CHAPTER VI ANDY SNOW'S VICTORY
The crowd surrounding Andy were both pleased and astonished by his showof grit. It was easy to see that his wrist was in bad shape.
"Andy, you can't do it to-day," pleaded Pepper. "Make him meet you someother time."
"It is to-day or never," said Gus Coulter, bluntly.
In a few minutes the necessary space was cleared and the contestcommenced. It had been agreed that the trial was to consist of thefollowing: Each boy was to walk the length of the gymnasium on his handsand then rise up and "chin the bar," that is, draw himself up to hischin on a turning bar. The contestant to "chin the bar" the greatestnumber of times was to be the winner.
Harry Blossom had been chosen umpire of the contest, and at a word ofcommand from him the two students fell upon their hands and startedacross the floor. At once Nick Paxton and Reff Ritter began to crowdAndy.
"You keep back there!" cried Jack, and shoved Paxton out of the way.Then he and Pepper elbowed their way to Reff Ritter. "Give Andy a show,"both said.
"Oh, don't bother me," growled Ritter, giving Jack a black look.
"Then get out of Andy's way," answered the young major.
"That's right--keep the course clear, or I'll call the contest off,"called out Harry Blossom, and Ritter and Paxton had to fall back. Mumpswas also present and wanted to hinder Andy, but he had not the courageto do anything.
Andy's wrist pained him greatly, and long before he reached the end ofthe gymnasium he felt like giving up the contest. But he kept on, andfinished walking on his hands as quickly as did Coulter. Then he pulledhimself up on one bar while his opponent did the same on another.
"Three for Andy Snow!"
"Four for Gus Coulter!"
"Four for Andy!"
"Five for Gus! Stick to it, Gus, and you'll win!"
"Andy should not have tried it with that sore wrist!"
Amid encouraging cries and various criticisms, the "chinning" went onuntil Gus Coulter had pulled himself up twelve times. Andy had gone upten times. Gus was trying his best to get up the thirteenth time, butseemed unable to make it.
Andy's wrist felt as if it was on fire, and he had to grit his teeth tokeep from crying out with pain. But he clung to the bar and slowly butsurely went up the eleventh time, and then the twelfth. Then he went upthe thirteenth--just as Coulter did likewise.
"A tie!" was the cry.
Again the two boys tried to rise. But Gus Coulter's total strength wasgone, and all he could do was to raise himself a few inches. He hungfrom the bar and glared at Andy.
"Want to call it a tie?" he gasped.
"No!" answered Andy, shortly, and then went up again. Gus could do nomore, and he dropped to the floor. Then with a quick movement Andyraised himself up once again, and again, and then a third time--and thenlet go.
"Hurrah! Andy Snow wins!"
"He went up seventeen times to Coulter's thirteen."
"I can tell you, Andy Snow is a wonder! And he did it with that hurtwrist, too!"
So the cries ran on, while Gus Coulter sneaked away and out of sight.Pepper, Jack, and the others surrounded Andy. They saw he was very pale.
"It was too much for you, Andy," said the young major. "Come on out inthe fresh air," and he led the way. On the campus he ran into ReffRitter once more.
"Ritter, what do you mean by bumping into me," he said, sharply.
"I wasn't bumping into you," was the sharp reply. "Say, maybe you'd liketo meet me in the gym. some day," went on the bully.
"At chinning?" asked Jack.
"No, on the bars, or the flying-rings."
"I am not afraid to meet you on the flying-rings," answered Jack, forthat form of gymnastics appealed to him.
"All right, when do you want to meet me?"
"Any time you say."
"Done." And then and there, with the aid of several outsiders, thecontest on the flying-rings was arranged.
"Jack, I am afraid you'll get the worst of it," said Pepper, for heremembered that Reff Ritter had travelled a good deal and had hadseveral high-class instructors give him lessons in gymnastics.
"Perhaps," returned the young major. "But I wasn't going to show thewhite feather when he called on me to meet him."
Further discussion of the subject was cut short by the unexpectedringing of the school bell. At first the cadets thought this must besome joke, but soon learned otherwise. They were requested to meet inthe assembly room, and were there addressed by Captain Putnam.
"I have an announcement of considerable importance to make," said themaster of the Hall. "To-morrow afternoon this school will be visited bytwo of my old army friends, General Wallack and Major Darrowburg.General Wallack has been on duty on the Pacific coast and MajorDarrowburg is one of the instructors at West Point. I shall ask thesetwo old army friends of mine to inspect the school battalion and witnessa drill. It is perhaps needless for me to say that I wish you all toappear at your best. I want every uniform carefully brushed, every shoepolished, and every gun and sword in the pink of condition. Thesegentlemen are deeply interested in our school, and I want them to seefor themselves that we are close to the standard set by our governmentat West Point. To-morrow we will have dinner an hour earlier than usual,and that will give all ample time in which to make themselvespresentable. I trust that every officer and every private will take aproper pride in this exhibition. And I wish to add, that any neglect onthe part of an officer or a private to turn out in a fitting manner willbe severely punished. Now you can go, and I trust you will, every one ofyou, add to the honor of Putnam Hall."
