“Yes, sir,” said Jack. “And there is the knife he did it with,” he added, pointing to the pocket piece which had fallen under the ex-lieutenant.
“It was—er—it was—er—only a bit of fun,” stammered Werner, not knowing what else to say. “And Jack Rover had no right to pitch into me the way he did!”
“I had a perfect right to do so, Professor Brice,” announced Jack. “If I wanted to say more—- But I won’t do it now,” he added. “I’ll make a report to you in private.”
By this time the camp was in an uproar, for down the line where Company C was located there had been another rumpus. Gif, going out on guard duty, had caught sight of Bill Glutts just as the latter had cut two of the ropes to the tent occupied by him and Spouter and the twins. Gif had treated the wholesale butcher’s son rather roughly, and Glutts had finally yelled for mercy, bringing out a crowd of twenty or thirty, including the twins.
“This is a despicable piece of business, Werner,” said Professor Brice sternly. “I will at once report the matter to Captain Dale, who, as you know, is in authority in this camp. Come along with me.”
Captain Dale had been down to the shore of the bay, to make certain that there was no danger of the tents which were used for bath houses being blown away. He soon came up and looked closely at the ropes which Werner had partly severed.
“I don’t like this sort of thing at all,” he said to the ex-lieutenant. “If that tent had come down while those inside were asleep somebody might have been seriously injured. More than that, nobody would care to be without shelter on such a night as this, and with all their possessions getting wet. You will report to the corporal of the guard at once.” Then Captain Dale passed on to where the others were having trouble with Glutts, and he was also ordered to report to the guard.
In the meanwhile, as the storm seemed to be increasing, Captain Dale gave orders that the fastenings of every tent should be inspected thoroughly and extra ropes and pegs should be put down wherever necessary. He did not want any of the school property damaged.
“Gee, we’ll catch it for this!” growled Bill Glutts, when he and Werner had been placed in a small wooden shanty, designated a guardhouse. “I suppose they’ll make us do all sorts of disagreeable things as a punishment.”
“I won’t stand for it!” stormed Werner, whose nose was still bleeding from the blow Jack had dealt. “They can’t make me the laughingstock of this camp.”