“For a smoke?”
“Yes,” was the whispered answer. For, as my readers may imagine, smoking among the cadets was strictly prohibited.
“Think I’ll have a cigarette myself,” said Ritter. “Will you come along?”
Now, Mumps did not like to smoke, as it made him sick. But he did not wish to offend his new friend, and so he agreed to go along. They soon made their way to where Baxter and Coulter had taken themselves, and the toady gave a peculiar whistle.
It was answered a moment later, and Coulter appeared.
“Oh, it’s you,” he said. “All right, come in.”
They entered a section of the old boathouse that was but little used. It would have been cold, only the cadets had found a charcoal stove, and this was burning. Around it were Dan Baxter, Paxton, and Coulter, all smoking cigarettes.
“Hullo, glad to see you,” said Dan Baxter to Reff Ritter. “Sit down with us and enjoy yourself.”
Ritter sat down and drew from his pocket a package of imported cigarettes. He offered one to Mumps, and the toady lit it. Then Ritter lit one himself, inhaling the smoke and blowing it forth through his nose.
“Say, this is something like,” he observed. “Quite a cozy bunk you have.”