The battalion was paraded and marched into the mess hall, and Captain Putnam jumped into his buggy and drove over to Pornell Academy. He received a very cold reception at Doctor Pornell’s hands.
“My pupils are young gentlemen, never guilty of such rascality,” said the doctor, haughtily. “I do not deem it necessary to question them concerning it.” And that was all the satisfaction the master of Putnam Hall got.
The cadets had to go to their studies after breakfast, but directly the school sessions were over for the day, many formed searching parties and went forth hunting for the missing cannon and the flagstaff. Jack headed a party composed of Pepper, Andy and Dale, to look for the cannon, while Fred Century took out Bart Conners and Emerald in the Ajax, to look for the flagstaff.
For a short distance along the road Jack and his chums could see the marks of the cannon wheels quite plainly. But further on the road was rocky and hard, and there the tracks could not be told from those made by wagons and automobiles.
“This is a good deal like looking for a pin in a haystack,” observed Pepper, as they came to a halt at a cross roads. “The question is, Did they keep straight on, or turn to the right or left?”
“I don’t think they’d dare to take the cannon to Cedarville,” said Andy. “Somebody would be sure to see them and tell Captain Putnam.”
“I believe Andy is right,” put in Dale. “They must have gone to the right or the left with the piece.”
“The road to the right runs down to the lake front, and it is soft and muddy. They’d not be likely to go that way.”
“Not unless they dumped the cannon into the lake,” answered Jack.
“I don’t believe they’d dare do that,” said Dale. “They’d be afraid of arrest if found out.”
“Then they must have gone up into the woods,” said Jack. “Let us hunt in that direction first anyway.”
The cadets were now joined by others, until a crowd of at least twenty were following the road leading through the woods to Benson Pond. For a distance the road was rocky and hard, then it grew soft, and they beheld the tracks made by the cannon quite plainly.
“Hurrah! we are on the right road!” cried the young major.
So anxious was the crowd to locate the cannon that nearly all started on a run. They had to pass directly under some heavy, overhanging trees, and then came to where there was a stony cliff and something of a shale road.
“I don’t see the tracks of the cannon any more!” cried one cadet, and soon the others said the same.
“Wait till we reach some spot where the road is soft,” suggested Dale, and trudged along hopefully for quarter of a mile. Here they came to the edge of Benson Pond and the roadway was muddy; but the cannon tracks were nowhere to be seen.
“We’ve missed it,” said Jack, with something of a groan.
“Let us retrace our steps and look on both sides of the road,” suggested Pepper. “Maybe we’ll find out just where they left the road. They may have hauled the cannon right into the middle of the woods.”
They walked back slowly, scattering to both sides of the highway. But not a sign of the cannon tracks was brought to light.
“This is certainly a mystery,” sighed Dale. “The tracks seem to fade into thin air. Now they couldn’t make the piece disappear like that.”
“Not unless they blew it up,” said Jack.
“Oh, Jack, do you think they did that?” cried Andy.
“No, I don’t. I’ve got an idea and I am going back to where we saw those tracks last.” And the young major stalked off, followed by the majority of the others.
Reaching the place mentioned, Jack began a close inspection of the ground. Then he moved on slowly, looking first at the ground and then at the trees overhead. Thus he covered several hundred feet, stopping at a spot where the roadbed was a solid mass of rock.
“I’ve found the cannon!” he cried suddenly.
“Found it?” came from a dozen others, and they rushed to his side.
“Yes.”
“Where is it, Jack?”
“Up in yonder tree. They hauled it to this spot, tied it to two big ropes, and pulled it up into the tree. There it is now, shining out between the leaves!” And the young major pointed in triumph to the discovery he had made.
The cannon was there, true enough, and as they viewed the piece the cadets present set up a cheer.
“It must have been quite a job to hoist the cannon into the tree,” observed Pepper, as he gazed at the object, which was suspended fully fifteen feet over his head.
“Not so difficult as you think, Pep,” answered Andy. “All they had to do was to throw the ropes over a couple of strong limbs, tie the ends to the cannon, and hoist away. If they had horses—and I think they had—it was easy.”
“The question is, How are we to get the cannon down, now we have found it,” said another cadet.
“Wait till I see if the ropes have been cut short or simply wound around the tree limbs,” answered Jack. “Somebody give me a boost into the tree.”
