e
expected to enter upon the new term being on hand that night.

There were nearly a hundred of the Hilltop boys, the majority hailing
from New York but many other states were represented, the Academy having
a national reputation and being considered one of the best schools for
boys to be found anywhere.

It was conducted under military rules and had besides a retired army
officer to drill the boys, a corps of competent instructors in many
branches, sending its graduates to the leading colleges and universities
of the land.

As the boys' duties would not begin until the next day they were at
liberty to do as they pleased that evening and after supper, which was
had in the great dining hall, Jack took a stroll with Dick, Harry and
one or two others of his new acquaintances.

"Dick told us how you helped him out of a scrape," said Harry, as they
were entering a bit of woods in the rear of the Academy. "He took you
for a berry picker. That was funny, wasn't----"

"But I was one," said Jack. "I picked all summer, strawberries,
raspberries and currants and then peaches and some grapes. I made enough
to pay my schooling for----"

"Yes, but you were not one of the regulars," broke in Harry. "They are
nothing but a lot of tramps, I believe."

"There are tramps that do the work, of course, but the regulars, as you
call them are not. They work up from the south and go as far as the
western part of the state and into Pennsylvania before the season is
over. Many of the boys and girls, too, in our part of the state earn
money that way and I don't see that there is anything----"

"Wrong in it?" interrupted Dick, who noticed the prejudice of the other
boys. "Of course there isn't. Be careful about this place, Jack. There
is a ravine which is very steep and a fall would not be a pleasant
adventure. Stick close to me and you will be all right."

Nothing more was said about the manner in which the new boy had earned
money for his schooling but even a casual observer would have noticed
that neither Harry nor Arthur were as cordial in their treatment of him
after that and he and Dick did all the talking.

The greater part of the boys slept in big dormitories on the upper story
of the Academy building, a few especially favored ones having rooms to
themselves either there or in one of the cottages adjoining, Dick
Percival being one of these.

Jack was assigned to one of the large dormitories and found himself
associated with Ha