“Oh, don’t get scared, Mumps,” said Baxter. “They can’t see us—the bushes are too thick.”
Leaving the rowboat, the party of three stole to the spot where the baskets were resting.
“Say but they are heavy,” remarked Paxton in a low voice.
“Hush!” came warningly from the bully, and then nothing further was said. Each took a basket, and started back for the rowboat as fast as he could carry the load.
Baxter and Paxton had just placed their baskets in the boat when there came a crash. Mumps, who was bringing up the rear, had slipped and let his basket fall, breaking a drinking glass and a bottle of ginger ale.
“Hi, there, what’s that?” came from Jack, who was standing in the water up to his waist. “Who’s breaking glass?”
“I’m not,” answered one of the cadets on shore. “It was——”
“Hullo, there is Dan Baxter!” yelled Pepper. “He’s got one of our baskets!”
“They are running off with our things!” broke in Andy. “Hi, stop, Baxter! Stop, Paxton!”
“Go to grass!” roared the bully of Putnam Hall. He flung himself into the rowboat. “Quick, Paxton; quick, Mumps!”