In order to appreciate what follows it may be well for us to take a glance at the faces of that crowd and see how many we can recognize.
It is safe to hazard a guess in the first place that a crowd whom Bull selected to aid him in his festivities would not include very many of the better element of the class. Bull was not very popular among such, as anybody might guess by a glance at his decidedly coarse features; his particular cronies, who had aided him in all his efforts to torment Mark, were a very unpleasant crowd of persons indeed.
They were all there to-night. There was the brutal Gus Murray, the sallow and sarcastic Vance, the amiable Baby Edwards, and Rogers, the big chap whom Mark had made a fool of a few days previously. In fact, there was scarcely one member of that crowd of twelve who had not some grudge against our plebe friends. And so it is not to be wondered that the conversation turned upon them before very long.
By this time the cover had been pried off of that box, and Bull proceeded to spread out its contents, amid general interest and excitement. The crowd moved up closer instinctively and conversation was unanimously suspended.
Bull’s parents, or whoever had arranged the contents of that highly interesting package, had evidently “known their business.” They had wasted no room on ham sandwiches and such nuisances, which nobody wanted, but had filled the case to the brim with every kind of pie and cake that a hungry cadet could wish for. The pièce de résistance, a huge fruit cake, which came out last, would most certainly have called for three cheers if it had not been for the proximity of the camp. As it was, there was a murmur of pleasure; and then Bull gave the signal.
“Pitch in,” said he, “and help yourselves.”
Nobody waited to be asked twice. Every one in the crowd soon had a handful of something, and the conversation, which had been hushed in mock suspense, broke forth merrily again. The momentous banquet had started at last; people who have been to picnics and similar affairs may imagine how the cadets were enjoying it.
“Where ignorance is bliss ’tis folly to be wise.” It was perhaps just as well that the cadets were ignorant in this case—ignorant of certain malignant villains who were wandering about the vicinity, bent, like Sir Hudibras, on interrupting all the fun they saw.
For the seven wicked plebes were flitting about in the woods by this time, only waiting for a favorable opportunity to spring their coup d’état.
They didn’t mean to wait very long. Any one could see that after the yearlings were once let loose at the provisions it was the matter of only five or ten minutes before there would be nothing at all in sight. But something happened just then which made Mark very loath to interrupt the proceedings.