s rifle work isn't any worse than mine," answered Andy. "Now,
I'll promise to make a lot of bull's-eyes for you if you'll let me use a
good-sized shotgun or a blunderbuss," and at this there was a snicker.

For the rest of that day Brassy Bangs had little to say. But the next
morning he was as loud-mouthed as ever, declaring that he would have won
the contest had he been allowed to use his own pistol--a long affair of
the old-fashioned western variety.

"Had he done that it might have given him one more point," declared
Randy. "Of course that would have put him ahead of Jack in the first
contest, but it wouldn't have helped him when it came to the rifle
work."

"Oh, let's drop Brassy," said Jack. "I am really getting tired of hearing
of him."

"I can't bear him," put in Phil Franklin. "Once or twice he has tried to
become chummy with me, but I've always given him the cold shoulder."

It was now drawing on toward the time for the election, and there was a
great deal of wire-pulling among the various cadets as to who might run
for the offices. Three names were in the field for the office of major:
Jack, a Captain Glasby, and a Lieutenant Harkness.

Glasby was a fellow who was very well liked, while Harkness was a
lieutenant who at one time had been more or less of a crony of Nappy
Martell, Gabe Werner, and others of the crowd that had been opposed to
the Rover boys.

"Well, I sha'n't complain if Glasby gets the position," declared Jack.
"But I'd hate mightily to see Lieutenant Harkness at the head of the
school battalion."

"I never liked Harkness myself," put in Spouter. "He isn't a bit better
in many respects than Gabe Werner."

It was soon noised around the school that Brassy Bangs and his cronies
were doing their best for Harkness, while another crowd, led by Bart
White, were rooting in rather a lively fashion for Captain Glasby.

"We've got to get busy for Jack," said Gif to Spouter. "Come on! Let's
sound out all the fellows in the Hall we think we can influence." And
thereupon he and Spouter and a number of others set to work to
electioneer for Jack as hard as they could.

Several days before the election Andy and Randy obtained permission to go
to Haven Point on an errand. It was rather a disagreeable, misty day, and
they were tramping along through the mud on the outskirts of the town
when they saw Brassy Bangs and a stranger ahead of them. The stranger was
a tall, thin individual, dressed in an old-f