He was soon up in the branches, and then he announced that the ropes were sufficiently long to lower the cannon to the ground.
“But we’ll have to work with care,” he said. “For if the cannon should slip somebody may get hurt,—and, besides, the cannon would be damaged by falling on the rocks.”
Half a dozen cadets climbed up into the big tree. The cannon weighed seven or eight hundred pounds and was dangling by several feet of the two ropes. The ropes were slipped into two crotches of the tree and then wound around a part of the trunk. With care the boys loosened the fastenings.
“Now let down an inch at a time,” ordered the young cadet. “If you find the rope slipping catch it in the crotch and wind tight at once. Don’t take any chances, for Captain Putnam would never forgive you if you smashed the cannon. It cost a neat penny, I am sure.”
Slowly and cautiously the cadets in the tree, assisted by some who had hold of the ends of the ropes below, lowered the cannon to the rocky roadbed. Then all gathered around to inspect the find. It seemed to be in perfect condition, for which they were thankful.
THEY LOWERED THE CANNON TO THE ROCKY ROADBED.
With all the boys pulling on the rope it was an easy matter to haul the cannon in the direction of Putnam Hall. As they approached the campus they set up a loud yell, which speedily brought many cadets and teachers to the scene.
“Well done!” cried George Strong, as he looked the cannon over. “Captain Putnam will be delighted to know you have found it.”
“Where is he?” asked Jack.
“Out on a hunt for it.”
“Let’s fire a salute,” suggested Pepper. “That will let everybody know the cannon is found.”
The teacher was willing, and the piece was quickly cleaned and loaded. Jack touched it off, and the report echoed far and wide across the lake and the hills around.
“There, that will tell everybody we’re on deck,” cried Andy, with a happy laugh.
“I hope they heard it at Pornell Academy,” said Dale.
“They must have—unless they are all deaf,” said Stuffer. “Gosh! say that work makes a fellow hungry, doesn’t it?” he added, and hurried off to get a bite to eat.
Captain Putnam came in shortly after the cannon was fired and viewed the piece with pleasure. He had to smile when he heard how the cannon had been discovered swung up in the tree.
“Certainly a schoolboy’s prank,” he said. “But not the kind I admire.”
Fred Century and the others on the Ajax did not come in until dark. They had hunted along the lake shore for several miles, but without success.
“Maybe they hung the flagpole in a tree, too,” suggested Pepper, with a grin.
“It is not likely,” answered Bart Conners. “They’d be more apt to weight it down with stones and sink it.”
“Did you look in the water along shore?” asked Andy.
“We did in some spots, but not in all. We can go out again,” said Fred.
To keep the flag afloat that day Captain Putnam had a rope run from the school building to a nearby tree. He said he would wait a week and see if the flagstaff could not be found and then would order a new one.
“And if I can find out who took the old one I’ll make them pay for it,” he added.
Several days slipped by, and then Staffer came to Jack and Pepper while the others were in the gymnasium exercising.
“I’ve discovered something,” said Stuffer, and then related how he had been down to Cedarville on business and had overheard Roy Bock and several other students talking at the steamboat dock. He had not overheard all that was said, but had heard enough to make sure that Bock and about twelve other students from Pornell Academy had come over to Putnam Hall at midnight and removed the cannon and the flagstaff.
“They think it is a mighty good joke,” said Paul. “I wish we could pay them back for it.”
“We’ll do it, Stuffer!” cried Pepper. “I was just waiting to make sure Bock and his gang were guilty.”
“Did you learn anything about the flagstaff?” asked Andy.
“They took it somewhere down to Rock Point and sunk it.”
“In that case, the best thing we can do is to go after it and tow it back,” said Jack.
They visited the Point the next afternoon and after some trouble located the flagstaff. It was in several feet of water, and held down by two old doors loaded with stones. Once the stones were rolled away, doors and flagstaff came to the surface instantly. Then the big pole was fastened to the stern of the Alice and towed to the Putnam Hall dock.
“Let’s fire another salute, to celebrate the return of the flagstaff!” cried Andy, and this, with Captain Putnam’s permission, was done. The cadets insisted upon planting the flagstaff themselves, just as it had been before, and the work was accomplished under Captain Putnam’s personal directions. Around the foot of the pole they dumped some rocks and poured in a quantity of cement to bind them.
“Now, they’ll never take that pole up again,” said Jack, and they never did, for the flagstaff stands on the campus of Putnam Hall to this day.
