"No, I ton't eat him more as dree dimes a veek," answered Hans, innocently. "Hans is going to treat us all to Limberger cheese when his birthday comes," put in Fred Garrison. "It's a secret though, so don't tell anybody." "I ton't vos eat Limberger," came from Hans. "Oh, Hansy!" groaned several in chorus. "Base villain, thou hast deceived us!" quoted Songbird Powell. "Away to the dungeon with him!" And then the crowd dragged poor Hans through the cornfield and back to the camp-fire once more, where he was made to sit so close to the blaze that the perspiration poured from his round and rosy face. Yet with it all he took the joking in good part, and often gave his tormentors as good as they sent. "They tell me that William Philander Tubbs is going to Newport for the summer," said Tom. a little later, when the cadets were getting ready to retire. "Just wait till he gets back next Fall, he'll be more dudish than ever." "We ought to tame him a little before we let him go," said Sam. "Right you are, Sam. But what can we do? Nearly everything has been tried since we went into camp." "I have a plan, Tom." "All right; let's have it." "Why not black Tubby up while he is asleep?" "Sam, you are a jewel. But where are we to get the lamp-black?" "I've got it already. I put several corks in the camp-fire, and burnt cork is the best stuff for blacking up known." "Right again. Oh, but we'll make William Philander look like a regular negro minstrel. And that's not all. After the job is done we'll wake him up and tell him Captain Putnam wants to see him at once." Several boys were let into the secret, and then all waited impatiently for Tubbs to retire. This he soon did, and in a few minutes was sound asleep. "Now then, come on," said Sam, and led the way to carry out the anticipated fun. CHAPTER III THE DOINGS OF A NIGHT As luck would have it, William Philander Tubbs just then occupied a tent alone, his two tent-mates being on guard duty for two hours as was the custom during encampment. The aristocratic cadet lay flat on his back, with his face and throat well exposed. "Now, be careful, Sam, or you'll wake him up," whispered Tom. One cadet held a candle, while Sam and Tom blackened the face of the sleeping victim of the joke. The burnt cork was in excellent condition and soon William Philander looked for all the world like a coal-black darkey. "Py chimanatics, he could go on der stage py a nigger minstrel company," was Hans Mueller's comment. "Makes almost a better nigger than he does a white man," said Tom, dryly. "Wait a minute till I fix up his coat for him," said Fred Garrison, and turned the garment inside out. A moment later all of the cadets withdrew, leaving the tent in total darkness. Then one stuck his head in through the flap. "Hi, there, Private Tubbs!" he called out. "Wake up!" "What--ah--what's the mattah?" drawled the aristocratic cadet, sleepily.