"Maybe he won't speak, Sam. He was awful angry at us when he left the Hall."
"If he doesn't want to speak he can do the other thing," said the youngest Rover. "Perhaps he'll be glad to meet somebody in this out-of-the-way place."
They walked over to where Peter Slade stood and both spoke at once. The other lad was startled at first and then he scowled.
"Humph! you down here?" he said, shortly.
"Yes," answered Tom, pleasantly enough. "Did you just get in on the steamer?"
"I don't know as that is any of your business, Tom Rover!"
"It isn't, and if you don't want to speak civilly, Slade, you haven't got to speak at all," said Tom, and started to move away, followed by his brother.
"Say, did you meet Tad Sobber and his un" And then Peter Slade stopped short in some confusion.
"Did we meet who?" demanded Tom, wheeling around in some astonishment.
"Never mind," growled Peter Slade.
"Were they on the steamer?" asked Sam.
"I'm not saying anything about it."
"Look here, Slade, if they were on the steamer we want to know it," came from Tom.
