“Oh, but I’m sorry I ever came to camp,” groaned William Philander Tubbs.  “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 floating mine packpone town alretty!  Of dis keeps on much longer der whole camp vos in der schwim, ain’t it!”

“I reckon we’re in the swim already,” broke in Sam.  “Some of us had better bring the rowboats up.”

The high wind lasted for fully half an hour and during that time six of the tents were literally blown to ribbons, while many others suffered to a lesser extent.  A quarter of the shelters laid flat in the mud, and nothing 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 with lanterns to aid the students as much as they could.

By three o’clock in the morning the storm was over and the stars began to peep forth from behind the clouds.  As tired as they were the cadets had to set to work to put up the tents and arrange their cots as best they could.  Camp-fires were lit in half a dozen places and the students huddled around these to dry themselves and get warm.

“I guess this is a touch of real army life,” said Dick.  “And I must say I don’t like it overly much.”

“We’ll have to make the best of it, Dick,” answered Tom, who had come over 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 of Africa,” 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 that thrilling 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.  But the storm was a thing of the past and the sun shone as brightly as ever.  Big fires were kept burning, and hot coffee could be had whenever wanted, 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, and Pender got permission to go to the village of Oakville, two miles distant, one to buy some corn salve he said he wanted and the others to do a little trading.

The boys had collected nine dollars from various members of their crowd and this was to be spent for liquor, cigars, and for several packs of cards.  All of these things were to be smuggled to the hermit’s den Pender had discovered.

“We can get enough to last us during the encampment,” said Flapp.  “And then we can have a good time whenever we wish, and Captain Putnam will never suspect what is going on.”