s many of the cadets as could got
hold of the edges, bending, holding the blanket spread out over the
ground.

Jack Benson's two captors suddenly hurled him across the length of the
blanket with no gentle force. Instantly the cadets holding the blankets
straightened up, jerking it taut. Up into the air a couple of feet bounded
Jack. As his body came down the cadets holding the blanket gave it a still
harder jerk. This time Jack shot up into the air at least four feet. It
was the same old blanket-tossing, long popular both in the Army and Navy.
Every time Jack landed the blanket was given a harder jerk by those
holding it. Benson began to go higher and higher.

[Illustration: Eph Raced After Jack, Barking at Him.]

Eph Raced After Jack, Barking at Him.

And now the cadets broke into a low, monotonous chant, in time to their
movements. It ran:

Sir, sir, surcingle!
Sir, sir, circle!
Sir, sir, with a shingle--
Sir, sir, sir!

As regular as drumbeats the cadets ripped out the syllables of the
refrain. At each word Jack Benson's body shot higher and higher. These
young men were experts in the gentle art of blanket-tossing. Ere long the
submarine boy was going up into the air some eight or nine feet at every
tautening of the blanket.

As for escape, that was out of the question. No sooner did the submarine
boy touch the blanket than he shot skyward again. Had he desired to he
could not have called out. The motion and the sudden jolts shook all the
breath out of him.

"Ugh! Hm! Pleasant, isn't it?" uttered Hal Hastings, grimly, under his
breath.

"If they try to do that to me," whispered Eph, hotly, under his breath,
"I'll fight."

"More simpleton you, then!" Hal shot back at him in warning. "What chance
do you think you stand against a crowd like this?"

Just as suddenly as it had begun the blanket-tossing stopped. Yet, hardly
had Jack been allowed to step out than Hal Hastings was unceremoniously
dropped athwart the blanket. The tossing began again, to the chant of:

Sir, sir, surcingle!
Sir, sir, circle!

Right plentifully were these cadet midshipmen avenging themselves for
having had to say "sir" to these young submarine boys that day.

"Woof!" breathed Jack, as soon as breath entered his body again. Eph
clenched his fists tightly, as Hal continued to go higher and higher. But
at last Hastings's ordeal was over.

"I suppose they'll try that on me!" gritt