“Oh, my head!” he murmured.  “Who hit me?”

“You were in the carryall smash-up, Jack,” answered Pepper.  “You got a bad one on the head.”

“Oh, yes, I remember now.”  Jack sat up and placed his hand to his forehead.  “Bloody, eh?  Say, that was a crack, all right!”

“It’s lucky you weren’t killed,” said Andy.

“Better take it easy for a while,” advised Dale.  “Maybe we had better get a doctor.”

“Oh, I guess I’ll be all right after a bit, Dale,” answered the young major, who had a horror of being placed on the sick list.  “The knocking around stunned me, that’s all.”

“Let me tie a handkerchief over that cut,” said Pepper.

“Here, I’ve got some court-plaster,” said Fred, producing a little package.  “Let us bind it up with that.”

This was done, and after he had had a drink of water, Jack said he felt much better.  But when he got up on his feet he was rather shaky in the knees.

“I—­I don’t think I can walk to the Hall,” he said, with a faint smile.

“We’ll get a carriage,” answered Pepper.  “Maybe Mr. Darrison will let us have one.  We’ll pay for it, of course,” he went on, knowing that the old farmer was a close person.

“I’ll let you have my three-seated carriage and a team, if you want them,” answered Amos Darrison.  “But it will cost you two dollars.  I can’t afford to let you have ’em for nothing, because I’m a poor man, and taxes are heavy, and so many things wanted on the farm, and my wife wants——­”

“Never mind, we’ll pay the two dollars,” interrupted Pepper.  “Everybody who rides can chip in,” he added to the surrounding cadets.

While the lads were waiting for the farmer to hook up his horses, some of them and Peleg Snuggers examined the carryall.  A wheel had come off, and the glass had been broken, but otherwise the turnout had suffered but little.

“I am glad it is no worse,” said Andy.  “I’d hate to see that old carryall put out of business.  I’ve had so many nice rides in it.”

“The axle will have to be mended before we can use it again,” announced Peleg Snuggers.  “We’ll have to leave it here until the wheelwright can come fer it.  I’ll take the hosses back to the school.”

“Look out that they don’t run away with you,” warned Pepper.

“Let me ride one of them!” cried the acrobatic Andy.  “Give me the new one.  I’ll wager he won’t get away from me.”

“You’ll break your neck!” answered the carryall driver.

“Not at all.  Peleg, let me do it.  I’m used to horses!” pleaded Andy.

Now, if the truth must be told, Peleg Snuggers did not relish taking the runaway team back to the school alone.  He was a little afraid of the new horse, remembering how he had been kicked in the morning.

“Well, if you want to go, I’ll let ye!” he said at last.  “But, remember, ’tain’t my fault if ye come back killed.”