Page:Dave Porter at Oak Hall.djvu/180

162 "Don't go in—yet," muttered the bully, who had had the gag removed.

"Why not?" asked the sneak, in surprise.

"They may—may laugh at us. I don't want to be laughed at."

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom, to try to get rid of this mess. Come along."

Macklin would have preferred going to bed, but he did not dare to refuse the bully's request. Both hurried to one of the bathrooms, and there the bully discovered that molasses and not tar had been used. At this he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew they wouldn't dare to use tar," he said, loftily, while washing the sticky stuff off.

"You're certainly lucky."

"You were a fool to do any work, Chip."

"Well, I didn't want to be killed."

"Rats! You give in too easily. I'm not afraid of that whole crowd," went on Gus Plum.

"I didn't do so very much. I only pretended to keep busy. They did most of the work."

"I shouldn't have lifted my hand, even if they had killed me! I hate them!" added the bully, fiercely.

"What are you going to do next?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll square up, don't you forget that!" was the bitter reply.