The Putnam Hall Cadets; or, Good Times in School and Out

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER XXVII THE PUNISHMENT OF A BULLY

  "Look here, what do you intend to do with me?" asked Dan Baxter, as soonas he could speak.

  "Punish you!" came from all of the masked boys.

  "What for?"

  "For many things."

  "I don't know what I have done."

  "You have tried to bully us," said one.

  "You greased the stage at our entertainment," answered another.

  "You are always quarreling with us," put in a third.

  "You want to run things to suit yourself," came from a fourth.

  "You get Mumps to play the sneak," added a fifth.

  "I--I--don't!" cried the bully, and began to turn pale. "I want you tolet me go. It's cold here!"

  "You'll feel warm enough before we get through with you," answered one ofthe masked cadets, meaningly.

  "If you--you hurt me, I'll--I'll----"

  "Don't threaten us, Baxter. If you do, we'll treat you so much worse."

  "It's a mean shame!"

  "Stay where you are," said the leader of the masked cadets--it was Jack."If you move, it will be at the peril of your life!"

  After that the crowd withdrew to a corner, leaving Baxter alone. Thebully wanted to escape, but he was afraid to try it. The masked cadetsheld a consultation lasting several minutes.

  "Just the thing!" was the cry. "Just the thing!"

  "Now what do they intend to do?" asked the bully of himself. "Somethingawful, I'm sure!"

  "Baxter, we have decided on your fate," said one of the masked boys. Itwas Pepper, but he disguised his voice well.

  "What are you going to do?"

  "We are going to brand you first and then march you out into the country,so that you can't find your way back to Putnam Hall."

  "Brand me! March me away! Don't you dare to do it!"

  "Blindfold him first, fellows!" came from Andy, and the bully's eyes werequickly bound tight with a handkerchief.

  "Now heat up that iron," came loudly from one of the masked cadets. "Ithink that a B on his forehead will look beautiful."

  "What are you going to--to--put a B on me for?" asked Baxter, with ashiver.

  "B stands for Bully, and that is what you are, Dan Baxter. Hurry up withthat iron, boys."

  "No! No!"

  "The iron is getting hot!" came from Dale. He had stepped to one of thewindows and brought in a sharp-pointed icicle.

  "Nos. 3, 4, 6, and 7 will hold him, while Nos. 1 and 2 perform theoperation. No. 5 can remain on guard."

  "If you brand me, I'll--I'll----" began the bully.

  "Silence! If you dare to cry out, we'll brand you on the cheeks as wellas the forehead."

  "I won't stand it!" roared the bully and started to get from thegymnasium, bound as he was. But they tripped him up with ease, and as hewent headlong, one cadet sat on his breast and another on his legs,rendering him helpless.

  "Now then, the iron!" called out Stuffer. "Brand him well."

  The icicle was brought forward, and at the same time one of the boys cuta little lock of hair from his head and lit a match. Then the icicle wasrun over Baxter's forehead in the form of the letter B. At the same timethe lock of hair was lit and the smell of the burning hair was allowed toreach the bully's nose.

  "Oh! Oh!" yelled Baxter, squirming greatly. "Let up! Don't burn me! Oh,I'll be marked for life! Oh, this is outrageous! Don't, I beg of you!Please let me go! I'll--I'll do anything if you'll only let up on me!"

  "Let up now," whispered Jack. "He may get a fit! He is almost scared outof his life!"

  "Now then, the blanket and the old boots," came from Andy, and the victimof the hazing was provided with a big pair of old rubber boots and aheavy horse blanket.

  "What's this for?" asked the bully.

  "For your long tramp into the country," was the answer.

  "I don't want to go out into the country this cold night! Let me go,please do!"

  "It's too late to beg, Baxter. You have been a bad boy, and you must takeyour medicine."

  "I'll have the law on you!"

  In a minute more the gymnasium door was opened and the victim was marchedoutside. He was well blindfolded, so that he could not see where he wasgoing. The masked cadets led him into the woods, around the boathouse,and then made half a dozen turns, so that Baxter was completelybewildered.

  "Here's the old shanty," said Jack, in a loud voice, when they came to ahalt. "Put him into the garret and leave him." And then Baxter wasmarched into the carriage house of Putnam Hall and made to mount theladder to the loft. Here he was tied to a post, but in such a loosefashion that he could get free with ease.

  "Now, Baxter, listen," said Jack, still in an assumed voice. "You areprobably four miles from Putnam Hall. Don't try to get away, or you mayget into more trouble. To-morrow night we'll come back and finish ourjob."

  "I--I can't stay here so long. It's cold and I--I ain't got anything toeat."

  "Well, make the best of it," was the cry, and then the masked cadetsscampered off, and a few minutes later were safe in their dormitories inthe Hall.

  With a sinking heart Dan Baxter listened to them depart, and then gave adeep groan.

  "I--I can't stand this!" he muttered to himself. "It's dreadful! And tothink they branded me, too. What will Paxton and the others say!"

  The loft was not a particularly cold place, for the windows were tightlyclosed. Waiting to make sure that the crowd had gone, he pulled himselffree from his bonds.

  When he placed his hand to his forehead he could scarcely believe theevidence of his senses. He could feel nothing of the branding--hisforehead was not sore--it did not hurt! What could it mean?

  "They must have tricked me!" he told himself. "What a fool I was to raisesuch a howl! How they'll laugh at me for it! But it did feel just as if Iwas being burnt!"

  All was pitch-dark around him, for the masked cadets had taken thelantern with them. He stepped forward and ran into a low beam, giving hisforehead a severe bump.

  "Ouch! Nothing fake about that!" he muttered, dancing around. "I'll haveto be careful, or I'll break my neck. Wonder how far I am from the Halland what sort of a place this can be?" He felt around and grasped someold spider webs. "Some half tumbled down shanty, I suppose. Perhaps I'dbetter make myself at home until morning," and he crouched down and hidhimself in the old horse blanket. He remained awake half the night,finally falling off into a troubled doze.

  When Baxter awoke it was early morning and still dark. He felt cold fromhead to feet and gave a shiver.

  "I'd give five dollars to be back at the Hall," he muttered to himself."Wonder if I can walk the distance before it gets too light? If anyperson sees me on the road with the rubber boots and this horse blanketthey'll take me for a lunatic." He gave a deep sigh. "I suppose I must betwo miles away, at least. They said four, but maybe they piled it on."

  Several times the bully thought of starting out but gave it up, thinkinghe might lose his way; but when it became lighter he took a look aroundthe loft and presently descended the ladder to the ground floor of thecarriage house.

  "Hi, you tramp! Wot be you a-doin' up there, tell me that?" cried a voicefrom the other end of the building.

  "I'm no tramp, sir," answered Baxter. "I am--Peleg Snuggers!"

  "If it ain't Master Baxter!" ejaculated the general utility man, who hadjust started in on his morning work. "Well, I never! How did you githere?"

  "What place is this, Peleg?"

  "Wot place? Why, the carriage house, o' course."

  "What!" yelled Dan Baxter; and at that instant he was by far the maddestboy the school ever contained.

  "Sure. Wot did you think it was, eh?"

  "Never mind. Is the back door to the Hall open?"

  "Yes."

  "Then I'm going in," answered the bully, and ran off without anotherword.