“Not a bit of ‘em.”
“Or mumps? Tell me, now, she really hasn’t got the mumps, has she?”
“See here, Master Tom, didn’t I jest tell you—”
“No, you didn’t tell me, and that’s why I’m so anxious to know. If she’s got the mumps, and the chilblains, and the ingrowing warts—”
“Oh, crickey! I knew it!” groaned Peleg Snuggers. “I says to myself as I was a-drivin’ over, ‘if thet Tom Rover comes back, I might as well throw up my job, for he won’t give nobody a rest!’ If you would only—”
“All right, Peleg, I see you are really and truly bound to go back on me. You hate me!” Tom drew his handkerchief from his pocket. “It is awful, after all I have tried to do for you in the past. I’ve got to— to—cry! Boo—hoo!” And the boy began to wipe his eyes.
“Look a-here, Master Tom, it ain’t nothin’ to cry about,” said Peleg half suspiciously. “I only give you warnin’—”
“You are so—so hard-hearted, Peleg. Boohoo! I want to go back home!” And Tom began to sob.
This was too much for the driver, and his face fell.
“Don’t you mind me, Master Tom,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean nothin’, indeed, I didn’t. You’re all right. I like you better’n any of ‘em.”
“Oh, dear!” burst out Larry Colby. “Just to hear that!”
“Peleg, have you gone back on us?” demanded George Granbury.
“He ought to have a ducking for that,” put in another.
“Let’s dump him into the lake!”
“Come on, a cold bath will do him good!”
“No! no! Oh, crickey!” groaned the driver of the carryall. “This is a mess! I—I didn’t mean nuthin’, gents, indeed, I didn’t—”
“He’s mean enough for anything, that’s what he means,” came from a voice in the rear. “Pile in, before he runs away, and leaves us to walk to the Hall!” And into the carryall the boys tumbled, one over another. Dick got a seat beside the driver, and away they went at a spanking gait, through Cedarville, and then along the winding road leading to the academy. Two or three of the cadets had brought tin horns with them, and they made the welkin ring as the turnout dashed on its way.
“A ginger-snap prize to the first fellow who spots the academy,” cried Sam, as they made the last turn in the highway.
“I see the Hall!” shouted half a dozen voices in chorus. And in a few seconds they came out into full view of the broad brick and stone building, with its well-kept parade ground, and its trees and shrubbery. The parade ground came down to the edge of the wagon road, and off to the other side the land sloped gradually down to the lake, glistening like a sheet of gold in the rays of the setting sun.
The boys set up a loud shout and a wild blowing of horns, and in a moment a score of cadets came running forward to greet them, followed by Captain Victor Putnam, the master of the academy, and George Strong, his head assistant.
“I am glad to see you, young gentlemen,” said Captain Putnam, as he shook one and another by the hand. “You look as if your vacation had done you good.”
“It’s done me a pile of good,” said Sam. “But I don’t know as I want another like it.”
“You Rover boys have certainly had some remarkable experiences,” continued the captain. “I congratulate you on escaping so many grave perils. Sometime you must give me all the particulars. But now it is time to prepare for supper. I dare say the trip on the lake has made you hungry.”
“Dot is so,” came from Hans Mueller. “I vos so hungry like four lions alretty.”
“I have made some slight changes in your sleeping accommodations,” went on Captain Putnam. “Mr. Strong will show you to your rooms.” Then the boys marched into the academy, led by the head assistant.
The majority of the cadets had their dormitories on the second floor of the building. Each room held from four to eight students, and was both bright and clean. The rules of Putnam Hall were similar to those in force at West Point, and every pupil was expected to keep his clothing, his books, and his other possessions in perfect order. Each had a cot, a chair, and a clothes closet to himself, extra closets having been introduced in the rooms for that purpose, and each was allowed the use of his trunk in addition. Each cadet had to take his turn at keeping the room in order, although the dormitories were given a regular sweeping and cleaning once a week by the servants.
As before, the Rover boys were placed in one room, and into this came also Larry Colby, Fred Garrison, and George Granbury. The apartment was at an angle of the building, and next to it was another occupied by Songbird Powell, Tubbs, Hans, and three other cadets. Between the two rooms was a door, but this was closed, and was supposed to be kept locked.
“This makes one feel like home,” said Sam, as he began to wash up for supper.
“Right you are,” answered Larry Colby. “No matter where I go during a vacation, I am always glad to get back to Putnam Hall.”
A little later came the evening parade of the cadets, who marched around the parade ground several times before entering the messroom, as the dining hall was termed. The late arrivals did not join in the parade, but they watched it with interest, and then hurried to their accustomed places at the long tables, where a plain, but substantial supper awaited them.
Only a little talking was allowed throughout the meal, but at its conclusion the cadets were given an hour off, in which time they could do very much as they pleased. In that hour some played games, others took walks, and not a few drifted over to the gymnasium, which stood at one corner of the grounds.
“I’m going over to the gym,” said Dick to Larry Colby. “Want to go along?”
“Certainly,” was the prompt answer. “I am going in for gymnastics this term, Dick.”
“Want to win some of the prizes when we have our contests?”
“If I can.”
