The Putnam Hall Encampment: or, The Secret of the Old Mill

“Hurrah! I’ve got good news!” cried Dale, bursting into the dormitory where Jack and some others were sorting out their things.

“Then tell it quick,” returned the young major.

“Old Crabtree isn’t going to camp with us. He has a call to come to Albany on some family business. Only Captain Putnam and Mr. Strong are going.”

“Thanks be to Crabtree for staying away,” said Andy solemnly. “What a blessing it would be if he would stay away forever.”

“No such luck,” put in Fred, who, though a comparatively new pupil at the Hall, detested the first assistant teacher as cordially as did the others.

“Say, if Crabtree is going away we ought to give him something to remember us by,” came from Pepper.

“Sure, let us present him with a gold watch and chain,” answered Dale sarcastically. “We might have it inscribed as follows: ‘To our much beloved friend, The Honorable Josiah Crabtree, A. M., P. M., X. X. M., and all the rest, as a slight token of our love, esteem, friendship, well-wishes, and undying affection.’”

“He’d fall dead if he got it,” put in Andy.

“I move we present him with an alarm clock,” said Pepper. “A good loud one. I saw a special sale of ’em in Cedarville for seventy-five cents each.”

“That’s the talk!” cried Dale. “If you’ll get one, I’ll get another.”

“The box is now open for contributions to the Crabtree Alarm Clock Collection!” announced The Imp, grinning broadly. “Who wants to chip in to get our beloved teacher a few clocks with good alarms attached?”

The idea took like wildfire and in a short time the cadets collected several dollars. Pepper and Dale were chosen to get the clocks, and they bought five, each with an “alarm” that was loud and long.

“We must be careful to set them just right,” said The Imp.

“I think about five minutes apart will do,” said Andy, and so it was arranged. The boys watched their chances, and after winding up the clocks managed to place them in two dress-suit cases which Josiah Crabtree had packed to take with him. They knew that the teacher was going to take the boat from Cedarville at five o’clock and timed the clock alarms accordingly.

“We must get down to Cedarville to see the fun,” said Pepper. This was an easy matter, for, because of going away in the morning, the cadets were allowed to do pretty much as they pleased, Captain Putnam and George Strong being too busy getting ready for the encampment to pay much attention to them.

A crowd of the cadets went to Cedarville on their bicycles and some walked. Josiah Crabtree went in the school carryall, driven by Peleg Snuggers.

The teacher was bachelor yet he had quite an eye for the ladies, and when he saw a pretty widow he knew walking down to the steamboat dock he bowed and tipped his hat and asked her to ride with him. She accepted and entered the carryall, and then both walked out on the dock to await the arrival of the boat.

“Five minutes yet!” announced Pepper. “And then for some fun!”

Josiah Crabtree found a seat for the widow, and both chatted pleasantly. In the meantime a crowd commenced to collect on the dock.

“Yes, I dearly love music,” the widow was saying.

“Music is grand,” answered Josiah Crabtree. “I often think – ”

What the teacher thought was not expressed, for just then from one of the dress-suit cases came the shrill rattle of one of the alarm clocks.

CHAPTER X

OFF FOR THE ENCAMPMENT

“Oh, dear me!” shrieked the widow. “What in the world is that?”

“I – I don’t know!” answered the teacher, as he surveyed the suit-case in wonder.

“Time to get up!” observed a man standing nearby. And at this sally several persons laughed.

“You evidently are carrying an alarm clock,” said the widow to Josiah Crabtree.

“I – er – I didn’t know it,” was the answer. “I – er – wish the thing would stop!”

Br-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went the alarm clock as loudly as ever, and now all the people on the dock commenced to laugh. The widow grew red and the teacher bit his lip savagely.

“Must be some joke of the boys,” he muttered.

Presently the alarm gave out, and Josiah breathed a sigh of relief.

“As you were saying about music – ” he began, with a smile.

“Why, yes, Professor Crabtree! I think music is grand. I love to sit in church and listen to the deep tones of the organ, and the singing of the – ”

Br-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went the second alarm clock, in a tone louder than the other. Josiah Crabtree gave a jump and the widow screamed. Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng!

“Oh, dear me! Did you wind that thing up again!” gasped the widow.

“No, madam, I didn’t touch the confounded thing!” snapped Josiah Crabtree. “This is – er – a trick!”

