ok time, and in
the meanwhile Fred and Gif rushed up, catching each by the arm.

"You let go of me, Fred Rover!" cried the wholesale butcher's son; and
when the youngest Rover did not do as commanded, Glutts made a savage
pass with his fist.

Had the blow landed as intended, Fred would have been struck full in
the nose, but he knew something about boxing, and dodged cleverly, and
then he came back at Glutts with a blow in the ear which sent that
youth sprawling once more.

In the meantime Werner attempted to get away from Gif. But that
athletic youth put out a foot behind the ex-lieutenant, and down went
Gabe once more on the panting and bewildered Codfish. Both rolled over
among the tree roots, and it was several seconds before they could
untangle themselves and get to their feet.

By this time Andy and Randy had come up, and a short while later Jack
and the others appeared.

"What's this all about?" demanded Jack, who, as a captain of the
cadets, felt that he was in charge.

"They were sneaking off with the grub and with the girls' wraps,"
answered Fred. "I spotted them just in the nick of time. Another half
minute, and they would have been out of sight."

"We weren't going to take the things away. We were only going to hide
'em," said Gabe Werner. He saw that there was now no chance to run for
it, because he and his cronies were completely outnumbered.

"Gee, what an awful smell!" broke suddenly from Randy.

"No cologne there," said Jack.

"Smells like garlic," said one of the other cadets, holding his nose.

"It's onions!" declared Andy emphatically. "I guess I know onions when
I smell 'em," he added significantly.

Werner started, and then looked more disturbed than ever, and so did
Bill Glutts. Both clapped their hands to their side pockets. Something
was soaking through the cloth of their uniforms. The others came
closer, and then Andy and Randy set up a roar of laughter.

"Chopped-up onions!" cried the former of the twins. "What do you know
about that! They are carrying pockets full of chopped-up onions! Wow!"

"I'll bet I know what they were going to do with those!" declared
Randy. "They were going to doctor up our grub with 'em!"

"Well, what if we were?" said Gabe Werner boldly. "Didn't you fellows
doctor up our mess kits?"

"Did they have a chance to get at the stuff in the knapsacks?"
questioned Jack anxiously.

The girls were now coming up in a bunch, wondering what the
disturbance me