Chapter XXVII: A Case of Tit for Tat

Reff Ritter was evidently in high spirits over the success of his midnight raid, for his voice sounded positive and loud. Coulter was a little bit afraid.

“They may follow us up,” were the first words Jack and Pepper caught, coming from Gus Coulter.

“Oh, they may try it, but I don’t think they can do it,” answered Ritter. “We took good care to keep to the rocks when we left their camp. They can’t follow the wagon tracks. Oh, say, but it’s a rich joke on them, isn’t it?” And the bully of the Hall chuckled loudly.

“It sure is, Reff. But if they found us out——” Coulter shook his head. “I suppose Jack Ruddy would be mad enough to chew us up.”

“I am not afraid of Ruddy.”

“Oh, I know that, Reff.”

“And I don’t think he can find us out. He isn’t as knowing as you think he is.”

“Yes, but he’s pretty sharp,” insisted Coulter.

“Humph! He never found out how he happened to get sick so suddenly the day we had the gymnastic contest and he fell from the flying-rings.”

“Oh, you said you’d tell me all about that some day,” said Coulter. “How did you manage it, Reff?”

“It was easy enough. If I tell you, will you keep it to yourself?”

“Sure.”

“Well, I got that French headache powder out of the medicine cabinet. I knew about how much to use to make Ruddy dizzy and dull.”

“Yes, but how did you manage to give it to him without his knowing it?” went on Coulter with interest.

“That was easy enough. I went down to the mess room just before the evening parade. I watched my chance, and when none of the waiters were looking, I slipped up to Ruddy’s seat and put the powder into the glass of water in front of his plate. Just as I hoped, he came in feeling dry, and he drank the stuff without knowing it. I think he did say something about a bitter taste, but that was all.”

“It was an all-right trick,” said Coulter. “Only it didn’t pan out just as you wanted.”

“But Jack Ruddy never found out about it,” answered Reff Ritter. “Say, I’m getting sleepy,” he added, with a yawn. “Let’s turn in, like the rest have done.”

“Want to set a guard?”

“Oh, all the fellows are too tired to stand guard,” was the bully’s reply, and then he passed into one tent and Coulter into another.

With keen interest Jack and Pepper had listened to every word of the conversation. The young major could scarcely control himself, and his chum had to hold him back.

“The rascal!” cried Jack. “I always suspected him of having drugged me, and now I have the proof. I ought to hammer him well!”

“Wait—don’t let him see you here,” pleaded Pepper, and pulled his chum back of some bushes.

“But, Pep, that villain——”

“Yes, yes, I know. You’d like to pound the life out of him, and so would I. But we can do no more—we can expose him to Captain Putnam.”

“Certainly. But let me pound him first.”

“Not yet, Jack. Remember, we are two to two, and Ritter and Coulter can deny anything we say. We had better go slow, and fix it so that, when the time comes for an exposure, Ritter can’t worm out of it.”

As angry as he was, the young major saw the wisdom of this, and he allowed Pepper to draw him away from the vicinity of the tents. Both rejoined Dale and the others, who were behind some bushes close to where the horse was tied.

“Our stuff is all in the wagon,” announced Dale. “We were going to drive off with it, but we saw Ritter and Coulter looking this way and we didn’t want to be discovered.”

“Wait—they are going to retire,” said Pepper. “I think in a few minutes every fellow in this camp will be asleep, and then——” He did not finish but his eyes began to twinkle.

“Hurrah!” cried Dale. “I know what you mean! Tit for tat, eh?”

“And why not, Dale? Let me tell you fellows something.” And then The Imp repeated the conversation that had just been overheard.

“Is that true?” demanded Dale.

“It is—word for word. Jack wanted to pound Ritter then and there, but I made him hold back, for we want to prove this matter to Captain Putnam.”

“If that’s the sort he is, he and his cronies deserve to be cleaned out,” said another cadet.

“And we’ll clean them out,” answered Jack. “We’ll leave them the tents and their clothing and that’s all.”

The boys had not long to wait for Ritter and Coulter to retire. Then, when they felt certain that all of the enemy were asleep, they stole into the camp and picked up the cooking utensils and provisions lying around and loaded them on the wagon. Then the horse was untied and the journey back along the wood road was begun.

“We can change our own camp this afternoon,” said the young major. “And we can fix it so they won’t have an easy time to find us.”

It was nearly noon when the boys came into their camp with the horse and wagon. The other searching party had come back a few minutes before, much discouraged.

“Good for you!” said one of the other searchers. “I’m glad we didn’t all fail.”

“Jack, don’t forget that we expect visitors,” said Andy, a little later.

“Of course!” exclaimed the young major. “Boys, I want you to put this camp into first-class shape immediately,” he added, and then proceeded to wash up and brush his hair before the one tiny mirror brought along from the Hall.

It was not long after this that a call sounded through the woods, and then the cadets saw two men and two girls approaching, each carrying a basket covered with a napkin. The party consisted of Mr. Rossmore Ford and his two daughters, and the family coachman.

“So this is where you are stopping!” cried Mr. Ford, after the greetings were over. “An ideal spot, I must say, and one pretty well hidden from the carriage road. I take it that your teachers haven’t found you yet.”

“No, sir,” answered Jack.

“Would you mind telling me why you rebelled? I am very much interested,” went on the gentleman.

In as few words as possible the young major told the particulars of the trouble with Josiah Crabtree and Pluxton Cuddle. Mr. Ford, Laura and Flossie listened with close attention.

“Well, if all this is true, I do not wonder at your running away,” said Rossmore Ford. “I rather think I should have run away myself.”

“Here are the pies, and some cakes and fresh rolls,” said Laura. “The pies are apple, lemon and cocoanut, and we hope you’ll like them.”

“Like them!” cried a dozen cadets in chorus. “Just you wait till you see us eat them!”

“We have only one lad here who doesn’t like pie,” went on Pepper, soberly. “That’s Paul Singleton. He——”

“Hi, you!” cried Stuffer. “I like pie as well as anybody, and you know it. Miss Ford, don’t you pay attention to what he says!”

“Maybe he wants all the pie to himself,” answered Flossie.

“We’d feel honored to have you take dinner with us,” said Jack to Mr. Ford, after consulting some of his chums.

“Oh, let us stay, papa! It would be such fun!” pleaded Laura.

“Yes! yes!” added her sister.

“Well, if it is not too much trouble——” murmured Rossmore Ford.

“No trouble at all!” cried the cadets and then it was arranged that all of the visitors should remain for the midday meal. This settled, Stuffer and the other cooks bustled about to get the repast ready.