“All right, we’ll be on hand,” said Pepper, and then he and Andy walked away. A little later the chums saw Ritter and his cronies slouch off much disappointed. “We’ve got to wait for our fun,” growled Ritter. “Maybe the hornets will be dead by that time,” said Paxton. “But I suppose we can’t help that. Ritter, how about your celebration?” “That won’t be postponed,” chuckled the bully. “We’ll have a dandy time.” Word was passed around and after the camp was quiet Ritter and his cronies stole away, taking with them several bundles done up in newspapers. They would have been astonished had they known what was in one of the bundles—one smuggled in by Pepper and Andy. The crowd went into the woods, and there by the light of two lanterns Ritter brought out his cake, root beer, soda water, and other good things to eat and drink. “Now help yourselves,” cried the bully, good naturedly. Some cake was cut and passed around, and also the drinks. “Wow! this is hot cake!” cried Coulter, biting into some pepper. “I should say so!” added Paxton. “Say! my mouth is on fire!” “Hi, give me a drink! I’ve got a mouthful of salt!” exclaimed another cadet. “Say, are you fellows batty—this cake is all right!” declared Ritter and filled his mouth with the compound. The next instant he commenced to splutter. “Oh! oh! I’m on fire! Give me a drink, quick! And he grabbed a bottle of soda water. In the meantime the other lads had begun to drink. They did not, however, swallow much, for root beer and soda water with salt and pepper in them are not very palatable. “This is a trick!” roared Reff Ritter, in a rage. “Somebody has doctored this stuff.” “Try the other cake,” said Coulter, pointing to a bundle that had not yet been opened. “I will, but I suppose it’s as bad as any of it,” grumbled the bully and tore the bundle apart savagely. Then it slipped from his hand and struck the ground violently. “The ball has opened!” came in a low voice from Pepper, who with his chums, was viewing the scene from a distance—a safe distance, they hoped. CHAPTER XX ON BUTTERFLY ISLAND “What’s this?” “Oh, I am stung!” “It’s a nest of hornets!” “Let me get out of this!” “Ouch! Wow! This is terrible!” So the cries rang out, as the paper bag broke and the hornets’ nest fell to the ground with a thump. The hornets had been angry before, at being imprisoned, and now the shock evidently made them madder than ever. Out they swarmed about Reff Ritter and his cronies, who slapped right and left to ward them off. Ritter was stung on the nose and on the chin, and every one of the other lads was attacked. For several seconds the bewildered boys did not know what to do, and simply made wild passes through the air at their enemies. Then, with one accord, they attempted to run away. In doing this Coulter bumped into Paxton, and both went down and the hornets swarmed all around them.