Читать книгу The Putnam Hall Encampment: or, The Secret of the Old Mill - Stratemeyer Edward - Страница 7

“I guess that note will do the business – and we’ll never be suspected.”

It was Reff Ritter who spoke and he addressed Gus Coulter and Nick Paxton. The three cronies were in a wing of the school, out of sight and hearing of the other pupils.

“What did you put in the note?” asked Paxton with interest.

“Oh, I wrote in a disguised hand and stated that I knew the cadets had banded together to keep mum about the bell clapper and the only way for Captain Putnam to get at the bottom of the affair was to ask each officer and private, starting from the major down. I put the note on the captain’s desk and he must have it by now.”

“Good!” chuckled Paxton. “If he starts in by questioning Ruddy he’ll soon get at the bottom of the matter, for the major won’t dare to tell a falsehood.”

“And more than likely he’ll lose his position,” put in Coulter. “I hope he does.”

“He ought to lose it,” answered Reff Ritter. Not for a moment did he give Jack credit for the good turn he had done him.

While the three lads were talking Captain Putnam had entered his office and taken up the note. He read it with interest and his brow contracted.

He was much disturbed, for since the open rebellion of the cadets, when they had refused to be starved into submission by Pluxton Cuddle, he had made the students promise not to band together in secret against the discipline of the school. Ritter knew this, and this was why he sent the note.

“I cannot permit this,” murmured the head of the school to himself. “I must make a complete investigation to-morrow, – and the guilty parties must be made to suffer.” And then he held a conference with Josiah Crabtree and George Strong. Crabtree was in favor of punishing nearly everybody, but George Strong, with his usual goodheartedness, counseled moderation.

“It most likely was merely a thoughtless prank,” said Mr. Strong. “The cadets meant no harm. Bell clappers, as you know, have been taken by students from times immemorial.” And at this Captain Putnam had to turn away with a smile, for in his younger days he himself had assisted at the removal of, not a clapper, but the bell of the boarding school he had attended.

“We’ll see in the morning,” said Captain Putnam, and there for the time being the matter rested.

It must be confessed that Jack, Pepper and their chums were somewhat worried that night, and the young major slept but little. Fred and Dale had reported the interview with Deacon Pelham and had seen to it that the note got into Captain Putnam’s hands.

Early in the morning Pepper was out on the campus when he saw Captain Putnam appear. A moment later one of the stablemen brought up the captain’s black horse and the head of the Hall vaulted into the saddle in true military style and was off.

“He’s in a hurry,” thought Pepper, and he wondered where the master of the school was going. He watched the captain turn into the lake road and then uttered a low whistle.

“I’ll bet a button he is going to visit Deacon Pelham!” he murmured. “Maybe he wants to learn if that note was genuine.”

The roll of the drum soon summoned all of the cadets to the campus, and with Jack at the head of the battalion, they went through the manual of arms and then marched around the Hall and into the messroom. Jack and Pepper both put on a bold front, yet each felt far from easy.

“They’ll catch it – just wait!” whispered Ritter to Coulter. “Before noon they’ll wish they had let that clapper alone!”

After breakfast the cadets went to chapel. The services here were almost over when Captain Putnam came in and took his place on the platform.

“Now you’ll hear something drop!” said Ritter gleefully, to his cronies.

“Ritter, stop your talking!” said George Strong, who was near.

“I – er – I only wanted the window closed,” stammered the bully. “I feel cold.”

“Couldn’t you close it yourself?”

“Coulter was right there – I thought he could do it.” Then the window was closed, and the conversation came to an end.

“I have a few words to say to you young gentlemen,” said Captain Putnam, coming to the front of the platform. His eyes swept the auditorium and Jack and Pepper felt something cold run up and down their backbones. “As you all know, the clapper of the bell of the Union Church was taken night before last, and the deed was done by some cadets of this institution.”

The captain paused, and the silence was so intense that the ticking of the clock could be plainly heard.

“The taking of the clapper was a foolish prank, and it was an equally foolish prank to place it where it was found,” continued Captain Putnam. “Yesterday I resolved to make a thorough investigation and punish the offenders.”

“Quite right, eminently proper,” murmured Josiah Crabtree.

“I heard, too, that a plan had been put through by you cadets to stand together – that everybody was to keep mum, as it is called. This you know is a violation of the agreement made after the – er – the unfortunate affair which – er – led to a rebellion among you.”

“I didn’t hear of that,” murmured one of the cadets.

“Nor I,” added another.

“What did you say, Farhaven?” asked the captain quickly.

“I didn’t hear of any agreement to keep mum,” replied the cadet addressed.

“Nor did I,” put in Bob Grenwood, the quartermaster of the battalion.

“Nor I,” came from several others.

At these words the captain’s face showed relief.