That night a special meeting was called in the dormitory occupied by Jack, Pepper and others. About a dozen cadets were invited to be present, including Fred Century, and not a one was absent.
“This meeting is called for the purpose of discussing ways and means of squaring accounts with the Pornell Academy students,” said Pepper, who presided. “They had the audacity to come here at midnight and steal our cannon and our flagstaff. We owe them something. Are we going to pay ’em back or not?”
“Pay ’em back!” was the cry.
“With interest,” added Andy.
“Compound interest,” said Dale, and this made everybody laugh.
“We have here a fellow cadet who was once a student at Pornell,” continued Pepper. “He knows the buildings and the grounds thoroughly. He is willing to tell us all he knows, and will even lead us if we say so.”
“Good for Fred Century,” cried one cadet. “May he live as long as his name implies!”
“I have been at some pains to question Fred concerning Pornell Academy and he says they have in the building one room devoted to trophies of all sorts—flags, banners, silver cups, a statue, and so on, which the various teams and clubs of the school have won from time to time. It has been suggested”—here Pepper drew down the corners of his mouth in such a fashion that everybody knew the suggestion was his own—“It has been suggested that somebody might go over there some night and——”
“Clean the room out!” cried Andy. “Just the cheese!”
“It’s as good as done,—provided Fred will show us where that room is,” said Dale.
“With the greatest of pleasure,” was Fred Century’s answer. “It is on the north side of the building, next to Doctor Pornell’s private office.”
“Of course we don’t want to hurt any of the things,” said Jack. “We can’t run off with them as they did with the cannon and the flagstaff.”
“We can take sacks along and some excelsior,” said Pepper. “No, I don’t go in for breaking or scratching anything myself. And, oh, say!” he cried suddenly. “I’ve got a dandy hiding place for them!”
“Where?” asked several.
“I’ll tell you that after we have the stuff out of the school. I am sure you will all agree with me the hiding place will be the best ever.”
“In a tree?” queried Andy.
“Not much! This is something better,” said the Imp.
The matter was talked over for half an hour, and then it was decided that the raid on the Pornell Academy trophy room should take place the following night.
“Are we all here?”
“We are.”
“Then come along. And don’t make any noise on your life!”
These words were spoken in whispers. Following them came silence, and like so many shadows fourteen forms crept downstairs and out of a side door of Putnam Hall. They made directly for the boathouse dock. The boys were in their socks, and did not attempt to don their shoes until safe in the boathouse.
Three rowboats were in readiness, and as quietly as possible the cadets entered them and shoved off. Into the water dropped the oars; and the three craft were headed for Pornell Academy.
“We might have gone in the sloops, but there is no telling about the wind,” said Jack, when he felt it would be safe to talk.
“We can row as well as not,” answered Andy. “The exercise will do us good.”
“I only hope it stays clear until we get back,” said Pepper, with an anxious look at the sky, where the clouds were beginning to hide the stars from view.
“Say, fellows, are you sure Mumps or some other sneak isn’t on to our game?” asked Stuffer.
“That’s a risk we had to run,” answered Bart Conners. “I don’t believe Mumps knows of this, though.”
Nearly all of the boys were good oarsmen, and by their united efforts the three boats moved swiftly over the bosom of Cayuga Lake. Not another craft seemed to be stirring, and the night was as quiet as a graveyard.
“We are coming in sight of the Pornell dock,” said Jack, at last. “Now, Fred, you’ll have to lead the way, for you are the only one who knows all about this place.”
“I’ll do it,” answered the youth who had once been a Pornell Academy student.
The midnight prowlers left their rowboats tied up at the dock and followed Fred Century to the campus of the school and then to a doorway leading to the basement.
“This door is locked, but the servants usually leave the key on the window,” whispered Fred. “Here it is.” He took the key and unlocked the door. “Shall I go in alone and open the window to the trophy room, or do you want to come in this way?”
“You had better go in alone,” answered Jack. “We might stumble over something in the dark and make a noise. Where is the room?”
“Down there—the fifth window from here. You had better hide until I open the blinds.”
“We will,” whispered Pepper.
Carrying the bags and the excelsior they had brought along, the cadets retreated, leaving Fred to enter the school building alone. Fred closed and locked the door after him. Then the cadets outside crouched down behind some bushes.
“I hope he isn’t caught,” whispered Andy. “Somebody might take him for a burglar and shoot at him!”
