“Both of you come to my office,” said the captain, and he also asked half a dozen of the others to come along. At the office the matter was carefully investigated.
“Ditmore, you may go,” said the master of Putnam Hall. “It was not just right for you to do as you did, yet I do not blame you for defending yourself. Baxter, you can remain.” And then all left the office but the bully. After the others had gone Captain Putnam read the bully a stern lecture. The captain had found out about the smoking and drinking at the old boathouse, and told the bully in very plain words that such practices would not be permitted around the academy.
“I presume the boathouse caught fire by accident,” said Captain Putnam.
“I—I guess it did,” said Baxter, meekly.
“It was a mean piece of business all the way through—and doubly mean to try to throw suspicion on some other cadets.”
“They did mean things to me, too,” grumbled the bully, and then he was glad to make his escape from the office.
It made Dan Baxter feel sick to face the school after his encounter with Pepper. Everybody was talking of how the Imp had polished off the bully. Baxter was glad enough when he received a telegram from his father asking him to leave Putnam Hall.
“I’m going on a trip and I shan’t be back for some time,” said Baxter to his cronies.
“You’re in luck,” answered Reff Ritter. “Wish I was going.”
“If you can, square up with Pepper Ditmore and his crowd,” went on the bully.