The Rover Boys Under Canvas Or The Mystery of the Wrecked Submarine Part 30

The opposite end of the camp site had been leveled for a parade ground, and here a tall flagpole had been erected, from the top of which floated the Stars and Stripes in all of their glory.

"Oh, see how close we are to the water!" exclaimed Randy. "That looks mighty good to me. I'm going in swimming at the first opportunity."

The cadets were allowed to rest for half an hour, and then they were set to work to erect the tents and otherwise get the camp in order. A few of the lads grumbled at the work to be done, but the most of them were cheerful and obliging.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THEY WERE SET TO WORK ERECTING THE TENTS. _Page 199_]

Down at the water's edge there was one spot where there was a wide, sandy beach, and here several small tents had been put up for use as bathing houses.

"Any one who cares to do so can take a dip in the bay just before supper," announced Captain Dale, after the work of putting up the tents had come to an end. "But don't stay in longer than fifteen minutes."

Away rushed about half of the cadets, the Rovers among them. They lost no time in divesting themselves of their uniforms and getting into their bathing trunks, and then there was another rush to see who could be the first in.

"Wow, but it's cold!" exclaimed Fred, as he ran in up to his knees.

"Cold!" exclaimed another cadet. "Gee, it's icy!"

"This is the way to go in!" cried Jack, and, rushing in part way, he took a plunge and disappeared from sight.

Almost immediately a score of cadets followed him. Then came a wild plunging and swimming about, those in the water sending the spray flying over those who were too afraid to enter. There was a good deal of horseplay, but every one enjoyed himself immensely.

Following the evening meal the cadets were told they could do as they pleased until nine o'clock, but must not leave the confines of the camp. Many of the lads were too tired to do much of anything, and so sat around, taking it easy and talking over the prospects.

"Don't forget that we have got to fix up things for Werner and Glutts," whispered Andy to his brother, when it was almost time to retire.

"Right you are!" returned Randy. "Come on--let's slip away while the others are not noticing."

The first move the twins made was in the direction of the cooking quarters of the camp. Watching their chance, they entered a tent where the stores were kept, and soon found what they were looking for--a sack filled with onions.

"All we want is two good juicy ones," whispered Randy, and these onions were quickly procured.

After this the two boys wandered down to the edge of the forest, and there picked up a number of sharp sticks and stones, placing these in two dirty towels they had procured at the cook's quarters. Then they retired to a corner of the woods where no one could observe them and went to work to finish what they had in mind to do.

It was about an hour after this when taps was sounded and all the cadets were supposed to turn in for the night. Previous to this Andy and Randy had rejoined their cousins.

"We've got 'em fixed, all right enough," whispered Randy. "Don't you fellows want to see the fun?"

"Can't do it--not as captain of this company," answered Jack promptly.

"If we got caught we'd have to do a lot of explaining," added Fred.

"Well, that's where it pays to be a private," chuckled the fun-loving Rover. "Never mind, Randy and I will tell you all about it to-morrow, and we'll also tell you something else."

The twins, along with Spouter and Gif, occupied a tent together; and, as luck would have it, this was almost in a direct line with the tent a.s.signed to Werner and Glutts and two of their cronies. Watching their chance, the twins stole out of their own quarters and hurried over to the side of the tent occupied by their enemies.

CHAPTER XX

FIRST DAYS UNDER CANVAS

"Gee, but I'm tired!" Andy and Randy heard Glutts grumble. "I'll bet I'll be stiff all over to-morrow morning."

"It was too much of a hike over those hills," answered Werner, yawning and stretching himself. "I'll bet I'm getting a blister on my left heel."

"Huh! I'll bet your left heel isn't any worse than my right shoulder from carrying that gun," growled the wholesale butcher's son. "That old piece of iron weighs about a ton."

"Say, will you fellows shut up and get to bed?" grumbled one of the other cadets in the tent.

"That's it!" came from the fourth occupant. "Do your visiting in the morning. With your monkeyshines last night, I'm all tired out now."

Werner and Glutts wished to remonstrate, but did not dare, fearing that more might be said concerning the escapade of the night before.

They undressed as quickly as possible, blew out the light, and then each threw himself on his cot.

"Cats and dogs! what in thunder is this?"

"Say! who put these rocks in my bed?"

"Something stuck me right through the back!"

"And I got stuck, too! Gee, this is the worst yet!"

Such were some of the exclamations from Werner and Glutts as they sat up and then bounced off of their cots. Then, in a rage, the ex-lieutenant and his crony began to accuse the others in the tent of having played a trick on them.

"We didn't do anything of the sort," growled one of the cadets.

"You fellows make me tired," howled the other. "If you don't shut up and settle down I'm going to ask to be put in another tent."

"I'm going to light up and see what that confounded thing in my cot is," growled Bill Glutts.

Something had stuck him in several places on his back, and he felt anything but comfortable. Werner was rubbing himself and saying things under his breath that were far from complimentary. The lantern was lit, and both made an inspection of their cots. Each found a bundle tied up in a thin, dirty towel.

"Rocks and sticks!" cried Gabe Werner, in deep disgust. "Hang the luck, anyway!" He took up the bundle and gazed at it closer. "Well, what do you know about this?"

"What is it?" questioned his crony.

"Here is a card! What do you know about this?" and he looked at a bit of pasteboard on which had been scrawled:

"_Returned with the compliments of the Rovers._"

"You might know they'd try to get back at us," remarked Glutts.

"I'll fix 'em--you see if I don't!" and, in a rage, Gabe took up the bundle which had been placed on his cot and threw it with all his force to the back of the tent It struck a pole, and from inside came a crash.

"h.e.l.lo, you've broken something!" cried Glutts. "Maybe it's a bottle.

I wouldn't put it past 'em to put one in there, thinking you might get cut with it."