CHAPTER XXIV
THE CAPTURE
The girls expected trouble and they had not long to wait for it. Theyhad left Billie inside the dormitory, had gone into the hall, closed thedoor after them firmly and had defiantly placed themselves before it.
They rather welcomed the sight of Miss Cora, stiff-backed andstern-lipped, bearing down upon them like a tug of war. They had learnedin their history, that in "union there is strength," and now they wereabout to test the truth of it. If one of them felt her courage slipping,all she had to do was to think of the breakfast they had had thatmorning and, presto, it was all back again.
Miss Cora stopped as she came to the foremost girls, and her eyes sweptthem coldly.
"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, adding as the girls did notshow any intention of moving: "Let me pass, at once."
Then Rose stepped forward a little and drawled, in the insolent tonethat only Rose knew how to use.
"Where are you going, Miss Dill?"
Miss Cora looked as stunned as if she had been hit on the head with ahammer. That one of the girls should have the insolence--the absoluteimpertinence--to ask her, Miss Cora Dill, where she was going!
Then a hot wave of anger flowed over her, and she found her voice.
"Where I am going has nothing to do with it, whatever," she said, hervoice icy. "I command you to stand away from that door."
Then it was Caroline Brant who spoke in her quiet, calm voice.
"We will be glad to do as you say, Miss Dill," she said, "if you willpromise not to lock Billie Bradley up again."
"Promise--not to lock----?" gasped Miss Cora. Then she turned upon thegirls with blazing eyes. "You are mad--all of you!" she said, her voiceshaking with fury. "I will wire Miss Walters at once!" and she turnedaway down the hall, her hands so tightly clenched that her nails leftlittle angry red marks where they had bit into the flesh.
The girls watched her go--then turned back into the dormitory with asigh. They had won a victory, and yet they were not happy about it.Except that Billie was free, things were even worse than before.
"Now I don't know what we're going to do," said Vi, gazing drearily outof the window. The leaden sky had turned still darker and a flurry ofsnow had begun to fall.
The gong for classes rang out through the hall and the girls started andlooked at each other questioningly. Several of them began to gather uptheir books, but Billie, who had been thinking deeply, suddenly sprangto her feet.
"Listen, girls," she said, and they looked at her questioningly. "Itseems to me there's only one thing left for us to do. We can't go toclasses, not after what we've just done, and we can't stay around heretill Miss Walters comes. The Pickles will surely starve us to death."
She paused for a moment and they looked at her expectantly. Then shelowered her voice and spoke quickly.
"Let's go home," she said. "Or at least we can go to the hotel in towntill Miss Walters gets back. What do you say?"
And not one of the girls but what hailed the idea joyfully. It would berebellion, of course; and a few days before they would have hesitated.But not now.
They set about packing in feverish haste, fairly throwing their thingsinto their suitcases. They were afraid of having their plans spoiled atthe last minute. And in Molata they could get all they wanted to eat;that is, as long as their money held out.
At last they were ready. Hats and coats on, valises in hand, theygathered in the hall waiting for Billie to give the word to march.
Eyes were bright, color was high, for they had started on real adventureand they were beginning to enjoy it.
"Come on," said Billie, raising her hand smartly to the little brown hatin salute. "For-ward march!"
As they reached the lower hall they were met by Miss Ada Dill and MissCora, Miss Race and several of the other teachers. The latter had fearedtrouble when the girls failed to report at classes, and had started outto see what the matter was.
And now they saw! Before they could even gasp their amazement the girlsswept past them, opened the front door, and ran down the steps to thedrive. There were only about a hundred of them, but it seemed to theteachers who watched them go that there were easily twice that number.
"They've struck," said Miss Race, turning to the other teachers withconsternation in her eyes, while they looked back at her soberly. "Iwonder what Miss Walters will say."
"We'll very soon find out what she'll say," Miss Cora Dill spoke upgrimly. "I sent a wire to Miss Walters this morning. She will surely beback in a day or two."
Meanwhile, out on the road, the girls were trudging gamely on towardtown. The first thrill had gone from the adventure, and they werebeginning to wonder what made their grips so heavy.
And the snow, which had begun in a light flurry, was coming down heavilynow, covering the woods and the road before them with a white fleecyblanket.
