ubbs. "I'm so wet the water is actually running out of my shoetops!"

"Ton't said a vord," came from Hans. "I dink me I half a rifer floating
mine packpone town alretty! Of dis keeps on much longer der whole camp
vos in der schwim, ain't it!"

"I reckon we're in the swim already," broke in Sam. "Some of us had
better bring the rowboats up."

The high wind lasted for fully half an hour and during that time six of
the tents were literally blown to ribbons, while many others suffered
to a lesser extent. A quarter of the shelters laid flat in the mud, and
nothing could be done with these until the wind went down.

"It's the worst blow I have seen since we have held our encampments,"
was Captain Putnam's comment, and he and the teachers went around with
lanterns to aid the students as much as they could.

By three o'clock in the morning the storm was over and the stars began
to peep forth from behind the clouds. As tired as they were the cadets
had to set to work to put up the tents and arrange their cots as best
they could. Camp-fires were lit in half a dozen places and the students
huddled around these to dry themselves and get warm.

"I guess this is a touch of real army life," said Dick. "And I must say
I don't like it overly much."

"We'll have to make the best of it, Dick," answered Tom, who had come
over to see how his brother was getting along.

"How is Sam?"

"Oh, he's all right, although as wet as any of us."

"This storm reminds me of the one we experienced when in the jungles of
Africa," went on the eldest Rover. "Do you remember how it blew, Tom?"

"Indeed I do," was the answer, as Tom's mind went back to that
thrilling experience, as related in "The Rover Boys in the Jungle."

On the following day the cadets were glad enough to remain in camp,
cleaning out their tents and drying the things that had become wet. But
the storm was a thing of the past and the sun shone as brightly as
ever. Big fires were kept burning, and hot coffee could be had whenever
wanted, so scarcely anybody suffered from the drenching received.

The storm had somewhat disarranged the plans made by Flapp, Rockley,
and their particular cronies. But two days later Flapp, Rockley, and
Pender got permission to go to the village of Oakville, two miles
distant, one to buy some corn salve he said he wanted and the others to
do a little trading.

The boys had collected nine dollars from various members of their crowd
and this was to