Reff Ritter felt extra sore when the football eleven went out for practice. He wanted to play, but Captain Putnam would not allow it, and the bully went off by himself, up the lake-sh.o.r.e, where he sat down on a rock to smoke cigarettes and brood over his troubles. While he sat there he took from his pocket a letter and read it over several times.

"Twenty dollars by Sat.u.r.day! I don't see how I am going to raise it," he muttered to himself. "I guess I'll have to send mother a telegram for a remittance."

The first football game of the season was arranged to take place between Putnam Hall and an eleven from Cedarville called the Dauntless. The Dauntless players were made up of former college boys and some all-around athletes, and the cadets were told that they would have a stiff time of it trying to beat the aggregation. The game was to take place on the grounds at Cedarville. These were roped off and an admission fee was charged, the entire proceeds to go to a local Old Folks' Home.

"I've got news!" cried Pepper, a few days before the game was to come off. "Some of the p.o.r.nell students are coming to the game, and I understand they are going to try to make trouble for our team."

"Is it the Roy Bock crowd?" questioned Jack.

"Yes."

"Then it is up to you to keep an eye on them, Pepper. We can't do it while we are playing."

"I'll keep an eye on 'em, don't fear," was the answer.

The eleven practiced every afternoon, under the direction of Mr. Strong, who had once been a player on a college team. Josiah Crabtree took no interest in the sport, declaring it was a waste of valuable time.

"I've got a plan to outwit the p.o.r.nellites, if they try any funny work,"

said Pepper, the day before the game. And then he took about a dozen cadets aside and told them what his plan was. All agreed to help him, and did what he asked of them without delay.

The day for the game dawned clear and bright, and promptly on time the eleven started for Cedarville in the carryall, which had just come from the repair shop. Some of the cadets went on their bicycles, and Captain Putnam and some of the teachers drove over in carriages.

When the cadets arrived at the grounds they found quite a crowd a.s.sembled. Horns and banners were in evidence, and from a flagpole floated the Stars and Stripes. On one side was a grandstand and this was about three-quarters filled.

"I see some friends of mine," cried Pepper, and advanced to the stand.

He had caught sight of Laura Ford, and her sister, Flossie, two young ladies who lived on the lake-sh.o.r.e at a place called Point View Lodge.

In the past Pepper and his chums had done the Ford sisters several valuable services, for which Laura and Flossie were profoundly grateful.

"Oh, how do you do, Pepper?" called out Laura, on catching sight of him.

"Aren't you playing?" questioned Flossie.

"No, I'm merely an onlooker to-day," answered Pepper, and he raised his cap and shook hands. "How have you been since I saw you last?"

"Very well, thank you," answered Laura.

"We hope Putnam Hall will win," came from her sister.

"You can't hope it any more than I do," answered Pepper, and then he introduced several cadets to the young ladies, and all sat down to enjoy the game.

Pepper has his eyes open for the appearance of the students from p.o.r.nell. At first a few came in and took a stand in a corner, out of the way. They did not belong to the Bock crowd and seemed to be content to behave themselves.

"Maybe Roy Bock got cold feet and stayed away," said a cadet named Melmore.

"No, here he comes!" cried Bob Grenwood. "And Sedley and four others are with him."

Pepper looked in the direction pointed out and saw Roy Bock and his cronies approaching. All had big tin horns and immense wooden rattles, and their pockets bulged with apples and peanuts.

"Whoop her up, Dauntless!" yelled Roy Bock, as soon as he reached the grandstand. "Whoop her up, and wipe up the ground with Putnam Hall!" And then he swung his big rattle, and his cronies did likewise. Then the p.o.r.nellites crowded into the grandstand and took seats near Pepper and his fellow cadets and the girls. They talked in loud voices and said a number of things that caused the faces of the girls to burn, and made the cadets thoroughly angry.

"They ought to be put off the stand!" cried Bob, indignantly.

"And they will be put off if they keep this up," answered Pepper. "They can cheer all they please for the Dauntless eleven, but they have got to act like gentlemen."

As soon as the two elevens appeared, the practice commenced, and then there was a toss-up for goals, which Dauntless won. They took the south goal and Putnam Hall took the ball. Then came the kick-off, and the game was on.

CHAPTER IX

THE FOOTBALL GAME

At first the playing was rather tame, but inside of a few minutes both elevens warmed up, and from that moment the work became fast and furious.

The Dauntless team had the advantage of weight, but the eleven had not played together as much as had the majority of the Putnam Hall cadets, consequently some of their combination efforts were decidedly ragged.

One move resulted in a bad fumble on the part of the left end. The ball was captured by Jack, and he carried it forward fifteen yards before downed.

"Oh, my, isn't it rough!" screamed Laura Ford, as the young major hit the gra.s.s with great force, two of the Dauntless men being on top of him.

"Oh, that's all in the game," was Pepper's comment. "But I shouldn't want to see anybody get his ribs stove in," he added.

Putnam Hall got the pigskin to within ten yards of the Dauntless goal line, and then came an unexpected turn of affairs. The leather was lost by the Putnam Hall center, and carried around the right end and up the field for thirty yards.

"Hurrah! that's the way to do it, Dauntless!"

"Keep it up!"

"Dauntless to the front!" yelled Roy Bock. "Everybody in the game!" and then, in the midst of the excitement, he drew back with a soft apple in his hand and threw the half-decayed fruit at Jack. It just grazed the young major's shoulder.

Pepper was on the watch, for he had expected just such a dirty trick. He leaped up, and reaching over, caught the p.o.r.nell student by the ear.

"Ouch!" yelled Bock. "Let go!"

"You get out of the grandstand!" cried Pepper. "If you don't I'll get a crowd to mob you."

"See here, Ditmore----"

"Don't talk--get!" interrupted Pepper.

"Let Roy alone!" sang out Bat Sedley. "If you don't, I'll crack you one!"

"h.e.l.lo, you rascals!" came unexpectedly from nearby, and a farmer named Baker showed himself. "You here? Jest wait till I git my paws on you!"

And he started in the direction of Roy Bock, Bat Sedley and two of their cronies.

"Great Scott! It's that farmer!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Roy Bock, and he started to scramble out of the grandstand in a hurry, and after him went the others.