“Let us both stay,” came from Andy. “We’ll be company for each other.”
“Maybe you can’t get permission to stay?” said the owner of the Alice.
“We won’t ask for permission,” answered Pepper. “We’ll just come down here after lights are out and bunk till morning. Then we’ll watch our chance and slip back into the Hall some time before breakfast.”
And so it was arranged.
CHAPTER XXI
SURPRISES OF A NIGHT
Ritter, Paxton and Coulter had arranged their plans with care, and they were practically certain that the Alice would lose the boat race. As a consequence the three unworthies did not hesitate to go around and lay wagers that either the Ajax or the Neptune would win. As they did not wish to bet openly against their own school, so to speak, they made the most of their wagers through a man in Cedarville named Crosby—a fellow who kept a variety store, including sporting goods and fishing tackle.
“We’ll make Jack Ruddy and his chums feel sick, and rake in some good shekels in the bargain,” said Reff Ritter.
“We must be careful in our work,” cautioned Paxton. “If we get caught there’s no telling what they’ll do to us.”
“Oh, don’t croak before you’re hurt, Nick.”
“Do you want to get caught?”