CHAPTER XXIV
MORE RIVALRY
"Do you mean to tell me that you saw Arnold Baxter?" exclaimed Dick,after listening to Sam and Tom's story.
"We did," replied the youngest Rover. "There was no mistake?"
"If it wasn't Arnold Baxter do you think he would take such pains toget out of our reach?" asked Tom.
"That is true, Tom. But it seems so unnatural. What can he be doing inthis out-of-the-way place?"
"As Powell says, he must be keeping out of the reach of the law.Perhaps he expects to keep shady until this affair blows over."
"As if it would blow over!" cried Sam. "Dick, we ought to dosomething."
Captain Putnam had already learned why the four cadets had been late inreturning to camp. The Rovers now went to consult him further.
"I agree, something should be done," said the captain. "Perhaps you hadbetter go to the nearest telegraph office, Richard, and telegraph toyour folks. You might also get some of the local authorities to take upthe hunt for this criminal."
"Who are the local authorities?"
"I really don't know, but we can find out at Oakville."
In the end Dick and Tom received permission to leave camp for anindefinite time. Late as it was, they hurried to Oakville and caughtthe telegraph operator at the little railroad station just as he wasshutting up for the night.
Having sent the message to their father they made inquiries of theoperator and learned that the town boasted of a Judge Perkins and thatthe local constable was Munro Staton.
"Do you mean the farmer who lives down on the road to Bass Lake?" askedDick. "The man who has twin daughters?"
"That's the man."
"Why, he was in camp to-day, with his daughters," cried Dick. "Wish Ihad known of this before. I might have hired him to make a hunt for thefellow we are after. Where does that judge live?"
"Sorry, but he went to New York yesterday and won't be back for severaldays."
The boys said no more, but without delay turned away from Oakville andmade their way to the Staton farmhouse.
"Hullo! I didn't expect to see you again to-day!" exclaimed MunroStaton, as he opened the door for them. "Come in."
They entered, to find the girls sewing and Mrs. Staton darningstockings. Mr. Staton had been reading his favorite weekly newspaper.
"We have come on a very important errand, Mr. Staton," began Dick. "Wehave been down to Oakville and learned there that you are the localpolice officer."
"Ah! Do you want somebody arrested?"
"If it can be done."
"Somebody at the camp?" put in Helen.
"No, I wish he was at the camp," said Tom. "But I'm afraid he is milesaway."
All of the Statons were interested and listened to the tale Tom andDick had to tell with close attention.
"Seems to me I've heard of this Baxter and his son," said Munro Staton,scratching his head. "How does he look?"
As well as he was able Tom described the man, while Dick took a sheetof paper and a pencil and made a rough but life-like sketch of theindividual.
"Why, you are quite an artist!" said Alice Staton as she gazed at thepicture. "I'm sure I'd recognize that man if I met him."
"So would I," added her father. "Can I keep this picture?"
"To be sure," replied Dick. "Now, Mr. Staton, to come to business. Whatare your services as constable worth a day?"
"Oh, about two or two dollars and a half."
"Well if you will start a hunt for this man Baxter at once I'llguarantee you three dollars per day for a week or two, and if yousucceed in landing him in jail I'll guarantee you a reward of onehundred dollars. I know my father will pay that amount willingly."
"And if he won't, I will," said Tom.
"You must be rich."
"We are fairly rich, Mr. Staton. This man is a great criminal and hasbeen an enemy to our family for years. We don't want to see him atlarge."
"Well, I'll take the job and do the best I can for you," said MunroStaton and arose to his feet. "My hired man can run the farm while I amgone."
He said he knew the spot where the boys had first seen Arnold Baxter,and he would visit it at sunrise the next day and take up the trail asbest he could.
"That trail through the woods used to lead to the village of Hopdale,"he said. "Perhaps I'll learn something about him over there."
"I sincerely hope that you do," returned Dick.
The boys, and especially Tom, were worn out with traveling and readilyconsented to borrow a horse from Munro Staton, on which to ride back tocamp. The steed was returned early in the morning.
"It's rather a wild-goose chase," said Dick, in talking matters overwith his brothers. "But I don't know of anything else to do. Mr. Statonmay catch Baxter quicker than a metropolitan detective could do thejob."
Three days passed, and during that time the boys received two telegramsfrom home, stating they should do as they thought best in the Baxteraffair, and that a detective was on the way. Then the detectiveappeared at the camp and followed Munro Staton on the hunt for themissing criminal. But the search by both men proved useless, andnothing more was seen of Arnold Baxter for the time being.
The cadets had arranged for a series of athletic contests, to come offat the beginning of the following week. There was to be broad and highjumping, and running, as well as throwing the hammer. All of thestudents were interested, and for some time these contests formed thetotal subject of conversation.