“I see a light in one of the upper rooms,” said Jack. “That looks as if somebody was up.”
“There goes the light out,” answered Dale, a moment later.
With their hearts beating rapidly, the cadets waited. Now that they had really embarked on the midnight expedition they began to realize what a great undertaking it was.
“If we are caught, Doctor Pornell may have us all locked up,” said one boy who was extra nervous.
“If you want to withdraw you can do so,” answered Jack. “Everyone to take part here must do so of his own free will.”
“I’ll tell yez what we’ll do,” said Hogan. “If an alarm comes run for the lake for all ye are worth!” And this was agreed upon by all.
Five minutes passed—to the waiting cadets it seemed much longer than that—and still they heard nothing from Fred. They gazed at the blinds of the trophy room anxiously.
“Maybe he has been caught and those inside are waiting to collar us, too,” suggested Harry Blossom.
“He may have had to wait for somebody,” returned Jack. “Remember that light we saw upstairs. That might have been a monitor or teacher going around.”
A few minutes later they saw one blind open softly and then the other. Then Fred’s head appeared in the semi-darkness and he beckoned to those outside.
“Keep quiet!” he whispered. “Don’t make a sound. I think one of the teachers is still up. I heard him talking to somebody and he said something about a toothache.”
“Confound his toothache!” murmured Pepper. “Why can’t he go to bed and go to sleep?”
“I guess he would if he could,” said Andy. “You don’t suppose he is staying up with a toothache for the fun of it?”
As silently as possible one cadet after another climbed in at the window. When all were inside, the blinds were closed and the curtain drawn and then lights were lit.
“Did you lock the door to the hall?” asked Jack of Fred.
“I did—and hung a bit of paper over the key-hole, too,” was the answer.
Without delay the midnight visitors unfolded their bags and got ready the excelsior. In a very few minutes—for all worked with nervous haste—they had packed away nearly every trophy the room contained. These included three flags, four banners, four silver cups, a gold tankard, a bronze statue of a bowler, a marble statue of an oarsman, a bronze tablet containing the names of the school champions for several years back, two decorated canoe paddles, and several other trophies of more or less importance.
“Moving day! moving day!
Now is the time to get away!”
sang Pepper softly, as he tied up his bag of stuff.
“Hush!” whispered Jack, sternly. “Remember, we are not out of it yet. You can sing when we are on the lake.”
“I’ll be as mum as a mule with the lockjaw,” said Pepper, with a grin.
The trophy room was now totally bare excepting for several small rugs and a table. The rugs Andy began to roll up.
“Might as well finish up the job in first-class style,” said the acrobatic youth.
“Shall we leave a card behind?” asked Dale. “Compliments of Putnam Hall, or something like that?” questioned Stuffer.
“I have something better than a card,” answered Jack. “Just set that little table out in the middle of the floor.” And as some of the others did as requested he took from his pocket two small objects and placed them side by side on the table top. One was a toy cannon about two inches long and the other was a lady’s hatpin with a small American flag attached.
“Good! just the thing!” cried several.
“Couldn’t be better,” added Andy. “They’ll know where they came from right enough!”
“Hush!” came suddenly from Hogan. “I think I’m afther hearin’ footstheps in the hall. Douse the glim!” And he suited the action to the words by putting out the lights.
All became as silent as ghosts and listened intently. They heard footsteps outside, coming nearer and nearer. They fully expected somebody to try the door, and wondered what would happen after that. But presently the footsteps died away in the other direction.
“Somebody going to the kitchen!” whispered Fred. “Guess it is the teacher who had the toothache. Maybe he wants to get some boiling water, or something like that.”
“Well, we are about ready to go, so why linger?” asked Stuffer.
With caution the blinds were again opened. The coast looked to be clear and they dropped to the campus outside, one at a time, and each with a bundle. Fred was the last to come out, and before doing so he unlocked the door to the hallway.
“There will be a surprise there in the morning,” he said.
“I reckon they’ll find out they have been paid back in their own coin,” answered Pepper.
Closing the window and the blinds, the cadets hurried to their boats and were soon out on the lake. Then Pepper told them of the place he had in mind for storing the trophies. That was a deserted house half way between Pornell Academy and Putnam Hall, and on the lake shore.
“The best possible place,” said Jack. “The house is supposed to be haunted and nobody ever goes there.”
