“See here, what do you mean by that, Flapp?” demanded Powell, who was no weakling.
“I meant to hit Rover,” was the answer.
“Hands off, Flapp!” cried Dick. “I didn’t come here to fight, but I can defend myself.”
“We’ll see!” roared the unreasonable tall boy, and made another rush at Dick. But in a twinkling he found himself flat on the floor, where he had been thrown with a suddenness that took away his breath.
“Hi! that ain’t fair,” put in Rockley. “You let Lew alone.”
“I will, when he leaves me alone,” retorted Dick. He turned to Harry Moss and Joe Davis. “Do you want to stay here any longer?”
“No,” answered both of the small cadets promptly.
“I didn’t wish to come at all, but Ben Hurdy urged it,” continued Harry Moss.
“And Pender said it would do no harm,” added Joe Davis. “He said we were going to have nothing but sandwiches, root beer, and soda.”
“Look here, Davis, you keep your mouth shut!” cried Pender. “You knew exactly what to expect. You know Mike Sherry don’t run a temperance hotel,” he continued, with a sneer.
At these words Joe Davis grew pale.
“Yes, I know it—now, and if I ever get out of it, I shan’t come again.”
“Oh, you’re too good to live!” broke in Jackson. “You ought to be laid away in a glass case for safe keeping.”
“Davis is all right, and he has more brains than you, Jackson,” came from Dick. “If you want to make a fool of yourself by drinking and smoking, I shan’t stop you. But you shan’t drag Joe and Harry into it against their will.”
“That’s the way to talk, Dick,” said Powell. “Let us clear out, and take the youngsters with us.”
By this time Lew Flap had recovered from the flooring received and now he approached Dick once more.
“Do you want me to hammer you good, Rover?” he panted.
“As I said before, Flapp, I didn’t come here to fight, but I can defend myself. I propose to leave quietly, and take Harry and Joe with me.”
“Supposing I won’t let you leave?”
“I don’t think you’ll stop me.”
“Come, Flapp, don’t make a fool of yourself,” put in Powell. “We didn’t come here to quarrel, but to urge all of the crowd to quit drinking. You know it’s against the Hall rules and regulations.”
“And you intend to blab on us?”
“Not at all. I’m not that kind. And Dick Rover isn’t either.”
“I know how to fix ‘em,” came from Pender, with a cunning look in his eye.
“How?” asked Flapp and Rockley, in concert.
“Our word is as good as anybody’s. If they say they found us at Mike Sherry’s we can say that we found them there, too. For all we know they were drinking below before they came up.”
“That’s it!” interrupted Lew Flapp, thinking he saw a way of implicating Dick and Powell. “Mike Sherry never lets anybody in his saloon without they drink something.”
“It’s as plain as day,” came from Rockley.
“They had all the liquor they wanted before they came up, and now they want to stop our sport.”
“Your story might be believed were it not for one thing,” said Dick, trying to keep calm. “Come on, Harry, come, Joe.” And he whispered something into their ears.
“Oh, all right,” said Harry Moss, and he retreated from the room, speedily followed by Joe Davis.
“Hi! come back here, you young scamps!” roared Lew Flapp. And then he made for the doorway leading to the next room.
“Not so fast, Flapp!” said Dick, and blocked the opening with his own form, while Powell stood directly behind.
“Say, fellows, Moss and Davis are getting out of the window!” cried Flapp, in astonishment.
“That’s the way Rover and Powell must have gotten in,” came from Pender.
“Exactly,” answered Dick, “and that proves we didn’t have to stop below for liquor,” he added triumphantly.
“Look here, I don’t mean to let those fellows go yet,” blustered Lew Flapp. “Let me get at them.”
“Not to-night, Flapp.”
Scarcely had Dick spoken when the tall boy flung himself forward. The pair grappled, and a moment later both went down, with Dick on top.
“Hit him, Dick, don’t let him get the best of you!” cried Powell, and an instant later found himself tackled by Pender and Jackson. For the moment Ben Hurdy, who had remained silent during the most of the talk, did nothing, but then he ran forward, and watching his chance, kicked Dick in the side of the head with his foot.
The quarrel was now on in earnest, and in the midst of the melee a burly waiter came rushing from below, demanding to know what was the matter.
“A pair of spies!” shouted Pender. “Help us to give them a sound thrashing, Pat.”
“Sure, Oi will that!” was the answer, and the waiter joined in the attack on Dick and Powell.
It was with a mighty effort that Powell managed to throw off his assailants. Then he leaped for the window, reached the ladder, and fairly slid to the ground.
“Let up on Dick Rover!” he called, when safe. “If you don’t, I’ll rouse the constable and have somebody locked up.”
“Confound him!” muttered Rockley. “We had better dust out. If he calls a constable the jig will be up.”
With a parting kick at Dick he rushed down the back stairs to the resort, and unlocked the door. Taking care that Powell should not see him, he darted into the gathering darkness.
Ben Hurdy followed Rockley, and a moment later Pender and Jackson did the same. Then Flapp came staggering down the stairs, holding his nose, from which the blood was flowing freely.
