CHAPTER VI AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF IMPORTANCE
"I guess that note will do the business--and we'll never be suspected."
It was Reff Ritter who spoke and he addressed Gus Coulter and NickPaxton. The three cronies were in a wing of the school, out of sight andhearing of the other pupils.
"What did you put in the note?" asked Paxton with interest.
"Oh, I wrote in a disguised hand and stated that I knew the cadets hadbanded together to keep mum about the bell clapper and the only way forCaptain Putnam to get at the bottom of the affair was to ask eachofficer and private, starting from the major down. I put the note on thecaptain's desk and he must have it by now."
"Good!" chuckled Paxton. "If he starts in by questioning Ruddy he'llsoon get at the bottom of the matter, for the major won't dare to tell afalsehood."
"And more than likely he'll lose his position," put in Coulter. "I hopehe does."
"He ought to lose it," answered Reff Ritter. Not for a moment did hegive Jack credit for the good turn he had done him.
While the three lads were talking Captain Putnam had entered his officeand taken up the note. He read it with interest and his brow contracted.
He was much disturbed, for since the open rebellion of the cadets, whenthey had refused to be starved into submission by Pluxton Cuddle, he hadmade the students promise not to band together in secret against thediscipline of the school. Ritter knew this, and this was why he sent thenote.
"I cannot permit this," murmured the head of the school to himself. "Imust make a complete investigation to-morrow,--and the guilty partiesmust be made to suffer." And then he held a conference with JosiahCrabtree and George Strong. Crabtree was in favor of punishing nearlyeverybody, but George Strong, with his usual goodheartedness, counseledmoderation.
"It most likely was merely a thoughtless prank," said Mr. Strong. "Thecadets meant no harm. Bell clappers, as you know, have been taken bystudents from times immemorial." And at this Captain Putnam had to turnaway with a smile, for in his younger days he himself had assisted atthe removal of, not a clapper, but the bell of the boarding school hehad attended.
"We'll see in the morning," said Captain Putnam, and there for the timebeing the matter rested.
It must be confessed that Jack, Pepper and their chums were somewhatworried that night, and the young major slept but little. Fred and Dalehad reported the interview with Deacon Pelham and had seen to it thatthe note got into Captain Putnam's hands.
Early in the morning Pepper was out on the campus when he saw CaptainPutnam appear. A moment later one of the stablemen brought up thecaptain's black horse and the head of the Hall vaulted into the saddlein true military style and was off.
"He's in a hurry," thought Pepper, and he wondered where the master ofthe school was going. He watched the captain turn into the lake road andthen uttered a low whistle.
"I'll bet a button he is going to visit Deacon Pelham!" he murmured."Maybe he wants to learn if that note was genuine."
The roll of the drum soon summoned all of the cadets to the campus, andwith Jack at the head of the battalion, they went through the manual ofarms and then marched around the Hall and into the messroom. Jack andPepper both put on a bold front, yet each felt far from easy.
"They'll catch it--just wait!" whispered Ritter to Coulter. "Before noonthey'll wish they had let that clapper alone!"
After breakfast the cadets went to chapel. The services here were almostover when Captain Putnam came in and took his place on the platform.
"Now you'll hear something drop!" said Ritter gleefully, to his cronies.
"Ritter, stop your talking!" said George Strong, who was near.
"I--er--I only wanted the window closed," stammered the bully. "I feelcold."
"Couldn't you close it yourself?"
"Coulter was right there--I thought he could do it." Then the window wasclosed, and the conversation came to an end.
"I have a few words to say to you young gentlemen," said Captain Putnam,coming to the front of the platform. His eyes swept the auditorium andJack and Pepper felt something cold run up and down their backbones. "Asyou all know, the clapper of the bell of the Union Church was takennight before last, and the deed was done by some cadets of thisinstitution."
The captain paused, and the silence was so intense that the ticking ofthe clock could be plainly heard.
"The taking of the clapper was a foolish prank, and it was an equallyfoolish prank to place it where it was found," continued Captain Putnam."Yesterday I resolved to make a thorough investigation and punish theoffenders."
"Quite right, eminently proper," murmured Josiah Crabtree.
"I heard, too, that a plan had been put through by you cadets to standtogether--that everybody was to keep mum, as it is called. This you knowis a violation of the agreement made after the--er--the unfortunateaffair which--er--led to a rebellion among you."
"I didn't hear of that," murmured one of the cadets.
"Nor I," added another.
"What did you say, Farhaven?" asked the captain quickly.
"I didn't hear of any agreement to keep mum," replied the cadetaddressed.
"Nor did I," put in Bob Grenwood, the quartermaster of the battalion.
"Nor I," came from several others.
At these words the captain's face showed relief.
