“I’ll wager those fellows made themselves obnoxious to the girls,” said Tom.  “You could tell that by the way the girls looked.”

“What do you think they are going to do with the stuff they are carrying?” came from Sam.

“I believe they intend to smuggle it into camp,” replied Dick.  “And if that is so, I don’t know but what it is my duty to report them.”

“If you do that, Flapp will consider you the worst kind of a spy, Dick.”

“Perhaps, but as a captain of the command it is my duty to see that such things are kept out of camp.”

“Well, do what you think is best.”

“Better make sure that the stuff they are carrying isn’t all right,” said Sam.  “They may have nothing but soda in those bottles.”

They hurried along faster than ever but, strange to say, failed to catch up to Lew Flapp and his cronies, who were making for the hermit’s den with all possible speed.

“Maybe they got scared, thinking we might be spying on them,” suggested Tom, and hit upon the exact truth of the matter.

After that nearly a week passed in camp without anything unusual happening.  Lew Flapp and his cronies kept their distance, and so strict was the guard set by Captain Putnam and his assistants that hazing became, for the time being, out of the question.

To pass the time more pleasantly some of the cadets organized several tug-of-war teams.  This sort of thing pleased Tom very much and he readily consented to act as anchor man on one of the teams.  Another team had Pender for an anchor man, with Rockley and seven others on the rope.

“Let us have a regular contest,” said one of the cadets, and all was arranged for a match on the following morning after drill.

The students were enthusiastic over the match, some thinking one side would win and others favoring the opponents.

“Tom’s crowd will win that match,” said Sam.

“What makes you so sure?” questioned Ben Hurdy.

“Oh, Tom knows how to pull and how to manage the others.”

“And so does Rockley know how to pull,” continued Hurdy.  “And what is more, he knows a trick or two that will pull your fellows over the line in no time.”

“I don’t believe it, Hurdy.”

“Want to bet?”

“No, I don’t bet.  Just the same, I think Rockley’s crowd will lose.”

Although Sam would not bet, some of the other students did, so that by the time the match was to come off quite a sum was up.

George Strong had been chosen as starter and umpire.  On the green a line of white was laid down, and the team pulling the other over this line would be the winner.

For the contest Captain Putnam provided a new rope of proper size.  To each end was attached a belt for the anchor men, and there was ample room on each side of the line for the eight cadets on the rope.

“All ready?” questioned George Strong, when the time had come for the contest.