can get one like it for twelve,” said Stuffer. “Same size and make.”
“Humph!”
“I don’t think it is broken,” said Jack, looking the box over.
“I heard something crack.”
“Maybe it was the glass plate. The lens and shutter are certainly O. K., and the box is tight too. One leg of the tripod is broken though.”
“Pepper Ditmore has got to pay for this,” came firmly from Dan Baxter.
“That’s right, don’t let him crawl out of it,” put in Gus Coulter.
“He’s too smart altogether,” added Nick Paxton.
“See here, Coulter, don’t you put in your oar,” cried Pepper. “If you do, I’ll give you what I gave you before.” And then Gus Coulter slunk back, for he had not forgotten the drubbing Pepper had administered but a few weeks previous.
“Are you going to pay for the damage done or not?” demanded Dan Baxter.
“I shall certainly pay,” said Pepper, promptly. “Let me have the camera and I’ll get it fixed. Or you can have it fixed and have the bill sent to me.”
“We’ll all pay the bill,” cried Jack. “I think I am as much to blame as Pep.”
“So am I,” added Andy, and many of the others who had been playing snap-the-whip said the same.
“I am not going to let you have my camera,” said Dan Baxter, sulkily. “I’ll get it mended as it should be.” He paused a moment. “But I ain’t going to let you knock me down for nothing.”
“As I explained, it was an accident, Dan.”
“Humph! You ought to be made to apologize,” growled the bully. He would have attacked Pepper, only he realized that the lad had too many friends around.
A war of words followed, lasting several minutes. Then of a sudden one of the boys let out a low whistle.
“Five minutes over time, fellows. We must get back to the Hall!”
“Five minutes late!” came the cry. “This won’t do at all! Come on and get back!”
And then the majority ran off, leaving Pepper and Jack with Dan Baxter and Gus Coulter.
“I’ve got to get back to the Hall, Baxter,” said Pepper. “But I’ll settle to-morrow.”
“Yes – for I’ll make you settle,” answered the bully, meaningly. “I’ve stood all I’m going to stand from you and your cronies.”
So speaking the bully picked up his camera and hurried away, followed by Gus Coulter with the case containing the plates.
“I am sorry this happened,” observed Jack, as he and Pepper ran for the mess-hall. “This will make Baxter more down on us than ever.”
“I couldn’t help it, Jack. I did what I could to steer clear of the bushes. I didn’t want to scratch my face, and I didn’t know he was back there out of sight.”
When Jack and Pepper reached the Hall they were met by Josiah Crabtree, who viewed them sternly.
“What is the meaning of this, Major Ruddy?” demanded the first assistant teacher. “You are setting a bad example for those under you.”
“We had a little trouble on the ice,” answered Jack. “Pepper fell down and knocked over Dan Baxter’s camera, and we had to straighten matters out.”
“Humph! See that you are not late again,” muttered the teacher, and passed on.
“Phew! we got off easily that time,” exclaimed Pepper, in a low tone. “He must have something else to attend to,” and in this surmise the youth was correct.
A drum was already rolling, and the boys were hurrying to the parade ground. Jack dashed in and got his sword, and Pepper got his gun, and both hurried to the parade ground.
“Battalion, attention!” commanded the youthful major, and soon the cadets were in line. Then came a short drill, followed by the order to march. The drums sounded out, the fifes struck up a lively air, and around the parade ground went the cadets, and at last marched into the mess-hall, where they all sat down to a plain but substantial supper.
During the meal Pepper and Jack saw Dan Baxter scowl at them, and both felt that the bully “had it in for them.”
“He is bound to get square,” said Jack. “Pep, we must keep our eyes peeled.”
After supper the boys had an hour off. Some spent the time in the library reading, while others drifted into the gymnasium.
Jack had some studies to attend to, and went to an open classroom. Pepper walked to the gymnasium, accompanied by Andy Snow.
Both boys were soon exercising on the rings, and Andy showed what he could do on a turning bar, – doing the “giant swing” and other difficult feats.
While they were exercising, Mumps, the toady to Dan Baxter, came in, followed by a new student named Reff Ritter.
Reff Ritter was a youth who had a very high opinion of himself. His parents were fairly well off and the boy had traveled a good deal in foreign countries. Reff had an idea that he could do almost anything, and he loved to boast of his ability and also to boast of where he had been and what he had seen. A few of the boys, including Mumps, toadied to him, but the majority voted the newcomer “a pill.” He had tried to become friendly with Jack and Pepper, but both had tired of his everlasting boastings.
“Are you a gymnast?” asked Mumps, as he and Reff Ritter came to a halt close to where Andy and Pepper were practicing.
“Oh, yes, certainly!” exclaimed Ritter, in a loud voice. “I took some lessons in New York and I finished up while I was in London and Berlin. A German instructor – one of the Turn-verein men – taught me a lot of tricks.”
“What do you think of that?” went on Mumps, as Andy made a swing on the rings.
“Fair, only fair,” drawled Reff Ritter. “Not at all graceful. Now when I was stopping at Madrid, there was a Spaniard there who showed me how to do a turn like that, and it was perfection, I can assure you.”
Andy heard the remark, and it made his ears tingle. He gave a swing and landed on the floor in front of Ritter and Mumps.
“I’d like to see that Spanish swing you just mentioned,” he said, coldly.
“Humph! I didn’t – er – calculate to do anything in the way of gymnastics this evening,” stammered Reff Ritter.
“Maybe you are afraid to try,” went on Andy, pointedly.
“Not at all! not at all!” exclaimed the new student. “I’ll show you how to do it if you want me to.”
He took off his coat and vest and also his collar and tie. Then he leaped up on the rings and began to swing.
“Here goes!” he called out, and made the turn, while a small crowd began to gather.
“Good!