“I don’t see why you shouldn’t, Larry. You seem to be in first-class shape physically.”
“I am going to try hard, Dick.”
They were soon in the building, and Larry slipped off to the dressing room to don his gymnasium suit.
While Dick was waiting for his friend to reappear he looked on at the efforts of the other cadets present. Some were on the rings and bars, others were using the parallel bars and horses, and still others were at the pulling and lifting machines. In one corner two of the boys were boxing, while another was hammering a punching bag as hard as he could.
The boy at the punching bag was a tall, big-boned youth, named Lew Flapp. He was a newcomer at Putnam Hall, but though he had been there but three weeks he acted as if half of the place already belonged to him. At the start, he had made a few friends, principally on account of the money he had to spend, but these were gradually deserting him.
Dick was interested in the work on the punching bag, and he walked closer to note what Lew Flapp was doing. Clap! clap! clap! went Flapp’s fists on the bag, which bounced back and forth with great rapidity.
“Well, how do you like that?” asked Lew Flapp, as he paused in his exercise and stared at Dick.
“It’s all right,” answered Dick briefly.
“I’ll bet there ain’t another cadet here can do as well,” went on Lew Flapp boastfully.
“Oh, that’s saying a good deal,” said Dick. “Some of the boys can hit the bag pretty well.”
“Humph!” Lew Flapp stared at the eldest Rover harder than ever. “Perhaps you think you can do it,” he sneered.
“I didn’t say that.”
“But your words implied it.”
“Dick Rover can do every bit as well,” said a cadet who overheard the talk.
“I want to see him do it.”
“I didn’t come here to punch the bag,” said Dick as calmly as ever. “I just thought I’d take a look around.”
“Hump
h! Afraid to try, eh?”
“Oh, no.”
“I dare you to show what you can do,” sneered Lew Flapp.
“Very well, I’ll show you,” came from Dick, and he began to take off his coat, collar, and tie.
CHAPTER VIII
A SCENE IN THE GYMNASIUM
Lew Flapp spoke in such a loud, overbearing voice that a crowd began to collect in the corner where the punching apparatus was located.
“What’s up?” asked more than one cadet.
“Lew Flapp and Dick Rover are going to try to beat each other at punching the bag,” was the report.
“Rover will have to do his best then. Flapp is a prime one at bag punching. It’s about the only thing he can do real well.”
“This isn’t a fair contest,” put in another student. “Flapp took lessons from a man who used to do bag-punching on the vaudeville stage.”
“If that’s so I wouldn’t try to beat him, if I was Dick Rover.”
Dick heard some of this talk but said nothing. He was soon ready for the trial, and stepping up to the punching bag he began to undo the top strap.
“That bag is all right,” blustered Lew Flapp.
“Yes—for you,” answered Dick. “But you must remember, I am not quite so tall. I must have it an inch lower.”
“It seems to me you are mighty particular.”
“I have a right to be. When you do your punching you can raise the bag as high as you please.”
“That’s the talk,” came from several standing near.
By this time Larry was on the floor again, and he came up to learn what Dick was doing.
“Dick, they tell me he is the best bag-puncher here,” whispered Larry.
“I can’t help it.”
“He will crow over you if you don’t do as well as he can do.”
“Let him.”
Dick began his punching exercise slowly, for he had not tried it for some time, and was afraid he was a little stiff. But, it may be added here, there was a punching bag in the barn at the Rovers’ farm, so the youth knew exactly what he was doing.
“Oh, anybody can do that,” remarked Lew Flapp presently. “That’s as simple as A. B. C.”
“Well, can you do this?” returned Dick, and branched off into something a trifle more difficult.
“To be sure I can.”
“Then what about this?” and now Dick settled down to some real work. Clap! clap! went the bag, this way and that.
“Yes, I can do that, too,” answered the tall boy.
“I’d like to see you.”
Lew Flapp was only too anxious to show his skill, and having adjusted the bag to suit him, he went at the work once again, doing just what Dick had done.
“Now do this!” he cried, and gave a performance of his most difficult exercise. It was certainly well executed and at the conclusion many of the cadets began to applaud.
“Dick Rover will have to hump himself to do that,” remarked one.
“I don’t believe he can touch it,” said another.
With care Dick fixed the bag and went at the exercise. It was something he had not practiced for a considerable time, yet he did not miss a stroke, and he wound up with a speed fully equal to that exhibited by his opponent.
“Good for you, Dick!” cried Larry heartily.
“They’ll have to call it a tie,” suggested another cadet.
“I’m not done yet,” said Dick. “Can you do this?” he asked of Lew Flapp, and then commenced an exercise he had learned some time before, from a boxing instructor. It was full of intricate movements, all executed so rapidly that the eye could scarcely follow them. The cadets looked on in wonder, Lew Flapp staring angrily at the performance.
“Wonderful!”
“I didn’t know Dick Rover could do such punching!”
“Say, Flapp, you’ll have to get up early in the morning to beat that.”
“Oh, you shut your mouth!” retorted Lew Flapp angrily. “I can do ten times better, if I want to.”
“Let us see you.”
“I—I—I’m in no condition to go ahead just now. Remember, I was punching the bag for an hour before Rover got here.”
