“That’s right!” was the cry. “No use of playing it out. Company B wins by the score of 16 to 14,—with only one man out in the ninth.” And so the game came to an end. Some wanted Ritter to pitch the inning out but he positively would not, and nobody cared to take his place. “Well, it was a great game!” declared Jack. “I never was so interested before in my life.” “I enjoyed it very much,” said Laura. “I am glad Company B won.” “So am I,” added Flossie. “That Ritter seems to be an ugly sort,” was Mr. Ford’s comment. “He is—especially when he cannot have his own way,” answered the young major. Following the baseball game came some athletic contests, such as high jumping and hurdling. In the hurdling Emerald Hogan carried off the honors and was greatly applauded. The high jumping contest was won by Henry Lee, who was quiet but a great favorite. One of the girls present presented Henry with a big bouquet, which made the athlete blush deeply. The guests who had been especially invited by Captain Putnam and the cadets to the contests were also asked to remain to a collation. Cake and ice-cream had been brought from one of the summer hotels down the lake shore, and these were served, with lemonade, by the boys. Jack and his chums found seats under an awning for the Fords and did all they could to make the girls comfortable. “It must be jolly to camp out!” declared Flossie. “Papa, we must try it some time.” “It is fine—when it doesn’t rain,” answered Andy. “Or the mosquitoes don’t get too lively,” added Pepper, and at this there was a general laugh. The only cadets who did not enter into the spirit of the celebration were Reff Ritter and his cronies. Ritter did not wait for cake and ice-cream, but walked away into the woods, taking Coulter, Paxton and Billy Sabine with him. “It makes me sick—the way the other crowd crow!” declared the defeated pitcher. “They won by a fluke, that’s all.” “Sure that’s all,” declared Coulter, who had made several bad errors behind the bat. “But just wait, we’ll wax ’em next time!” “Sure we will!” “Say, what about that hornets’ nest?” asked Sabine. “Thought you fellows said something about using it.” “We will—but there is no hurry,” answered Ritter. “Just wait till some night when the Ruddy crowd have a celebration—we’ll make it lively for ’em!” And he laughed coarsely. By nightfall the festivities came to an end and the visitors departed for home. Some of the boys wanted to build a big bonfire, to celebrate the baseball victory during the evening, but Captain Putnam would not allow it. “The wind is rising and it is very shifty,” said the master of the school. “If the fire got to blowing among the tents we might have trouble.” “Oh, I don’t think the fire would hurt anything,” grumbled Dale.