“We might go around by the upper road,” answered Pepper. “It won’t take but half an hour longer at the most. I don’t think Ritter and Coulter will hurry themselves. They like to smoke too well.”
“Yes, and play pool, Pep. It’s a wonder the captain doesn’t find out what they are up to.”
“Well, I am not going to turn tell-tale.”
Reaching the main road leading to Putnam Hall, the two cadets followed this for a quarter of a mile and then branched off to the left, on what was familiarly known as the upper road—since it ran on higher ground than that which followed the lake shore. This made a long turn between the hills to the west of the school and would give them a ride of four or five miles extra.
Two miles of the upper road were covered when Pepper noticed that his lamp was growing dimmer. He stopped and dismounted and shook the lamp. No sound from within followed.
“Empty,” he declared. “Too bad. I should have filled it before I started.”
“Never mind, I’ll lead and you can follow,” answered Andy. “I don’t believe there is anything the matter with the road, anyway.”
Andy dashed ahead and Pepper followed him at a distance of fifty feet. Thus another half-mile was reeled off. Then Andy slowed up, calling upon his chum to do the same.
“My front tire is flattened out,” declared the acrobatic cadet. “I hope I haven’t got a bad puncture.”
“If it was bad I reckon you would have heard the air hiss,” answered Pepper.