Rowing swiftly, the cadets soon reached the vicinity of the so-called haunted house. They took their bags ashore and carried them up to the old dwelling, which was almost ready to fall down. In an upper room they found a big clothing closet and in this they placed all the trophies and closed and barred the door on them.
“Now let the Pornellites find them—if they can,” declared Pepper. “I rather think they’ll have a long hunt to do it.”
Then the cadets hurried back to the lake, rowed to the Putnam Hall dock, and lost no time in creeping into the school and up to their dormitories. Five minutes later all were in bed and trying to get to sleep.
The excitement at Putnam Hall over the disappearance of the cannon and the flagstaff was fully duplicated at Pornell Academy when it was discovered that the trophy room had been looted of its entire contents.
“This is an outrage!” stormed Doctor Pornell. “An outrage! I shall put somebody in prison for it!”
“Something has been left behind,” said a teacher who chanced to be with the doctor. “A toy flag and a toy cannon.”
“What!”
“See for yourself, Doctor.”
“Ha! I understand! A flag and a cannon indeed! This must be some of Captain Putnam’s work—to pay me back for the loss of his cannon and his flagstaff,” stormed Doctor Pornell. “I’ll see about it! I’ll have somebody in jail before night!”
The news soon spread, and great was the indignation among the students and especially among those who had helped to win the trophies.
“Well, we have only been paid back for what we did,” said one pupil, who had aided Roy Bock in the removal of the cannon and the flagstaff. “Those who play with fire mustn’t complain if they get their fingers burnt.”
“We must find those trophies,” declared another.
A hunt was made that day and also the next. In the meantime Doctor Pornell sent a decidedly sarcastic letter to Captain Putnam. This angered the master of Putnam Hall exceedingly, and he sent an equally sarcastic letter in return; and there, for the time being, the matter rested,—so far as the Putnam Hall students were concerned.
But it did not rest with Roy Bock and his immediate cronies. In some manner Doctor Pornell learned that Bock had concocted the scheme to take away the cannon and the flagstaff, and consequently he considered Bock responsible for the removal of the trophies.
“You and your friends who took part in this disgraceful affair must get back those trophies,” said the doctor to Bock. “If you do not I shall punish you severely.”
“I—I will do what I can,” stammered Bock, who was so chagrined over being found out that he knew not what to say. That afternoon he and his cronies went out on another hunt for the missing things, but without result. They passed the deserted house, but did not go inside. Had they done so they might have seen something which would have amazed them exceedingly, for the old building now had strange visitors.
Some days after the trophies were removed from Pornell Academy Jack and Pepper were out in the Alice when they saw a youth in a rowboat pulling up the shore.
“That is Will Carey,” cried Pepper. “Let us sail over to him and find out if he has done anything about Flossie Ford’s bracelet.”
They caught Carey just as he was starting to fish. It was a favorite amusement with the Pornell Academy student and he took every available opportunity to indulge in it.
“Hello, Carey!” sang out the young major, as he brought the sloop around and told his chum to drop the mainsail.
“Hello yourself,” returned the other youth, not particularly pleased over the meeting.
“How is everything at Pornell Academy?” questioned Pepper.
“Guess you fellows know well enough. Did a big thing, didn’t you, to steal all our trophies?”
“Are your trophies gone?” asked the Imp, innocently.
“Sure they are—and you fellows know it. You cleaned us out nicely I must say.”
“I am very, very sorry, Carey,” and Pepper grinned.
“You look it.”
“The trophies, eh?” said Jack. “When did Pornell ever win any trophies?”
“Oh, he means the trophies they bought at some junk shop,” said Pepper. “You know you can buy all kinds second-hand, for about twenty cents apiece.”
“These were trophies our school won!” exclaimed Will Carey.
“From who—some primary school, or kindergarten class?” asked the Imp.
“Oh, we can win ’em—and you’ll find it out some day,” growled the student from Pornell Academy.
“See here, Carey, we didn’t come over here to ask you about your trophies,” said Jack, earnestly. “We want to know what you have done about Flossie Ford’s bracelet.”
“Oh, can’t you drop that!”
“We could—but we are not going to,” declared the young major. “You must find that bracelet if you possibly can. Have you fished for it any more?”
“Yes, but——” Will Carey paused and looked at Jack and Pepper doubtfully. “Say, did I hear something about your meeting two masked men around here?” he went on earnestly.
