AT CAMP BARLIGHT
There was so much to do in the morning, getting breakfast, taking down
the tents and packing them in the motor trucks, and doing other
necessary things, that the Rovers got no opportunity to talk over the
stirring events of the night before. As officers Jack and Fred had
many duties to perform.
Jack and Fred noticed that Gabe Werner and Bill Glutts were in their
usual places in the company ahead of them. Once or twice they caught
the ex-lieutenant and his crony gazing at them furtively, but to this
they paid scant attention. Both were satisfied that these two
unworthies were the guilty parties.
"I'm sure they are the ones," said Jack to Fred and the twins, when
they had come to a halt at the roadside for the noon-day meal and the
cadets had some time to themselves. The story had been told to Andy
and Randy, who had listened with much interest.
"What did you do with the flashlight and the handkerchief?" questioned
Andy.
"I've got them both in my pocket."
"Are you going to return them?" asked Randy.
"I don't see what else to do. I don't care to carry them about, and I
don't care to give them up to Captain Dale or any of the professors. I
wouldn't want Werner and his crowd to think we are squealers."
The matter was talked over among the Rovers and Spouter and Gif, who
were let into the secret. Spouter looked the flashlight over, and was
certain that it belonged to Gabe.
"I was down in Haven Point when he bought it," he said. "I was
thinking of getting one of them myself, so I looked them over pretty
carefully."
"I've got an idea!" cried Andy. "Just let me have those things, and
I'll see to it that Werner and Glutts get them back--and with a
vengeance."
"What's the scheme?" questioned his twin eagerly, while the others
listened, being equally curious.
"I'll put each of them in a real, nice, comfortable, little package,"
answered Andy, with a grin. "And then to-night, if I can get the
chance, I'll put one in Werner's cot and the other in Glutts's."
"What do you mean by a 'real, nice, comfortable, little package?'"
questioned Fred.
"Oh, a package that he'll feel when he lies down on it. Something that
he won't be apt to overlook," returned Andy innocently.
"Wow! that's the stuff," cried Randy eagerly. "Let's have those
things, Jack. We'll fix 'em up O. K."
"Well, you take care that you don't get caught at it," answered the
young captain, and then passed the flashlight and the silk
handkerchief over to the twins.
The cadets were now among the Lookout Hills, and after the lunch hour
they had a long hike over two more of the hills. On the top of the
last of these, they paused to rest and to look around them. A grand
panorama burst upon their view, stretching many miles in all
directions. Directly ahead, through a somewhat dense forest, they
could see Barlight Bay, the waters of which sparkled brightly in the
sunshine. Off to the northeast were some cleared fields, and this spot
was pointed out to them as that where the camp was to be located. To
the southeast, beyond the timber and a series of jagged rocks, was
another cleared space stretching for several miles, and this was
dotted by numerous low buildings and tents.
"That must be Camp Huxwell!" exclaimed Jack, as he looked at the
buildings and tents.
"It is," announced Captain Dale, who was standing near. "If you care
to look through my fieldglasses, Captain Rover, you will be able to
see the camp quite distinctly."
"I'll be pleased to do that," answered Jack quickly, and took a good
look through the glasses. Nearly everybody wanted to look, and Captain
Dale good-naturedly allowed them to pass the fieldglasses around.
"It's not quite so close to our camp as I thought it was going to be,"
remarked Fred disappointedly. "There's a wide belt of rocks and timber
between."
Barlight Bay, opening up on the rolling Atlantic, was shaped very much
like a half moon. Within the semicircle there were two smaller bays,
on the lower one of which was located Camp Huxwell, while on the upper
one was to be established Camp Barlight. Between these two minor bays,
as stated before, was a series of rocks and cliffs broken by a thick
forest, with here and there patches of dense undergrowth.
"I'd like to take a tramp through those woods some time while we are
in camp," said Jack. "It might be lots of fun."
"Oh, sure! We'll take more than one walk that way," answered Fred.
