Hardly had he done this when with a cry of commingled alarm and rage the bully struck out, hitting Jack in the face. Then he broke loose, blew out the light, and ran out of the tent.
CHAPTER XXVIII
CAPTAIN PUTNAM HAS HIS SAY
The young major was surprised, and for one instant he did not know what to do. But then he recovered his wits and dashed out after Ritter. He caught the bully making his way back of the tent, and putting out his foot sent the fellow sprawling. Then, before Ritter could arise, Jack sat on him.
“You—you le—let m-me up!” gasped Ritter, who all but had the breath knocked out of him. “Le—let me up, do yo—you he—hear?”
“I’ll let you up when you explain, not before!” cried Jack. “You were doing something in my tent. I want to know what it was.”
Before Ritter could frame a reply—and it is doubtful if he had one ready—a cry came from the tent occupied by Pepper, Andy and Dale.
“We’ve got you!” came in the voice of The Imp. “Stand where you are, Coulter!”
“Let me go! Please let me go!” pleaded the voice of Nick Paxton. “Oh, let me go this time and I’ll never do wrong again!”
“Hello, so the rest of your crowd are in this,” said Jack to Ritter. “I might have known it. Come with me, and don’t you try to run away, or I’ll give you the worst licking you ever had.”
The young major allowed the bully to get up and caught him tightly by the arm. The two walked over to the other tent, and there beheld Coulter and Paxton surrounded by Andy, Dale and Pepper. Paxton was trembling as if with the ague, and Coulter was also much disturbed.