“Perhaps you did—but what has that got to do with the bracelet?”
“Everything. Did the men have green masks and hoods?”
“Yes.”
“Then they must be the same.”
“The same? What do you mean?”
“They robbed me of the bracelet.”
“Robbed you!” cried Jack and Pepper in chorus.
“Yes.”
“But you said you had lost the bracelet—that it fell in the lake,” said the young major.
“Humph, I thought so.”
“Thought what?”
“You’re the Bone and Blood Club, ain’t you?”
“We are. Now what about this bracelet and the two masked men?”
“Why, a couple of days after you caught me I went fishing for the blue tin box again and found it. The bracelet was inside and all right. I took it out and started for the Ford place, intending to give it back to Flossie. On the road I met those two masked men, and they held me up and took the bracelet and a ruby ring away from me.”
“Is this true?” asked Pepper. “You are sure you are not fooling?”
“It is the positive truth—hope to die if it isn’t. The men had clubs and one had a butcher knife, and I admit they scared me half to death. They acted as if they were about half crazy. One said he was going to give the bracelet to the queen of the North Pole, or something like that.”
After that Will Carey did not hesitate to give the particulars of the encounter on the road. His description of the two insane men was so perfect it left no doubt in the minds of his hearers regarding the truth of the recital.
“I wish I could catch those chaps,” he added. “But they said if I told anybody they would come to the school and butcher me some night, so I haven’t dared to open my mouth. Besides, I didn’t want to let Doctor Pornell know about the bracelet.”
“You say they had clubs and a butcher knife,” said Jack.
“Yes, and each of ’em had a couple of white bags over his shoulder, stuffed with excelsior and other things.”
“What!” almost yelled Jack and Pepper in concert.
“White bags. They had something in ’em wrapped in excelsior.”
“Where was this?”
“On the back road—over yonder,” and Will Carey pointed with his hand.
“Humph! We’ll have to look into this,” said the young major and looked meaningly at his chum. “We are in a hurry now. We’ll see you later, Carey.”
“But about those crazy men?” began the Pornell Academy student. He did not understand the sudden haste of the others.
“The authorities are already watching out for them,” answered Jack. “Run up the mainsail again, Pep,” he continued to his chum, and the Alice moved away from that locality.
“Jack, do you imagine those bags were our bags?” demanded Pepper, when they were out of hearing of the Pornell student.
“We’ll soon know. I am going to sail for the deserted house at once.”
“He said they were stuffed with excelsior.”
“Yes, that is what made me suspicious.”
The run to the vicinity of the old mansion did not take long. Reaching what was left of an old dock, they tied up, and almost ran to the building.
“Nobody around now, at all events,” observed the young major, as they glanced through the lower rooms.
“No, but somebody has been here, Jack—by the muddy footprints.”
Wondering if their suspicions would prove correct, they mounted to the second story of the old mansion and ran into the room in the closet of which the trophies had been stored.
“Empty!” gasped Pepper, peering inside the closet.
“Every bag gone!” echoed Jack. “Those crazy men must have carted them all away!”
“Where did they take the things to?”
“That remains to be found out. And if we can’t find the things——” The young major paused. “Well, somebody will have a fine bill to pay, that’s certain!”
That night Jack called a special meeting of the cadets who had participated in the removal of the trophies from Pornell Academy. This took place in the gymnasium, and every possible care was taken to exclude outsiders.
“We are in a pickle,” admitted the young major. “Events have taken an unexpected turn, and what we had best do I do not know.” And then he told everything, how Will Carey had been robbed of the bracelet and his ring, and how the crazy men had carried off all the bags of trophies.
“Pepper and I did our best to trace the men, but we could not do it,” Jack went on. “We found some whisps of excelsior on the road, and some footprints, but not enough to follow to the end.”
The loss of the trophies carried consternation to everybody present, and the boys felt more than blue as they discussed the situation. They had expected to return the trophies to Pornell Academy in secret in the near future. Some were in favor of going to George Strong with their story.
“The crazy men are his relatives,” said one. “He ought to do all in his power to locate them.”
“If we go to him Captain Putnam will find out that we took the trophies,” said Andy. “And we don’t want that to happen—at least not yet.”
“I move we wait before we do anything,” said Dale. “Let us all go out into the woods and hunt for those men.”
“We don’t want to get killed,” said Stuffer.
