So the cries ran on, while Gus Coulter sneaked away and out of sight. Pepper, Jack, and the others surrounded Andy. They saw he was very pale.
“It was too much for you, Andy,” said the young major. “Come on out in the fresh air,” and he led the way. On the campus he ran into Reff Ritter once more.
“Ritter, what do you mean by bumping into me,” he said, sharply.
“I wasn’t bumping into you,” was the sharp reply. “Say, maybe you’d like to meet me in the gym. some day,” went on the bully.
“At chinning?” asked Jack.
“No, on the bars, or the flying-rings.”
“I am not afraid to meet you on the flying-rings,” answered Jack, for that form of gymnastics appealed to him.
“All right, when do you want to meet me?”
“Any time you say.”
“Done.” And then and there, with the aid of several outsiders, the contest on the flying-rings was arranged.
“Jack, I am afraid you’ll get the worst of it,” said Pepper, for he remembered that Reff Ritter had travelled a good deal and had had several high-class instructors give him lessons in gymnastics.
“Perhaps,” returned the young major. “But I wasn’t going to show the white feather when he called on me to meet him.”
Further discussion of the subject was cut short by the unexpected ringing of the school bell. At first the cadets thought this must be some joke, but soon learned otherwise. They were requested to meet in the assembly room, and were there addressed by Captain Putnam.
“I have an announcement of considerable importance to make,” said the master of the Hall. “To-morrow afternoon this school will be visited by two of my old army friends, General Wallack and Major Darrowburg. General Wallack has been on duty on the Pacific coast and Major Darrowburg is one of the instructors at West Point. I shall ask these two old army friends of mine to inspect the school battalion and witness a drill. It is perhaps needless for me to say that I wish you all to appear at your best. I want every uniform carefully brushed, every shoe polished, and every gun and sword in the pink of condition. These gentlemen are deeply interested in our school, and I want them to see for themselves that we are close to the standard set by our government at West Point. To-morrow we will have dinner an hour earlier than usual, and that will give all ample time in which to make themselves presentable. I trust that every officer and every private will take a proper pride in this exhibition. And I wish to add, that any neglect on the part of an officer or a private to turn out in a fitting manner will be severely punished. Now you can go, and I trust you will, every one of you, add to the honor of Putnam Hall.”
The cadets filed out of the assembly room and scattered in various directions. The announcement made by Captain Putnam created a keen interest.
“It will certainly be great to be inspected by two regular United States Army officers,” observed Pepper. “Gosh! but we’ll have to shine up for keeps! Guess I’ll begin on my brass buttons right away!” And he said this so drolly all who heard him laughed.
“I’ve got to clean my gun,” said Stuffer. “I meant to clean it last week, but it slipped my mind.”
“Sure, an’ it’s meself must have a new braid on me coat,” put in Emerald. “I’ll go an’ see about it to wanct!” And he hurried off.
“I don’t believe you’ve got much to do, Jack,” said Pepper. “You always look as if you had stepped out of a bandbox. I don’t see how you manage it.”
“Well, you know I have to set the rest of the battalion an example, being major,” was the reply. “If the major isn’t up to the scratch how can he expect his men to be?”
“Yes, I know that’s the way to look at it, but I really don’t see how you keep your sword looking so fine, and your scabbard.”
“I polish it pretty often – then it doesn’t come hard, Pep. The whole secret is in not letting things slip too long. When I find a button getting loose I don’t wait for it to fall off – I tighten it up right away.”
While Jack and his chums were talking matters over on the campus Coulter, Ritter, and Paxton had walked off toward the boat-house. They took but little interest in the inspection, until an idea regarding it entered Ritter’s head.
“I did what I could to lame Snow,” said Paxton to Coulter. “I kicked his wrist as hard as I could.”
“I was not in condition – my stomach has been weak for two days,” was Coulter’s explanation. “Another time I’ll beat him all to pieces.”
“Say, Reff, you had a run-in with Jack Ruddy, didn’t you?” asked Paxton, turning to Ritter.
“Yes.” Ritter was clicking his teeth together – something he was in the habit of doing when out of sorts. “Say, I wonder – ” He stopped short.
“What do you wonder?” asked Coulter.
“I was thinking of that exhibition drill.”
“Oh, pshaw! I am not going to worry about that. Why, if we make a fine showing who will get the credit? Captain Putnam, Jack Ruddy, and the other officers.”
“I am not going to make a good showing for Jack Ruddy’s benefit,” growled Paxton.
“I was thinking of something,” resumed Reff Ritter, slowly. “I wonder if we could manage it.”
“Manage what?” asked the two others.
“Manage to make a whole lot of trouble for Jack Ruddy and his crowd. It falls in with the first idea I had.”
“I’d like to do it!” declared Paxton.
“Same here,” added Coulter. “Only show us a safe and sure way.”
“You know how Ruddy keeps himself in the very best of condition all the time.”
“We couldn’t help but know that.”
“Well, supposing we spoilt that condition for him? Supposing we made his sword and its scabbard look rusty, his buttons dull, and his uniform full of spots? How would that strike those officers and Captain Putnam when that inspection came off?”
“I know one thing – Captain Putnam would be as mad as hops,” said Paxton. “More than likely he would reduce Ruddy to the ranks.”
“Yes, but you can’t work such a scheme,” said Coulter.
“Why not – if we can get hold of his things between now and to-morrow noon?”
“Because if he finds anything is mussed up he’ll do his best to clean up before he goes on the parade ground.”
“Yes, but what if he doesn’t find anything mussed up?” queried Reff Ritter.
“Yes, but – I don’t understand,” said Paxton. “He has eyes – he can readily see if anything is wrong.”
“Maybe not – if we fix him up in the right kind of a way.”
“Well, how are you going to do it?” demanded Coulter.
“I can do it easily enough, provided I can get down to the Cedarville drug store to-night.”
“What do you want from the drug store?”
“I want several chemicals. Can I trust you to keep this a secret?” And Reff Ritter looked around the boat-house to see if any outsiders were in sight. No one seemed to be around.
“Yes,” said both Coulter and Paxton, promptly.
“Well, my plan is simply this: From the druggist I will get certain chemicals to be mixed with water. Then, on the sly, we’ll get hold of Ruddy’s outfit. All we’ll have to do is to apply the chemicals to his sword, scabbard, buttons, and clothing. We can