“Good for you, Tom!” cried Sam, dancing around, forgetful of what he had just said about his brother getting into trouble.  “That’s the time you did it.  Now give him another!”

Again the two boys went at it and once more Tom was struck in the shoulder.  Then Lew Flapp aimed for Tom’s face, but the latter ducked and, recovering, hit the big boy a heavy blow in the chin that made his teeth rattle and sent him staggering over the side of an upturned boat and flat on his back.

“Hurrah!” cried Sam.  “That was almost a knockout, Tom.  Now give him to understand—­”

Sam broke off short, as a warning cry from Harry Moss reached his ears.  All eyes turned toward the doorway of the boathouse and a second later George Strong, the head teacher, stepped into view.

CHAPTER XIV

GETTING READY FOR THE ENCAMPMENT

For fully ten seconds after the head teacher appeared nobody spoke.  Lew Flapp arose slowly to his feet, and bringing out his handkerchief applied it to his bleeding nose.

“What does this mean?” demanded George Strong sternly.

“He—­he pitched into me,” faltered Flapp.

“That is hardly true,” returned Tom hotly.

“Both of you are well aware that it is against the rules of this school to fight,” went on the teacher.

“I know that, Mr. Strong,” answered Tom.  “But Flapp struck me first.”

“It isn’t so!” cried the big boy.  “I wasn’t doing anything, when Rover came along and started to quarrel.”

“My brother Sam and Harry Moss can prove that Flapp struck me first.”

“That is true,” said Harry Moss, while Sam nodded.

“What was the quarrel about?”

“I caught him here, beating Harry with this boat chain.  I told him to stop and then he pitched into me.”

“Is this true, Moss?”

“Ye—­yes, sir, but—­I—­I—­didn’t want to say anything about it, sir.”

“Do you mean to say that Flapp attacked you with that chain?”

Harry Moss was silent.

“Answer me.”

“He did.  But, Mr. Strong, I don’t want to make any complaint.  He and some of the others think I’m a—­a sneak already,” and now Harry could hardly keep back his tears.

“I don’t know why he attacked Harry,” put in Tom.  “But I couldn’t stand it, and I took the chain away from him and told him to stop.  Then he struck me, and we pitched into each other—­and I guess he got the worst of it,” added Tom, a bit triumphantly.

“Hum!  Flapp, you may go and bathe your nose, which I see is bleeding, and then come to Captain Putnam’s office.  The others can come to the office with me.”

George Strong led the way, and Tom, Sam, and Harry Moss followed.  The teacher took along the boat chain and made Harry show where he had been struck.

Captain Putnam looked very grave when the affair was explained to him.  He questioned Harry in private and learned that the attack was made by Flapp because of what the young cadet had told about drinking and smoking.