The cadets filed out of the assembly room and scattered in variousdirections. The announcement made by Captain Putnam created a keeninterest.
"It will certainly be great to be inspected by two regular United StatesArmy officers," observed Pepper. "Gosh! but we'll have to shine up forkeeps! Guess I'll begin on my brass buttons right away!" And he saidthis so drolly all who heard him laughed.
"I've got to clean my gun," said Stuffer. "I meant to clean it lastweek, but it slipped my mind."
"Sure, an' it's meself must have a new braid on me coat," put inEmerald. "I'll go an' see about it to wanct!" And he hurried off.
"I don't believe you've got much to do, Jack," said Pepper. "You alwayslook as if you had stepped out of a bandbox. I don't see how you manageit."
"Well, you know I have to set the rest of the battalion an example,being major," was the reply. "If the major isn't up to the scratch howcan he expect his men to be?"
"Yes, I know that's the way to look at it, but I really don't see howyou keep your sword looking so fine, and your scabbard."
"I polish it pretty often--then it doesn't come hard, Pep. The wholesecret is in not letting things slip too long. When I find a buttongetting loose I don't wait for it to fall off--I tighten it up rightaway."
While Jack and his chums were talking matters over on the campusCoulter, Ritter, and Paxton had walked off toward the boat-house. Theytook but little interest in the inspection, until an idea regarding itentered Ritter's head.
"I did what I could to lame Snow," said Paxton to Coulter. "I kicked hiswrist as hard as I could."
"I was not in condition--my stomach has been weak for two days," wasCoulter's explanation. "Another time I'll beat him all to pieces."
"Say, Reff, you had a run-in with Jack Ruddy, didn't you?" asked Paxton,turning to Ritter.
"Yes." Ritter was clicking his teeth together--something he was in thehabit of doing when out of sorts. "Say, I wonder----" He stopped short.
"What do you wonder?" asked Coulter.
"I was thinking of that exhibition drill."
"Oh, pshaw! I am not going to worry about that. Why, if we make a fineshowing who will get the credit? Captain Putnam, Jack Ruddy, and theother officers."
"I am not going to make a good showing for Jack Ruddy's benefit,"growled Paxton.
"I was thinking of something," resumed
Reff Ritter, slowly. "I wonder ifwe could manage it."
"Manage what?" asked the two others.
"Manage to make a whole lot of trouble for Jack Ruddy and his crowd. Itfalls in with the first idea I had."
"I'd like to do it!" declared Paxton.
"Same here," added Coulter. "Only show us a safe and sure way."
"You know how Ruddy keeps himself in the very best of condition all thetime."
"We couldn't help but know that."
"Well, supposing we spoilt that condition for him? Supposing we made hissword and its scabbard look rusty, his buttons dull, and his uniformfull of spots? How would that strike those officers and Captain Putnamwhen that inspection came off?"
"I know one thing--Captain Putnam would be as mad as hops," said Paxton."More than likely he would reduce Ruddy to the ranks."
"Yes, but you can't work such a scheme," said Coulter.
"Why not--if we can get hold of his things between now and to-morrownoon?"
"Because if he finds anything is mussed up he'll do his best to clean upbefore he goes on the parade ground."
"Yes, but what if he doesn't find anything mussed up?" queried ReffRitter.
"Yes, but--I don't understand," said Paxton. "He has eyes--he can readilysee if anything is wrong."
"Maybe not--if we fix him up in the right kind of a way."
"Well, how are you going to do it?" demanded Coulter.
"I can do it easily enough, provided I can get down to the Cedarvilledrug store to-night."
"What do you want from the drug store?"
"I want several chemicals. Can I trust you to keep this a secret?" AndReff Ritter looked around the boat-house to see if any outsiders were insight. No one seemed to be around.
"Yes," said both Coulter and Paxton, promptly.
"Well, my plan is simply this: From the druggist I will get certainchemicals to be mixed with water. Then, on the sly, we'll get hold ofRuddy's outfit. All we'll have to do is to apply the chemicals to hissword, scabbard, buttons, and clothing. We can dilute the chemicals sothat they will act in two, three or four hours, just as we please. Atfirst the chemicals will not show at all, but after the proper length oftime they will turn everything they are on a sickly green. I know theaction of the chemicals well, for I have used them in photography."
"That's a great idea!" cried Coulter. "Let us try it by all means. Andwe'll put some on Andy Snow's outfit, too!"
"Yes, and on Pepper Ditmore's things," broke in Paxton. "What's thematter with doing up the whole Ruddy crowd while we are at it?"
"We will," answered Reff Ritter. "We'll make that inspection drill theworst looking affair that ever took place at Putnam Hall!"
"Yes, and bring seven kinds of trouble to Jack Ruddy and his crowd,"finished Coulter.