“Let’s get back to the Hall as quickly as we can,” he said to the others. “And if we are examined, we can deny everything.”
“All right,” said Pender. “But what did you do to Rover?”
“Somebody kicked him and he’s about half unconscious. I left him to the tender mercies of Pat the waiter.” And then Lew Flapp and his cronies hurried away on the road leading to Putnam Hall.
Dick might have defended himself, but he was cruelly kicked several times, and partly lost consciousness, as already told. In a dim, uncertain manner he felt himself raised up and carried below, and then put on the grass of the yard behind Mike Sherry’s resort.
When he was able to move he sat up and then arose to his feet slowly. At that moment Songbird Powell discovered him. Powell had been up the ladder a second time, to find the window closed and locked.
“Dick!” he exclaimed. “Are you badly hurt?”
“I—I don’t know,” was the slow reply. “How are you?”
“I’m all right?”
“Where are Flapp and the rest?”
“They ran away.”
“And Harry and Joe?”
“They are waiting for us, down at the turn in the road.”
Dick put his hand to his head, to find a big lump directly back of the ear. His ear was cut, and there was a scratch on his chin.
“They didn’t fight fair,” he explained, when he felt a little stronger. “They kicked me when I was down.”
Aided by Powell he made his way to a pump and there bathed his head and procured a drink of water.
While both boys were recovering from the adventure all the lights in Mike Sherry’s resort were put out and every door and window was locked.
“He wants to steer clear of trouble,” said Powell.
“I put the blame on Lew Flapp,” answered Dick. “To my mind he is about as mean as any boy around here.”
“Of course we can’t report him, Dick.”
“No, I’m no tale-bearer, Songbird. But he ought to be punished.”
“He’ll make a fine m
ajor, if he’s elected,” went on Powell, as he and Dick started for the road leading to the academy.
“He shall never be elected, if I can help it.”
“I am with you on that.”
They found Harry Moss and Joe Davis walking slowly toward Putnam Hall. Joe seemed to feel all right now that he was out in the fresh evening air, but Harry complained of a strange sickness at the stomach.
“It was horrid of Lew Flapp to make us drink,” said the young cadet. “I told him I didn’t want anything stronger than soda. But he and Pender made me take it.”
“I think the walk will do you good, Harry,” answered Dick kindly. “Here, take my arm, and Songbird can take your other arm.”
When the Hall was reached they found that Lew Flapp and his cronies had already gone to bed. Dick took Harry and Joe to their dormitory and then rejoined Powell.
“Going to keep mum?” asked the latter.
“For the present,” answered the eldest Rover. “But after this let us keep a sharp eye on Flapp, Pender & Company.”
And so it was agreed.
CHAPTER XII
THE ELECTION FOR OFFICERS
On the following morning all of the cadets but Harry Moss appeared in the messroom.
“Joe Davis says Harry is quite sick,” said Powell to Dick.
“That’s too bad. Have they sent for a doctor?”
“I don’t know.”
When Lew Flapp heard that Harry was sick he grew pale, and during the morning session could scarcely fix his mind on his studies.
“I hope the little fool don’t blab on us,” was his thought. “If he does there is no telling what the captain will do. He’s altogether too strict for comfort in some things.”
No doctor was sent for, so it was finally agreed that Harry Moss was not as ill as had been supposed. But the young cadet did not enter the schoolroom for all of that day.
The sickness had frightened Captain Putnam, who was not yet over the scarlet fever scare, and he questioned Harry thoroughly about what he had been doing, and about what he had been eating and drinking.
At first the young cadet did not dare to tell the truth, but finally he blurted out that he had taken a glass of liquor against his will and it had turned his stomach in a most painful manner.
“Where did you get the liquor?” demanded Captain Putnam sternly.
“I—I—oh, must I tell you, sir?”
“Yes, Harry.”
“I—that is, Lew Flapp—Oh, sir, I don’t want to be a tattle-tale.”
“Did Lew Flapp give you the liquor? Answer me at once.”
“Yes, sir, he and another cadet named Pender. But, sir, I don’t want to hurt them. I—I—” and here Harry burst into tears.
“Where was this?”
“Down in Cedarville, sir. But, I—I—I shan’t say any more, Captain Putnam,” and after that Harry remained silent. As it was plain to see that he was suffering, Captain Putnam did not push the matter. But he called Lew Flapp and Pender into his private office and interviewed the unworthy pair for fully half an hour.
“To do such a thing is outrageous,” said the captain. “If I hear of it again I shall dismiss you from the Hall at once.”
On the following morning one of the assistant teachers made a brief announcement that filled the entire school with curiosity.
“On next Monday you are to have an election of officers for the term,” said he. “As you know, twenty cadets were selected as worthy of being elected. The list has since been cut down to eighteen. Lew Flapp and Augustus Pender will not run.”
At this announcement Dick and Powell looked at each other significantly. All of the other cadets looked around to find Flapp and Pender, but the pair were absent, nor did they put in an appearance at all until the next school session.
“The captain found it out in some way,” said Dick to Powell.
