"Isn't it grand!" murmured Bert Field. "I am mighty glad I came to
Putnam Hall."
"So am I," answered Fred Century. "It's much different from what it was
at Pornell Academy."
"It was a great victory, Fred, wasn't it?"
"It certainly was, Bert. I am only sorry for one thing."
"What is that?"
"That it wasn't Pornell we beat instead of that other club."
"Oh, well, we'll get a chance at Pornell some day," answered Bert Field.
The celebration along the lake-shore lasted until half-past eleven. Then
the bell was rung, and laughing and singing, the cadets trooped off to
their various dormitories.
"All quiet by midnight!" came the order.
"Fifteen minutes yet," cried Andy, consulting his watch. "Whoop-la! Here
goes!" And in the joyousness of high spirits he turned a handspring over
one of the beds. Then he turned another spring over a table and stood on
his head on one of the chairs.
"Hurrah for Snow's Imperial Consolidated Circus!" cried Pepper. "The
one and only aggregation of stupendous wonders on the face of the globe!
The marvelous twisting and death-defying acrobat! Walk up and see the
blood-curdling exhibition! It will cost you but the small sum of a dime,
ten cents; children double price, and no grandfathers unaccompanied by
their parents admitted. Line will form on the left and everybody will
please have his cash ready. Transfers not accepted on this line."
"Good for Pepper!" came from Jack. "When he fails as a student he can
turn dime-museum shouter."
"On the right you will see our most mysterious wonder, Major Jacobus
Ruddonowsky, the royal Russian sword swallower," went on The Imp,
pointing to his chum. "He swallows two swords for breakfast, three for
lunch and six to eight for dinner, with daggers for dessert. He is
wonderfully strong, and can carry on his arms an amount of gold lace
that would break a camel's back. As soon as the tent is full he will
sing for you that famous ditty, entitled, 'How I Love to Line You Up
When I'm Major of the Gang.'"
"Wow! that is where you caught it, Jack!" cried Dale, with a grin.
"And here we have a third wonder," went on Pepper, pointing to the
football captain. "Commodore Daleo, the leather-ball juggler. The most
renowned juggler of the spheroid in the world! You think it is here, but
it is not, for lo! he has juggled it over the line and kicked it as high
as an airship. He will show you----"
"Silence in here!" came a voice from the doorway, and Jos
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