CHAPTER XIX
A STORM IN CAMP
"Say, fellows, are we all going up in a balloon!" cried Sam Rover, ashe rolled off his cot in a great hurry.
One whole side of the tent was loose and the structure was in danger oftumbling down on the inmates' heads.
"Help!" came from the next tent. "I'm being smothered!"
"That's Lew Flapp!" said a cadet. "What's up now, Flapp?" he calledout.
No answer came back, and now canvases could be heard ripping in alldirections.
"Fasten down the pegs!" came the order. "Fasten them down, quick!"
The cadets were already at work, and Sam and his tent-mates set attheir task with a will, realizing that every moment was precious. Whileone student held the peg upright the other would pound it down into thewet ground with a hammer or the back of a spade.
"The confounded pegs won't hold," cried out one cadet. "There shegoes!" and the next instant the tent went flying skyward, to land onanother tent some distance away.
It was still raining "cats, dogs, and hammer handles" as Tom Roverexpressed it. All was dark, the only light being that given forth bythe lantern which had not been blown out. Occasionally came a flash oflightning, followed by the distant rolling of thunder.
"This is one of the real comforts of camp life," said Songbird Powellsarcastically. "So much nicer than being under the roof of the Hall,you know!"
"Never mind, Songbird, you need a washing off at least once a year,"replied a fellow sufferer.
A minute later came another yell from Lew Flapp. He and his tent-mateshad tried in vain to hold down their canvas. Now it went up with arush. One of the peg ropes caught around Flapp's leg and he was draggedover the wet ground, with his head splashing into every pool of waterthat he passed.
"Help me! I'll be killed!" roared the tall youth.
The tent was blowing along the company street and half a dozen cadetsran to the rescue, Tom with them. Some leaped on the canvas, whileothers held Flapp. Then the rope was cut with a knife.
"Wha--what a fearful wind!" groaned the tall boy, when he could speak."This is the worst storm I ever saw!"
"Oh, but I'm sorry I ever came to camp," groaned William PhilanderTubbs. "I'm so wet the water is actually running out of my shoetops!"
"Ton't said a vord," came from Hans. "I dink me I half a rifer floatingmine packpone town alretty! Of dis keeps on much longer der whole campvos in der schwim, ain't it!"
"I reckon we're in the swim already," broke in Sam. "Some of us hadbetter bring the rowboats up."
The high wind lasted for fully half an hour and during that time six ofthe tents were literally blown to ribbons, while many others sufferedto a lesser extent. A quarter of the shelters laid flat in the mud, andnothing could be done with these until the wind went down.
"It's the worst blow I have seen since we have held our encampments,"was Captain Putnam's comment, and he and the teachers went around withlanterns to aid the students as much as they could.
By three o'clock in the morning the storm was over and the stars beganto peep forth from behind the clouds. As tired as they were the cadetshad to set to work to put up the tents and arrange their cots as bestthey could. Camp-fires were lit in half a dozen places and the studentshuddled around these to dry themselves and get warm.
"I guess this is a touch of real army life," said Dick. "And I must sayI don't like it overly much."
"We'll have to make the best of it, Dick," answered Tom, who had comeover to see how his brother was getting along.
"How is Sam?"
"Oh, he's all right, although as wet as any of us."
"This storm reminds me of the one we experienced when in the jungles ofAfrica," went on the eldest Rover. "Do you remember how it blew, Tom?"
"Indeed I do," was the answer, as Tom's mind went back to thatthrilling experience, as related in "The Rover Boys in the Jungle."
On the following day the cadets were glad enough to remain in camp,cleaning out their tents and drying the things that had become wet. Butthe storm was a thing of the past and the sun shone as brightly asever. Big fires were kept burning, and hot coffee could be had wheneverwanted, so scarcely anybody suffered from the drenching received.
The storm had somewhat disarranged the plans made by Flapp, Rockley,and their particular cronies. But two days later Flapp, Rockley, andPender got permission to go to the village of Oakville, two milesdistant, one to buy some corn salve he said he wanted and the others todo a little trading.
The boys had collected nine dollars from various members of their crowdand this was to be spent for liquor, cigars, and for several packs ofcards. All of these things were to be smuggled to the hermit's denPender had discovered.
"We can get enough to last us during the encampment," said Flapp. "Andthen we can have a good time whenever we wish, and Captain Putnam willnever suspect what is going on."