“How can that be, when all of us just came from the mess hall?” questioned Larry.
“He’s trying to sneak out of the trial,” said a voice in the rear of the crowd.
“I’ll sneak you!” roared Lew Flap, in a rage. “I want you all to know that I ain’t afraid of Dick Rover, or anybody else.”
“Do you want the trial to continue?” questioned Dick, in an even tone.
“Didn’t I just say I was tired out? But I’ll show you what I can do some time,” blustered Lew Flapp.
“Oh; all right.”
“You needn’t think you’re king-pin of the punching bag,” went on the tall boy, who had lost control of his temper because of the exhibition.
“Thank you, Flapp, what I think and what I don’t think isn’t any of your business.”
“Pooh! I’ve heard about you and your two brothers, Dick Rover. They tell all sorts of stories about you, but I don’t believe the half of them.”
“Come, come, what’s the use of quarreling,” put in Larry pleasantly.
“I’m sure I don’t want to quarrel,” answered Dick. “He challenged me to punch the bag against him, and I did so, that’s all.”
“You’re dead stuck on yourself, Rover,” went on Lew Flapp slangily. “You think you’re the only toad in the puddle. But you ain’t, let me tell you that. As soon as I heard about you, I made up my mind I wouldn’t knuckle under to you.”
“This isn’t right!” cried Larry. “Dick is my friend, and let me say he never asks any cadet to knuckle under to him, unless the cadet did something that wasn’t on the level.”
“That’s true! That’s true!” came from half a dozen of the students. “Dick Rover is all right!”
“So you’re all turning against me, eh?” burst out Lew Flapp fiercely, his face growing dark with rage. “I was warned of this before I came here.”
“Who warned you?” asked Tom, who had just put in an appearance.
“A gentleman who used to teach here.”
“What was his name?” questioned several.
“Mr. Jasper Grinder. He said he had left because the Rover boys tried to run everything.”
“That old fraud!” cried Larry.
“He left because he was kicked out,” came from another.
“And he is a criminal,” put in Dick. “I can prove it, if he wants me to do it.”
“Oh, you can talk all you please,” growled Lew Flapp. “I know what I know, and don’t you forget it. And what is more, Dick Rover, don’t you expect me to knuckle under to you. If you try that game, you’ll get what you least expect,” and so speaking Lew Flapp forced his way out of the crowd and left the gymnasium.
“Well, of all the idiots I ever met!” came from Tom. “He believes in meeting trouble three-quarters of the way, doesn’t he?”
“I think Jasper Grinder must have stuffed him full of stories about us,” said Dick. “That’s the way that rascally teacher expects to get square on Captain Putnam—by ruining the reputation of the school.”
“Oh, it’s mostly Lew Flapp’s fault,” put in a pupil who had been at the Hall for some time. “The very first day Flapp arrived he had a row with little Tommy Browne, and knocked Tommy down, and a few days after that he had a fight with Jack Raymond, and was pounding Jack good when Mr. Strong came up and made them run off in different directions. He’s a good deal of the same kind of a bully that Dan Baxter was.”
“If that’s the case, he had better keep his distance,” said Dick determinedly. “I don’t want any quarrels, but I despise a bully thoroughly.”
“So do I.”
“I wonder if this Flipflap ever heard of Dan Baxter,” put in Tom. “If he has he ought to profit by the example.”
“Hullo, Tom’s got a new name for Flapp,” said one of the boys.
“Isn’t his name Flipflap?” questioned Tom innocently. “Or is it Flapjack?”
“It will be Flopdown, if he ever gets into a fight with Dick,” said Larry, and then followed a general laugh.
“I really don’t want any more fights,” said Dick, when he could be heard. “I came back to Putnam Hall to dig in and learn something. I’ve had enough adventures to last a lifetime. If the others will only leave me alone I’ll leave them alone.”
“But if they won’t leave you alone, Dick?” asked George Granbury.
“Then they had better look out for themselves, that’s all,” was the reply of the eldest Rover.
CHAPTER IX
SETTLING DOWN TO STUDY
Dick meant what he said concerning coming back to Putnam Hall for the sake of learning something. He felt that he had lost too much time from school already to lose more, and he pitched in with a vigor that was indeed surprising.
“I don’t see how you can do it,” said Tom one day. “I can’t, to save my life.” Yet Tom was by no means a poor scholar, and if he did not stand at the head of his class he was not far from it. Sam was also doing his best, and all of this gratified Captain Putnam exceedingly.
“It shows they can work as well as play,” was what the captain told himself, and he wrote Anderson Rover a long letter, in which he praised the boys for their efforts.
The boys fell into their places at the academy with a naturalness that was surprising when one considered the adventures that had but lately befallen them. Over and over again did they have to tell of their doings while on the Pacific, and as Crusoes, and some of the cadets never tired of listening to the stories. A few, including Lew Flapp, did not believe them true, but the majority did, and that was enough for the Rovers.
Dick was now advancing in years, and he knew that before long he would either have to go into business or to college, which he had not yet fully decided. To tell the truth, the thought of separating from his brothers was exceedingly distasteful to him.
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