Led by Koswell, who was a thoroughly bad egg, the three last-named students had tried to get the Rover boys into trouble, and had succeeded.

But they overreached themselves and were exposed, and in sheer fright Koswell and Larkspur ran away and refused to return.

Dudd Flockley was repentant and was given another chance.
While on the hunt for Mrs.Stanhope, the Rovers had fallen in with Koswell and Larkspur.

But instead of getting aid from the pair, the latter did what they could to help old Crabtree and Sobber.

This brought on a fight, and Koswell and Larkspur received a thrashing they would long remember.