to get up that report!” cried Pepper. “He would do anything to get our crowd into trouble.”
“I know it,” said Grenwood, who had once suffered greatly at the hands of the bully, as I have related in detail in “The Putnam Hall Rebellion.”
“We’ll have to watch Ritter as closely as we ever did,” said Jack. “The trouble he got into a few weeks ago doesn’t seem to have made him a bit better than he was before.”
Ordinarily the clapper incident would have been the main topic of conversation among the cadets. But the announcement that the term encampment was to start in the near future turned the thoughts of the students in that direction.
“We’ll have the time of our lives,” declared Andy. “Just think of the fine swimming and fishing!”
“And no lessons!” put in Dale.
“And the baseball and track athletics!” said Stuffer.
“Thought you were going to say the eating,” came slyly from Pepper. “When we talk about going camping you usually talk grub the first thing.”
“Oh, of course, I expect to have plenty to eat,” added Stuffer hastily.
“I know one thing will happen during the encampment,” said one of the other cadets.
“What’s that?” asked Dale.
“There will be more or less hazing.”
“Right you are.”
“We ought to haze Ritter & Company,” cried Pepper. “They richly deserve it.”
“Right you are!” cried several.
“Maybe Ritter & Company will try to haze us,” said Fred.
“All right, let them try it,” answered Andy.
“I reckon we can give them as good as they send, every time!”
CHAPTER VII
WHAT THE GIRLS HAD TO TELL
“What do you say, Jack, to a spin on our wheels?”
“That suits me, Pepper. Shall we go alone, or ask some of the others?”
“I have already asked Andy and Dale.”
“Good enough.”
It was after school hours and still light. As the cadets had good bicycles they often took rides up and down the lake road, or out in the country back of Cedarville.
All of the cadets were soon ready for the spin, and off they went, Jack and Pepper abreast, with Andy and Dale close behind.
“Want a race?” asked Andy. “I feel as if I could ride like the wind.”
“Well, I’ll go you!” cried Pepper.
“I’m not stripped for racing, but I’ll join in for the fun of it,” said Dale.
“So will I,” added the young major.
Coming to a smooth portion of the road the four bicycle riders drew up abreast.
“How far is this race to be?” questioned Dale.
“Oh, to Boston and back,” cried Pepper, with a grin.
“Make it Hong Kong while you are at it,” added Jack gaily.
“We’ll race to the old white post,” said Andy. “That’s a mile and a half from here.”
“Done!” cried the others.
“All ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then go!”
Off shot the four cadets, keeping abreast for a distant of several rods. Then Andy pedalled to the front.
“Here is where I bid you good-bye!” sang out the acrobatic youth.
“Not much you don’t!” answered Pepper, and commenced to push on his pedals harder than ever. He soon ranged alongside of Andy, and away they went, side by side, with Dale and Jack dropping further and further behind.
“I can’t make time in this uniform,” said the young major. “Let them race it out.”
“Just what I say,” answered Dale. “I hate to get in a perspiration right before supper anyway.”
On and on went Andy and Pepper. The road was in excellent condition and so were the cadets. Each lad rode well and it remained a question as to who would come in ahead.
Half the distance to the post had been covered when the racers reached a turn. Around this they sped, and as they did so an unexpected scream reached their ears. It came from two girls in a buggy.
“Don’t run us down!” came the cry. And then the cadets saw that the girls had been in the act of turning their buggy around and that the turnout completely filled the road.
There was but one thing to do and that was to turn aside. Andy went to the right and Pepper to the left, and each brought up rather suddenly in a clump of bushes. Andy flew over his handle bars, and it was only his acrobatic agility that saved him from being seriously hurt.
Both of the girls screamed again, this time louder than ever.
“They are killed!” moaned one.
“Oh, how dreadful!” came from the other.
“It’s our fault, Flossie!”
“I know it, Laura!”
Their horse, greatly startled by the sudden appearance of the bicyclists, had begun to rear and plunge and for the moment the girls had to give all their attention to the animal in an effort to quiet it.
“Why, it’s Pepper Ditmore!” cried the older girl, as The Imp arose to his feet from the bushes.
“And Andy Snow,” added the other girl.
Still somewhat dazed the cadets looked again at the girls and now recognized two old acquaintances, Laura and Flossie Ford. They were the daughters of Rossmore Ford, a rich gentleman who had a fine summer home on a point of the lake shore. As related in “The Putnam Hall Cadets,” Andy, Jack and Pepper had once saved Laura and Flossie from drowning, and for this brave act the Fords were extremely grateful.
“How do you do, girls!” cried Pepper, with a grim smile.
“Oh, Pepper are you hurt?” queried Laura anxiously.
“Not much, scratched a little, that’s all.”
“And what of you, Andy?” questioned Flossie.
“Got a few bush leaves down my neck, that’s all,” answered Andy. His wrist was a good deal scratched but he kept it out of sight, not wishing to alarm the girls still more.
“Can