The cadets to enter for the various events, eight in number, were thosealready introduced in these pages and a dozen or fifteen in addition,all lively, wide-awake youths, each of whom looked as if he would dohis best to win.
In a manner not to be easily explained, the camp divided itself intotwo factions, one led by Dick and Major Larry, and the other led by LewFlapp and Pender. To the former belonged the Rovers and their numerouschums, and to the latter Rockley, Ben Hurdy, and boys of a similarturn. Each crowd had one or more followers entered for every event and,as before, numerous wagers were made as to which person and which crowdwould win.
Dick had entered for the high jump, Tom for the hammer throwing, andSam for a half mile race for cadets of his own class. The boyspracticed a good deal, although not always where the others could seewhat they were doing.
The day for the contests was a perfect one and as news of the eventshad traveled to Oakville and other places, quite a respectable crowd ofoutsiders came to the camp to witness the affair.
"I hope you Rover boys win," said Alice Staton, who had come with hertwin sister and her mother in a buggy.
"Thank you," returned Dick politely. "We shall certainly do our best.But you must remember that we have some first-class athletes at thisacademy."
"Oh, I don't doubt it. All academies have them," put in Helen Staton.
The first event to come off was the hammer throwing, to take place inthe middle of the parade ground. There were four entries for this, Tom,as already mentioned, Jackson, Powell, and a big boy named Larson.
Larson, who belonged to the Flapp crowd, was looked on as the probablewinner, for he handled the hammer exceedingly well. But Jackson couldalso throw, as the others well knew. Nothing was known about the skillof Tom or Powell in this direction.
The contest began with a throw by Powell. It was not very good andJackson outdistanced him by three feet.
"That's the style, Jackson!" cried Lew Flapp. "Show 'em what you cando."
"This is the day our crowd comes out on top," put in Pender.
"Crowing rather early, seems to me," came from Fred Garrison dryly.
It was now Tom's turn and he threw the hammer with all the force at hiscommand. It fell just beyond the point reached by Jackson.
"Good for you, Tom!" cried Sam. "That's the way to do it."
"Humph! Just wait till Larson takes his turn," came from a Flappfollower.
Larson stepped to the mark with the air of one who knows just what heis doing. Up went the hammer with a long swing--to lan
d in the very spotwhere Tom had thrown it.
"A tie! A tie!" was the cry.
"Well done, Larson!" came from Lew Flapp, but he was by no meanssatisfied over the showing made.
Being tied, it was necessary for Tom and Larson to throw once more, andagain Tom took his position at the mark.
"Be careful, Tom," whispered Dick. "Take your time."
Again the hammer swung up into the air and went sailing forward.
"Hurrah, eight inches beyond his first mark!" came the cry.
"Larson will have to hump himself to beat that!"
It was now Larson's turn and he stepped to the mark with a quick,earnest air. He realized that he must do his best if he expected tobeat Tom.
Jackson had picked up the hammer and he it was who had handed thearticle to Tom.
As Larson swung the hammer on high Tom cried out quickly:
"Stop!"
"What's the matter with you?" cried Jackson uglily.
"I want Captain Putnam to examine that hammer."
"There ain't nothing wrong with it."
"Possibly not. But please remember that I used the one marked A."
"So did I," came from Powell.
Captain Putnam brushed forward.
"I will look at that hammer, please," he said to Larson quietly. Heknew that the cadets had several hammers for practicing throwing in thecamp.
"I--I guess it's all right," faltered Larson. "This hammer is marked B."
"B!" cried Tom. "That B hammer is about half a pound lighter than theone marked A."
"It ain't so!" yelled Jackson.
"Let me see the hammer marked A," said the captain, and it was broughtfrom the spot where Jackson had thrown it. "It is certainly heavierthan this one," he went on. "Jackson, what do you mean by making such asubstitution?"
"I--er--I didn't know there was any difference."
"But why did you make the change at all?"
"I--er--I knew Larson liked this hammer better. The handle just suitshim."
"That is so," replied Larson blandly.
"We will try the contest over again," said Captain Putnam. "And everycontestant will use the hammer marked A."
"I don't like the hammer marked A," grumbled Larson.
"I would just as lief use the hammer marked B," said Tom quickly.
"So would I," added Powell, who felt he could not win anyway.
"Very well then, we will use the hammer marked B," said Captain Putnam."And after this, Jackson, be sure of what you are doing," he addedsharply, and at the words the boy who had tried to work such a meantrick was glad enough to slink back out of sight as much as possible.
The Rover Boys in Camp; or, The Rivals of Pine Island Page 24
