“Got a few bush leaves down my neck, that’s all,” answered Andy. His wrist was a good deal scratched but he kept it out of sight, not wishing to alarm the girls still more.
“Can we do anything for you?” questioned Laura.
“Might bake us a few pies,—as you did when we ran away from school,” answered Andy.
“How absurd!” cried Flossie, and gave a laugh. “Oh, I am so glad you didn’t hurt yourselves seriously.”
By this time Jack and Dale were coming up, and the situation was quickly explained. The young major shook hands with the girls and turned the horse around for them. The Ford girls were glad to meet the cadets but sorry that they had interrupted the race so disastrously.
“Oh, it was a tie anyway,” said Andy. “I don’t care, if Pep doesn’t.”
“It wasn’t much of a race anyway,” answered Pepper. “How have you been since we saw you last?” he added.
“Very well,” answered Laura. “How are matters at the school? We heard somebody had taken the clapper of the Union Church.”
“So we heard, too,” said Dale dryly. “But that’s a thing of the past now. We are getting ready to go into camp again—this time in the regular fashion, under Captain Putnam and the teachers, you know.”
“How delightful!” murmured Flossie. “And where are you going?”