r has been
blows th
ht it on himsel
struck Jack after Jack told him
den horse," came from Coulter, who felt bound to stick up for
cuse is worse than
ut fair and square,"
w he returned with a pailful and a sponge, and commenced to bathe t
al-alone,"
said Paxton. "Go
two of his front teeth were loose. He stared around in a
gh?" demanded Ja
" answered Co
when he's down, woul
d enough. If he has,
ther time," mumbled Ritter, a
swered Jack, coldly. "You started this fight, and now you must
want to f
nowledge your
I d
want to wait here al
ts," said Pepper.
ht, Ruddy," cr
ut in half a
it," added Harry Blossom, the
p slowly and then, staggering to a bench, sank down heavily up
hat is the mea
mnasium that startled all of the assembled cadets. The n
, here is o
or it,
re?" went on Josiah Crabtree, in his
ed cadets looked at each other.
g?" went on the head teacher,
ed me, and I-er-I defended myse
Ruddy?" questioned Josiah
s,
says is untrue!" burst ou
? You, the major of the sch
ebody slapped you in the f
-and as major you ought to
ir. But I won't allow anybo
lap him," p
id," came f
-I saw it,"
added a cade
he occurrence at the office," said Josiah Crabtree, loftily. "
shame!" burs
ds from you!" roared th
uffer for something like that," went on
tmore! Go to your room at once, and
r. Crab
, Ruddy and Ritter, report to me and to Cap
y look on his face, Pepper left the gymnas
have washed up, Mr. Crabtr
I," add
napped the teacher, and then he strode from
the followers of the young major and of Reff Ritter. Only a few had seen the
dismally, to Fred. "Ritter will do his b
hit you first, and Pepper and Bro
oulter and Paxto
on hand when the
y'll stick up for Ref
ptain Putnam doesn't take
I'll-well, never m
to me, I'd fee
ot do anything hastily," answered th
e to go
any one. But I wish you'd han
to the
d take Brown,
Reff Ritter had hurried and gotten ahead of him, and was telling his story, both to the head of the school and
uddy," said Captain Putnam, when Jack appeared, and the
Josiah Crabtree. He said that he had just been getting ready to take some gymnastic exercise when Jack and s
is high-horse and told me to shut up or he would knock me down. I told him it was a shame for him to speak so of my father. Then he got mad and all of a sudden he jumped at me and hit me in the mouth and the eye and then in t
cried Josiah Crabtree. "And evide
tarted the quarrel?" questi
s,
er cadets that your
mad. But I didn't hit him until he
resent at
were with Ruddy, and Gus Coulte
ody e
't see
e worst of
s. I guess I could whip him if we were
ext room, Ritter, while
ve me?" cried th
y one side," answered Capta
ree. "When I appeared Ruddy was very insolent and so wa
He understood Josiah Crabtree's dictatorial manner perfectly, and h
had just vacated. Then Captain Putnam asked him to tell hi
the plain truth, Major Ruddy?" asked
looked the head of the school f
not agree with th
ge to drag in the boy's father simply because he has made some
"I am conducting this investigation. Now that we have heard the st
ary now," said Jack. "Pepper Ditmore was there
er and Paxton," answered Captain Putnam. "You may re
om named. It was empty and he threw himself down
. In the meantime George Strong, the second assistant teacher, was sent off to summon Coulter and Pa
de a discovery," he said. "I wo
head of the school,
sir, a
into the next room,"