He made the statement merely to scare the Pornell students, and his words had their full effect on Sedley if not on Bock. “Oh, please don’t have us locked up!” cried Sedley. “It was only done in fun, really it was! We didn’t touch anything in the wagons, and the horses are safe in the barn.” “Are you alone?” asked Bock. “Alone? All of the cadets are out looking for the wagons,” answered Jack. “Andy, keep them covered, and shoot if I tell you to.” “I will, Major!” answered the private, with true military precision. “Hi, what are you going to do?” demanded Bock, as Jack slipped his sword into its scabbard and advanced with the straps. “You’ll soon find out,” was the cool reply. “Now, no monkey work—unless you want to get shot!” Sedley was badly scared, and it was an easy matter to bind his hands behind him and tie him fast to a door handle at one side of the room. Bock looked as if he wanted to fight or run away, but having the muzzle of the rifle pointed directly at his head made him waver. “Have your way,” he muttered. “But we’ll get square sometime, don’t forget that!” “You are only getting what is coming to you, Bock,” answered Jack, as he tied the Pornell student fast to another door. “Now I reckon you won’t get away until your friends come for you,” he added, and then motioned to Andy to withdraw. “One thing more,” said Andy. “Where did you leave those drivers?” “At Maddock’s roadhouse,” said Sedley. “But I reckon they are not there now. Most likely they are out looking for the teams and wagons.” CHAPTER XII THE CAVE IN THE WOODS Leaving the Pornell students prisoners in the old cottage, Andy and Jack hurried to the barn. There were all of the horses, tied up in the stalls and in the portion devoted in years gone by to threshing. They had suffered no injury and had been fed from bags of oats taken along by the drivers. “We’ll take them over to the wagons and hitch them up,” said the young major. “There is no use of reporting to Captain Putnam. We can bring the wagons right in with us.” His chum was willing, and in a few minutes they had the animals out of the barn. They were ordinary work horses, so there was small danger of their running away. “I think we can manage them,” said the young major. “I’ll lead the bunch and you can follow them.” Thus the start was made through the woods, and before long they came in sight of the four wagons, with Pepper and Stuffer on guard. The latter was munching on some cake he had managed to locate in a box on one of the wagons. “Hello, if they haven’t found the horses!” cried Pepper joyfully. “This is famous!” “Where did you locate them?” questioned Stuffer, hiding the cake from the young major. The story was soon told, the boys meanwhile hitching the horses to the wagons. “I hope those Pornell fellows have to remain at the old cottage all night,” said Pepper. “It will serve ’em right.”