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

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER II JACK IN PERIL

  "We are in for it, Jack."

  "So it would seem, Pep. Do you really think Reff Ritter and his crowdcame back here and fastened the trap door?"

  "I think Reff came back. I don't know about the others. You'll rememberReff is just aching to do something to get us into trouble."

  "Wonder if we can't pry the door up in some way."

  "We can try. But what is there to work with?"

  Cautiously the two cadets allowed the light from the lantern to flasharound the interior of the belfry. They had to be careful, for fearsomebody below would see the light and wonder what it meant, for thebelfry was never illuminated. An investigation by the sexton or someofficers of the church might lead to arrest. Once some students fromPornell Academy had painted the porch of the church red and this hadcaused a great commotion in the community, and arrests might have beenmade had not one of the pupils' fathers come forward, paid forrepainting the porch, and made the church a handsome donation in thebargain. But even with this, some folks were still "sore," and ready topounce down on any boys who might do the property an injury.

  Jack and Pepper knew well enough that they had no right to touch thebell clapper, and I am not upholding them in their actions. But theywere wide-awake boys, always ready for fun, and saw no great harm inwhat they proposed to do. Sooner or later the clapper would be returnedto its proper place--in fact it looked now as if it would be returnedmuch quicker than originally intended.

  The two boys allowed the rays from the lantern to sweep the floor andwalls of the belfry, but without bringing to view anything with which topry up the trap door. Then they set the lantern down and both got holdof the iron ring in the door.

  "Pull with all your might!" exclaimed the young major.

  "All right, here goes!" cried Pepper.

  Both gave "a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether." At firstthere was no result, then of a sudden the iron ring broke from the door.The cadets were not prepared for this, and over both went backwards.Pepper landed on the lantern, knocking it over and breaking the glassand bending the top. Fortunately the light went out, so there was nodanger of fire.

  "Wow!" spluttered the mischievous youth, as he rolled over. "Oh, whatluck!"

  "Are you hurt?" questioned the young major quickly. "Did the glass cutyou?"

  "I guess not, but I've got some of it in my jacket, Jack. I didn't thinkthe ring would break away like that; did you?"

  "No."

  The broken glass had scattered all over the floor and the belfry was nowdark excepting for the light from the moon that shone in the window.

  "Got a match?" asked Jack, after a brief pause, during which he searchedhis pockets in vain for what he wanted.

  His chum felt in first one pocket and then another.

  "Nary a one," he answered. "But what's the use anyway? The lantern isbusted, we can't use it."

  "We might get a little light."

  "Well, I haven't even a piece of a match. I meant to bring a pocketful,but I forgot it."

  With caution, the two cadets moved around the now semi-dark belfry. Atevery step the glass crunched under their feet.

  "With the ring gone we can't get any hold on the trap door," sighedPepper. "Jack, it looks as if we were booked to stay here for sometime."

  "That's so. But don't you think the others will come to our aid, if wedon't get back to the Hall soon?"

  "Maybe--but they may wait longer than we want them to."

  "Wonder if we can't climb down from the outside? We could use the bellrope."

  The boys approached the window into which the moonlight was streamingand peered out. All they could see was the church roof and the roadwaysome distance from the building, for the edge of the roof cut off asight of the ground directly below.

  "I think I'll try the rope," said Jack.

  "If we only had Andy along he'd go down the rope like a monkey,"returned Pepper, remembering Andy Snow's acrobatic cleverness.

  The bell rope ran from the bell down through a hole in the floor to thelower vestibule of the church. The boys pulled on it and it came up alength of probably sixty feet. Then it stuck fast.

  "Must be a knot in it, too big to slip through the hole," was Pepper'scomment, after both had pulled with all their might.

  "I reckon there is enough of it anyway," answered the young major."We'll cut it off and try it."

  "If we do that we may have to pay for a new rope."

  "Oh, the rope can be spliced. Maybe it's spliced already."

  Jack got out his knife and the rope was soon cut in two. They heard thelower end drop down to a flooring below.

  Making certain that the top end of the rope was well secured to thebell, so that it could not break away, and testing the strands to see ifthey would sustain his weight, Jack, aided by Pepper, lowered the ropeout of the front window, first, however, putting several knots in it. Itslid down over the edge of the roof and both boys kept lowering it untilthere was no more to pay out.

  "Now for the great climb!" exclaimed the young major of the Putnam Hallcadets. "If I get down safely, Pepper, I'll be up in a jiffy and openthat trap door for you."

  "Be careful, Jack. I rather hate to see you trust yourself on thatrope."

  "Oh, I guess it is safe enough--and I've gone down on a rope in the gymmany a time, as you know."

