ll of paper in his hand, and watching his opportunity
he blew the contents into the air, directly over the team led by Tom
Rover. The paper contained pepper and it set several of Tom's men to
sneezing.

This trick had been arranged between Flapp and Rockley, the latter
feeling certain that Tom and his followers could not sneeze and pull at
the same time.

"Up!" yelled Rockley. "Pull! pull! pull!"

"Stay down!" roared Tom. "Down! Don't give in an inch!"

But the cry could not be obeyed. Half the team was up and sneezing and
before order could be restored the rope had gone over to the Rockleys'
side a distance of two and a half feet.

"Hurrah, the Rockleys are winning!" yelled Ben Hurdy. "Haul 'em over,
boys!"

"Down!" ordered Tom.

"What on earth made the men sneeze?" demanded Dick, gazing around
sharply.

"Smells like pepper," replied Major Larry Colby, who was close at hand.

"Would anybody be mean enough to use that?"

"Perhaps."

"Up!" cried Rockley once more. "Pull! pull! pull!"

His team gave a savage haul as ordered, and up came Tom's men in spite
of themselves. Then began a tug of war in dead earnest, with the rope
nearly three feet in the Rockleys' favor.

CHAPTER XXII

A SWIM AND SOME SNAKES

The majority of the cadets were now inclined to think that Rockley's
team would win the contest. They had seen Tom's followers sneezing,
but thought this might come from the dampness of the ground.

"Don't give in, Tom!" cried Sam, dancing around. "You've got to beat
him!"

"Bah! you act like a monkey," said Lew Flapp. "Rockley's fellows are
bound to win."

In the meantime the rope was moving rapidly backward and forward. Once
Rockley and his men had Tom's team dangerously close to the line. But
Tom ordered a drop and there the team clung, refusing to budge an inch
further.

"Time is almost up," said George Strong. "Three minutes more!"

"Up!" cried Rockley.

"Up and pull for all you are worth!" cried Tom. "Pull, I tell you! Make
every ounce of muscle count!"

And pull Tom's team did as never before, and Tom with them, watching
for the first sign of returning weakness. But the team was now on its
mettle and made the Rockleys come over the line in spite of the frantic
orders from Rockley himself to drop.

"It's ours!" screamed Tom, and with a final haul brought the opponents
over the line with a rush. Rockley, flat on his back on the grass,
trying in vain to dig his heels into the so