“See here, Andy Snow, you say that again and I’ll knock you down!” cried Ritter fiercely. “You have got to spell Able first,” was the acrobatic youth’s reply, as he doubled up his fists. “Whe—where is that spalpeen, Ritter?” came unsteadily from Hogan. “Where is he, I say?” And he staggered to his feet. There was a slight cut on his neck, from which the blood was flowing. “Here he is,” answered Pepper. “But, Emerald, you had better keep quiet for awhile. We’ll attend to Ritter later.” “I’ll attend to Ritter and right now!” roared the Irish cadet, and having recovered himself somewhat he made a sudden leap at the bully. “I’ll be afther givin’ ye a dose o’ your own medicine, so I will!” he added. He caught Ritter and in his fury shook the bully as a dog shakes a rat. Then he commenced to back Ritter to the lake front. “Hi, let up!” roared the other. “It was only done in fun, I tell you, Hogan!” “Thin lit this be fun too,” was the Irish cadet’s answer, and of a sudden he gave Ritter a shove in the breast that sent the bully over backwards with a splash into the lake. “Serves Ritter right,” murmured Dale. “An’ now fer you, me little goslin!” went on Hogan and leaped for Coulter. “Le-let me alone—I didn’t mean to touch you!” whined Coulter. “You backed up Ritter—an’ ye can cool off wid him, too,” answered Hogan, and catching Coulter by the neck and the seat of his trousers, he ran him down to the lake after Ritter and pitched him in. Coulter landed on top of his crony, and both went out of sight with a great splash. Then Hogan shoved from the shore the rowboat Ritter and Coulter had been using. “You git into that, an’ be off wid yez!” roared the Irish cadet, when Ritter and Coulter reappeared in the water. “Don’t yez dare to land here!” Much alarmed at Hogan’s sudden fury, the bully and his crony kept away from the shore. They swam to the rowboat and clambered on board. Then, dripping from head to feet, they picked up their floating caps, and took up the oars. “You think you’re smart, but I’ll show you!” cried Reff Ritter. “’Tis your own fault,” answered Emerald. “Supposin’ I had been drowned, what thin, eh? Bad cess to you, Ritter! You’re a bad egg, if iver there was wan!” To this the bully did not dare make answer, and he and his crony rowed off. They went to a secluded but sunny spot up the lake, and there dried themselves as best they could. “I told you not to do it,” whined Coulter. “Oh, dry up, you make me tired,” answered Ritter, and for the remainder of the day he and Coulter had little to do with each other. “What makes you so wet?” asked Paxton, when the pair went back to the camp. “Oh, we got into a mix-up with some of the cadets and fell overboard,” answered Ritter, in an off-handed manner. “Where have you been?” he added, quickly, to avoid giving further particulars.