The alarm continued to rattle and the crowd on the dock roared. The teacher caught up the suit-case and started to open it in a hurry. He was not careful and out dropped several dress-shirts and some socks and underwear. This made the crowd laugh again and Josiah Crabtree grew sour.

“You may think this a laughing matter, but I don’t!” he cried. “It is a trick, and if I find out who is guilty – ” Then he pulled out one of the offending clocks and hurled it into the waters of the lake. By this time the second clock had run down and quietness was restored. The teacher found this, but left it in the suit-case. The other clocks were in his other baggage.

The boat was coming in and soon the passengers commenced to come ashore. Josiah Crabtree started to talk to the widow again and had just got her to smile when there came another rattle. He dropped the suit-case like a hot potato and this time the crowd fairly howled. And the cadets, who were watching from behind a pile of boxes, howled too.

Br-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went one alarm clock, and a minute later still another joined in. The noise was great and the teacher did not know what to do. In his rage he jumped on the suit-case, smashing the middle flat. But the clocks rattled on more viciously, it would seem, than ever, and now the fifth and last added to the racket. Everybody stopped to enjoy the fun and a large crowd collected.

“What’s the matter?”

“Is it a fire-alarm?”

“Does he want an ambulance?”

“He must be a clock vendor. Anybody want to buy an alarm clock cheap?”

“You shut up, all of you!” roared Josiah Crabtree. “I don’t sell clocks! This is a trick! Oh, those cadets! I’d like to wring their necks! What a disgrace!” And he jumped on the suit-case again. “Will you stop? Oh, what a racket! I shall go mad!” And then picking up the offending baggage he fairly ran on the steamboat and disappeared into the cabin, the last of the clocks still rattling shrilly. The widow hurried in another direction, and the teacher did not dare to go near her during the trip.

“Well, I reckon that send-off was worth the price,” said Pepper, after he and his chums had laughed themselves sore. “What a figure he did cut, trying to stop the clocks!”

“And wasn’t the widow mad!” put in Jack. “She’ll never speak to him again!”

“Crabtree will remember those clocks as long as he lives,” added Andy.

“We’ll give him another when he comes back – just for a memento of the occasion,” said The Imp. And then in high spirits over the success of their trick, the cadets returned to Putnam Hall.

For the time being, lessons were a thing of the past, and that evening the students had a good deal of fun, in one way or another. Some of the crowds went from one dormitory to another, and pillow fights were frequent.

“The Ritter gang is coming down the hall,” announced Joe Nelson, about ten o’clock. “Look out for them, for they may have something worse than pillows and stuffed clubs.”

It was well that Joe issued the warning, for less than five minutes later Ritter came on, followed by Coulter, Paxton, and four others. They had pillows and stuffed clubs, but the latter were stuffed with sawdust and were quite hard.

“Repel boarders!” sang out Andy, and caught up a water pitcher full of water. “Back, if you don’t want a ducking!”

“Down with ’em!” roared Reff Ritter, and struck at Pepper with his club. The Imp ducked and then caught the bully by the foot and yanked him down.

In a moment more the fight raged furiously. Pillows, shoes, soap, books and other articles sailed through the air. Jack was struck in the ear by Coulter and he retaliated by filling the fellow’s mouth with soft soap that was handy in a dish. Andy wet Ritter and Paxton with the contents of the pitcher.

“Let up! that ain’t fair!” roared Paxton.

“You need a bath, to wash up your reputation, Paxton!” answered the acrobatic cadet.

Ritter had arisen to his feet, and watching his chance he drew something from his pocket. He was about to hurl it at Jack’s head when Pepper caught his arm.

“No, you don’t!” cried Pepper. “Give me that!” And he tried to get the article from the bully’s grasp.

“Let me alone!” cried the bully, in alarm.

“Give me that!”

“I won’t!”

“You shall!” And then Pepper and Ritter commenced to tussle. The Imp went down, but still kept his hand over that of his enemy.

“Ough! my hand! Do you want to cut it?” suddenly howled the bully, and then opened his hand. A large lump of rough glass fell to the floor.

“Hello, what’s this?” demanded Dale, coming up.

“Ritter was going to throw that at Jack’s head.”

“I wasn’t!” answered the bully, doggedly.

“Glass, I declare!” said Dale, picking it up. “Say, Ritter, this is no thing to use in a fight like this.”

“I wasn’t going to use it. I only had it in my hand,” was the lame reply.

