“Rover, it was wrong to fight,” said the captain to Tom.  “But under the circumstances I am inclined to be lenient with you.  You can retire, and this evening during off time I want you to write one hundred times, the proverb beginning, `Blessed are the peace-makers.’”

“Yes, sir,” said Tom humbly.  He was glad to escape thus easily, for he knew that the captain was very strict concerning fighting.

A little later the others were sent off, leaving Lew Flapp alone with Captain Putnam.

“Flapp,” said the owner of the school, with a hardness that made the big boy’s heart sink into his shoes.  “I hardly know what to say to you.  Your former conduct was mean enough, and this appears to be on a level with it.  With such a heavy boat chain you might have injured Moss very seriously.  Do you want me to give you another chance or not?”

“Wh—­what do you mean, sir?” asked Flapp, much frightened.

“Do you want to remain at Putnam Hall, or shall I send you home in disgrace?”

“I—­I don’t want to go home,” said the big boy.  His father was a rough man and he knew that if his parent heard of this trouble he would make him pay dearly for it.

“I expect my pupils to be young gentlemen,” went on Captain Putnam.  “This is an academy for the better class of boys only.  Bad boys do not come here, but are sent to the reformatory.  If I give you another chance will you promise to do better in the future?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Very well then, I will give you one more chance.  I believe you are somewhat behind in your arithmetic.  During the next four days you will remain in during all off time and apply yourself to such examples as your teacher gives you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now you can go, and remember, I want to hear of no further fighting, and no further molesting of Harry Moss.”

“I’ll remember, sir,” answered Lew Flapp meekly, and then left the office and ran up to his dormitory, to bathe his nose and put witch-hazel on his hurts.  Although outwardly humble he was in reality burning with rage.

“I’ll have to be careful in the future,” he told himself, with clenched fists.  “But I’ll get square—­oh, I’ll get square!”

“Hullo, hurt yourself?” asked Pender, as he came in.

“Yes, I fell over a boat down at the boathouse,” answered the big boy.

“Is that so?  I heard something of a fight, and came up to see about it.”

“Oh, I had a row with Harry Moss and Tom Rover, but it didn’t amount to much, Gus.  But, say, I just wish I could square up with Dick Rover, and Tom, too!”

“You said something like that before.”

“I’m going to watch my chances.”

“Perhaps something will turn up during the encampment.”

“Yes, I was thinking of that.  A fellow has more of a chance in camp than he does in school.”

“It would be a fine thing to get Dick Rover into trouble and make him lose his position as captain,” went on Gus Pender.