It did not take the cadets long to reach Oakville, a pretty placelocated among the hills. There were a dozen stores, a blacksmith shop,two churches, and perhaps fifty houses. Beyond were farms in a state ofhigh cultivation, showing that the inhabitants of that section werethrifty people.
"This town is about as slow as Cedarville," observed Pender, as theywalked up the single street. "How folks can idle their lives away insuch a place is what gets me."
"They don't know anything of the joys of city life," returned Flapp."Some of these people have never seen the inside of a real theater."
As might be expected, the unworthy cadets lost no time in entering oneof the taverns located in Oakville, and here Flapp treated. Then, aftercigars or cigarettes had been lit, they proceeded to buy the thingsdesired for the den.
"Laying in quite a stock, ain't ye?" said the tavern keeper.
"Oh, we are getting this for the whole crowd," replied Pendercarelessly. "But, say," he added suddenly.
"What is it?"
"We don't want you to say anything about our buying this stuff."
"All right, I'll be mum," answered the tavern keeper.
From the tavern they proceeded to the general store, where theypurchased the packs of cards and a few other things.
While they were making their purchases two girls came in with a marketbasket between them. One was tall and thin and the other short andrather stout. Yet the girls looked very much alike and were noticeablypretty.
"Fine girls," whispered Flapp to Rockley, nudging his companion in theribs.
"Yes," was the answer, and Rockley began to smile openly on the newarrivals. As the girls did not appear to notice this, he drew closerand tipped his cap.
"Fine day after the storm," he said smoothly. "Yes, very," said thetaller of the girls, and turned away.
"I suppose you belong in Oakville," put in Lew Flapp, to the smallergirl.
"Yes," answered the girl, and turned away to join her companion.
"We are up to the camp on Pine Island," went on Rockley, following thegirls up. "Have you ever been there?"
"Once," said the taller girl, and began to purchase some articles fromthe clerk behind the counter.
"You ought to come and take a look at our camp," continued Flapp. "It'sa real interesting sight."
"All the girls are welcome," said Pender, feeling he must saysomething.
"We'd be willing to show you the way at any time," added Rockley, andplaced his hand on the arm of one of the girls.
"Please let me be," said the girl, and walked away. A moment later sheleft the store, and her companion went with her.
"My, but they were shy!" laughed Pender. "Rockley, you didn't make anyimpression at all. Nor you either, Flapp."
"Humph! Wonder who they are?" murmured Lew Flapp.
"Let's ask the storekeeper and find out."
"Those girls are twins," said the proprietor of the establishment.
"Twins!" cried Rockley. "They didn't look it--not by their difference insizes."
"But they did in looks," said Pender.
"What are their na
mes?"
"The tall one is Alice Staton and the other is Helen Staton. Theirfather is the local constable, although he runs a big farm for aliving."
"Do they come here often?"
"Pretty often. But they are very shy girls and don't hardly speak toanybody. They are both studying to be school-teachers."
In the meantime Helen Staton and her sister Alice were hurrying downthe main street of Oakville with flushed cheeks.
"I don't think those cadets were very nice," said Helen.
"Certainly they were not very good-looking," replied Alice. "And Ithought they smelt a little of liquor."
"The idea of their saying they would show us the way to the camp! Iguess papa can drive us there if we want to go."
"I'd like to see it. But I shouldn't want to go with those boys," wenton Alice.
"Perhaps papa can take us," said Helen. "But come, we promised mammawe'd hurry back as soon as we could."
To get home the two girls had to walk for a considerable distance alongthe road leading to Bass Lake.
On the way they passed the farm of one Isaac Klem, a man who took greatpride in his poultry and his cattle. Klem had forty cows, and two bullswhich were worth a good deal of money.
One of the bulls, a black, vicious looking fellow, was tied up in asmall lot at the corner of the farm.
The girls were just walking past this lot when Helen happened to glanceover her shoulder and set up a cry of alarm.
"Oh, Alice, Mr. Klem's black bull is loose!"
"Where, Helen?" queried her twin sister.
"There he is, at the fence. See, he is trying to get over!"
The fence she mentioned was of stones piled loosely, one on top of theother. The bull was striking at the stones with his front hoofs. Soonsome came down, and then the animal leaped out into the roadway. Thenhe gave a snort and looked at the girls curiously.
Now as ill luck would have it, each of the twins wore a redshirt-waist. This color enraged the bull, and with a wild snort, helowered his horns and rushed at the pair, as if to gore them throughand through.