CHAPTER XX ON BUTTERFLY ISLAND
"What's this?"
"Oh, I am stung!"
"It's a nest of hornets!"
"Let me get out of this!"
"Ouch! Wow! This is terrible!"
So the cries rang out, as the paper bag broke and the hornets' nest fellto the ground with a thump.
The hornets had been angry before, at being imprisoned, and now theshock evidently made them madder than ever. Out they swarmed about ReffRitter and his cronies, who slapped right and left to ward them off.
Ritter was stung on the nose and on the chin, and every one of the otherlads was attacked.
For several seconds the bewildered boys did not know what to do, andsimply made wild passes through the air at their enemies. Then, with oneaccord, they attempted to run away. In doing this Coulter bumped intoPaxton, and both went down and the hornets swarmed all around them.
"Let me get away!" screamed Gus Coulter. "I'll be stung to death!"
"Let me up!" shrieked Paxton. "I'm stung in the eye!"
"It's your hornets' nest!" growled Coulter, and getting up he went afterthe crowd, who were scattering in all directions.
It was certainly the liveliest time imaginable and Pepper and his chumsroared heartily as they saw the others doing their best to fight off thelittle pests. Fortunately the Ritter crowd did not come near them, sothey were not bothered at all by the hornets. Ritter ran for the lakeshore, and the whole crowd traveled nearly a quarter of a mile beforethey dared to halt, so thoroughly were they alarmed.
"Well, that's a case of the stinger getting stung!" was Andy's comment,after the excitement was over.
"I'll wager the Ritter crowd won't go back to finish that feast," camefrom Dale, with a grin.
"Too bad! So much good cake and stuff gone to waste!" said Stuffer, witha sigh.
"Go on back after it, Stuffer," said the young major. "I reckon theywill let you have the whole of it."
"Not on your life!" cried the lad who loved to eat. "Think I want anintroduction to those hornets? Besides, the stuff is all doctoredanyway."
As soon as the fun was over, Jack and Pepper and the others hurried backto camp and retired for the night. They did not, however, go to sleepbut kept their ears open for the return of Ritter and his cronies.
The bully's crowd came in about an hour later. To keep the stings fromhurting they had covered the spots with soft mud and so everyone was asight to behold. All grumbled a good deal under their breath.
"They'll be more hateful than ever now," was Andy's comment. "Betterwatch 'em."
"I intend to," answered Pepper.
On the following morning when Ritter and his cronies appeared at rollcall everybody else had to smile. The bully had a big swelling on hisnose and another on his chin. Coulter had a puffed-out cheek and Paxtonhad one eye closed. As they lined up for inspection The Imp could hardlykeep from roaring outright.
"Ritter, what is the matter with you?" asked George Strong, as he caughtsight of the bully's face.
"Some friends and I found a hornets' nest in the woods and the hornetsgot after us," was the answer.
"Is that so!" cried the teacher. "I am very sorry to hear it. Who elsewas stung?"
The bully gave the names.
"We have some salve you can put on the hurts," continued the teachersympathetically. "I will get it for you."
"Oh, we put salve on last night," said Ritter. "But maybe some more willhelp," he added quickly, for the stings were still painful.
Jack and the others had expected an open row with the bully and hiscohorts, but it did not come. As a matter of fact the crowd that hadbeen stung were so ashamed of their appearance that they did all theycould to keep out of sight. When it was off-time they got two boats androwed down the lake, to a refreshment resort at which they stoppedwhenever they got the chance.
"I'll get square, you mark my words," cried Reff Ritter, savagely, asall were waiting for ice-cream to be served.
"I don't understand how they got the hornets' nest," said Paxton.
"They made some kind of an exchange," said Coulter. "And we got it inthe neck!" he added, coarsely.
"Yes, and in the face and on our hands too," added another cadet, whohad a swollen forehead.
The cadets were about to leave the refreshment place when they saw acarriage approaching on the road which skirted the lake shore. Thecarriage contained Mr. and Mrs. Ford and their two daughters.
"Come on, we don't want to meet those folks," said Ritter.
"I am not afraid of them," said Paxton. "I'll get out when I feel likeit."
Some were for going and some were for staying, and the upshot of thematter was that Paxton and two others remained. Ritter, Coulter and therest rowed off down the lake.
When the Paxton crowd came back they were met by the others. Paxton wasexcited and looked at Ritter and Coulter knowingly.
"I've got a note for Major Ruddy," said one of the cadets, a lad namedWilbur who had only been at the school a short while. "That gentlemanwho stopped at the refreshment place gave it to me."
"What's it about?" asked Ritter, abruptly.
"I know," said Paxton quickly. "I'll tell you about it later."
As soon as the encampment grounds were reached Wilbur went off todeliver the note to Jack. Paxton called Ritter and Coulter to him, andthe three walked away to a spot where nobody could hear them.
"That note to Ruddy is an invitation for the Ruddy crowd to go on apicnic with the Fords," said Paxton. "I overheard the Fords mention itwhen Mr. Ford was writing the note."
"When and where?" demanded Ritter.
