“Then arrange to suit yourselves until they come,” concluded Mr. Strong.
Having shown then their dormitory he conducted them through the building and exhibited the various class- and drill-rooms, and then ended up by introducing them to several other pupils, including Bart Conners, the major for the term, and Harry Blossom and Dave Kearney, the two captains.
“Welcome to Putnam Hall!” cried Major Bart Conners, a tall youth of nearly seventeen. He shook hands all around, and so did the two captains; and then the assistant teacher left the party.
“Oh, it was a shame the way Crabtree treated your brother!” said Captain Harry to Dick. “It’s a wonder to me that Captain Putnam keeps him here.”
“I was in for getting up a petition to have Crabtree removed,” put in Captain Dave. “I think every boy in the academy would sign it.”
“I hope Captain Putnam is not so severe,” said Fred.
“Not by a jugful, Garrison,” came from Captain Harry. “He’s strict, and makes everybody toe the mark, but you couldn’t find a better all-around man.”
“Then he’ll suit me.”
It was now quite late, and presently a loud, clear bell rang out in the belfry.
“Six o’clock,” said Captain Dave Kearney. “That is to bring in the boys from the playground. They have fifteen minutes in which to wash up for supper. Excuse me, I’ll be needed in ten minutes to form my company,” and soon the newcomers found themselves alone with several others who had just arrived at Putnam Hall.
The cadets were rushing from everywhere to the lavatories, to make themselves presentable on parade. Soon they began to form on the grounds before the building. Dick and the others saw them divide up into two companies, with Harry Blossom at the head of the first and Dave Kearney leading the second. The two companies, called a battalion, were commanded by Major Bart. In addition to the officers, there were two drummers, a bass-drummer, and two fifers.
“Companies, attention!” came the command, and the lines became rigid. “By column of fours—march!” The drums struck up, and away went the columns of each company, to the front of the parade ground. Then they wheeled to the right, the fifers started up a lively air, and the cadets marched around the hall three times, and at last into the door nearest to the mess-hall or dining room.
“By Jinks, that’s fine!” cried Sam. “Cadet life will suit me, I’m sure of it.”
The cadets had hardly disappeared before one of the waiters in the mess-hall came forward. “Please come right in, gents,” he said. “Mr. Strong will give you places at the tables.” And they went and soon found themselves seated among as jolly a set of boys as they had ever encountered.
Of course there were exceptions; where would there not be in a crowd of nearly a hundred? There were pupils there who were morose by nature, those who seldom or never smiled, and there were likewise half a dozen of the Dan Baxter order—bullies and worse. We shall see more of all these characters as our tale progresses.
“I wonder if Tom is going to get any supper?” said Dick to his younger brother.
“If they don’t give him any, I’ll raise a kick, Dick.”
“So will I.”
“Silence at the table!” came in the sharp tones of Josiah Crabtree, who presided over the particular board at which the Rovers had been placed.
“I was only wondering if my brother was going to get any supper,” returned Sam boldly.
“Silence! I will take care of that.”
In the midst of the meal a newcomer appeared at the doorway to the messroom. It was Dan Baxter.
“Well, Baxter, how is this?” asked Mr. Strong, the teacher nearest to him.
“I—I was carried to Bar Landing,” answered the bully sheepishly.
“Bar Landing? Then you were on the afternoon boat from Ithaca?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How did you come to be carried past Cedarville?”
“I—er—fell asleep on the trip.”
“Indeed! Well, when next you travel you had better try to keep awake,” was George Strong’s comment, and a titter passed along the table, which made Dan Baxter very angry.
“Sit down here. Alexander, help Baxter to some supper.”
“Yes, sah,” came from the waiter; and no more was said. Presently Baxter caught sight of Dick at the table opposite, and he looked daggers at the youth. “He’s got it in for me,” thought Dick; and he was right.
The supper at an end, the pupils were allowed two hours to themselves—one hour outdoors if they wished it, or both hours in the reading room, which was well supplied with books and all of the best magazines. The newcomers went out in a bunch, and Captain Harry Blossom accompanied them.
“I’ll show you the gymnasium, if you wish to see it,” he said.
“I would like to know something about Tom,” replied Dick. “Where have they placed him?”
“Undoubtedly in the guardroom.”
“Where is that?”
“Do you see that window over there?” and Captain Harry pointed with his hand.
“Yes,” came from Dick and Sam together.
“Well, that’s the window to the place.”
“I wonder if I can’t talk to my brother?” went on Dick.
“It’s against the rules to talk to a prisoner.”
“Well, I’m going to talk anyway,” said Dick with a recklessness which was unusual to him. “I want to find out just what they are doing with him.”
“I guess I had best leave this crowd,” remarked the young captain of Company A.
Dick was about to ask why, when Sam nudged him on the arm. “Let him go,” whispered the younger brother.
In a moment more Captain Harry had walked away.
“Don’t you see what he meant?” asked Sam aloud.
“Well hardly.”
“Then you are losing some of your wit, Dick. He didn’t want to see us break the rules. I suppose if he had seen us he would have felt it was his duty to report us.”
