 Jerry, hot ferox. Mind and game here. Yeah, nervous up there. Well, we're not so well off down here either. Well, the boys seem to be doing well. Sit down, sit down. Oh, thanks. Oh, my. Beautiful formation there. What is that? A nice horse Jerry's mounted on. Yes, very nice. Luke Comet is his name. A little tricky, isn't he? Just a little. But Jerry seems to be handling him pretty well. Oh, yes, yes, yes. I noticed that. Yeah. Hope it goes well. The worst part is yet to come. The worst? Yes. This part is well as easy. We'll have a little intermission after the riding formations have been gone through and judged. Then, come the jumps. Jumps, hey. That's going to be something to watch. I guess it's all pretty commonplace to you, Mr. Randall, if you see it every day in the circus ring. Oh. Major, Jerry Duggan isn't in there riding in the circus ring every day. To me, the circus riding is a job. It's a job. To me, the circus writing is a job. It's, well, it's just something to be done as well as possible to entertain the cash customers. But here, well, those kids are out there doing it for nothing. No, no, well, I guess they're not doing it for nothing. But all this excitement and the colors got into my skin in the way no circus ever could. Welcome to Fair Oaks. Get it, Randall? Oh. Oh. Oh. Hey, hey, did you see that? That was one of the prettiest stunts I've ever seen. That was Edson doing that, too. Oh, they've got quite a team, Mr. Randall. They won the meet last year with that stunt. Quite an intricate formation. Wheel around and form a double line. Well, now what? Now, watch. The band is going to play. And then watch the Edson team. Well, well, jumping Jupiter. Say those kids from Edson are great. You think they were never going to get themselves out of that circle? How about watch them? Oh, say, and doing it in time for the music, too. You see? Now, they're coming out of it now. Each man in his right place without a hitch. All right, George. I've got to applaud them, Major, even if they are trying to beat our team. Our team? Yep, that's what I said, our team. Now, look. They're completely back in line. Just as straight as a dive. Yeah, that was fine. Well, well, that's that. Meaning the first half is over, huh? Yes. How do you think the point score stands now? Well, I don't know, Mr. Randall. Fair Oaks had a pretty good final stunt, too. Yeah, I know. But those Edson boys, well, I'm going back to bumps. He's up there chewing his nails off. I'll bring him down here after the intermission. All right, thanks, Major. Well... Easy there. Easy. Atta boy. Hey, Jerry. Huh? Oh, Paul, hiya. Jerry, you're doing this well. Gee, I'd give a million to be out in that field. We'd give a million to have you out there with us, Paul. Hey, how's your shoulder today? See, I haven't given the shoulder a thought. How's blue comedic? Great. Aren't you, boy? Gosh, I wish somebody would tell us the point score so far. So do I. Gee, I was so nervous out there I could hardly stay on the horse. Sure didn't act like it. I wonder where Sergeant Alden is. He ought to know what the score is. I doubt if he'll tell you, though, Jerry. If we're losing, he'll show it. If we're winning, well, we'll know that, too. He, uh, did we make any slips, Paul? Not a one that I could see. I thought we did once. It was my fault, too. Blue Comet got just a little out of line when the band started. I tried to hold him in, but he stepped out. I don't think anybody saw it, Jerry. Anyway, don't worry about it. The hardest part of the meet is coming up. If you don't want to get excited, it shows on the horse. Yeah, I know. I'd feel a lot better if Lee was here. Lee? Isn't he here? No, he's in his room. In his room? What are you talking about? Why should he be in his room on a day like this? Oh, he and Red Morrison got in a fight, and the sergeant sent them both back to school. Morrison again, huh? Yeah. I could have guessed, though. I bet it wasn't Lee's fault. No, it wasn't. Oh, Paul. Hello, Sergeant Alden. Well, what do you think? I think we're doing swell, sir. We are. Gee, then we're winning, sir. I'll tell you about it in a minute. First, I want to say a couple of things to you. Oh, help. I want to see the other fellas. See you later, Jerry. OK, Paul. Thanks for stopping by. OK, Jerry. Yes, sir? Jerry, I... Thanks. Thanks? What for, sir? You're all right, Duggan. All right. Then... Then you mean nobody saw a blue comet get out of line that one time? I saw it, Jerry, but no one else did. Whoo! My glad. But are we winning, sir? I mean, what's the point score so far? I'm going to tell all the members of the team that at once. Well, just a minute. Troop! Tangehunt! Come over here! All right, all right, all right. Quiet down now. Men, if I were looking for a reward for the weeks of practice we've put in here on the field, I've had it this afternoon, in the way you got out there and rode. Thank you, sir. Now, wait a moment. Wait a moment. Don't let that go to your heads. There's still a lot of work to be done. I've just learned from the judges that the point score so far in the meet stands exactly even. Oh, boy. That means, sir, that the jumps will decide the meet. Yes, that's exactly it, Paul. The jumps are going to decide the meet. Whoo! What's the matter, Jerry? Oh, nothing, sir. In just a couple of minutes more, you'll be going out there on the field