The first-year lads had hoped to keep Ned a prisoner
until the affair was at an end, but, it developed, there was a
misunderstanding in the plans of the conspirators, and those boys who
were supposed to be left to guard the prisoner, went away, giving Ned a
chance to escape. But the contest with the older students gave the
first-years chance enough to crow, and they lost no opportunity to do so.
"What'll we do to pay 'em back?" asked Ned of Bart at the noon recess.
"They're making all sorts of fun of us."
"Let 'em laugh. Our turn will come sooner or later."
Frank joined his chums that afternoon, when school had closed for the
day, and all went swimming. There was quite a crowd of pupils at the
river, including a number of the Upside Down boys, and there were several
rather warm discussions among the members of the rival factions. Once or
twice it looked as if there might be fights. Lem Gordon, in particular,
was much incensed at the action of the first-years, and when Richard
Kirk, a member of the Upside Down Club, taunted Lem with belonging to the
side that lost in the Saturday night struggle, Lem advanced toward
Richard and acted as though he was going to strike him.
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