CHAPTER V
AN INITIATION
Hardly appreciating Bart's explanation, his chums set off after him.Down the moonlit street they sped, their footsteps ringing out on thefrosty night. But though they could not have been far behind the man whohad engaged in the shooting contest with Bart, they caught no glimpse ofhim.
"I guess it's no use," remarked the leader, pulling up as he peered downa deserted alley. "He's given us the slip."
"Do you really think it was the same man?" asked Fenn.
"Sure. Didn't I have a good look at his face?"
"Yes, I know you did this time, but we didn't have at the school thenight we were hiding in the shadow. Are you sure it's the same man?"
"Of course. I had a good look at him just as he was entering the frontdoor of the school. The moon was as bright as it is to-night, and he hadhis hat pushed back. Oh, it's the same fellow all right. Besides, didn'the run when he found out his face had been seen? I thought there wassomething suspicious about him when I was shooting against him, but Icouldn't tell what it was. However, he realized that we were after him."
"I don't see how that can be," spoke Frank. "He doesn't know we're thefellows who are accused of taking the bracelet, for he is a stranger intown. And, anyway, he doesn't know that we saw him entering theschool--that is providing it's the same man, Bart."
"Oh, it's the same man all right, and I wouldn't be surprised but thathe was suspicious of us. Else why did he hurry away so quickly? I wishwe could have caught him."
"Maybe we'd better notify the police," suggested Ned.
"No," declared Bart. "We've gotten along so far without their help, andwe'll work this out alone. Besides, the minute we notify the policewe'll have to explain why we didn't tell about the man before, and thatwon't do. No, we'll keep mum. Let's look a little farther."
They continued on down the main street, with short excursions intoalleys and side thoroughfares, but all to no purpose. No trace of theman was to be seen, and they returned home tired from their run, andsomewhat discouraged.
The chums said nothing to their folks of their experience at the gallery,though Bart's fame as a shot spread among his school companions, andthere was some speculation as to who the stranger might have been.
"Whoever he was, he's almost as good a shot as you are, Bart," remarkedSandy Merton. "You ought to arrange for a return match with him."
"Perhaps I would--if I could find him," agreed Bart.
"That's so he did go out rather suddenly," went on Sandy. "Do you knowwho he was?"
"No, I wish I did," murmured Bart, and then he changed the subject,fearing Sandy might ask leading questions.
The police had practically given up looking for the diamond bracelet,and Professor Long made no further references to it, though it was easyto see by his manner that he had not forgotten it. An undefinable air ofsuspicion hung over the four chums, though Fenn, from the fact that hehad not entered the school, was, more or less, exempt. But he would nothave it so.
"No," Stumpy said, "if one of us is guilty we all are--only, as a matterof fact, none of us is. We'll find that bracelet yet, and the missingturtle, too. If not this fall or winter, we will this spring. I know anew swamp where lots of turtles are, and we'll have a try at that someday," he told his chums.
Meanwhile matters at school continued to fill most of the time of thechums. The Darewell institution was a large one, and, of late, a numberof secret societies had been formed among the junior and seniorstudents. Sandy Merton was president of one of the junior organizations,known as the "Shamma Shig," in comic reference to some of the collegeGreek letter fraternities.
"Why don't you fellows join our society?" Sandy asked Bart and hischums, one day.
"I'm afraid we'd be ballotted against, and it would spoil our goodrecords," answered Fenn.
"Get out!" exclaimed Sandy, good-naturedly. "Come on, let me proposeyour names. We want a bigger membership, and I can guarantee that you'llget through all right."
"What about the initiation?" asked Frank. "Some we've been through havebeen pretty stiff."
"Well, we don't claim to have the easiest rites in the school, butthey're not so fierce," replied the president proudly. "I can tip thefellows off, and we can make an exception in your cases, if you like,only----"
"No, you don't!" exclaimed Bart, quickly. "We'll take all that's comingto us--that is if we join. We'll think about it."
The chums talked matters over among themselves that night, and came tothe conclusion that it would be a good plan to join the "Shamma Shigs."
"All right, then, we'll do it," concluded Bart. "I'll let Sandy know,and he can get the goat ready for us to ride."
The initiation took place three days later, in the afternoon, and washeld before a "crowded house" in the barn owned by Sandy's uncle.
"Here are four worthy and gentle knights, who seek admission to ourranks," announced Sandy, who was disguised with a sheet, all splashedover with red paint, to represent blood. He had a hickory nut in hismouth, to make his voice sound deep and hoarse, and was supported oneither side by one lad in a purple sheet, and another one in yellow, thetrio forming the "Mystic Three."
Bart, Fenn and the others were put through some strenuous exercises,including the riding of a "goat" which was a saw-horse, with knots andbumps of wood nailed here and there on it, to represent bones. They weredipped into the rain-water barrel by means of a rope and pulley, andthey were cast from "the terrible height into the awful chasm," whichordeal consisted merely in being pushed down a space of about threefeet, upon some hay, but being blindfolded was supposed to make up forthe difference.
Then they had to climb a steep "mountain" which was an old horsetread-mill, geared up unusually high, and finally had to "drink theterrible cup," which was supposed to be some horrible mixture, but whichwas really only molasses, ginger and water.
"Now for the final test," proposed Sandy, to the four. "Are ye ready forthe last act, or are ye timid and do ye shrink back from the terribledanger that confronts ye? If so, speak, an' ye shall be allowed todepart in peace. But, if ye would brave the awful dangers and gloom ofthe bottomless pit, say the word, an' then shall ye be true knights ofthe Shamma Shigs."
"Go ahead, we're ready," replied Bart, irreverently.
"Let her flicker," added Ned.
"'Tis well--blindfold them," ordered Sandy, giving his red-spotted robea shake.
"What, again?" asked Frank.
Sandy did not answer, but thick bandages were put over the eyes of thecandidates. Then from sounds that took place in the barn they knew thata horse was being hitched up.
"We're going to have a ride," observed Fenn.
"Quiet, Stumpy," cautioned Bart, in a whisper. "Keep still, and let'ssee if we can catch on to what they're doing."
A little later their hands and feet were bound, and the candidates wereput into a large wagon, and the drive began. It lasted for some time,and, try as they did, Bart and his chums could not imagine in whichdirection they were being taken. But, as they were familiar with thecountry for several miles in any point of the compass from Darewell,they were not worried.
"Halt!" Sandy finally ordered, and the creaking, jolting wagon came to astop.
"Ye have one more chance, candidates," went on the president, as hetouched the foreheads of the four with something cold and clammy--ahand, from the feel of it, but it was only a rubber glove, filled withcracked ice. "One more chance ere ye dare the dangers of the bottomlesspit," went on Sandy. "Wilt withdraw?"
"Naw, let her go," replied Fenn nonchalantly.
"'Tis well. The bottomless pit awaits ye," threatened Sandy, and then,one at a time, the four were carefully lowered over the side of thewagon, down into some depths, as they supposed, but in reality only ashort distance, so strangely are distances rendered when one isblindfolded.
"Ye are now in the pit, whence there is no escape," went on Sandy, "but,if ye are true knights, and no craven cowards ye will come to no harm.In one hour's tim
e we shall release ye. Bide here until we return."
His voice sounded faint and far away, but it was only because he wasspeaking into a pasteboard box he had brought along for that purpose.Then the sound of the wagon departing was heard, and the four chums wereleft, sitting they knew not where, with their hands and feet tied, andtheir eyes bandaged.
Bart Keene's Hunting Days; or, The Darewell Chums in a Winter Camp Page 5