"They are going up to Butterfly Island day after to-morrow, directlyafter breakfast. They'll take lunch along and stay there until suppertime. They've invited Ruddy, Ditmore, Snow and Blackmore toparticipate."
"Butterfly Island, eh?" mused the bully.
"Yes. Say, why can't we go up there too and spoil the fun?" went onPaxton.
"That's the talk!" added Coulter.
"We can--if we can get away from the camp," answered Ritter. "Let uswatch our chance and see what we can do. How are they to go to theisland?"
"Mr. Ford is going to charter a launch, the _Emma_, and will stop herefor the others,--if they get permission to go."
"Oh, they'll get permission easily enough--Captain Putnam wouldn't careto offend such a rich man as Mr. Ford."
While this talk was going on the note was delivered to Jack. The youngmajor read it and then sought out his chums.
"Here's a chance for a fine outing!" cried Jack, and handed theinvitation around for inspection.
"If Captain Putnam will let us accept," said Pepper. "Let us go and askhim right now."
They soon found the head of the school and showed him the note.
"Yes, you may go," said he. "Only remember to be back by nightfall,--anddon't get into any mischief."
"We'll remember," said Andy.
"Don't stir up any hornets' nests, for instance," and Captain Putnamsmiled meaningly.
"We'll let hornets severely alone," answered Jack with a laugh.
Word was sent to the Fords that their kind invitation was accepted, andthen the four cadets waited impatiently for the time for the picnic toarrive. They went in undress uniform, and it is safe to say that neverdid four lads brush up more or pay more attention to their shoes,collars and ties.
"Jack is going to try to make the hit of his life," said Pepper, with agrin.
"You needn't say a word," was the answer, while the young major's facegrew red. "You're grooming up as much as anybody."
"Andy has fixed his collar four times," came from Dale. "Say, you keepon and you'll have it dirty before you start."
"Well, the collar doesn't fit the shirt-band!" growled the acrobaticyouth. "I never saw such a collar anyway!" And he threw it aside andadjusted a fresh one.
Promptly at the time appointed the launch _Emma_ appeared at a point ofthe shore near
the encampment. On board were the Ford family, and thegirls waved their handkerchiefs gaily at the cadets, who waved theircaps in return. Then the launch came closer and the boys clamberedaboard.
"Oh, I am so glad the weather is fair!" cried Laura, after the greetingswere over. "I thought last night it would rain!"
"We looked at the sky about every ten minutes," answered Pepper, andthis caused a laugh.
"Last night it looked as if we might not get here," said Mr. Ford. "Theengine of the launch broke down and the man had quite a time fixing it.But he finally got it to working."
"She don't work just right yet," put in the man who was running thecraft. "But I reckon I can fix her while you folks are having yourpicnic."
Butterfly Island was a narrow strip of land lying some distance from theeastern shore of Lake Caboy. It was a well-wooded spot and usedfrequently by Sunday schools and societies for picnic purposes. Mr. Fordhad learned that no picnic would be held that day, however, so theywould have the island to themselves.
"We'll camp out in regular hunter style," declared Flossie. "We broughta coffee pot and a frying pan, and you boys can build a big camp fire,and we'll set the table, and all that! Won't it be just too lovely foranything?" And her eyes beamed brightly.
The launch ran slowly and it was nearly an hour before the island wasreached. Then all went ashore, and the boys carried the things that hadbeen brought along to a spot the girls picked out. This was on a high,grassy knoll that overlooked the southern end of the lake.
While the Fords and the boys proceeded to make themselves at home, theman who owned the launch got to work to fix his motor. A fire was litand when it came lunch time the girls made hot coffee and fried somelake bass that had been caught that morning near the hotel. A tablecloth was spread out under the trees, and all sat around it and enjoyedthe coffee and fish, and the numerous good things brought along by theFords from the hotel.
"Say, Stuffer ought to see us now!" whispered Andy to Dale, whilemunching on a piece of cream cake. "Wouldn't he turn green with envy!"
"Yes, and what would Ritter and his crowd say?" answered Dale. "Nohornets' nest in this, eh?" And he smiled broadly.
When the meal was ready the man from the launch had been called up fromthe shore, and he was given his share of the good things and sat off byhimself to enjoy them. He said he had taken off a part of one of thecylinders of the launch and hoped, when he put it back, that the enginewould work better.
An hour was spent in eating, and then the man left the picnic ground toreturn to his work on the launch. The young folks cleared away theremains of the repast and then the boys invited the girls to take a walkcompletely around the island.
"Be careful and don't get into any trouble," said Mrs. Ford. "We'll stayhere until you return."
The path around the shore of Butterfly Island was rough, but the youngfolks did not mind this. Jack led the way, and he and the other cadetshelped the girls down and up the rocks, and "jumped" them over thehollows. All were in the best of spirits, and the woods rang withlaughter.
"Come on out to the headland," said Andy presently, and led the way to anarrow strip of land extending out into the lake for fully a hundredfeet. All followed and Andy was about to point out some object ofinterest when Pepper, who chanced to glance back, uttered a cry ofalarm.
The Putnam Hall Encampment; or, The Secret of the Old Mill Page 21