“You were going to throw it at Jack’s head – I am positive of it,” said Pepper firmly.

“If you were, Ritter, you’re a villain!” declared Dale.

“What’s that?” demanded Stuffer, and now the fight came to a sudden stop.

“Ritter was going to throw a lump of rough glass at Jack’s head!” cried Pepper. “He might have cut Jack badly!”

“It’s not true!” was the bully’s answer.

“Here’s the glass. He had it aimed at Jack when I caught his hand.”

The cadets gathered around and looked at the glass and then at Ritter. Nobody had known about the glass but the bully and even his cohorts were surprised.

“So you were going to throw that at me, eh?” said Jack, sternly, as he looked Ritter squarely in the eyes.

“I – I wasn’t.”

“I’d rather take Pepper’s word for it than yours. It was a contemptible piece of business, Ritter!”

“It might have cut Jack badly,” said Fred. “The glass is very sharp on one side.”

“I tell you I wasn’t going to use it,” cried the bully. “I held it up just to scare Ruddy.”

“I shall never believe that, Ritter. You are a coward as well as a bully. Now get out of here and be quick, or I’ll knock you down!”

“It’s not safe to fight here,” said the bully, growing slightly pale. “But I’ll tell you what I’ll do, Ruddy. I’ll fight you to a finish when we are in camp. Do you dare do that?”

“As you please,” muttered the young major; and then the boys from the other dormitories withdrew.

“What a mean, dirty trick,” was Dale’s comment. “A chunk of glass, of all things!”

“It shows up Ritter in his true character,” said Fred.

“He ought to be drummed out of this school,” said another.

“Jack, will you fight him again?” asked Pepper.

“Certainly if he wants it. I am not afraid of him.”

“He’s a bully, but he is strong,” said Dale, and there the talk had to come to an end, for the monitor put in an appearance and made them go to bed.

The cadets were to have breakfast at an early hour and promptly at six o’clock the drum roll aroused the lads. Pepper ran to the window and looked out

“Clear as a bell!” he cried. “A dandy day for marching!”

He commenced to dress and so did the others. They put on their marching uniforms, and all presented a fine appearance when they assembled for roll-call. Drill was dispensed with, and the cadets lost no time in eating their breakfast in the mess-hall.

It had been noised around that the cadets were to march to Lake Caboy and quite a crowd from the village and from the neighboring farms gathered to see them depart. The wagons were already on the way, loaded high with the baggage and the camping outfit. It had been decided that the march to the lake was to be made in two days instead of one, so that no cadet would get tired out from the tramp. The first night out was to be spent at a place called Hayville, and there the wagons were to await the arrival of the battalion.

“Battalion attention!” called out Major Jack Ruddy, after breakfast was over and the drum had sounded again. And the companies formed in haste and the cadets stood as stiff as ramrods.

Then Captain Putnam made a short speech, telling of the encampment, and stating he hoped all would pass off pleasantly.

“Forward march!” was the next command from the young major, and then the drums sounded out, and off the battalion started across the campus. “By columns of fours!” came the next order. And so they passed out on the highway, with Captain Putnam and George Strong on horseback in the lead, and the young major following. The music came from two snare drums, a bass drum and three fifers, and could be heard a long distance away. The two companies made a fine appearance and the onlookers applauded vigorously.

“Have a good time, boys!” said one of the teachers, who had been left behind, to superintend the alterations on the school buildings.

“We’ll try to!” called back Pepper.

“You keep out of mischief,” added the teacher, who understood The Imp’s fun-loving disposition only too well.

On marched the boys, along the lake and then taking to a highway that led directly to Lake Caboy. As they passed farm after farm, the folks came out to look them over and give them a cheer.

Dinner was had at a place called Dodd’s Corners, and after a brief rest the march was resumed towards Hayville. Here the road was not so good, and some of the cadets were glad when, at four o’clock, they came in sight of their resting place for the night. But here a great surprise awaited Captain Putnam and all of the others. The baggage train, consisting of four large wagons, was missing with all of their outfit.

CHAPTER XI

ON THE TRAIL OF THE WAGONS

“Where are the wagons?”

“Thought they were going to meet us here!”

“Didn’t they come on the same road we took?”

“If they missed the way, what are we to do for the night? We can’t stay out doors without tents.”

Such were some of the questions asked and remarks made as the cadets came to a halt, broke ranks, and surrounded Captain Putnam and George Strong.