“All who have not agreed to band together will raise their hands,” said the captain loudly, and instantly nearly every cadet raised his hand.

“This is really gratifying,” went on Captain Putnam, with almost a smile on his face. “To my mind, to take the clapper was bad enough, but to band together to overthrow the discipline of the school would be much worse. I am glad to learn you young gentlemen have not done such a thing.”

Again the head of the school paused, and the boys wondered what was coming next.

“Now, to return to the clapper. I have received a communication from one of the officers of the church and he had made an earnest request that the whole matter be dropped. The church has the clapper back, and the ones who took it have expressed their regrets over the affair, and have made the church a donation which had been gratefully received. Under the circumstances, I am going to leave this matter in the hands of yourselves.”

“Wonder what he means by that?” murmured Dale to Andy.

“All in favor of dropping the matter will rise. Those wishing to see the culprits punished will remain seated,” went on Captain Putnam.

Almost instantly three-quarters of the cadets arose to their feet. More followed, until but half a dozen remained seated. These were Reff Ritter, Coulter, Paxton, and their cohorts.

“Get up, you fellows!” cried Bart Conners, captain of Company B. And somewhat shamefacedly Ritter and the others got up. The bully realized that his plan to have Jack and Pepper punished had fallen through.

“Three cheers for Captain Putnam!” cried Dale and before the head of the school could interfere, the cheers were given with a will. Then came a cheer for the teachers.

“I’ll wager old Crabtree doesn’t like this,” whispered Andy to Joe Nelson, and he was right. Josiah Crabtree felt very much put out, for he had expected to see somebody punished, not only for putting the clapper in his bureau drawer but also for placing the molasses candy in his bed.

“I have another important announcement to make,” said Captain Putnam, after order and quietness had been restored. “As you know, we were to go on the term encampment two weeks from to-day. I have arranged to have some alterations made to this school by carpenters and masons, and they wish to start the work next week. Consequently, I am going to start the encampment next Tuesday – that is, we’ll leave the Hall on that day.”

“Hurrah!” came from the cadets, for they looked forward to the encampment with much pleasure. During that time there would be no studies.

“I have arranged for an outing up at Lake Caboy,” continued Captain Putnam. “The spot will be not far from the Caboy River with its magnificent falls, and will be ideal in every respect. I camped there once some years ago, and I know the fishing is good and also the swimming.”

“That suits me!” cried Pepper. He was much relieved to think the clapper affair had been dropped.

“I have hired a tract of land over a hundred acres in extent,” went on Captain Putnam. “We’ll go out as we did before, taking all our tents and our camping outfit with us.”

“And how long will the encampment last?” asked Jack. He was as much relieved as Pepper over the outcome of the clapper affair.

“At least two weeks, Major Ruddy, and perhaps longer – if the carpenters and masons do not finish up here in time. I do not want the students to come back here until the alterations are complete. To-morrow I shall announce more of the details. The students will now go to their classes as usual.”

As the boys poured forth from the chapel exercises Jack and Pepper worked their way over to Dale and Fred.

“Your visit to Deacon Pelham did the trick,” whispered the young major. “I am a thousand times obliged to you.”

“And so am I,” added The Imp.

“I want to know about this banding together the captain mentioned,” said Fred. “I never heard of it before.”

“I think I can put you wise,” came from Bob Grenwood, who was near. “I overheard Ritter and Coulter talking about it.”

“It would be like Ritter to get up that report!” cried Pepper. “He would do anything to get our crowd into trouble.”

“I know it,” said Grenwood, who had once suffered greatly at the hands of the bully, as I have related in detail in “The Putnam Hall Rebellion.”

“We’ll have to watch Ritter as closely as we ever did,” said Jack. “The trouble he got into a few weeks ago doesn’t seem to have made him a bit better than he was before.”

Ordinarily the clapper incident would have been the main topic of conversation among the cadets. But the announcement that the term encampment was to start in the near future turned the thoughts of the students in that direction.

“We’ll have the time of our lives,” declared Andy. “Just think of the fine swimming and fishing!”

“And no lessons!” put in Dale.

“And the baseball and track athletics!” said Stuffer.

“Thought you were going to say the eating,” came slyly from Pepper. “When we talk about going camping you usually talk grub the first thing.”

“Oh, of course, I expect to have plenty to eat,” added Stuffer hastily.

“I know one thing will happen during the encampment,” said one of the other cadets.

“What’s that?” asked Dale.

“There will be more or less hazing.”

“Right you are.”

“We ought to haze Ritter & Company,” cried Pepper. “They richly deserve it.”

“Right you are!” cried several.

“Maybe Ritter & Company will try to haze us,” said Fred.

“All right, let them try it,” answered Andy.

“I reckon we can give them as good as they send, every time!”