"Now look at the mess you've got us into, Dutton," said Stiver. "Why couldn't you let the corn alone." "Shut up!" retorted the cadet captain. "I say, Mr.--Mr. Farmer," he called after the man. "My name's not Farmer, but I know what yours will be; it'll be Mud, soon. I'll teach you tin soldiers to spoil my corn." There were murmurs among the cadets. They feared lest the whole company might be punished. But a scheme had come into Dick Hamilton's mind. Without asking permission from Dutton he hurried after the farmer. "How much will pay for the damage to your corn, and what the boys took," he asked quietly, holding out a roll of bills, for Dick never was without a substantial sum. "Now you're talking, sonny," said the farmer, a different look coming into his face. "Why didn't that captain of yours say so at first?" "What's the damage?" asked Dick. From experience he had learned that cash will make up for almost any kind of a hurt. "Wa'al, seein' as that was particularly fine corn, I'll have to charge you ten dollars for what ye took, and what damage ye done." "Ten dollars! That's too much!" cried Paul Drew. "Don't pay it, Dick." "Wa'al, then I'll see the colonel. I guess he'll pay that, rather than have his school sued," said the angry man. "Here are ten dollars," said Dick quietly, handing over a bill. "I guess the boys found the corn worth it," he added with a smile. "That's all right," said the farmer, as he pocketed the money. "I wouldn't 'a made a fuss if I'd a knowed you was goin' to pay for it. I'm reasonable, I am." "Not at selling corn," murmured Paul, as the man went back into his field. "Hurrah for Hamilton!" cried several cadets, who realized what Dick's action meant for them. "He's all right." "He got us out of a bad scrape," observed Lieutenant Stiver. "My record won't stand many more demerits." But instead of thanking Dick, Dutton turned aside. He acted as if he disliked to be under any obligations to the cadet who he so unreasonably hated. "Hamilton wanted to show off, and let us see that he had money," said the captain, contemptuously. "I suppose we ought to vote him a medal--a gold one, studded with diamonds, seeing that he's a millionaire." "That's not right, Ray," murmured Stiver in a low tone. "He's got us out of a hole." "I don't care! I wish he'd take himself out of this academy. We don't want millionaires here." Probably most of Dutton's feeling toward Dick, was due to jealousy, for Ray's father, though wealthy, was far from being as rich as Mr. Hamilton. Dick bit his lip, to keep back a sharp reply at the unjust construction put upon his act. "I shouldn't do anything for him again," whispered Paul. "Well, I did it for the whole company, as much as for him," replied the young millionaire. "In another minute Colonel Masterly would have heard the row, and there'd been the mischief to pay."