“I cannot understand this,” said the head of the school, his face showing his concern. “I told the wagon men to come straight here.”

“Did they know the road?” asked Mr. Strong.

“They said they did, although none of them had been over it before. It’s straight enough.”

All looked around in perplexity, and while doing so were approached by a farmer who lived in the vicinity. He said he had seen nothing of the wagons, although he had looked for them. To this farmer belonged the field which Captain Putnam had rented for the night.

“We may as well scatter and make a search,” said the young major, after talking the matter over with the master of Putnam Hall. “Perhaps the wagons took to some side road.”

It was agreed that the cadets should look for the wagons, and permission was given to stay away for two hours, no longer. Several parties were formed, one being made up of Jack, Pepper, Andy and Stuffer.

“Say, I’ve got an idea,” said the youth who loved to eat, when the party was out of hearing of the others. “I may be away off, but it won’t do any harm to tell what I think.”

“Well, what is in your brain, Stuffer?” asked the young major.

“I think some of the Pornell Academy students are responsible for the non-appearance of those wagons,” answered Stuffer, as he commenced to chew on some gum in lieu of eating.

“What makes you think that?” demanded Pepper.

“Because I was down to Cedarville last night, and I saw Roy Bock, Bat Sedley, and several others quizzing Peleg Snuggers about where we were going to camp and all that. As I passed them I heard Bock mention the wagons, and he asked who was going to drive ’em.”

“It would be just like the Bock crowd to do such a thing!” cried Andy. “Just to get square with us for the tricks we have played on ’em in the past.”

“But how could they get possession of the wagons?” asked Pepper. “Do you suppose they played highwaymen?”

“I don’t know. Bock and his gang are willing to do anything, I guess, to square old scores. But most likely they directed the drivers to the wrong road. They could easily do that, if the men didn’t know the road in the first place.”

“If that’s the case it is up to us to find those wagons as soon as possible,” cried Jack. “If we had to stay out all night without tents the Pornell students would have the laugh on us.”

The boys were walking along the road by which they had come. They kept their eyes on the ground, and presently saw some tracks that interested them.

“Here is where some wagons turned off into yonder field,” said Andy. “The question is, Were they our wagons or not?”

“Let us follow the tracks and see,” returned Pepper.

They crossed the field and came out on a back road that led through a dense patch of trees. Beyond this were two other roads.

“The wagons took that to the left,” announced Stuffer. “Oh, dear!” he added. “Wish we could find them and get supper! I’m mortally hungry!”

“Were you ever otherwise?” asked Jack “Come on, we’ll not have anything to eat until this mystery is cleared up.”

They walked on for over a mile, and came to a spot where the trees were interspersed with heavy brushwood.

“Here is one of the wagons,” shouted Andy.

“Here is another!” cried the young major.

“The whole four are here,” came, a minute later, from Pepper. “But where are the men and the horses?”

The wagons stood among the trees and bushes. The eight horses that had been hitched to them were missing, and so were the four drivers. The cadets looked around, but the spot appeared to be deserted.

“Well, we’ve found the wagons anyway,” said Jack. “That’s something.”

“But how are we to get them to Hayville without teams?” asked Stuffer.

“I don’t know. Maybe we can borrow horses nearby, although I don’t see any farmhouse.”

“Say, can’t I get something to eat?” went on Stuffer pleadingly. “I am hollow down to my shoes!”

“Go ahead – if you can find anything,” answered the young major, and the cadet who loved to eat lost no time in locating what he wanted on one of the wagons.

The boys walked into the woods a distance, but saw nothing of the horses. Then they came back to the wagons.

“Two of us had better stand guard with our guns while two go back and tell Captain Putnam,” said Jack. “I’ll detail you, Pepper and Stuffer, to stay here.”

“All right,” answered Pepper. “But don’t stay away too long, for it is getting late.”

“We’ll be back as soon as possible. And you, Stuffer, don’t eat too much or you’ll get sick,” added the young major.

“I never get sick from eating,” answered Stuffer, calmly munching on a biscuit, his sixth.

Jack and Andy hurried through the woods, taking a short cut in the direction of Hayville. They had covered less than a quarter of a mile when to their surprise they came to a tumbled-down cottage with a big barn attached.

“What an out-of-the-way place for a building!” cried Andy.

“I guess it was built before the trees grew up,” answered his chum. “Maybe – Wait, get down out of sight!”

