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

by Edward Stratemeyer

  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 inwonder.

  "Time to get up!" observed a man standing nearby. And at this sallyseveral persons laughed.

  "You evidently are carrying an alarm clock," said the widow to JosiahCrabtree.

  "I--er--I didn't know it," was the answer. "I--er--wish the thing wouldstop!"

  Br-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went the alarm clock as loudly as ever, and now all thepeople on the dock commenced to laugh. The widow grew red and theteacher 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 inchurch and listen to the deep tones of the organ, and the singing ofthe----"

  Br-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went the second alarm clock, in a tone louder thanthe 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 JosiahCrabtree. "This is--er--a trick!"

  The alarm continued to rattle and the crowd on the dock roared. Theteacher caught up the suit-case and started to open it in a hurry. Hewas not careful and out dropped several dress-shirts and some socks andunderwear. This made the crowd laugh again and Josiah Crabtree grewsour.

  "You may think this a laughing matter, but I don't!" he cried. "It is atrick, and if I find out who is guilty----" Then he pulled out one ofthe offending clocks and hurled it into the waters of the lake. By thistime the second clock had run down and quietness was restored. Theteacher found this, but left it in the suit-case. The other clocks werein 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 herto smile when there came another rattle. He dropped the suit-case like ahot potato and this time the crowd fairly howled. And the cadets, whowere 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 stillanother joined in. The noise was great and the teacher did not know whatto 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, andnow the fifth and last added to the racket. Everybody stopped to enjoythe 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 adisgrace!" And he jumped on the suit-case again. "Will you stop? Oh,what a racket! I shall go mad!" And then picking up the offendingbaggage he fairly ran on the steamboat and disappeared into the cabin,the last of the clocks still rattling shrilly. The widow hurried inanother direction, and the teacher did not dare to go near her duringthe trip.

  "Well, I reckon that send-off was worth the price," said Pepper, afterhe 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 himagain!"

  "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 theoccasion," said The Imp. And then in high spirits over the success oftheir trick, the cadets returned to Putnam Hall.

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

  "The Ritter gang is coming down the hall," announced Joe Nelson, aboutten o'clock. "Look out for them, for they may have something worse thanpillows and stuffed clubs."

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

  "Repel boarders!" sang out Andy, and caught up a water pitcher full ofwater. "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 himdown.

  In a moment more the fight raged furiously. Pillows, shoes, soap, booksand other articles sailed through the air. Jack was struck in the ear byCoulter and he retaliated by filling the fellow's mouth with soft soapthat was handy in a dish. Andy wet Ritter and Paxton with the contentsof the pitcher.

  "Let up! that ain't fair!" roared Paxton.

  "You need a bath, to wash up your reputation, Paxton!" answered theacrobatic cadet.

  Ritter had arisen to his feet, and watching his chance he drew somethingfrom his pocket. He was about to hurl it at Jack's head when Peppercaught his arm.

  "No, you don't!" cried Pepper. "Give me that!" And he tried to get thearticle 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 Impwent down, but still kept his hand over that of his enemy.

  "Ough! my hand! Do you want to cut it?" suddenly howled the bully, andthen 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 nothing to use in a fight like this."

  "I wasn't going to use it. I only had it in my hand," was the lamereply.

  "You were going to throw it at Jack's head--I am positive of it," saidPepper firmly.

  "If you were, Ritter, you're a villain!" declared Dale.

  "What's that?" demanded Stuffer, and now the fight came to a suddenstop.

  "Ritter was going to throw a lump of rough glass at Jack's head!" criedPepper. "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 weresurprised.

  "So you were going to throw that at me, eh?" said Jack, sternly, as helooked Ritter squarely in the eyes.

  "I--I wasn't."

  "I'd rather take Pepper's word for it than yours. It was a contemptiblepiece of business, Ritter!"

  "It might have cut Jack badly," said Fred. "The glass is very sharp onone side."

  "I tell you I wasn't going to use it," cried the bully. "I held it upjust to scare Ruddy."

  "I shall never believe that, Ritter. You are a coward as well as abully. 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 whenwe are in camp. Do you dare do that?"

  "As you please," muttered the young major; and then the boys from theother dormitories withdrew.

  "What a mean, dirty trick," was Dale's comment. "A chunk of glass, ofall 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 tocome to an end, for the monitor put in an appearance and made them go tobed.

  The cadets were to have breakfast at an early hour and promptly at sixo'clock the drum roll aroused the lads. Pepper ran to the window andlooked 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 marchinguniforms, and all presented a fine appearance when they assembled forroll-call. Drill was dispensed with, and the cadets lost no time ineating their breakfast in the mess-hall.

  It had been noised around that the cadets were to march to Lake Caboyand quite a crowd from the village and from the neighboring farmsgathered to see them depart. The wagons were already on the way, loadedhigh with the baggage and the camping outfit. It had been decided thatthe march to the lake was to be made in two days instead of one, so thatno cadet would get tired out from the tramp. The first night out was tobe spent at a place called Hayville, and there the wagons were to awaitthe arrival of the battalion.

  "Battalion attention!" called out Major Jack Ruddy, after breakfast wasover and the drum had sounded again. And the companies formed in hasteand the cadets stood as stiff as ramrods.

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

  "Forward march!" was the next command from the young major, and then thedrums sounded out, and off the battalion started across the campus. "Bycolumns of fours!" came the next order. And so they passed out on thehighway, with Captain Putnam and George Strong on horseback in the lead,and the young major following. The music came from two snare drums, abass drum and three fifers, and could be heard a long distance away. Thetwo companies made a fine appearance and the onlookers applaudedvigorously.

  "Have a good time, boys!" said one of the teachers, who had been leftbehind, 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'sfun-loving disposition only too well.

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

  Dinner was had at a place called Dodd's Corners, and after a brief restthe 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 insight of their resting place for the night. But here a great surpriseawaited Captain Putnam and all of the others. The baggage train,consisting of four large wagons, was missing with all of their outfit.