“That’s so, Sam. How thick I was! Well, I’m going over to the window now.”
“So am I.”
“And I’ll go too,” added Fred.
Off the three hurried across the parade ground, the other new cadets watching them curiously, for all had heard of what Tom had done and how Josiah Crabtree had treated him.
The window of the guardroom was but five feet from the ground. In front of it, however, was an iron fence, placed in the form of a semicircle, at a distance of about ten feet from the opening. The fence was higher than Dick’s head, and the iron pickets were sharp-pointed.
“The window to the room is shut,” announced the elder Rover, after an inspection in the semi-darkness. “It’s a shame, in this warm weather. Poor Tom will be half smothered to death!”
“Wait till I attract his attention,” said Sam. Catching up a clod of grass and dirt he threw it against one of the window panes.
A minute of suspense followed, but no face appeared at the window.
“That’s queer,” said Fred. “It seems to me he would show himself if he was there.”
“Perhaps he, can’t,” said Sam. “He may be chained up in the other end of the room.”
“I’m going to make sure,” said Dick determinedly. “Sam and Fred, both of you give me a boost up.”
“But how will you get back?”
“You can give me another boost through the pickets.”
“Hurrah! so we can!” cried Sam. “All right; up you go!”
And up Dick did go, so rapidly that he almost fell over the top of the iron barrier.
“Now, who has a match?” he asked.
“Here you are,” said Fred, and passed over several.
Stepping to the window, Dick tapped upon it, and at the same time struck a light, for the room within was pit
ch-dark. The next instant he muttered a cry of disgust. “Sold!”
“What’s that?” came from Sam and Fred.
“The room is empty.”
“Then there must be some mistake,” said Fred. “Can you see all over inside?”
“Yes.”
“Sure Tom isn’t asleep in a corner or on a couch—if there is one?” put in Sam. “He would go to sleep if he could.”
“He isn’t here—no doubt of it,” answered Dick, after striking a second match and making another inspection. “Oh!”
Dick blew out the match in a hurry and started back for the fence. He had seen the door of the guardroom open and Josiah Crabtree come in.
The head assistant of Putnam Hall saw the light of the match and by it obtained a good view of Dick’s face.
“Ha! that youth has come here to assist his brother to escape!” was the conclusion he reached. He darted for the window and threw it up.
“Come back here, Master Rover!” he cried, as he saw Dick trying to mount the fence.
“Don’t you go!” whispered Sam, and tried to assist Dick from the other side, while Fred did the same.
Josiah Crabtree would have leaped from the window, but the bars held him back.
“I’ll get you yet!” he ejaculated wrathfully, and, turning, ran from the guardroom, with the intention of capturing Dick on the parade ground.
CHAPTER IX
A STRANGE MEETING IN THE WOODS
To go back to Tom, at the time he was left alone by the head assistant of Putnam Hall, after refusing to give up the keys to his satchel and trunk.
“I’ve put my foot into it now,” thought the boy dismally. “I wonder what Captain Putnam will say to all this when he hears of it? Of course old Crabtree will make out the worst possible case against me.”
It was too dark to see much, and he dropped on the couch. He was worried a good deal, yet he was not one to take anything too deeply to heart.
Before long a waiter appeared with a tray containing a big bowl of bread and milk. Had Josiah Crabtree had his own way, he would have sent only bread and water for the lad’s supper, but such a proceeding would have been contrary to Captain Putnam’s rule. The kind captain realized that his pupils were but boys and should not be treated as real prisoners, even when they did break the academy rules.
“Heah is yo’ suppah, sah!” announced Alexander, the waiter, as he set the tray on the table. “Sorry I can’t leave the light, sah.” He referred to a lamp, also, on the tray, which he now removed.
“What have you got?” asked Tom, sitting up.
“Bowl of bread and milk, sah.”
“Is that what they give visitors for supper?”
“Gracious, sah, is yo’ a visitah, sah?”
“I consider myself as such until I am placed on the muster roll.”
At this Alexander scratched his woolly head. “Well, sah, I don’t know nuffin about dat, sah. I has to obey Mr. Crabtree’s oahdahs, sah.”
“Has Captain Putnam come back yet?”
“No, sah, an’ he sent word dat he didn’t think he could git back, sah, before morning, sah.”
“Humph! Then I’ll have to stay here until that time.”
“I reckon so, sah.”
“It’s a jolly shame.”
“Dat’s right, sah,” and Alexander grinned.
“Well, leave the bread and milk. It’s better than nothing. But hold on. Who are you?”
“Alexander Pop, sah, at yo’ service, sah,” and again the colored man grinned. He was a short, fat fellow, the very embodiment of good nature.
“Well, Alexander, if you are at my service, supposing you get me something else to eat beside this bread and milk.”
“Oh, sah, I couldn’t do dat.”
“Yes, you could. Here is a quarter. Don’t you want to earn that?” And Tom held out the silver piece.
“Mr. Crabtree would hab me discharged if he cotched me, Master Rober.”
“Then don’t let him catch you, Aleck, my boy.”
At this the negro laughed and showed his immense ivories.
