"I feel sure they did. Ritter struck me with a snowball, on the hand, and it left a deep scratch. Now, no ordinary snowball would do that. Besides that, I picked up a sharp stone from where Pepper was lying."
"It was against the rules of the contest to use stones," put in Dale, who was near.
"Sure it was!" cried Stuffer. "If those chaps really used stones they ought to be punished for it."
The news quickly went the rounds, as was to be expected. When Henry Lee heard it he quickly sought out Captain Bart.
"I hope you don't think I allowed any such underhand work," he said anxiously.
"Not for a minute, Henry!" cried the captain of Company B. "If Ritter and Coulter did it, they did it on their own responsibility. I think them just mean enough, too, for they are down on Major Ruddy and Pepper Ditmore."
"If they are guilty, I'd like to have them court-martialed!" muttered the commander of Company A. "Such underhand work is a disgrace to Putnam Hall!"
"Wait and see if it can be proven," answered Bart Conners. "Then, if it is proven, we'll read Ritter and Coulter a lecture they won't forget in a hurry!" he added significantly.