"If any of 'em chase me, I can make a quick dash for the road and they won't dare follow me there.

They'd be afraid of running into other people." So Ted even dallied for a while.

Some of the angry words uttered reached his ears and delighted him.
"Hi Martin is hot with wrath, and I'm glad of it," chuckled Ted to himself.

"So he thought I'd spare him, did he! Huh! The next time he'd better be a little more careful over his remarks about 'mucker' schools!" Then Ted walked on again leisurely.
"I believe I'll let these fellows stay here until about dark, hunting for their clothes, and not finding 'em," reflected Teall.
"Then I'll have Ed Payne drop around and tell 'em just where to look.

They can't thump Payne, for he won't be guilty of anything but helping 'em.