The next day a farmer named John Lane, who lived not far from the school, appeared there, riding on the back of the runaway Jim.  The horse looked much subdued and was covered with burrs.

“I was out in the woods with my son Bill, when we ran across the horse,” explained John Lane.  “I knew him right away as the animal that had belonged to Jerry Toller.  I asked Jerry about it and he said he had sold the horse to you, so I brought him here.”

“You are very kind, Mr. Lane,” replied Captain Putnam.  “I’d like to pay you for your trouble.”

“Oh, that’s all right, Captain Putnam,” responded the farmer.  “Glad to do you a good turn.”

“Thank you very much.  Any time I can do you a good turn, let me know.”

“Well, you might buy some of my extra hay, and extra potatoes.  I’ve got some prime hay, and the best potatoes ever grown in these parts, and I’ll sell ’em at regular market prices.”

“Then I’ll take all I can use, Mr. Lane,” answered the captain, and a little later a bargain was struck, not alone for the hay and potatoes, but also for some turnips, cabbages, and table celery.

“What that horse needs is exercise,” said John Lane, on departing.  “Give him a few miles every day and he’ll be as mild as any of ’em.  He’s too full-blooded to remain standing in the stable.”

“I’ll see to it that he gets the exercise,” answered Captain Putnam.

On the day that the horse was returned Jack, Pepper and Fred walked down to the boathouse, to look over the boats.  As my old readers know, Jack owned a sloop called the Alice, while Fred possessed a similar craft named the Ajax.  Besides these sloops, there were numerous boats belonging to the Hall.

“Well, our sloops look natural,” said the young major.

“I was wishing this summer I could go out in the Ajax,” answered Fred.  “What do you say if we take a little sail now?”

“In which boat, Fred?” asked Pepper.  “We can’t go out in both.”

“Make it the Alice!” cried Jack.

“No, the Ajax!” came from Fred.

“I’ll toss up for it,” went on Pepper and produced a cent.  “Head you win, tail you lose.”  And up into the air spun the coin.

“Head!” cried Fred.

“Head it is, and we go out in the Ajax.”

“All right, but you’ll have to go out in the Alice next time,” cried the young major.

“By the way, did you hear about Tom Rollinson?” asked Pepper, as he walked into the boathouse to inspect his locker there.

“What of him?” asked Fred.

“The family were burnt out this summer and lost everything.”

“Lost everything?” queried Jack.  “That’s tough luck.  I shouldn’t want to lose all I had.”

“Well, it will happen sometimes,” said Fred.

“Well, some lose by fire and some lose in other ways,” went on the young major.  “You have heard about Ritter.  His father——­”