Chapter XIX: Ritter Gives a Feast

Billy Sabine’s revelation caused a profound sensation in the camp. Captain Putnam turned sternly to Reff Ritter.

“What have you to say to this, Ritter?” he questioned.

“It’s a—er—a mistake,” stammered the bully. “I was only fooling Sabine.”

“You gave him a cigarette, did you not?”

“Why, sir, you see I—I found a box of them, in the woods. I took one myself and let Sabine have the other. We just lit them for a moment and then put them out. Isn’t that true?” and Ritter glared darkly at the cadet who had occupied Post 2.

“Why—er—I—I guess so,” stammered Sabine. “But, oh Captain Putnam, I didn’t mean any harm, really I didn’t!” wailed the weak-kneed cadet.

“Mason, you said the fire came from Ritter’s post, didn’t you?” asked the head of the school.

“From that direction, yes, sir.”

“Did it look as if it might be from a cigarette?”

“Well, sir—I—I——”

“Answer me!”

“It might be from a cigarette, yes.”

“Ritter, I rather think this is proof positive that the fire may be laid at your door,” went on Captain Putnam.

“I didn’t light the bonfire,” answered the bully doggedly. “At home I am allowed to smoke—I don’t see why I can’t do it here,” he added sourly.

“Because it is against the rules, that is why, Ritter. I do not consider smoking good for any growing boy. Your infringement of the rules did a good deal of harm and it might have resulted still more disastrously. I am afraid I shall have to take up this matter with your father. You will come to my tent, and you can come too, Mason and Sabine. Major Ruddy, you may dismiss the battalion.”

The necessary orders were given and the cadets broke ranks, and gathered in knots to discuss the situation.

“Ritter will catch it for this,” said Joe.

“Sure he will, an’ he’s afther deservin’ it,” answered Emerald. “I had me ear burnt, so I did, through his foolishness!”

What was said in Captain Putnam’s tent did not get out until some time later. The captain read Ritter and Sabine a stern lecture, and said he would send the bully’s father a bill for the burnt tents, and also said he would let Mr. Ritter know how the conflagration had come about. He made both boys promise not to smoke again.

“It was all your fault,” growled Ritter, as he and Sabine came away, followed by Mason. “If you had only kept your mouth shut we would have been all right. I’ve a good mind to give you a licking!” And he advanced so threateningly on Sabine that the latter took to his heels and ran out of sight.

When Mason came out he joined Pepper, Andy, and some of their friends.

“I didn’t want to expose Ritter, but he was the one to blame,” said the cadet who had occupied Post 4. “He let the cigarette light fly right in the carbide.”

“Well, I should have put the carbide away,” said Fred, who was present

“How did you come to have it?” asked Pepper.

“Oh, I went to the Hall on an errand for Captain Putnam, and I came back on my wheel, and carried it,” was the answer. “I thought it would be handy—to fill the acetylene lamp with.”

After the excitement attending the fire and the windstorm, matters moved along smoothly in the camp for several days. During that time some of the cadets got up a rowing race, between a crew of four from Company A and another crew from Company B. In this contest Company A won, which helped them to get over their defeat on the baseball field. Ritter did not row in the race, nor did Coulter.

“We don’t want Ritter,” said Henry Lee. “He might give up right in the middle of the race. And we have better oarsmen than Gus Coulter.”

Late in the week Pepper heard through Mumps that Paxton and Ritter were going after the nest of hornets that had been discovered in the woods. He at once went to Jack and Andy with the information.

“I think we might as well secure that nest,” said the young major. “If the Ritter crowd get it, there is no telling what they will do with it.”

“Come on—I’m willing to get it,” said The Imp.

The three cadets walked into the woods and then made the discovery that Ritter and Paxton were just ahead of them. Paxton had a big, white paper bag in his hand.

“We are too late!” cried Andy in dismay.

“Wait, if they get the nest let us see what they do with it,” whispered Jack.

Taking care not to be seen, the young major and his chums followed the bully and Paxton through the woods until they came to the spot where the hornets’ nest was located. It was after sundown and the hornets had gone into the nest.

Paxton had a veil and this he put over his face and then put on his white cadet gloves. This done he climbed the tree from which the nest was suspended and over the nest slipped his big paper bag. Then he broke the nest loose and tied the bag shut.

“I’ve got it!” he cried in triumph! “Now we can have dead loads of fun!”

“We’ll put it in Jack Ruddy’s tent,” said Ritter. “And we’ll tell Ditmore and Snow the major wants to see them.”

“Listen to that!” whispered Pepper.

“I wish I could break that bag over Ritter’s head,” came from the acrobatic Andy.

Jack and his friends saw Ritter and Paxton walk through the woods in another direction. Then the bag with the hornets’ nest was left in the crotch of a tree.

“They intend to come back for it to-night,” said Andy.

“I’ve got an idea!” exclaimed Pepper. “Say, it’s great! We’ll fix up a bogus bag and make an exchange!”

