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 of the club; and Joe and his friends turned about to see the referee perched upon a dry-goods box.

"Young gentlemen," said he, as the boys gathered around him, "the contestants in the paddle race will go over the course again this afternoon, one hour after lunch. They will be the same as before, with the exception of Frank Noble and Thomas Bigden, whom I am compelled to bar out. It is exceedingly unpleasant to me to be obliged to render this decision, but the rules under which your sports are conducted leave me no alternative."

"What do you think of that, fellows?" said Arthur Hastings. "If Bigden isn't satisfied now that he can't run this club to suit his own ideas, I shall always think he ought to be."

"Well, Noble," said Prime. "You're done for at last. You are ruled out of every thing. What are you going to do?"

"What are you going to do?" asked Frank in reply.

"I? Nothing at all. What can I do?"

"You can go home with me, can't you?"

"Eh? Well—yes; I suppose I could, but I