“Jack Ruddy, Pepper Ditmore, Andy Snow, and that crowd.”
“Are you sure of this, Gus?”
“Positive.”
“Then I’ve got an account to settle with them when I get out,” and the bully grated his teeth. He did not stop to consider that those who had informed on him had probably saved him from a term in the Cedarville jail.
During those days spent by Baxter in his cell, Jack, Pepper, and Andy, along with a number of other students, had an exceedingly hard time of it with Josiah Crabtree. For some reason or other, the head teacher was feeling particularly cross, and he vented his anger on those under him, until they could scarcely stand it. He made them do all sorts of extra tasks, and “nagged” at them until some felt like open rebellion.
“It’s outrageous!” declared Andy. “Here I’ve got ten extra examples in algebra for nothing at all!”
“And just because I dropped my history on the floor, old Crabtree made me stay in half an hour,” grumbled Pepper.
“I’ve caught it, too,” came from Jack. “I missed in astronomy and had to study five pages extra. Mr. Strong or the captain never treated us that way!”
“I wish we had another teacher in old Crabtree’s place,” came from Dale.
“Captain Putnam can’t discharge him,” said Joe. “He’s got a contract, so Stuffer was telling me.”