CHAPTER XI
A QUARREL AND ITS RESULT
Had the blow landed as intended Dick Rover would have received a bloodynose and might perhaps have lost one or two teeth.
But Dick was on the alert and he dodged to one side, so the blow landedon Songbird Powell's shoulder.
"See here, what do you mean by that, Flapp?" demanded Powell, who wasno weakling.
"I meant to hit Rover," was the answer.
"Hands off, Flapp!" cried Dick. "I didn't come here to fight, but I candefend myself."
"We'll see!" roared the unreasonable tall boy, and made another rush atDick. But in a twinkling he found himself flat on the floor, where hehad been thrown with a suddenness that took away his breath.
"Hi! that ain't fair," put in Rockley. "You let Lew alone."
"I will, when he leaves me alone," retorted Dick. He turned to HarryMoss and Joe Davis. "Do you want to stay here any longer?"
"No," answered both of the small cadets promptly.
"I didn't wish to come at all, but Ben Hurdy urged it," continued HarryMoss.
"And Pender said it would do no harm," added Joe Davis. "He said wewere going to have nothing but sandwiches, root beer, and soda."
"Look here, Davis, you keep your mouth shut!" cried Pender. "You knewexactly what to expect. You know Mike Sherry don't run a temperancehotel," he continued, with a sneer.
At these words Joe Davis grew pale.
"Yes, I know it--now, and if I ever get out of it, I shan't come again."
"Oh, you're too good to live!" broke in Jackson. "You ought to be laidaway in a glass case for safe keeping."
"Davis is all right, and he has more brains than you, Jackson," camefrom Dick. "If you want to make a fool of yourself by drinking andsmoking, I shan't stop you. But you shan't drag Joe and Harry into itagainst their will."
"That's the way to talk, Dick," said Powell. "Let us clear out, andtake the youngsters with us."
By this time Lew Flap had recovered from the flooring received and nowhe approached Dick once more.
"Do you want me to hammer you good, Rover?" he panted.
"As I said before, Flapp, I didn't come here to fight, but I can defendmyself. I propose to leave quietly, and take Harry and Joe with me."
"Supposing I won't let you leave?"
"I don't think you'll stop me."
"Come, Flapp, don't make a fool of yourself," put in Powell. "We didn'tcome here to quarrel, but to urge all of the crowd to quit drinking.You know it's against the Hall rules and regulations."
"And you intend to blab on us?"
"Not at all. I'm not that kind. And Dick Rover isn't either."
"I know how to fix 'em," came from Pender, with a cunning look in hiseye.
"How?" asked Flapp and Rockley, in concert.
"Our word is as good as anybody's. If they say they found us at MikeSherry's we can say that we found them there, too. For all we know theywere drinking below before they came up."
"That's it!" interrupted Lew Flapp, thinking he saw a way ofimplicating Dick and Powell. "Mike Sherry never lets anybody in hissaloon without they drink something."
"It's as plain as day," came from Rockley.
"They had all the liquor they wanted before they came up, and now theywant to stop our sport."
"Your story might be believed were it not for one thing," said Dick,trying to keep calm. "Come on, Harry, come, Joe." And he whisperedsomething into their ears.
"Oh, all right," said Harry Moss, and he retreated from the room,speedily followed by Joe Davis.
"Hi! come back here, you young scamps!" roared Lew Flapp. And then hemade for the doorway leading to the next room.
"Not so fast, Flapp!" said Dick, and blocked the opening with his ownform, while Powell stood directly behind.
"Say, fellows, Moss and Davis are getting out of the window!" criedFlapp, in astonishment.
"That's the way Rover and Powell must have gotten in," came fromPender.
"Exactly," answered Dick, "and that proves we didn't have to stop belowfor liquor," he added triumphantly.
"Look here, I don't mean to let those fellows go yet," blustered LewFlapp. "Let me get at them."
"Not to-night, Flapp."
