“Oh, so were all of us!” said Tom.  “By the way, do you know where Mumps is now?  In the mining business, out West, acting as some sort of a clerk.”

“A spell in the West will take the nonsense out of him,” came from Dick.  “It was a great pity he ever got under Dan Baxter’s influence I wonder how Arnold Baxter is getting along?  He was quite severely wounded, you know, during that tussle on the yachts.”

“He’s about over that, so Frank Harrington says,” replied Larry.  “I’ll wager he is mighty bitter against you fellows for having put him where he is.”

“It was his own, fault, Larry.  If a person is going to do wrong he must take the consequences.  Mr. Baxter might today be a fairly well-to-do mine owner of the West and Dan might be a leading cadet here.  But instead they both threw themselves away —­ and now they must take what comes.”

“My father used to say it took all kind of people to make a world,” went on Larry.  “But I reckon we could do without the Baxter and the Buddy Girk kind.”

“And the Josiah Crabtree kind,” added Sam.  “Don’t forget that miserable sneak.”

“Perhaps Crabtree has reformed, like Mumps.”

“It wasn’t in him to reform, Larry,” came from Tom.  “Oh, how I detested him, with his slick, oily tongue!  I wish they had caught him and placed him where he deserved to be, with the Baxters.”

“Yes, and then we could -” began Sam, when he stopped.  “Hullo, Frank, what are, you running so fast about?” he cried.

“Just got a letter from my father!” burst out Frank Harrington, as he came up out of breath.  “I knew you would want to hear the news.  Dan Baxter has escaped from jail and the authorities don’t know where to look for him.”

CHAPTER II

NEWCOMERS AT THE ACADEMY

“Dan Baxter has escaped!” repeated Dick.  “That is news indeed.  Does your father give my particulars?”

“He says it is reported that the jailer was sick and unable to stop Dan.”

“Humph!  Then they must have had some sort of a row,” put in Tom.  “Well, it does beat the nation how the Baxters do it.  Don’t you remember how Arnold Baxter escaped from the hospital authorities last year?”

“Those Baxters are as slick as you can make them,” said Frank.  “I’ve been thinking if Dan would dare to show himself around Putnam Hall.”

“Not he!” cried Larry.  “He’ll travel as far can and as fast as he can.”

“Perhaps not,” mused Dick.  “I rather he will hang around and try to help his father out of prison.”

“That won’t help him, for the authorities will be on strict guard now.  You know the stable door is always locked after the horse is stolen.”

At this there was a general laugh, and when it ended a loud roll of a drum made the young cadets hurry to the front of the parade ground.

“Fall in, Companies A and B!” came the command from the major of the battalion, and the boys fell in.  Dick was now a first lieutenant, while Tom and Sam were first and second sergeants respectively.