"All who have not agreed to band together will raise their hands," saidthe captain loudly, and instantly nearly every cadet raised his hand.
"This is really gratifying," went on Captain Putnam, with almost a smileon his face. "To my mind, to take the clapper was bad enough, but toband together to overthrow the discipline of the school would be muchworse. I am glad to learn you young gentlemen have not done such athing."
Again the head of the school paused, and the boys wondered what wascoming next.
"Now, to return to the clapper. I have received a communication from oneof the officers of the church and he had made an earnest request thatthe whole matter be dropped. The church has the clapper back, and theones who took it have expressed their regrets over the affair, and havemade the church a donation which had been gratefully received. Under thecircumstances, I am going to leave this matter in the hands ofyourselves."
"Wonder what he means by that?" murmured Dale to Andy.
"All in favor of dropping the matter will rise. Those wishing to see theculprits punished will remain seated," went on Captain Putnam.
Almost instantly three-quarters of the cadets arose to their feet. Morefollowed, until but half a dozen remained seated. These were ReffRitter, Coulter, Paxton, and their cohorts.
"Get up, you fellows!" cried Bart Conners, captain of Company B. Andsomewhat shamefacedly Ritter and the others got up. The bully realizedthat his plan to have Jack and Pepper punished had fallen through.
"Three cheers for Captain Putnam!" cried Dale and before the head of theschool could interfere, the cheers were given with a will. Then came acheer for the teachers.
"I'll wager old Crabtree doesn't like this," whispered Andy to JoeNelson, and he was right. Josiah Crabtree felt very much put out, for hehad expected to see somebody punished, not only for putting the clapperin his bureau drawer but also for placing the molasses candy in his bed.
"I have another important announcement to make," said Captain Putnam,after order and quietness had been restored. "As you know, we were to goon the term encampment two weeks from to-day. I have arranged to havesome alterations made to this school by carpenters and masons, and theywish to start the work next week. Consequently, I am going to start theencampment next Tuesday--that is, we'll leave the Hall on that day."
"Hurrah!" came from the cadets, for they looked forward to theencampment with much pleasure. During that time there would be nostudies.
"I have arranged for an outing up at Lake Caboy," continued CaptainPutnam. "The spot will be not far from the Caboy River with itsmagnificent falls, and will be ideal in every respect.
I camped thereonce some years ago, and I know the fishing is good and also theswimming."
"That suits me!" cried Pepper. He was much relieved to think the clapperaffair had been dropped.
"I have hired a tract of land over a hundred acres in extent," went onCaptain Putnam. "We'll go out as we did before, taking all our tents andour camping outfit with us."
"And how long will the encampment last?" asked Jack. He was as muchrelieved as Pepper over the outcome of the clapper affair.
"At least two weeks, Major Ruddy, and perhaps longer--if the carpentersand masons do not finish up here in time. I do not want the students tocome back here until the alterations are complete. To-morrow I shallannounce more of the details. The students will now go to their classesas usual."
As the boys poured forth from the chapel exercises Jack and Pepperworked their way over to Dale and Fred.
"Your visit to Deacon Pelham did the trick," whispered the young major."I am a thousand times obliged to you."
"And so am I," added The Imp.
"I want to know about this banding together the captain mentioned," saidFred. "I never heard of it before."
"I think I can put you wise," came from Bob Grenwood, who was near. "Ioverheard Ritter and Coulter talking about it."
"It would be like Ritter to get up that report!" cried Pepper. "He woulddo anything to get our crowd into trouble."
"I know it," said Grenwood, who had once suffered greatly at the handsof the bully, as I have related in detail in "The Putnam HallRebellion."
"We'll have to watch Ritter as closely as we ever did," said Jack. "Thetrouble he got into a few weeks ago doesn't seem to have made him a bitbetter than he was before."
Ordinarily the clapper incident would have been the main topic ofconversation among the cadets. But the announcement that the termencampment was to start in the near future turned the thoughts of thestudents in that direction.
"We'll have the time of our lives," declared Andy. "Just think of thefine swimming and fishing!"
"And no lessons!" put in Dale.
"And the baseball and track athletics!" said Stuffer.
"Thought you were going to say the eating," came slyly from Pepper."When we talk about going camping you usually talk grub the firstthing."
"Oh, of course, I expect to have plenty to eat," added Stuffer hastily.
"I know one thing will happen during the encampment," said one of theother cadets.
"What's that?" asked Dale.
"There will be more or less hazing."
"Right you are."
"We ought to haze Ritter & Company," cried Pepper. "They richly deserveit."
"Right you are!" cried several.
"Maybe Ritter & Company will try to haze us," said Fred.
"All right, let them try it," answered Andy.
"I reckon we can give them as good as they send, every time!"
The Putnam Hall Encampment; or, The Secret of the Old Mill Page 7