for the last half of the meet, the most important part. But just remember this, that every cadet on the Edson team is thinking the same thing you are, that the jumps will win the meet. All right. I want each one of you to think of that just a little harder than the Edson cadets. How about it? Yes, sir. All right. All right, that's all. Stand by your mounts. Williams, your pen and it wants to be a little straight. Adams, watch the toes and the stir. Oh, boy, oh, boy. Mr. Jerry? Me? Oh, no. I just feel like, like, well, like I do. How many jumps have you had with Blue Comet? Oh, about five altogether. Gosh, only five? Yeah. Well, I guess the whole thing depends on you, Jerry. And Blue Comet? Uh-huh. Well, I'm going to get back to my seat. I'll be with Sergeant Alden, Jerry. Good luck again. Thanks, Paul. All needed, I guess. Well, Blue Comet, it looks like you and I have got to do something, huh? Hey, Jerry. Huh? Lee, tell me for God's sakes, what are you two doing down here? We had to come out, Jerry. We couldn't stay in our rooms anymore. We heard the band and the cheers. Oh, golly, Lee, you'll get plenty of the merits for this. I don't care. That fight wasn't my fault. But don't you see, Ray will say you hit him first. And he'll be right. I got one good sock before we had a quiz. Listen, Jerry, I got to talk fast before we're seen. I ran over to Peter's hardware store and telephoned the veterinary hospital, you know, where Splendor is. Yeah? What about him, Lee? Well, take it easy, Jerry. He's going to be all right. That's what they told me, and so I had to come out here and tell you. Oh, Lee, that's well, I... Boy, you're a pal. And how? Now, all you've got to do is pay me back by going out there and winning. See, we heard what Sergeant Alden said about the jumps deciding the meet. I'll do my best, Lee. Oh, golly, here comes the sergeant. You and Tubbie got to run for it. You can't let him see you. Come on, Lee. We'll duck around the corner of the stable. Yeah, okay. Now remember, Jerry, take those jumps. All right. Well, you all set, Jerry? Yes, sir. Good. Goop. And hunt. Goop. They go again, sir. Well, it all depends on Duggan, whether he can take Blue Comet over the jumps. Well, I'm on up form now. Ed's in first. And every man on their team is experienced. They won the trophy with the same team last year. There they go. Ooh, what a clean stride. You take him over well. Ooh, that was beautiful. They're going to be hard to beat. Come on, Ferro! Hey, who was that? Where'd that yell come from? The hand is stable. No cadet should be there. You wait here, Paul. Yes, sir. All right. Come out from there. Yes, sir. Phillips. Young. What are you two doing here? Well, we were watching the meet, sir. I gave you orders to report back to your rooms. Why weren't those orders obeyed? Well, we haven't any excuse, sir. Phillips, I'm surprised at you. Now, I've nothing left to do but report both of you for disobeying an order. You know what that means, of course? Yes, sir. All right. Get back to your rooms. Second order. Oh, what's the matter? Jerry, Mr. Jump. Mr. Oh, God! What happened? I don't know, sir. He jumped and suddenly it looked like he pulled up his horse. He couldn't do that. The horse must have stalled at the hurdle. That might be it, sir. Look out. Look out. I want to see it. Hey, look. Look what they're doing. They're raising the jumps afoot. Jerry's told them to. They can't do that. Jerry can't make that high jump on Blue Comet if he pulled up at the lower hurdle. Oh, he's going to kill himself. But he's going to, sir. That'll win the meet for us. Win the meet? Nothing. I can't have that boy hurt. The other horses will take it, but Blue Comet is nervous as he is. Well, I've got to stop it. It's too late, sir. I'm not letting that for the run. Hey, Phillips, young. I thought I told you to get back to your rooms. Go ahead. Get out. But, sir, at a time like this... No, it hurts me. It's an order. I know you want to see the jump, but I've got to enforce discipline. Now go. Yes, sir. Hold. Just a minute, Phillips. Yes, sir. You'll know when you're in your rooms if Fair Oaks wins the meet. But... But how, sir? The school winning the meet will sing its Alma Mater. Oh, I see. Thank you, sir. All right. Come on, Teddy. Golly, we'll lose sight of the field in a minute. Try that jump, sir. Durgan can make it on Blue Comet. I can't hit him for all the... Gosh, Sergeant Alden sure was mad, but he should have let us stay. Oh, no. You can't blame him, Teddy. He's got to enforce orders. We won't see if Jerry and the rest of the team make the high jump. No, but... But we'll know who won the meet. Jerry hasn't got a chance. That's what Sergeant Alden said. No, I know he hasn't. Not on Blue Comet. Oh, gee, what a sap I was for hitting Morrison. I liked it. I got in one good sock. And I think that... Hey, what was that? I don't know. I can't see. Gee, the jumps must be over. I wonder if he made it. Well, we've got to keep going. We've got to be in our room. Yeah, I know we do. Another cheer. I wonder what that was for. Gee, the judges must have come to a decision, and they're going to announce it. And Sergeant Alden said that we could tell who won by the schools that sings the Alma Mater. Be quiet. Come on, we'll walk slowly. Gee, that was for the winner. Now... Lee, I wonder... Shh, just listen. Tubby, we won! We won!