“If we find them we needn’t show ourselves. The best plan would be to watch ’em until they go to sleep for the night and then run for help and bag ’em before they move in the morning.”
“Dale talks as if he had spotted them already,” said Bart, with a laugh.
“Well, you offer a better plan,” retorted Dale.
It was finally decided that the cadets should wait at least a week before going to Mr. Strong or the authorities. In the meantime all were to make a strong effort to locate Bart Callax and Paul Shaff.
“I am going out every time I can get the chance,” said Pepper, and many others said the same. Although they did not care to admit it, they were much worried over the disappearance of the trophies and wondered what they would have to pay to get out of the scrape if the things were not recovered.
“I suppose Doctor Pornell can make it hot for us,” sighed Andy. “Hang it all! I almost wish we hadn’t touched the things!”
Just as the meeting was breaking up a noise was heard in one of the lockers of the gymnasium. Pepper rushed to the door and flung it open and confronted Mumps, who looked too scared to speak.
“Playing the sneak, eh?” cried Pepper and yanked Mumps out on the gymnasium floor.
“I—I went into the—the locker to—to—er——”
“To pick violets, I suppose,” said Andy. “Boys, he has been spying on us!”
“Down the sneak!”
“Make him promise to keep his mouth shut!”
“I—er—I won’t say a word!” cried Mumps. “I promise you I won’t. Oh, let me go, please let me go!”
“This way with the sneak!” cried Dale, and pointed to the shower bath at one end of the building.
“No, no!” yelled Mumps. “Don’t turn the water on me, please don’t! I—er—I didn’t come here of my own free will.”
“You didn’t?”
“No, Reff Ritter and Coulter and Paxton made me come,” whined the sneak.
“Were you going to report to them?” demanded Pepper.
“Yes. They made me do it.”
“Then we’ll let you off on one condition—and only one,” said Jack.
“What is that?”
“That you don’t breathe a word to anybody about what has been said.”
“All right, I promise.”
“If you break your promise——”
“We’ll make you wish you had never seen Putnam Hall,” finished Andy.
“That’s the talk,” cried several.
“I won’t say a word—positively I won’t,” answered Mumps, and then he was led to the door and fairly kicked out on the campus. It may be added here that he was so scared he never did say a word until long afterward. Ritter and his cronies tried to “pump him,” but the sneak put them off by stating the meeting was held to consider baseball matters for the coming season.
For three days, including Sunday, the cadets roamed around the vicinity of Putnam Hall, on the lookout for the two insane men. Occasionally they were watched by Ritter and his cronies and this once led to something of a fight between Jack and the bully. Ritter received a black eye and after that, for the time being, kept his distance.
Wednesday of that week was a half-holiday, and a number of the cadets arranged a hill-climbing contest. This was to consist of reaching the top of Devery Hill, three miles from the school. The contestants were not to go by the road, but must travel in a straight line from Putnam Hall, over two small hills before Devery was reached.
“That is something to take the wind out of a fellow,” said Stuffer.
“You wouldn’t lose your wind so quickly if you didn’t eat so much,” replied Andy. “I am going into the race.”
“So am I,” said Pepper. “Jack says he will go, too.”
Sixteen cadets were to participate, and they were to start from the Hall campus at one o’clock in the afternoon. It was a cloudy day and some were afraid it was going to rain.
“Never mind, who’s afraid of a little rain,” said Jack.
“I am not,” answered Pepper.
“Do we take a lunch along?” inquired Stuffer anxiously.
“Certainly,” said Andy. “Onion cakes with liver syrup.”
“Well, I’m going to take a sandwich anyway,” declared the youth who loved to eat.
Promptly on time the sixteen cadets lined up for the race. All were lightly clad and in the best of spirits.
“Now remember,” said George Strong, who had been selected to start the racers off. “The boy to reach the flat rock on the top of Devery Hill first wins the race. Are you all ready? Then go!”
Away they went, pell-mell, across the campus, leaping a small hedge and running up a footpath leading to the top of the first hill. The teacher gave them a cheer and so did Captain Putnam, and Peleg Snuggers waved his big red handkerchief after them. The other cadets yelled wildly and ran along a short distance, but soon dropped behind.
Ritter and Paxton were in the race. Coulter had thought to enter, but was suffering from a sore toe. There were to be two prizes, and the cronies thought they could win, for both were good runners and knew how to climb.