"They are not rifles," said Dick, somewhat solemnly. "Come, I can't stay here all night. I want to write an account of this to Miss Hanford." "Don't you dare!" cried Dutton. "Hush! Take your place," said his second. Dutton approached Dick, and held out his hand to receive his weapon. Dick unfolded his coat and extended--not a sword or gun, but a big bladder, fully blown up, and tied to a short stick. He kept a similar one for himself. "These are my weapons," he said. "I won't fight with those! It's an insult! I demand satisfaction!" fairly shouted Dutton. "Hush!" cried Stiver. "Someone is coming!" But it was too late. Several figures could be seen running over the snow toward the duelists. CHAPTER XXIII A WINTER MARCH "Quick! Here comes Major Webster!" cried Stiver. There was no mistaking the soldierly figure who was approaching. "And Colonel Masterly is with him!" added Paul. "Some one has squealed!" added Dutton, but he seemed rather glad than otherwise that the duel had been interrupted. "Cut for it!" said Dick. "Across the ice, and into the grove! We can get in the back way, and they won't know who it was out here." "Say, if they were tipped off that something like this was going to take place, they know who was in it," said Paul, as he and Dick headed across the ice which covered the inlet at one side of the wooded point. Dick thought of the conversation he had seen taking place between Miss Hanford and the major, and a light came to him. "She must have overheard the talk about swords, and she got frightened," he said to himself. "That's how the major knew." On came the dark figures over the snow, but the cadets had a good start. Across the ice they went, and were soon lost in the depths of a little grove of trees. From there they managed to gain the barracks. "Queer they didn't call after us," said Dick, as he and Paul were safe in their room. "That is sort of funny. Say, where's the other bladder?" "Dutton must have it." But Dutton didn't have it. He had dropped it as he ran, and Major Webster picked it up a little later on the dueling ground. The major held it out to Colonel Masterly. "What's this?" asked the colonel. "One of their weapons, I fancy." "Then it was all a joke. What Miss Hanford told you about the duel, she must have dreamed." "No, she says she overheard Dutton challenge Hamilton, and later on, some talk between Hamilton and Drew. She was very much frightened, and came and told me. Of course I know the cadets will fight once in a while. They wouldn't be any good if they didn't, and, though you and I know that it's against the rules, it's no more than you and I used to do. But when she spoke of swords I thought it time to take a hand." "But they didn't have swords." "Evidently not. Hamilton reserved to himself the choice of weapons, as the challenged party, she said, and it seems that he selected bladders." "But why?"