  With caution Jack climbed out of the belfry window and took hold of therope. Then down he went, hand under hand, with his legs twisted aroundthe rope at the same time. Pepper watched him with keen interest andalmost held his breath as he saw his chum disappear over the edge of thebroad-guttered roof.

  "He'll have a pretty big drop I'm thinking, if that rope doesn't reach,"mused The Imp, as he waited in the belfry. "We ought to have measuredthe rope--to see how long it was. Maybe it won't come to within twentyfeet of the ground."

  Several minutes passed--they seemed hours to Pepper--and he waitedanxiously for some call from his chum.

  "Jack! Are you down?" he cried finally.

  "No!" was the surprising answer. "I'm stuck!"

  "Stuck!"

  "Yes. A knot on the lower end of the rope has caught on some kind of abrace, and I'm stuck."

  "Where?"

  "Down here, on the front of the church!"

  "Can't you climb back?"

  "N--no, I--ain't go--got th--the--strength!"

  The words came in jerks and showed that the young major was all butexhausted. He had done what he could to loosen the lower end of the ropebut without success. Climbing back to the tower had proved equallydifficult. Now he was sitting astride of the rope, clutching it withboth hands and leaning against the building for support.

  Pepper was frantic, but could do nothing to aid his chum. Had the lowerend of the rope been loose he might have raised Jack to the belfry. Heclimbed out of the window as far as he dared and looked over the edge ofthe roof.

  "Jack, can I do anything?" he asked, frantically.

  "I--I do--don't know," was the gasped-out reply.

  "Can't you get that end of the rope loose somehow?"

  "No, it won't budge."

  It made Pepper a little dizzy to look directly downward over the edge ofthe gutter and for a moment he allowed his gaze to stray to the roadwaybeyond the church. In the moonlight he saw the figure of a man or boyapproaching.

  "Here comes somebody!" he cried. "I'm going to call for help."

  "We'll be caught," faltered Jack.

  "I don't care. I am not going to keep quiet and see you run the risk ofbreaking your neck."

  Pepper set up a loud call. At first the person in the road paid noattention, but presently he stopped short and looked upward in wonder.

  "What's the matter?" he asked, as he came closer.

  "We are in trouble and we want you to help us," answered Pepper. "Hurryup, before my friend tumbles down and kills himself."

  "Why, you are on a rope, aren't you?" ask
ed the person below, and nowPepper and Jack saw that he was a boy, very tall and thin.

  "Yes, and I am caught fast," answered Jack.

  "How did you get there, this time of night? What do you want me to do?"fired back the tall boy.

  "Come into the church, run up to the belfry, and unfasten the trapdoor!" called Pepper. "I am a prisoner, otherwise I'd go to my friend'said."

  "How can I get in?" asked the strange boy, noting that the church doorswere closed.

  "Climb through the side window which is open."

  The newcomer started for the side of the building, but suddenly halted.

  "See here, this is a mighty queer proceedings," he said slowly. "I don'tknow but what you are thieves. Maybe I had better go for outside help."

  "We are not thieves--we are military school cadets, out on a lark,"answered Jack. "Can't you see my uniform? Help me to get down and I'lltell you all about it."

  "Yes, I can see your buttons," answered the tall boy, and withoutanother word he ran for the window and disappeared inside the church. Heknocked around in the darkness but soon found the way upstairs and tothe belfry ladder. Then Pepper heard him fumbling at the fastening ofthe trap door. Soon the door came up with a bang.

  "There you are!" cried the stranger. "Now, if you want to help yourfriend you had better be quick about it."

  "Thank you for opening the trap door!" answered Pepper. He started downthe ladder after the other lad. "Will you help me? We'll pay you well."

  "I don't want any pay for helping to save a fellow's life," was thequick response.

  It did not take either of the boys long to reach the yard beside thechurch. In the rear was a long shed, where horses were tied up duringservices. Pepper knew that the sexton kept a ladder in this shed and hementioned the fact to the stranger. The ladder was found, and both boysran with it to the side of the church and started to raise it up at thespot where Jack was still astride of the rope.

  It was no mean task to raise the long and heavy ladder. But both Pepperand the stranger realized that Jack's life hung in the balance and theyworked with a strength born of despair. With a bang the top of theladder struck the side of the church, directly under the young major'slegs.

  "Can you reach it, Jack?" questioned Pepper anxiously.

  "I--guess--so!" panted Jack, and let himself down at arms' length on therope. His feet struck the top rung of the ladder, and in a few secondsmore he came down to the ground. He staggered as he struck the grass,and then, lurching into Pepper's arms, he fainted dead away.