it."

"That's the talk."

"Vat's der madder mit tossing him a blanket up?" asked Hans earnestly.

"Think that's a good way to get square, eh, Hans?" laughed Sam.

"Dot's der vorst bunishments vot I know of," said the German boy with
deep conviction. "Makes you feel like you vos going to preak abard
alretty kvick!"

All of the boys knew that it would not do to try any more hazing for
the next few nights. Even if the guards gave no alarm, Captain Putnam
or one of the teachers might be on the watch to catch them.

On the following day it rained and the majority of the cadets were glad
enough to remain under shelter. A few went bathing or fishing and the
latter brought in quite a respectable mess of fish. Even in fishing the
boys were rivals and a new tin cup was voted to the cadet bringing in
the string that weighed the most.

The rain began about ten o'clock and by noon the water was coming down
in torrents.

"This is beautiful," remarked Tom, as he looked at the puddle in the
company's street.

"We ought to have dug another ditch to let that water run off,"
remarked Dick.

"Well, nobody wants to go out now and dig."

"That is true."

Instead of abating the rain became more violent as the afternoon
advanced.

"This looks as if we were going to have some wind." remarked Major
Larry with a doubtful shake of his head.

"I hope it doesn't blow too heavily," said Captain Putnam.

"Don't you think I had better caution the fellows to pin down their
tents extra hard?"

"It would do no harm, Major Colby."

"Then I'll do it," said Larry, and issued the order without delay. Some
of the cadets grumbled at being driven out into the wet, but the
majority knew they were doing the work for their own good and went at
it without a murmur.

At about sundown the wind fell and after supper it was as calm as it
had been before the storm started.

"Told you there wasn't any use of getting wet pounding down stakes,"
growled Lew Flapp. He had done his work in a slip-shod fashion,
staying out but a minute or two for that purpose.

It still rained, so building camp-fires was out of the question. This
being so, the cadets turned in early, glad to seek the shelter of their
cots and their warm blankets.

An hour went by, when of a sudden the rain increased once more. Then
came a rush of wind that shook all of the tents violently.

"We are not out of it yet, it would seem," said Dick, as he sat up on
his cot to listen to