The Rover Boys on the River | Page 7

think it was necessary to black up to make a call on
me?"
"Black up?" repeated William Philander. "That is what I said?"
"Am I black, sir?"
"Yes, as black as coal. Look at yourself in this glass," and the captain
held out a small looking glass and also a lantern.
When Tubbs saw himself in the glass he almost had a fit.
"My gracious sakes alive!" he groaned. "How ridiculous! How did this
happen? Why, I look like a negro!"
"Is anything amiss, Captain Putnam?" came from the next tent, and
George Strong appeared.
"Nothing, excepting that Private Tubbs has seen fit to black up as a
negro and call upon me," answered the master of the academy, with a
faint smile playing around the corners of his mouth.
"I didn't black up!" roared William Philander. "It's all a horrid joke
somebody has played on me while I was asleep! You don't want me, do
you?"
"No, Tubbs."
"Then I'll go back, and if I can find out who did this--"
A burst of laughter from a distance made him break off short.
"They're laughing at me!" he went on. "Just hear that!"
"Go to bed, and I will investigate in the morning," answered Captain

Putnam, and William Philander went off, vowing vengeance.
"Just wait till I find out who did it," he told himself, as he washed up
the best he could in some cold water. "I'll have them in court for it."
But he never did find out, nor did Captain Putnam's investigation lead
to any disclosures.
William Philander's trials for that night were not yet at an end. On the
march to the camp some of the cadets had picked up a number of burrs
of fair size. A liberal quantity of these had been introduced under the
covers of Tubbs' cot immediately after he left the tent.
Having washed up as best he could, the aristocratic cadet blew out the
light he had borrowed and prepared to retire once more. He threw back
the covers and dropped heavily upon the cot in just the spot where the
sharpest of the burrs lay.
An instant later a wild shriek of pain and astonishment rent the air.
"Ouch! Oh my, I'm stuck full of pins! Oh, dear me!"
And then William Philander Tubbs leaped up and began to dance
around like a wild Indian.
"What's the matter with you, Billy?" asked one of his tent-mates,
entering in the midst of the excitement.
"What's the matter?" roared poor Tubbs. "Everything is the matter,
don't you know. It's an ah--outrage!"
"Somebody told me you had blacked up as a negro minstrel and were
going to serenade your best girl."
"It's not so, Parkham. Some beastly cadets played a joke on me! Oh,
wait till I find out who did it!" And then William Philander began to
moan once more over the burrs. It was a good quarter of an hour before
he had his cot cleaned off and fit to use once more, and even then he
was so excited and nervous he could not sleep another wink.

"William Philander won't forget his last night with the boys in a hurry,"
remarked Tom, as he slipped off to bed once more.
"You had better keep quiet over this," came from Dick. "We don't want
to spoil our records for the term, remember."
"Right you are, Dick. I'll be as mum as a clam climbing a huckleberry
bush."
The boys were tired out over the march of the afternoon and over
playing the joke on Tubbs, and it was not long before all of the Rovers
were sound asleep. The three brothers had begged for permission to
tent together and this had been allowed by Captain Putnam, for the
term was virtually over, ending with the dismissal of the cadets at the
last encampment parade.
On guard duty at one end of the field was a cadet named Link Smith, a
rather weak-minded fellow who was easily led by those who cared to
exert an influence over him. At one time Link Smith had trained with
Lew Flapp and his evil associates, but fortunately for the feeble-minded
cadet he had been called home during the time when Lew Flapp got
into the trouble which ended by his dismissal from Putnam Hall.
Link Smith was pacing up and down sleepily when he heard a peculiar
whistle close at hand. He listened intently and soon heard the whistle
repeated.
"The old call," he murmured to himself. At first he did not feel like
answering, but presently did so. Then from out of the gloom stalked a
tall young fellow, dressed in the uniform of a cadet but with a face that
was strangely painted and powdered.
"Who is it?" questioned Link Smith, uneasily.
"Don't