“Shouldn’t wonder if Harry Moss let the cat out of the bag,” was the answer.
“It’s queer about Flapp and Pender,” declared Tom to his older brother. “Do you know why they were dropped?”
“Yes, Tom, but I don’t want you to say anything about it.”
“There’s a report around that they were found cutting loose in the village,” put in Sam.
“Well, as I said before, I don’t want to speak about it,” went on Dick.
A few of the boys dared to question Flapp and Pender, but got no satisfaction.
“If I want to drop out I reckon I can do it,” growled Flapp, and that was as much as either he or his crony would say.
With Flapp out of the race there was considerable curiosity to know who would be elected for the term. Each set of cadets had their favorite candidates and the spirit of rivalry ran high. But most of the candidates were good-natured about it, and especially Dick and Tom Rover and George Granbury, Fred Garrison, and Larry Colby.
It had been decided that the cadets should first elect the major, then the three captains, and then the six lieutenants, all to be selected according to the highest number of votes received.
The voting began on Monday immediately after breakfast. Captain Putnam had slips passed around and on these each cadet wrote down his choice for major.
“I will read the result,” said the captain, a few minutes after the poll was declared closed. And he read as follows:
“Whole number of votes cast—96.
“Lawrence Colby has 67.
“The next highest student has 19.
“Lawrence Colby is declared elected major of the battalion for the present term, including the annual encampment.”
“Hurrah for Major Larry Colby!” cried Tom, and a rousing cheer followed, while Captain Putnam strode over and shook hands with the newly elected commanding officer.
“I must congratulate you, Major Colby,” he said warmly. “I must say I am well satisfied with the choice of our students.”
“Thank you, sir,” answered Larry, and blushed in spite of himself.
“We will now proceed to the election of the three captains,” went on Captain Putnam. “Remember, the three standing highest on the list will be declared elected respectively.”
Again slips were passed around and again the students marked down the names of their favorites, three upon each slip.
Counting up the vote for captains took longer than that for major, but soon the captain had his statement ready and the cadets listened in silence as he proceeded to make his announcement:
“Whole number of votes cast, 288.
“Richard Rover has 82.
“Fred Garrison has 67.
“Mark Romer has 59.
“The next highest student has 28.
“Richard Rover is elected captain of Company A, Frederick Garrison captain of Company B, and Mark Romer captain of Company C, for this term and during the annual encampment.”
“Hurrah for Dick Rover!”
“Hurrah for Fred Garrison and Mark Romer!”
And then the students cheered as wildly as ever, while Captain Putnam once more offered his congratulations.
“Captain Rover, my hand,” said Larry, coming up.
“Thank you, Major Colby,” answered Dick, and then both gave a grip that meant a good deal.
“We seem to be right in it,” observed the newly elected major.
“That’s true,” answered Dick.
“We shall now proceed to the election of six lieutenants,” went on Captain Putnam, and once more the slips went the rounds, and the boys did a lot of writing and speculating as each put down the six names required.
This vote was rather a long one, and Captain Putnam had two teachers help him in tabulating the result.
“This contest must make Flapp feel sick,” whispered Powell to Dick, while the students were taking it easy on the parade groun
d.
“Well, he brought it on himself,” was the brief reply.
“I’ll wager he tries to square up with us, especially if he thinks we told on him.”
A bugle sounded, calling the cadets together, and once more Captain Putnam read the result:
“Whole number of votes cast, 576.
“John Powell has 83.
“William Merrick has 76.
“Walter Durham has 71.
“Thomas Rover has 68.
“George Granbury has 51.
“Raymond Hollbrook has 43.
“The next highest cadet has 38.
“John Powell is declared first lieutenant of Company A, William Merrick first lieutenant of Company B, Walter Durham first lieutenant of Company C, Thomas Rover second lieutenant of Company A, George Granbury second lieutenant of Company B, and Raymond Hollbrook second lieutenant of Company C, for this term and during the annual encampment.”
As this announcement was made there was a breathless silence. Then came a rousing cheer and the various successful ones were congratulated by the captain and their friends.
“Well, Songbird, it seems you are to be my first lieutenant,” said Dick as he shook hands with Powell. “That suits me first-rate.”
“And I am to be second lieutenant,” said Tom, coming up. “With Sam in the company as private this begins to look like a family affair.”
“Oh, I’m going to make you fellows toe the mark now,” laughed Dick. “No more skylarking, if you please, Lieutenant Rover.”
“All right, Captain Rover,” replied Tom, with a stiff salute that was side-splitting.
Taking it all the way through the election was declared to be a popular success. Of course some of the defeated candidates were bitterly disappointed, but they did their best to hide their true feelings. William Philander Tubbs had declined to vote and Lew Flapp and Gus Pender had kept entirely out of sight while the voting was going on. The two cronies took themselves to the gymnasium and there declared their hatred of Dick Rover.
“He is responsible for this,” muttered Flapp, clenching his fists and grating his teeth. “But for him I might at this minute be major of the battalion, or one of the captains. Oh, but won’t I square up some day!”
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