelled louder than ever. His cries reached Tom, who had dropped behind to allow his brother to catch up.
"Something is wrong," he muttered, and hanging the fish on a bush, he ran back at the top of his speed.
Dan Baxter heard him coming and tried to get away, but as Tom called out, Sam's courage rose, and he grabbed the bully by the foot and held him.
"Let go!" roared Dan Baxter, but Sam would not, and in a second more Tom was at hand and hit the bully such a stinging blow in the face that Baxter went down in a heap.
A rough-and-tumble scrimmage ensued, and it must be said that the bully got by far the worst of it. Tom hit him again and again, and Sam also, and when at last he staggered to his feet one eye was almost closed and his nose was bleeding profusely.
"Now I guess you won't tackle any of us again," said Tom.
"I'll get even — mark my words!" roared Baxter, and ran down the lake shore in the direction the Falcon had taken.
When Baxter reached the yacht he was so weak he could scarcely stand. It was a long while before he could stop his nose from bleeding, and his eye stung with a pain that was maddening.
"Did little Sam Rover do that?" asked Mumps, while Josiah Crabtree looked on in curious silence.
"Sam Rover?" snorted Baxter. "Not much! Why, the whole crowd piled on me — six or seven of them at a time. They tried to kill me!"
"Didn't you defend yourself, Daniel?" asked Crabtree.
"Of course I did. I knocked two of them down and another fellow had two of his teeth broken. But I couldn't fight all six single-handed."
"Oh, I presume not — especially such brutes as Captain Putnam is now raising."
"It's a pity we can't get square with them," said Mumps.
"Oh, I'll get square! You just wait," answered the bully cunningly. "I'm not done with them yet by any means."
"What will you do?"
"Just you wait and see."
"I don't wish to have you interfere with our plans," put in Josiah Crabtree.
"I won't interfere with the other plans. But I am going to get square."
"We've had delay enough," continued Josiah Crabtree.
"Well,