Scarcely had Dick spoken when the tall boy flung himself forward. Thepair grappled, and a moment later both went down, with Dick on top.
"Hit him, Dick, don't let him get the best of you!" cried Powell, andan instant later found himself tackled by Pender and Jackson. For themoment Ben Hurdy, who had remained silent during the most of the talk,did nothing, but then he ran forward, and watching his chance, kickedDick in the side of the head with his foot.
The quarrel was now on in earnest, and in the midst of the melee aburly waiter came rushing from below, demanding to know what was thematter.
"A pair of spies!" shouted Pender. "Help us to give them a soundthrashing, Pat."
"Sure, Oi will that!" was the answer, and the waiter joined in theattack on Dick and Powell.
It was with a mighty effort that Powell managed to throw off hisassailants. Then he leaped for the window, reached the ladder, andfairly slid to the ground.
"Let up on Dick Rover!" he called, when safe. "If you don't, I'll rousethe constable and have somebody locked up."
"Confound him!" muttered Rockley. "We had better dust out. If he callsa constable the jig will be up."
With a parting kick at Dick he rushed down the back stairs to theresort, and unlocked the door. Taking care that Powell should not seehim, he darted into the gathering darkness.
Ben Hurdy followed Rockley, and a moment later Pender and Jackson didthe same. Then Flapp came staggering down the stairs, holding his nose,from which the blood was flowing freely.
"Let's get back to the Hall as quickly as we can," he said to theothers. "And if we are examined, we can deny everything."
"All right," said Pender. "But what did you do to Rover?"
"Somebody kicked him and he's about half unconscious. I left him to thetender mercies of Pat the waiter." And then Lew Flapp and his cronieshurried away on the road leading to Putnam Hall.
Dick might have defended himself, but he was cruelly kicked severaltimes, and partly lost consciousness, as already told. In a dim,uncertain manner he felt himself raised up and carried below, and thenput on the grass of the yard behind Mike Sherry's resort.
When he was able to move he sat up and then arose to his feet slowly.At that moment Songbird Powell discovered him. Powell had been up theladder a second time, to find the window closed and locked.
"Dick!" he exclaimed. "Are you badly hurt?"
"I--I don't know," was the slow reply. "How are you?"
"I'm all right?"
"Where are Flapp and the rest?"
"They ran away."
"And Harry and Joe?"
"They are waiting for us, down at the turn in the road."
Dick put his hand to his head, to find a big lump directly back of theear. His ear was cut, and there was a scratch on his chin.
"They didn't fight fair," he explained, when he felt a littlestronger. "They kicked me when I was down."
Aided by Powell he made his way to a pump and there bathed his head andprocured a drink of water.
While both boys were recovering from the adventure all the lights inMike Sherry's resort were put out and every door and window was locked.
"He wants to steer clear of trouble," said Powell.
"I put the blame on Lew Flapp," answered Dick. "To my mind he is aboutas mean as any boy around here."
"Of course we can't report him, Dick."
"No, I'm no tale-bearer, Songbird. But he ought to be punished."
"He'll make a fine major, if he's elected," went on Powell, as he andDick started for the road leading to the academy.
"He shall never be elected, if I can help it."
"I am with you on that."
They found Harry Moss and Joe Davis walking slowly toward Putnam Hall.Joe seemed to feel all right now
that he was out in the fresh eveningair, but Harry complained of a strange sickness at the stomach.
"It was horrid of Lew Flapp to make us drink," said the young cadet. "Itold him I didn't want anything stronger than soda. But he and Pendermade me take it."
"I think the walk will do you good, Harry," answered Dick kindly."Here, take my arm, and Songbird can take your other arm."
When the Hall was reached they found that Lew Flapp and his cronies hadalready gone to bed. Dick took Harry and Joe to their dormitory andthen rejoined Powell.
"Going to keep mum?" asked the latter.
"For the present," answered the eldest Rover. "But after this let uskeep a sharp eye on Flapp, Pender & Company."
And so it was agreed.