The Mystery at Putnam Hall Part 27

"Go with the company that wins!" suggested Pepper, with a grin.

"Toss up a cent for it," suggested Andy.

"All right, I'll toss up," answered Jack, and did so, and it was decided that he should fight with Company B.

"Good enough!" cried Pepper, who was in that command. "Now Company A is licked, sure!"

"Not much!" was the answer from Stuffer Singleton. "We'll win, sure!"

"We will, unless you stop to eat a doughnut!" put in Joe Nelson, and at this remark a general laugh went up, for Stuffer had once lost a long-distance running race because he stopped on the way to devour some cookies he had in his pocket.

It was after school hours, and the cadets had gathered on the field where, during the summer, corn had been raised. It was to be a battle between the two companies of the school battalion, with the company captain as leader on each side.

The preliminary rules were speedily arranged. Lines were drawn at either end of the field, about five hundred feet apart. In the center, about a hundred feet apart, two other lines were drawn. Along the latter lines the cadets arranged themselves.

"Now then, fighting will begin when the school-bell rings out four!"

cried the cadet who had been made referee. "The company that chases the other company over its back line wins the contest. No fighting with anything but snow allowed. Anybody using his fists, or a stone, or a lump of ice, will be ruled out of the contest."

With all possible speed the young soldiers started to supply themselves with s...o...b..a.l.l.s, and soon each had ten to twenty in his hands and pockets and under his arms or at his feet.

"Get ready!" shouted Bart, as he glanced hastily at his watch.

"Give it to 'em hot when the bell rings!" came from Henry Lee.

Half a minute more and the Hall bell commenced to toll out the hour. The bell had not yet ceased to ring when there came a grand shower of s...o...b..a.l.l.s from each company. The shower was so thick that a few of the s...o...b..a.l.l.s. .h.i.t each other.

"Forward!" shouted Captain Bart.

"Forward!" echoed Captain Henry.

And then the two long lines of cadets rushed forward over the snow-covered field until they were within thirty or forty feet of each other. Then came another shower of s...o...b..a.l.l.s.

"Wow!" yelled one cadet. "Oh, my nose!"

"Caesar's helmet! That hit me in the eye!" came from another.

"Say, don't try to knock out all my teeth!" added a third.

"Charge!" yelled the captain of Company A. "Charge! Get 'em on the run right now!"

"Stand firm!" came from the commander of Company B. "Now then, fire!"

The rush of Company A was met with an extra heavy volley of s...o...b..a.l.l.s.

The cadets staggered under the onslaught and then came to a halt.

"Now then, up and at 'em!" yelled Captain Bart. And yelling like wild Indians, his command charged on Company A. The s...o...b..a.l.l.s flew thick and fast, and slowly but surely Company A was forced to give ground until it stood on the line from which it had started. But by that time Company B was out of ammunition and had to pause to manufacture more s...o...b..a.l.l.s.

In the ranks of Company A were Ritter, Coulter and Paxton. Paxton had of late somewhat dropped the others, but Reff and Gus were as thick as ever. They were now standing side by side.

"Say, I'd like to give it to Ruddy and those others," muttered Coulter.

"So would I," whispered Ritter in return. "Confound 'em, I'd like to know if they really know the truth about the bicycles."

"I don't see how they found out; n.o.body was around when you fixed 'em up."

"Maybe somebody was spying; that sneak of a Mumps, for instance."

"If he was, and told on us, I'll fix him for it."

Both cadets were making s...o...b..a.l.l.s near a hollow. As Ritter sc.r.a.ped the snow up he uncovered several jagged stones.

"Say, look here!" he whispered, and pointed at the stones. "Let's fix up some special s...o...b..a.l.l.s for Ruddy & Company!" he added with a knowing look at his crony.

"All right; but be careful you are not caught," answered Gus Coulter.

Both cadets got down close to the jagged stones and adroitly slipped several of them into the s...o...b..a.l.l.s they were making.

"Wait till we are pretty close," directed Ritter. "Then let drive for all you are worth."

"Who will you aim at?"

"Ruddy and Ditmore."

"All right, I'll aim at Snow; and I'll let Ruddy have one, too."

Again came a ringing war-cry, and in a moment more the battle was continued. Back and forth swayed the lines of cadets, first towards one end of the field and then towards the other. It was plainly to be seen that the commands were about evenly matched.

"How long is this battle to last?" questioned Joe Nelson.

"Half an hour," answered Fred Century, who was beside him.

"Time is almost up, then," came from Bert Field, who had been fighting so hard he was almost out of breath.

"Five minutes more!" came from the referee. "Now then, if either side is going to do something, pitch in!"

"Forward!" came simultaneously from both captains, and forward plunged Company A and Company B, and the s...o...b..a.l.l.s commenced to fly as thickly as before. Neither side would give ground, and at last the two lines were within fifteen to twenty feet of each other, right in the center of the field.

The time was almost up, and each command was getting rid of the last of the s...o...b..a.l.l.s, when Jack saw a s...o...b..ll leave Coulter's hand and sail swiftly towards Pepper. The Imp did not see it until it was quite close to him and failed in his attempt to dodge. The s...o...b..ll hit him full in the temple and over he went as if struck with a club.

"Pepper!" cried the young major in horror, and started to rush to his chum's a.s.sistance, when another s...o...b..ll came flying through the air. It struck Jack over the ear, and he, too, went down, all but knocked unconscious.

A bugle blew, and the great s...o...b..lling contest came to an end.

"A tie! A tie!" was the cry. "Neither side wins!"

"Let the two captains shake hands and call it off!" said one cadet.

"I'm willing!" cried Bart, readily.