“Where is the key?” asked Pepper.
“On a nail in the washshed. I saw him put it there one evening.”
“Then we had better go in by the back way—if we can get the key,” said Stuffer.
With caution the boys skirted the edge of the lake. As they passed the boathouse they heard a murmur of voices. They were about to set off on a run, thinking some teachers were in the building, when Jack called a halt.
“It’s Reff Ritter talking!” he cried, in a low voice, and a few seconds later there issued from the boathouse the forms of the school bully and his two particular cronies, Gus Coulter and Nick Paxton. As soon as the three saw the other cadets they started to walk away rapidly.
“Stop, Ritter! I want to talk to you!” cried Jack, in a low but steady tone.
“What do you want?” snapped back Reff Ritter, coming to a halt and wheeling around. It was after hours, so he did not take the trouble to salute the young major.
“I want to talk to you,—and I want to talk to Coulter and Paxton, too.”
“What about?” and now the seven students came together close to the side of the boathouse. “Don’t give me any of your long-winded speeches, Ruddy, for I am sleepy and want to get to bed.”
“Ritter, you and your gang played a mean trick on me and Ditmore to-night.”