“Yes, you are!”
“You are the one who is stubborn,” put in Dale. “You and Mr. Cuddle think you are right—but we are about thirty or thirty-five to two.”
“Bah! you are only boys and do not realize what you are doing.”
“We are going to leave this matter to Captain Putnam.”
“Then you don’t want any dinner, eh?” Josiah Crabtree felt certain that the cadets must be very hungry.
“Not on your terms,” answered Jack.
“Do you all say that?” called out the teacher.
“Yes!” came in a chorus.
“Very well, you can go hungry a while longer!” cried Crabtree in a rage, and stalked off to interview the boys in some of the other rooms. One and all refused to “surrender,” as they expressed it. Then Josiah Crabtree went below to the office, where he met Pluxton Cuddle.
“They are as yet not hungry enough,” said Cuddle, after listening to the other teacher’s story. “Wait until the middle of the afternoon, or supper time. I’ll warrant they will then be glad enough to do anything we wish.”