"And don't forget, we want to go over to Camp Huxwell."
The climb to the top of the last of the hills had tired a good many of
the cadets, and they were glad that the remainder of the march would
be downward instead of upward. Soon they were once more on the way,
and reached the site of Camp Barlight about four o'clock in the
afternoon.
The motor trucks had preceded them, and as the work of getting the
place into shape had been proceeding for over a week, the sights to be
seen were decidedly interesting. At one end of the grounds there were
three long rows of platforms. Upon each platform a tent was to be
erected. To one side was a much larger platform, and over this had
already been erected a large mess tent, made quite substantial by
means of a wooden frame. This mess tent had behind it the cooking
quarters.
The opposite end of the camp site had been leveled for a parade
ground, and here a tall flagpole had been erected, from the top of
which floated the Stars and Stripes in all of their glory.
"Oh, see how close we are to the water!" exclaimed Randy. "That looks
mighty good to me. I'm going in swimming at the first opportunity."
The cadets were allowed to rest for half an hour, and then they were
set to work to erect the tents and otherwise get the camp in order. A
few of the lads grumbled at the work to be done, but the most of them
were cheerful and obliging.
[Illustration: THEY WERE SET TO WORK ERECTING THE TENTS. _Page 199_]
Down at the water's edge there was one spot where there was a wide,
sandy beach, and here several small tents had been put up for use as
bathing houses.
"Any one who cares to do so can take a dip in the bay just before
supper," announced Captain Dale, after the work of putting up the
tents had come to an end. "But don't stay in longer than fifteen
minutes."
Away rushed about half of the cadets, the Rovers among them. They lost
no time in divesting themselves of their uniforms and getting into
their bathing trunks, and then there was another rush to see who could
be the first in.
"Wow, but it's cold!" exclaimed Fred, as he ran in up to his knees.
"Cold!" exclaimed another cadet. "Gee, it's icy!"
"This is the way to go in!" cried Jack, and, rushing in part way, he
took a plunge and disappeared from sight.
Almost immediately a score of cadets followed him. Then came a wild
plunging and swimming about, those in the water sending the spray
flying over those who were too afraid to enter. There was a good deal
of horseplay, but every one enjoyed himself immensely.
Following the evening meal the cadets were told they could do as they
pleased until nine o'clock, but must not leave the confines of the
camp. Many of the lads were too tired to do much of anything, and so
sat around, taking it easy and talking over the prospects.
"Don't forget that we have got to fix up things for Werner and
Glutts," whispered Andy to his brother, when it was almost time to
retire.
"Right you are!" returned Randy. "Come on--let's slip away while the
others are not noticing."
The first move the twins made was in the direction of the cooking
quarters of the camp. Watching their chance, they entered a tent where
the stores were kept, and soon found what they were looking for--a
sack filled with onions.
"All we want is two good juicy ones," whispered Randy, and these
onions were quickly procured.
After this the two boys wandered down to the edge of the forest, and
there picked up a number of sharp sticks and stones, placing these in
two dirty towels they had procured at the cook's quarters. Then they
retired to a corner of the woods where no one could observe them and
went to work to finish what they had in mind to do.
It was about an hour after this when taps was sounded and all the
cadets were supposed to turn in for the night. Previous to this Andy
and Randy had rejoined their cousins.
"We've got 'em fixed, all right enough," whispered Randy. "Don't you
fellows want to see the fun?"
"Can't do it--not as captain of this company," answered Jack promptly.
"If we got caught we'd have to do a lot of explaining," added Fred.
"Well, that's where it pays to be a private," chuckled the fun-loving
Rover. "Never mind, Randy and I will tell you all about it to-morrow,
and we'll also tell you something else."
The twins, along with Spouter and Gif, occupied a tent together; and,
as luck would have it, this was almost in a direct line with the tent
assigned to Werner and Glutts and two of their cronies. Watching their
chance, the twins stole out of their own quarters and hurried over to
the side of the tent occupied by their enemies.