The Wizard of the Sea | Page 3

"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 any time," rejoined our hero.
"Boys, we are to have visitors in fifteen minutes!" shouted out Captain
Hooper. "Attention! The captains will form their companies on the
campus and a salute will be fired as the visitors enter the grounds."
Orders were quickly passed, and inside of five minutes the boy cadets
were drawn up in long lines, with the officers of the two companies in
their proper places.
The visitors were old friends of the captain who had come to the Hall
merely out of curiosity. As their carriages approached, a cannon was
run out, and Link and several others were detailed to fire it off.

Link chose Mont to assist, and before long all was in readiness to touch
her off.
"Here they come!" shouted somebody.
"Stand ready to fire!" sang out Captain Hooper, in true military style.
"Steady, boys, now--I expect all to make the best possible appearance.
Fire!"
Link touched the cannon off, while our hero and several others stood
close at hand.
Bang!
The report was terrific. The old cannon was overcharged, and was
blown into a thousand pieces, which flew in all directions.
Both Link and Mont were hurled flat, and while the former was seen to
stagger up again, our hero lay as one dead!
CHAPTER III.
THE GREAT FIGHT.
"He is dead!"
"Run for the doctor!"
"A piece struck me, too!"
"The cannon must have been overloaded!"
Such were some of the cries which went up after the awful explosion.
Captain Hooper stood close at hand, and instantly went to our hero's
assistance.
He caught the youth up in his arms and carried him to a shady spot.

"Bring some water," he commanded, but water was already at hand.
With it he bathed Mont's head.
For a minute there was an intense silence. Then, with a quiver, the lad
opened his eyes.
"Wha--what---- Did the cannon burst?" he asked feebly.
"Hurrah! He's all right!" shouted Link joyfully, and inside of five
minutes more Mont stood up and gazed about him in wonder.
But he was too weak to take part in the review, and while this went on
sat in a rustic chair under the oak