“How do you know, Bart?”

“Because he hasn’t any.  He asked for credit at the store yesterday—­to buy some cigarettes—­and the shopkeeper refused, saying Ritter owed him eighty cents already.”

“Humph!” mused Pepper, and said no more.

“Come on—­forget it!” cried Jack.  “We’ll celebrate anyway.”

“We’ve got other barrels,” came from Dale.

The cadets rushed out and to the lake-shore, and soon several bonfires were blazing merrily.  Around these the students congregated, and sang songs and “cut up” generally.  Dale had to make a speech, and the boys caught him up on their shoulders and carried him around the campus.

“Isn’t it grand!” murmured Bert Field.  “I am mighty glad I came to Putnam Hall.”

“So am I,” answered Fred Century.  “It’s much different from what it was at Pornell Academy.”

“It was a great victory, Fred, wasn’t it?”

“It certainly was, Bert.  I am only sorry for one thing.”

“What is that?”

“That it wasn’t Pornell we beat instead of that other club.”

“Oh, well, we’ll get a chance at Pornell some day,” answered Bert Field.

The celebration along the lake-shore lasted until half-past eleven.  Then the bell was rung, and laughing and singing, the cadets trooped off to their various dormitories.

“All quiet by midnight!” came the order.

“Fifteen minutes yet,” cried Andy, consulting his watch.  “Whoop-la!  Here goes!” And in the joyousness of high spirits he turned a handspring over one of the beds.  Then he turned another spring over a table and stood on his head on one of the chairs.

“Hurrah for Snow’s Imperial Consolidated Circus!” cried Pepper.  “The one and only aggregation of stupendous wonders on the face of the globe!  The marvelous twisting and death-defying acrobat!  Walk up and see the blood-curdling exhibition!  It will cost you but the small sum of a dime, ten cents; children double price, and no grandfathers unaccompanied by their parents admitted.  Line will form on the left and everybody will please have his cash ready.  Transfers not accepted on this line.”

“Good for Pepper!” came from Jack.  “When he fails as a student he can turn dime-museum shouter.”

“On the right you will see our most mysterious wonder, Major Jacobus Ruddonowsky, the royal Russian sword swallower,” went on The Imp, pointing to his chum.  “He swallows two swords for breakfast, three for lunch and six to eight for dinner, with daggers for dessert.  He is wonderfully strong, and can carry on his arms an amount of gold lace that would break a camel’s back.  As soon as the tent is full he will sing for you that famous ditty, entitled, ’How I Love to Line You Up When I’m Major of the Gang.’”

“Wow! that is where you caught it, Jack!” cried Dale, with a grin.

“And here we have a third wonder,” went on Pepper, pointing to the football captain.  “Commodore Daleo, the leather-ball juggler.  The most renowned juggler of the spheroid in the world!  You think it is here, but it is not, for lo! he has juggled it over the line and kicked it as high as an airship.  He will show you——­”