They hurried around and interviewed Blossom and Kearney, and about twenty other cadets. As a consequence, the pair named said they would withdraw in favor of Bart Conners if supported for the captaincies later. In the meantime Henry Lee said he would drop out also, since he expected to leave school in June.

Once again the ballots were cast, and now it was easy to see that Bart, Ritter and Baxter were exceedingly anxious. Both Ritter and Baxter did their best to gain the votes dropped by Henry Lee and Paul Singleton.

"I will read the result," said Captain Putnam, a few minutes later. And amid a breathless silence, he read the following:

"Whole number of votes cast, 83.

Necessary to a choice, 42.

Robert Grenwood has 5.

Reffton Ritter has 10.

Daniel Baxter has 12.

Bart Conners has 56."

"Hurrah for Bart Conners!" shouted half a dozen cadets in chorus.

"Bart Conners is declared elected major for the ensuing term," went on Captain Putnam. "Major Conners, allow me to congratulate you," and he came forward and held out his hand.

"And let me congratulate you, too," added Major Jack, and he shook hands also.

A great number of cadets, and some teachers, come up to shake Bart by the hand. Ritter and Baxter were conspicuous by their absence. Each of the bullies was chagrined at the poor showing he had made. Instead of gaining on the second ballot they had lost.

"That shows how much one can depend on his friends," growled Baxter to Mumps.

"Never mind, Dan, maybe you'll be elected a captain," answered the toady and sneak.

"I don't want to be a captain; I want to be a major or nothing,"

grumbled the bully.

A little later the balloting for a captain for Company A was started.

There were half a dozen candidates, including both Ritter and Coulter, and Ritter did all he could to get the boys who had voted for Baxter to support him, and then bribed Coulter to step out in his favor. But Jack, Pepper and Bart Conners worked hard for Harry Blossom, as agreed, and as a consequence Harry was elected on the third ballot by fifty-two votes.

"Hurrah for Harry Blossom!" was the cry, and the newly-elected captain of Company A was congratulated on all sides.

This election was followed by that for a captain for Company B. Here the struggle was as fierce as before, but Dave Kearney won out on the sixth ballot. Then came ballots for the lieutenants, and Bob Grenwood came out strong with fifty-five votes. Dale Blackmore was made the new quartermaster, much to his delight, although Dale cared more for athletics than he did for military matters.

Not one of the Ritter or the Baxter crowd got an office, much to their disgust. Baxter went off by himself to sulk, but Ritter and Coulter denounced their rivals openly.

"I reckon votes were bought," said Ritter.

"Sure they were bought," responded Coulter.

"So they were, by Ritter & Company," retorted Andy, who overheard the talk.

"Oh, give us a rest, Snow!" muttered Ritter. "I don't want the old office anyway, and all my real friends know it."

"Sour grapes," answered the acrobatic youth.

"Don't you get fresh, or I'll punch your head!" cried the bully, savagely.

"Will you?" answered Andy. "Just you try it, if you dare!"

"I will!" came hotly from Ritter, and leaping forward he hit Andy a sharp blow on the chin.

The a.s.sault came so suddenly that the acrobatic youth had no time to defend himself. He staggered and fell, and as he went down the bully gave him a sharp kick in the side.

CHAPTER XXIV

ANDY SHOWS HIS COURAGE

"Stop that, Ritter! What do you mean by kicking Andy when he is down?"

It was Pepper who uttered these words, as he rushed up from the other side of the campus.

"I didn't kick him," retorted Ritter. He was startled, for he had not antic.i.p.ated being seen.

"You did!"

"A fight! A fight!" was the cry, and soon a crowd of cadets began to collect.

Slowly Andy arose to his feet. His face was pale, for both the blow on the chin and the kick in the side had been severe.

"You--you brute!" he gasped. "You dirty brute!"

"Hi, don't you call me a brute!" roared Ritter.

"You are a brute!" put in Pepper. "No fair-minded chap would kick a fellow when he was down."

"Ditmore, you keep out of this," grumbled the bully.

"I'm going to see that Andy has fair play," returned Pepper.

The encounter had occurred after Captain Putnam and the teachers had disappeared, so there was little chance of an interruption by the Hall authorities.

Andy stood up and tried to collect himself. He was "boiling mad," for the attack had been a dastardly one.

"Had enough?" demanded the bully, coming closer, and with his fists clenched.

"No, I haven't!" answered the acrobatic youth, and then, of a sudden, he sprang high in the air, to come down on Ritter's shoulder. Then he caught the bully around the neck with one arm.

"Hi! hi! let up----" began Ritter. "I--I----"

"I'll not let up!" retorted Andy. "You brought this on yourself, Reff Ritter, and now you can take the consequences. How do you like that, and that, and that?"

Each "that" was accompanied by a stinging blow, one on the ear, one on the eye and one on the nose. The second made the bully's left optic black, and the third caused the blood to spurt freely. Then Andy landed another blow on Ritter's mouth, leaped to the ground, and shoved the fellow from him.