Another player, named Forwell, took stand next.  The pitcher for the Pornell team was now as nervous as Tom bad been and suddenly Forwell was hit in the arm by the ball.

“Dead ball!” cried the umpire.  “Take your base,” and Forwell went to first, while Larry marched to second.

Then Sam came to the bat, but his first strike was a foul, caught by the third baseman.  Another out followed, made by the captain, much to his chagrin.  The score now stood 5 to 3, with two players on base and two out.  One more out and the match would come to an end, unless the score was a tie.

“Tom Rover to the bat” called the score-keeper, and Tom marched to the plate.  A strike and two balls, and he made as clean a one-base hit as had his elder brother.

“Three on base and two out!” came the cry.

“Now, Pornell, be careful!”

Fred Garrison was the next of the team to come forward.  All eyes were centered upon Fred.  “Be careful, oh, be careful!” pleaded Frank.  “Don’t get out as I did!”

“One strike!” cried the umpire as the ball whizzed over the plate.  “Ball one!” came a moment later.  “Strike two!” was immediately added.

Bang! the ball had come on again, and Fred had hit it with all of the force at his command.  It shot past second base and toward centerfield.  “Run! run!” yelled Frank, and the crowd joined in, as Dick started for home, followed by Forwell and Tom.  The center fielder fumbled the ball, and the four runners came in one right on top of the other.

“Putnam Hall has won!”

“Say, but wasn’t that a great game?”

“Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!” came from the cadets and their friends.

It was a great time for the boys.  They gave three cheers for their opponents, but the Pornellites felt their second defeat too keenly, and as quickly as they could they left the grounds, and quarter of an hour later were on their way home.

After this contest matters moved along quietly until June.  In the meantime the cadets studied up with all diligence for the examinations soon to take place.  All of our friends passed creditably, Dick standing second in his class, Tom fourth and Sam third in their classes.  Captain Putnam and George Strong heartily approved of the showing made.

“That Tom Rover is full of fun,” was the captain’s comment, “but he knows how to study as well as how to play jokes.”

Mumps was almost at the foot of his class.  The sneak had hardly any friends left, and he announced that he was going to leave Putnam Hall never to return —­ for which no one was particularly sorry.

Immediately after the examinations it was announced that the entire school would march to a place called Brierroot Grove, where they would go into their annual encampment for two weeks.  At once all of the cadets were in a bustle, and soon uniforms were brushed up, buckles and buttons polished, knapsacks packed, and rifles oiled and cleaned.