“We ought to get a crowd and go there and wipe up the floor with ’em!” said the lad who loved to eat. “We’ll see what can be done after we get back to Hayville,” answered Jack. “I can drive one wagon. Can you chaps drive the others?” “Sure!” came in a chorus from his chums. “Then let us be off. Captain Putnam will be much worried until he learns that the outfit is safe.” Not without some difficulty the wagons were turned around and taken to the main road. Then the horses were urged on, and it was not long before they came in sight of Hayville. Almost the first persons they met were Captain Putnam, George Strong and one of the wagon drivers. “Safe, eh?” cried the master of the Hall. “I am glad to hear it.” And his face showed his relief. He insisted upon knowing the details and Jack told us as much as he deemed necessary. “It was only a schoolboy trick, sir,” he added. “I guess they meant no harm.” “Nevertheless, I shall make a complaint to Doctor Pornell,” answered Captain Putnam. “He ought to know how his students are conducting themselves. It was largely, however, the fault of the drivers. One of the older academy seniors got them to leave their wagons and go into the roadhouse with him. There he treated them and got them to take their eyes off my property—and then the other students ran off with the outfit.” “Well, they didn’t make the trick turn out as intended,” said Pepper. “We’ve got the outfit back,—and it is only a little after supper time. We can get supper, and get up our tents, too, before it is very late.” “I am very thankful for what you cadets did,” went on the master of the Hall. “I shall not forget it. It was lucky that you struck the right trail.” The drummers were called in and they rolled their drums,—a signal that the outfit had been found. This brought in the cadets from all over, and soon, while some were helping the regular cooks get supper, others were at work erecting the tents. The only cadets who were not glad that the outfit had been found were Reff Ritter and his crowd. They were jealous of what Jack and his chums had accomplished, and could not help but show it. “The Ruddy crowd will now be more stuck up than ever,” grumbled Ritter. “Oh, pshaw! it wasn’t so much to do,” added Coulter. “It was more than you ever did for the school, Coulter,” answered Fred, who chanced to overhear the remarks. “Was it?” sneered Coulter. “Yes, it was, and you know it.” “If Ruddy and his crowd hadn’t found the wagons we might have stopped at the hotel over night,” said Paxton. “I’d rather stay there anyway than out here.” “I think the Hayville Hotel would have hard work to accommodate so many cadets,” said Fred, with a smile. “It has about six rooms for guests.” And then he walked away, leaving the Ritter crowd to continue their fault-finding.