"Aren't you afraid Plum will play some trick on you?" asked Phil, who saw the note delivered, and read it.
"I'll be on my guard," answered Dave. "I am not afraid of him, if it should come to an encounter between us."
Having put away his books, Dave sauntered down to the spot mentioned, which was behind a thick fringe of bushes. Plum was not yet there, but soon came up at a quick walk.
"I couldn't get away from Poole," explained the bully. "Are you alone?" and he gazed around anxiously.
"Yes, I am alone," answered Dave, coolly.
There was a silence, and each boy looked at the other. Dave's eyes were clear, but the bully's had something of the haunted in them.
"You said something about me last night," began Plum, lamely, "something about my being on the river."
"I am not going to answer that question just yet, Plum."
"Very well, you can think as you please. If you want to talk to me, very well; if not, I'll go back to the school," and Dave started to walk away.
"Hold on!" The bully caught the country boy by the arm. "If you saw me on the river, what else did you see?"
"You were following Shadow Hamilton in a boat."
"I wasn't--I didn't have anything to do with Hamilton. I--I didn't know he was out till afterwards," went on the bully, fiercely. "Don't you say such a thing--don't you dare!" His face was very white. "You are not going to get me into trouble!"
"N-no. I want to talk this over, Porter. I--that is--let us come to terms--that's the best way. It won't do you any good to try to get me into trouble. I--I haven't done anything wrong. I was out on the river by--by accident, that's all--got it into my head to have a lark that night, just as you went out for a lark last night."
"Well, what do you want to see me about, then?" questioned Dave. He could readily see that the bully had something on his mind which troubled him greatly.
"I think we might as well come to terms--you keep still and I'll keep still."
"Yes, but you might, later on, you know. I--that is, let us make a sure thing of this," stammered the bully.
"What are you driving at, Plum? Talk out straight."
"I will." The bully looked around, to make certain that nobody was within hearing distance. "You're a poor boy, Porter, aren't you?"