rry Powell's comment, after Schump, the German boy, had related how
the bully had treated him.

"Dot's it, mine gracious," replied Sam Schump. "Ve vill git togedder an'
show dem vot ve can do, aint it!"

Several days were spent in getting ready for the term. Mont was placed
in the first class, with twenty others, and he was likewise put in an
awkward squad to learn the steps and manual of arms, for the boys had
regular military and naval exercises.

As luck would have it, our hero was placed under one of the assistant
teachers, and fared very well, but poor Piggy Mumps was put in a squad
under Hoke Ummer, who did all he could to make the fat boy miserable.

"Eyes right! Eyes left! Front!" shouted Hoke. "Why don't you mind, you
clown!" he added to poor Piggy, who was in a sweat to do as ordered.

"Vot you say, eyes right an' den eyes left, ven da vos right?" asked
Piggy innocently.

"Silence! Eyes right! Eyes left! You clown, can't you twist your eyes,
or are you too fat?" roared Hoke.

"Ton't vos call me a clown, you--you unchentlemanly poy!" cried Piggy
wrathfully, when without warning Hoke fell upon him and hit him a blow
on the neck.

This was too much for Piggy, and he ran out of the line and closed with
the bully. But he was no match for the big boy, and Piggy would have
been severely punished had not Hoke been caught by the shoulder and
hurled backward against a wall.

"Let him alone!" came in the voice of Mont. "You have no right to touch
him, Hoke Ummer."

"Haven't I, though?" sneered the bully. "Do you suppose I'm going to be
made a fool of by a lump of fat like that? You clear out, or I'll give
you a dose, too!"

"You can try it on any time you please," replied our hero quietly.

"A fight! A fight!" exclaimed half a dozen at once, and the awkward
squad was broken up on the instant.

"A fight?" repeated the bully. "He'll get a thrashing--that's all it
will amount to. Come on down to the woods if you want to have it out."

"I'm willing to meet you," returned Mont, and started along, followed by
Piggy, Link, and a dozen others.

But scarcely had the boys gone a rod before the belfry bell rang out
loudly five times.

That was the signal for assembly on the parade grounds.

"Hullo, we can't go now!" cried Link. "Boys, you'll have to postpone
that mill till later."

"I'll meet you after assembly," growled Hoke Ummer, under his breath,
as Captain Hooper put in an appearance.

"I'll be ready a