"Maybe some of our own fellows did it--some who didn't get an invitation to attend," suggested Chip.

"Would any one be so mean?" asked Buster.

"Some of them might be," murmured Gus.

"I didn't send you any word," went on Phil, in greater anger than ever.

"Well, I got word, and so did Professor Smuller. He was mad, too, because he lost another job taking yours."

"Why didn't you make sure the word was sent by Mr. Lawrence?" demanded Ben. "You could have done that easily enough."

"I didn't think that was necessary. This fellow said----"

"I tell you I didn't send word!" shouted Phil, growing more angry every instant. "You might have known it was a trick."

"Of course, he might have known," added Ben. He lowered his voice.

"Say, Phil, if he doesn't give us the supper make him give your money back."

"Sure he's got to give me the money back," cried the shipowner's son.

"See here, you can't bulldoze me!" cried the hotel proprietor. "I've had trouble enough as it is. I got ready for this spread and then you called it off, and you were mighty sa.s.sy about it, too. I've lost a lot of money."

A wordy war followed, lasting the best part of a half an hour. Through this it was learned that the hotel man had prepared for the spread, and so had the professor of music. Just after noon telephone messages had come in, calling the whole affair off. Some hot words had pa.s.sed over the wire, and the hotel man was considerably ruffled. The party talking to Jason Sparr had said that when the spread did come off it would be held elsewhere--intimating that a better place than his hotel could be found.

"It's all some trick, to get my business away from me!" stormed the hotel man. "I won't stand for it!"

"I didn't send the messages, and I either want the spread or I want my money back," declared Phil, stubbornly. And then more words followed, until it looked as if there might be a fight. Finally, in a rage, Jason Sparr ordered the students from his place.

"All right, we'll go, but you haven't heard the end of this!" cried Phil.

"You'll catch it, for treating us so meanly," added Ben.

"Don't you threaten me, or I'll have the law on you!" roared Jason Sparr.

"Perhaps I'll call on the law myself," answered Phil, and then, unable to control himself, he shook his fist at the hotel man. Then all the boys filed out of the place, some bystanders looking on in wonder.

"Well, what do you think of this!" cried Gus, when outside.

"Phil, I wouldn't say anything more just now--you are too excited,"

said Dave, catching his chum by the arm.

"Yes, but that fellow is as mean as--as dirt!" answered the shipowner's son.

"He hasn't any right to keep Phil's money," said one student.

"Then the feast is called off, is it?" said Buster, with something like a groan in his voice.

"And somebody is going to have the laugh on us!" added Shadow. "Say, this puts me in mind of a story," he added, brightening. "Once some boys were going----"

"Oh, stow it, Shadow!"

"This is no time for stories!"

"I'd rather go down to the cemetery and weep."

"n.o.body is going to have the laugh on me," cried Phil. "We'll get something somewhere."

"Right you are!" cried Dave. "I've got it!" he added. "Let us drive over to Rockville and get something at the hotel there. I know the proprietor and he's a nice man."

"Better telephone to him first and make sure," suggested Roger.

"I'll do it," said Phil.

The carryall was brought around again and all piled in and drove down to a drug store where there was a telephone booth. Into the booth went Phil, to communicate with the hotel in Rockville. He came out smiling.

"It's all fixed up and I guess we'll have something this time," he said. "But just wait; I'll fix that mean Jason Sparr, see if I don't!"

"It's quite a drive to Rockville," protested Horsehair, when they told the driver what was wanted.

"Never mind, it will do the horses good," cried Roger. "They are getting too fat standing still."

"Say, Phil," whispered Dave. "If you haven't got money enough along, I can let you have some."

"Good," was the whispered return. "I was going to speak of that, as soon as I got a chance."

The affair at the Oakdale hotel had put something of a damper on the crowd, and all the talk was of how Jason Sparr had acted and who had been mean enough to play such a trick.

"Maybe it was Nat Poole," said Chip.

"What makes you think that?" asked Phil.

"Oh, he is mean enough for anything."

"If Nat did this I'll--I'll mash him!" cried Phil, with energy.

"Can't you find out?" asked Roger.

"I'll try--but most likely the fellow who did it took care to cover up his tracks. Sparr didn't know where the messages came from."

On and on rolled the carryall, until the lights of Rockville appeared in the distance. By this time all of the students were decidedly hungry. They rolled up to the little hotel and those with horns gave a couple of shrill blasts.

This time there was a warm welcome by the host. He came out, bowing and smiling.

"Did the best I could for you, on such short notice," he said, as they entered. "Next time, if you'll only give me a little more time----"

"That's all right, let's have what you've got," cried Buster. He was hungry enough to eat anything.

They were ushered into what was usually the private dining-room of the little hostelry. The table had been spread out and was tastefully decorated with paper chrysanthemums, made by the hotel man's daughter.