“Let me get away!” screamed Gus Coulter. “I’ll be stung to death!”
“Let me up!” shrieked Paxton. “I’m stung in the eye!”
“It’s your hornets’ nest!” growled Coulter, and getting up he went after the crowd, who were scattering in all directions.
It was certainly the liveliest time imaginable and Pepper and his chums roared heartily as they saw the others doing their best to fight off the little pests. Fortunately the Ritter crowd did not come near them, so they were not bothered at all by the hornets. Ritter ran for the lake shore, and the whole crowd traveled nearly a quarter of a mile before they dared to halt, so thoroughly were they alarmed.
“Well, that’s a case of the stinger getting stung!” was Andy’s comment, after the excitement was over.
“I’ll wager the Ritter crowd won’t go back to finish that feast,” came from Dale, with a grin.
“Too bad! So much good cake and stuff gone to waste!” said Stuffer, with a sigh.
“Go on back after it, Stuffer,” said the young major. “I reckon they will let you have the whole of it.”
“Not on your life!” cried the lad who loved to eat. “Think I want an introduction to those hornets? Besides, the stuff is all doctored anyway.”
As soon as the fun was over, Jack and Pepper and the others hurried back to camp and retired for the night. They did not, however, go to sleep but kept their ears open for the return of Ritter and his cronies.