"Apout like dot," and Hans pointed to the top of his head.
"All right, fellows, up she goes!" sang out Tom, and the stick went up.
Hans spat on his hands as if going to lift something. Then he squared his shoulders and drew far back from the jumping place.
"Gif me lots of room, eferypotty!" he sang out.
"All the room you want, Dutchy!" cried one of the cadets.
Away Hans started for the stick, running as swiftly as his short legs would carry him. When about ten feet away he made a wild leap, stuck up both legs in the air, and came down flat on his back with a loud whack.
"Hurrah, Hans wins!" cried Tom. "Best fall I"ve seen in a year!"
"Wh--who--vat--" gasped Hans, trying to recover his wind. "Who knocked me der pack ofer annahow?"
"n.o.body hit you, Hans."
"Who put geese grease der groundt on ver I run, hey?"
"n.o.body."
"Well, did I knock der stick town?"
"No, you didn"t come anywhere near the stick."
"Do I got some more trials?"
"I think, Mueller, that you had better retire," said Captain Putnam with a smile. "High jumping does not seem to agree with you."
"Maype dot"s so, captain. Veil, I ton"t care annahow. I vill drow der hammer ven ve haf some more of dem kondests," and then Hans dropped to the rear.
Rockley was the next to jump, and his record was an inch better than that already made.
"That"s all right," said Lew Flapp.
Two other pupils now took their turns in jumping and Rockley"s record was speedily eclipsed. Then d.i.c.k came along and sent the record still higher.
"That"s the talk, d.i.c.k," said Tom enthusiastically. "I don"t think Pender can do as well."
"Can"t I," sneered Pender. "I"ll show you."
On he came, measuring his distance with care, and went over the stick at the same height d.i.c.k had taken.
"Another tie!" was the cry.
The last boy to jump did not do as well as Rockley, so the contest was voted a tie between d.i.c.k and Gus Pender.
"Now, d.i.c.k, you must win," said Sam.
"You think a good lot of his ability," sneered Lew Flapp, who stood close by, and started to walk off.
He had scarcely taken a step when d.i.c.k gave him a quick shove that sent the tall boy flat on his face.
"I"ll teach you to step on my foot, Lew Flapp!" he cried hotly.
"What"s the trouble?" demanded several, while Mr. Strong came forward to investigate.
"Lew Flapp stepped on my right foot, and he did it just as hard as he could," said d.i.c.k.
"I--I didn"t," growled Flapp.
"I say you did--and what is more, I think you did it on purpose."
"He did it to lame you, so you couldn"t jump against Pender," came from Tom.
"Flapp, did you step on Rover"s foot on purpose?" demanded George Strong.
"No, sir--didn"t step on it at all."
"It is very strange. Rover says you did."
"He is mistaken."
"I am not mistaken. That is why I shoved him away, Mr. Strong."
"Is your foot hurt?"
"I don"t think it is. But it didn"t do it any good to have it stepped on."
"Probably not. Do you still wish to jump?"
"Yes, sir. If I don"t, some of the crowd will say I am afraid," said d.i.c.k.
"In the future, Flapp, be more careful," said George Strong significantly.
"By Jinks! but the Flapp crowd are dandies!" whispered Tom. "First Jackson tried to change the hammers and now Flapp himself tries to disable you. We must be on our guard after this."
"That"s true," replied his elder brother, and Sam nodded.
Because of d.i.c.k"s hurt foot it was decided that Gus Pender should jump first. Pender did his best, clearing the stick by two inches better than before.
"Put it up an inch higher," cried d.i.c.k, and made the jump, despite a pain in the instep that was by no means pleasant. Then Pender tried again, but failed, and d.i.c.k was declared the winner.
"This is the day for the Rovers!" cried one cadet, and a cheer for Tom and d.i.c.k followed, while the Staton girls waved their handkerchiefs wildly.
After this came several other contests, in each of which the crowd pitted against the Flapp faction won. This made Lew Flapp, Rockley, Pender, Jackson and a number of others feel very sore.
"We must win something," cried Pender fiercely. "If we don"t we"ll be the laughing stock of the whole academy."