Jack and Pepper were glad to see Bert Field again, and also to see their old friend, Joseph Hogan. Emerald came back wearing a smile that was sunniness itself.
"Sure, an' it does me heart good to be here once more, so it does," he said, in his rich Irish brogue. "I traveled all over the ould sod this summer, so I did. But Putnam Hall an' the States fer me every toime!"
"Is this your last term here, Emerald?" asked Dale.
"I think so—if I am lucky and get through. How about you?"
"I hope to graduate next June."
"And so do Jack and I," added Pepper. "But you can't always tell. I'll be sorry to leave Putnam Hall."
"That's so; such good times as we have had here," added Jack.
As soon as the cadets were settled down at the Hall, and the excitement over the runaway, the loss of Andy's things, and the fight between Jack and Ritter, was at an end, the talk of the boys turned to football and other Fall sports. As in the past, the cadets hoped to have a good eleven and win some substantial victories.
"Wonder if we'll be allowed to play Pornell," said Jack.
"I don't know," answered Dale. "I rather think the captain is sore over the reply he got from the head of that school, over the carryall affair, and maybe he won't let us play them." And in this Dale was correct. Pornell was cut out that season, but it played Putnam Hall the year following.