Jack dropped behind some bushes and the acrobatic youth followed his example. The young major had seen two boys coming from the old cottage. They were headed for the dilapidated barn.

“Roy Bock and Bat Sedley!” murmured Andy. “Jack, I reckon we are on the right track!”

“That’s what we are!”

“More than likely they have the horses here.”

“I think so myself.”

“But what became of the drivers of the wagons?”

“That remains to be found out.”

“You don’t suppose those fellows would make them prisoners, do you? They’d think they were going to be robbed and would put up a fight.”

“Oh, I reckon the Bock gang played some sort of trick on them. Maybe they got ’em to go into a roadhouse for refreshments and then drove off with the wagons on the sly.”

“What shall we do?”

“I don’t know yet – it depends upon how many of the crowd are here.”

Still keeping out of sight behind the bushes, Jack and Andy watched the two Pornell students closely. They saw the pair enter the barn. Then they came out again and went back to the old cottage.

“Come on – I think they are alone,” said the young major. “And if they are – ”

“We’ll get the best of ’em somehow,” finished his chum.

With caution the two cadets sneaked along through the bushes and up to the side of the dilapidated cottage. Looking through a broken-out window they beheld Roy Bock and Bat Sedley seated on benches, smoking cigarettes.

“How soon do you suppose Carey will get back?” Bock was asking.

“Oh, he won’t come for an hour or two,” answered Sedley. “It’s quite a walk.”

“He ought to have taken one of the horses.”

“He didn’t dare, for he had to pass the very roadhouse where we left those drivers.”

“Say, those drivers must have been astonished when they found the wagons gone.”

“Humph! That will teach ’em a lesson not to let strangers treat them. All of them were glad enough to be treated at Plunkett’s expense.”

“Is Plunkett still with ’em?”

“I suppose so. He said he’d stay, so they wouldn’t suspect him of having anything to do with running off with the wagons.”

“Say, how mad those cadets and Captain Putnam must be!”

“Serves ’em right. I haven’t forgotten how we got it in the neck, the last time we tried to play a joke on them.”

So the talk ran on. In the meantime Jack and Andy had heard enough and convinced themselves that Bock and Sedley were alone and that they did not expect anybody else for some time to come.

“It’s a cinch!” whispered the young major. “We’ll make them prisoners! Just wait till I get a strap or two from the harness on the horses.”

He hurried to the barn, and presently came back with several straps. Then he gave his chum a few directions.

A moment later Roy Bock and Bat Sedley were dumbfounded to find themselves confronted by the two cadets, one with a drawn sword and the other with a leveled rifle.

“Hands up, or I’ll shoot!” ordered Andy, in the sternest voice he could command, and this order made Sedley, who was something of a coward, scream in fright.

“Don’t shoot me! Please don’t shoot!”

“Then up with your hands!” And in keen fright Sedley put his hands over his head and kept them there.

“Humph! It’s Jack Ruddy and Andy Snow!” murmured Roy Bock. “How did you get here?”

“Up with those hands, Bock, or I’ll order Snow to fire!” returned Jack. “I want you to understand this is no laughing matter.”

“You won’t dare to shoot us,” said Bock, but his voice showed his uneasiness.

“Don’t you believe it! You are nothing but highway robbers!”

“No, we are not, we – ”

“Are you going to put up those hands or not?” demanded Andy. “This is a repeating rifle, and it is fully loaded.” He spoke the truth, for Captain Putnam had allowed the cadets to load up before starting on the search, not knowing what might turn up. The boys, however, had been cautioned to be very careful.

Slowly Roy Bock elevated his hands. He was uneasy, for he did not know what to expect.

“Can’t you take a joke,” he grumbled.

“Maybe you won’t find this a joke when you get through with it,” said Jack. “Stealing horses and wagons is a State’s prison offence.”

He made the statement merely to scare the Pornell students, and his words had their full effect on Sedley if not on Bock.

“Oh, please don’t have us locked up!” cried Sedley. “It was only done in fun, really it was! We didn’t touch anything in the wagons, and the horses are safe in the barn.”

“Are you alone?” asked Bock.

“Alone? All of the cadets are out looking for the wagons,” answered Jack. “Andy, keep them covered, and shoot if I tell you to.”

“I will, Major!” answered the private, with true military precision.

“Hi, what are you going to do?” demanded Bock, as Jack slipped his sword into its scabbard and advanced with the straps.