“Yo’ is jest de boy I dun like to see, sah,” he said. “Jess wait an’ I’ll do wot I can fo! You but mum’s de word, sah-eh?”
“I never peach, Aleck; it’s only a coward that does that,” concluded Tom.
The negro disappeared from the room, but reappeared in less than ten minutes with something done up in a napkin.
“Dare you am, sah,” he said, “two tongue sandwiches and a big piece of layer cake, sah, all I could git, fo’ Mrs. Green am werry sharp. And here is a bit of candle, sah, for a light. But please don’t let ‘em know I brought yo’ de things, sah.”
“Never a word, Aleck, thank you,” answered Tom, and handed over the quarter.
Left again to himself, Tom lost no time in making way, not only with the sandwiches and cake, but also some of the bread and milk, for his day’s traveling had left him tremendously hungry. The bit of candle was less than two inches long, and began to splutter just as the meal was finished.
A rattle at the door caused the lad to sweep the cake crumbs out of sight, blow out the candle, and pocket the tiny bit left. Then the light of a lamp lit up the guardroom, and Josiah Crabtree came in.
“Well, Rover, have you enjoyed your supper?” he asked coldly, as he glanced at the half empty bowl.
“Very much,” was the youth’s equally cold reply.
“You like bread and milk, then,” was Crabtree’s sarcastic rejoinder.
“Nothing better, sir, for supper.”
The head assistant bit his lip, and then set down the lamp.
“Rover, don’t you think, you are making a bad beginning?” he said after a pause.
“I don’t understand you, Mr. Crabtree.”
“Any other boy on joining a school would wish to make his entrance as creditable as possible.”
“But I haven’t joined this school yet.”
“I won’t argue that point.”
“I wasn’t even on your grounds, but in the public highway—and there shot off—what? A simple firecracker. And for that you hauled me to this place, and treat me like one who has broken half the laws of the land. If Captain Putnam upholds you in this matter, do you know what I shall do?”
“Make an additional fool of yourself, I presume.”
“I shall write home to my guardian that I do not consider Putnam Hall a proper boarding academy for any boy, and that I want to be put somewhere else.”
At these outspoken words Josiah Crabtree grew pale. His great unpopularity was already having its effect upon Captain Putnam, and he was afraid that if he should be the means of losing a pupil it might cost him his place, as much as he knew that the captain did not favor changes in his staff of instructors.
“Don’t be unreasonable, my lad,” he said, but his tone was much milder than before.
“I don’t think I am unreasonable.”
“The road is one belonging to this institution—in brief, a private road. You became a pupil here when you entered our carriage, that, which brought you here.”
“Does everybody who rides in that carriage become a Putnam Hall pupil?” demanded Tom.
He saw that he was worrying Crabtree, and resolved to keep it up.
“Well—er—we won’t argue that point.”
“Then supposing we don’t argue anything until Captain Putnam comes back? In the meantime if you will release me I’ll go to Cedarville and put up at the hotel for the night.”
“I shall not release you.”
“All right, then. But if my guardian takes me away, mark my words, you shall stand a personal lawsuit for having locked me up here without having any right to do so.”
“Why—er—this to me—me, the head assistant here?” screamed Josiah Crabtre
e.
In his rage he ran over to Tom and caught him by the ear.
He had scarcely done so than Tom put out one foot, gave the teacher a shove, and down went Crabtree flat on his back.
“You villain!” gasped the head assistant, as he scrambled to his feet.
“Don’t you pinch my ear again,” retorted Tom.
The door was open, and before Crabtree could stop him he ran out into the hallway.
“Hold on!”
“Not much!”
“It will be the worse for you!”
“I’ll risk that.”
“Stop him, somebody!” screamed Josiah Crabtree at the top of his voice.
Without waiting, Tom ran down the hallway. He knew not where he was going, and, coming, to a door, slipped through. He now found himself in the rear of the Hall and a few seconds later ran across the back garden and dove into the farm lands.
“Free once more,” he thought. “And I shan’t go back until I am certain Captain Putnam is on hand to receive me. I wonder how Dick and Sam are faring?”
Thinking that his brothers would soon learn of his escape, and not wishing to be caught, he hurried on until the farm lands were passed and he found himself in a woods.
“I’ll sweep around in a circle and make for that road leading to Cedarville,” he concluded, and trudged on rapidly, for the woods were dark and lonely and not particularly to his liking.
Tom had covered the best part of half a mile: when he saw a light ahead. At first he thought it must shine from the window of some farmhouse, but soon made it out to be from a campfire, situated in something of a hollow and not far from a spring.
“Hullo! Tramps or charcoal burners,” he thought. “I wonder if they would be friendly?”
He slackened his pace and approached cautiously until within ten yards of where two men sat in earnest conversation. One man was tall and thin and had a scar on his chin. The other fellow was the thief who had robbed Dick of his watch. At first Tom was not inclined to believe the evidence of his eyesight.
“Perhaps I’m mistaken,” he mused.
He resolved to draw nearer and hear if possible what the two men were saying.
A clump of bushes grew close to the spring before mentioned, and he crawled up behind this, thus getting within fifteen feet of the campfire.
The Rover Boys Megapack Page 6
