“Then it must have been Paxton. That crowd always hangs together for mischief.”
As soon as they arrived at the Hall, Pepper tried to locate the bully and his chums. The only cadet he could find of the crowd was Coulter.
“So, Coulter, it was you who helped to cave in that snow house, eh?” he said, catching the cadet by the arm.
“Who—er—told you,” stammered Coulter.
“Oh, don’t deny it.”
“I’m not denying it,” was the bold reply. “What are you going to do about it?”
“That!” cried Pepper, and hit Coulter a stinging blow in the mouth, which loosened two front teeth. Then a regular fight ensued, and Coulter was badly whipped. Paxton also received a thrashing at the hands of Andy, while Baxter only escaped punishment by keeping out of sight excepting during school hours.
“Now, maybe, they’ll keep their distance for a while,” said Pepper. But he was mistaken, the bully of the Hall and his cronies were not subdued, and what they did in retaliation will be told in another volume, to be called “The Putnam Hall Rivals; or, Fun and Sport Afloat and Ashore.” In this book we will meet all of our friends once more, in games and adventures as exciting as any of the past.
George Strong felt much relieved when a relative from the West came to take the two crazy men away.
“I never want to see them again,” said the assistant teacher. But he did see them, and they did their best to cause him no end of trouble.