"Oh, Mr. Anderson, please don't get into a quarrel!" pleaded one of the girls.
"Well, those rowdies deserve a thrashing," answered Anderson. He was a big fellow, with rather a hard look on his face.
"Thank you, but we are not rowdies," retorted Roger. "We were having a little fun and did not dream of striking you with the snowball."
"If you know anything about the river, you know ice-boats and skaters rarely if ever come this way," added Phil. "The ice around here is always full of air-holes and consequently dangerous."
"Oh, you haven't got to teach me where to go," growled Anderson.
"I'm only stating a fact."
"The ice is certainly not very nice around here," said one of the girls. "Perhaps we might have gotten into a hole even if the big snowball hadn't struck us."
At this remark Dave and his chums gave the girl a grateful look. The cadets were annoyed, and one whispered something to the other.
"You fellows get to work and fix the ice-boat," said Cabot.
"And do it quick, too," added Anderson.
"I—I think I'll walk the rest of the way home," said one of the girls. "Will you come along, Vera?"