This suggestion met with instant favor, and while Jack watched the bag in the crotch of the tree Pepper and Andy ran into camp, got some paper and paste and made another bag, similar in size and looks. Into the second bag they stuffed some moss and dirt.

“That’s all right,” said Jack, when the pair came back. “Now we’ll make the exchange.” And this was soon accomplished, and the bogus bag left where the original had rested.

“I think we ought to let some of the other fellows in on this trick,” said Andy. “We’ll have the laugh on Ritter and Paxton. More than likely they’ll tell their cronies.”

This was agreed to, and Dale, Fred, and half a dozen others were told. Then Dale said he had heard that Ritter was going to give a little feast that night, he having sent to one of the lake hotels for cake, and bottled soda water and root beer.

“Oh, if we could only get hold of that cake and the soft drinks!” cried Pepper.

“Maybe we can,” said Dale. “A boatman named Lemoss is going to bring them.”

“We must interview Lemoss,” said Pepper, and straightway he and Andy and Dale concocted a scheme for intercepting the boatman with the supplies.

This was an easy matter, for Lemoss was an innocent fellow and did not dream that he was being humbugged. He had been paid for the stuff and turned it over to Pepper and Dale, when they came out in a rowboat to meet him. The boys quickly “doctored” the soda water and root beer by adding to it a large dose of pepper and salt, and they also peppered the cake. Then they rowed to the shore and put the things out on a fallen tree.

Scarcely had they rowed away than they saw Ritter, Coulter and Paxton come out and look up and down the lake. The chums were behind some bushes and they heard Ritter utter an exclamation.

“Well, if the old fool hasn’t put the things out here on a log!” came from the bully. “How careless!”

“Too lazy to row in and tell us,” grumbled Coulter.

“Never mind, the stuff is here, and that’s the main thing,” said Paxton. “I’d just like to have some of the root beer now.”

“No, you’ve got to wait till to-night,” said Ritter. “There is just enough to go around.” And then the things were smuggled up to the camp and out of sight.

That evening when the cadets had an hour to themselves, Pepper and Andy were accosted by Mumps.

“You two fellows are wanted at Major Ruddy’s tent,” said the little sneak. “Hurry up.”

“Who said so?” asked The Imp, with a grin to his chum.

“Word was passed along, that’s all I know,” answered Mumps, and ran away, to avoid further questioning.

Andy and Pepper hurried to the tent. On a cot rested a neat package. It was addressed as follows:

_Major Jack Ruddy:_

_Call in your friends, Snow and Ditmore, and treat them._

_Two Lady Friends._

“Hello, so you’ve got it!” said Pepper. “I suppose the enemy is watching outside, to see developments.”

“Hush,” whispered Jack. “I was going to suggest——”

“Wait!” came from Andy. “Ritter celebrates to-night. Why don’t you postpone this—just to throw them off the track?”

The cadets held a consultation and then came outside of the tent. They saw Ritter, Coulter and several others hanging around.

“Looks like a fine cake,” said Jack, in a low voice, addressing his chums. “Must have come from the Fords.”

“Wish you could cut it to-night,” grumbled Andy.

“It will keep,” was the reply. “I’ll invite the crowd and open up the bundle to-morrow night, eight o’clock.”

“All right, we’ll be on hand,” said Pepper, and then he and Andy walked away. A little later the chums saw Ritter and his cronies slouch off much disappointed.

“We’ve got to wait for our fun,” growled Ritter.

“Maybe the hornets will be dead by that time,” said Paxton. “But I suppose we can’t help that. Ritter, how about your celebration?”

“That won’t be postponed,” chuckled the bully. “We’ll have a dandy time.”

Word was passed around and after the camp was quiet Ritter and his cronies stole away, taking with them several bundles done up in newspapers. They would have been astonished had they known what was in one of the bundles—one smuggled in by Pepper and Andy.

The crowd went into the woods, and there by the light of two lanterns Ritter brought out his cake, root beer, soda water, and other good things to eat and drink.

“Now help yourselves,” cried the bully, good naturedly.

Some cake was cut and passed around, and also the drinks.

“Wow! this is hot cake!” cried Coulter, biting into some pepper.

“I should say so!” added Paxton. “Say! my mouth is on fire!”

“Hi, give me a drink! I’ve got a mouthful of salt!” exclaimed another cadet.

“Say, are you fellows batty—this cake is all right!” declared Ritter and filled his mouth with the compound. The next instant he commenced to splutter.

“Oh! oh! I’m on fire! Give me a drink, quick! And he grabbed a bottle of soda water.

In the meantime the other lads had begun to drink. They did not, however, swallow much, for root beer and soda water with salt and pepper in them are not very palatable.

“This is a trick!” roared Reff Ritter, in a rage. “Somebody has doctored this stuff.”

“Try the other cake,” said Coulter, pointing to a bundle that had not yet been opened.

“I will, but I suppose it’s as bad as any of it,” grumbled the bully and tore the bundle apart savagely. Then it slipped from his hand and struck the ground violently.

“The ball has opened!” came in a low voice from Pepper, who with his chums, was viewing the scene from a distance—a safe distance, they hoped.