“Pep, this is a trick!” whispered the acrobatic youth. “Some of the fellows have followed us. Maybe they are going to initiate us in some new secret society.”
“By jinks, that’s so! Say, it would be great if we could get away from them!”
“Will you give up your pocketbooks?” demanded the first of the masked figures.
“Yes, and your red dancing-slippers,” added the second masked figure.
“Some of the cadets, beyond a doubt,” whispered Pepper. “Well, we’ve got no time for any initiations to-night.”
“Let’s pretend to submit,” answered Andy, in an equally low voice. “If I can only get this wheel pumped up it will be all right.” For the tire tape was now in place over the puncture.
“What say you?” demanded both figures, coming to a halt by the roadside, with clubs upraised.
“Let us mend this wheel first and we’ll do whatever you want,” answered Andy.
“It is well, proceed,” answered the leading masked person.
Andy already had his pocket-pump out, and he proceeded with all haste to pump up the tire. Then he put the pump back into his pocket.
“Take up your wheel,” he whispered. “Ride like mad when you get the chance. I am going to try to scare them.”
“The money!” roared one of the masked persons.
“Look! look!” screamed Andy, suddenly, and pointed into the woods. “The trees are on fire!”
The two masked figures wheeled around in fright. As they did this Andy and Pepper gave their wheels a push and leaped into the saddles. They pedalled with vigor and were soon fifty feet away.
“Come back! Come back!” yelled the two masked persons, in consternation.
“You’ll have to find somebody else to initiate,” added Pepper.
“Confound the luck!” muttered one of the masked figures.
“And I thought we had them prisoners,” added the second masked person.
Laughing merrily over their escape, Andy and Pepper continued on their way to Putnam Hall. The darkness of the night speedily hid the two masked figures from their view.
“Did you discover who they were?” questioned the acrobatic youth, as they came in sight of the school.
“No. First I thought one of the fellows was Bart Conners, but he didn’t talk much like Bart.”
“Their voices had a familiar tone to them.”
“Yes, I know that. Well, whoever they were, they got left this time.”