"Hi, you! You let me go! I don't want no ride!" cried Plunger wildly. "This ain't no way to treat me at all!" "Oh, you need the air, Shout," answered Randy. "Besides, see the shoeleather you are going to save by getting a ride instead of walking." The poor janitor struggled to free himself, but all in vain, and to the noise of the drum and the fife and with many shouts of laughter the whole outfit moved around the school twice and then around the gymnasium. "And now for a final celebration!" exclaimed Randy, when the crowd came to a halt near the river front. "Everybody attention! One--two--three! Listen to the stillness!" Wondering what was going to happen next, all came to a standstill and listened. _Bang!_ A large firecracker set off directly under the baby carriage flew in all directions. As it went off poor Plunger gave a shriek of terror and then tried so hard to free himself that the carriage was overturned and he found himself snarled up in a bunch on the grass. Then the boys, not wishing to see the man hurt, rushed forward and released him, and he lost no time in disappearing inside the gymnasium. "Hurrah! that was a grand finale," cried Fred. "Where did you get the firecracker, Andy?" "It was out of a bunch I bought for the Fourth of July," was the reply. After this celebration matters moved along swiftly toward the close of the term. During that time the Rover boys heard from their mothers in New York that their fathers were expected home in about ten days. They immediately called up the girls at Clearwater Hall, and learned that Mary and Martha had received the same news. "And won't I be glad to go home and see dad!" said Martha to her brother. "No more glad than I'll be," he returned quickly. It was now early Summer, and many of the cadets were in the habit of spending a part of their off time either bathing or rowing. Before going to war Colonel Colby had promised to get two motor-boats for the use of the cadets, but as yet these had not been purchased. But rowboats were numerous. "I'll have the motor-boats here by Fall, however," said Colonel Colby, in speaking of this. "And then you can have a lot of fun with them." There was one more Saturday to be spent at school before breaking up for the term, and the Rovers and their chums had decided to spend that afternoon with the girls in an outing on the lake. "Mary and some of the others want to go over to Bluebell Island," said Fred. "They say there are some very fine ferns to be had there, and they thought maybe they would have a chance to take some of the ferns home." "All right, we'll take them wherever they want to go," answered Jack; and so it was arranged. Bluebell Island was located a distance down the lake, not far from Foxtail Island, where the young folks had previously had an outing, as related in the volume entitled, "The Rover Boys at Colby Hall."