The wind had risen, too, and they were forced to stop time and timeagain to straighten hats and shake the clinging snow from their skirts.
And because of the wind they did not hear the sound of voices. So thatChet and Teddy, coming back from their errand to town, were almost uponthem before they knew it.
And then something happened that made the girls drop their bags andstare in stupid amazement.
Out from the bushes straight in front of them sprang the figure of aman. And at the same moment Chet and Teddy rounded the curve of theroad.
The man straightened and looked wildly from one group to the other, andthen made as though to double on his tracks and dive into the woodsagain.
"Stop that man!" shouted Teddy. "He robbed our Academy! That's right,girls--head him off!"
For Billie, with a gasp of astonishment, had recognized the Codfish, andseeing what he was about to do had darted forward straight in his path.A score of the other girls followed her example, and so quickly was themove made that the man found his escape cut off entirely.
Wildly he looked about him, started in the other direction, but foundhis path blocked there also.
With a snarl of rage he flung himself forward, resolved to break his waythrough by force, but Teddy and Chet were too quick for him.
Not for nothing had they won medals on the track team, and now, as thethief made his last attempt, his arms were caught in a strong grip andwere twisted behind him so suddenly that he cried out with the pain ofit.
It was Teddy who had caught him, and now as the man struggled to freehimself he called out a sharp order to Chet.
"Give me your skate strap, quick," he cried. "This chap's as slippery asan eel. What are you doing?"
For Chet, seeing that the Codfish was struggling to get his imprisonedhands down to a suspicious bulge over his right hip, sprang forward anddrew the hidden revolver from its holster.
"The game's up, old man," he crowed exultantly. Then, turning, he handedthe pistol to Billie. "Keep him covered, old girl," he said, "till I getthis strap loose and handcuff the gentleman. That's the girl! Steady,Mr. Codfish--we've got you now."
The Codfish made as though to spring upon Billie, revolver and all, butBillie kept her head. Several of the girls screamed, but she was not oneof them.
She stepped back a few steps and waved the revolver threateningly. Shewas "horribly afraid of the old thing," but not for the world would shehave let any one suspect it.
"If you don't stand still I'll shoot," she said, a quaver in her voicedespite all her efforts to speak calmly. "I've got this thing aimed atjust about where your heart is, I guess."
The Codfish glared at her wildly, hesitated just a minute, but thathesitation cost him his chance. Chet had at last got his skate straploose, and had bound it tightly about the man's wrists, while Teddystill held his arms tight to prevent a sudden dash into the woods.
"Now I guess we've got you," cried Teddy jubilantly. "You will rob ourAcademy, will you, and expect to get away with it? Now I guess the nextthing is to hand you over to the first policeman we meet. Come on now,forward march."
"But did he really rob your Academy?" asked Laura eagerly, as the girlspicked up their grips where they had dropped them in the road and theyall started on together.
"I'll say he did!" said Chet indignantly. "And he got away with a prettyhaul, too. That's what we were going to tell you girls about thismorning. But say----" he broke off and looked at them with a funnyexpression on his face, "we've been so busy catching the crook that wenever thought! Say, where are you going with your suitcases andeverything? And--and how did Billie get loose? The last we heard of her,she was locked up."
"Yes, what is it--a walkout?" asked Teddy, looking in bewilderment fromBillie to the other girls. But suddenly Rose gave a sharp cry ofwarning.
"The Codfish," she cried. "Look out!"
For Teddy, in his bewilderment, had loosened his grip of the thief'sarm, and the latter had taken this chance to make a dash for liberty.
With a kangaroo leap Teddy was upon him, and Chet, snatching the pistolfrom Billie's hand, pointed it threateningly.
"None of that, old chap!" he cried. "You'd better be a good little boyor you'll get a taste of something worse than prison. Now, then, forwardmarch, and mind your Ps and Qs."
The Codfish shot a glance at Chet that made the girls shiver, but hewent ahead, nevertheless.
"We ought to meet the sheriff and his hick policemen pretty soon," saidChet, keeping his eyes and his pistol fixed unwaveringly on thecaptive's back, while Teddy gripped his arm with both hands and thegirls crowded close behind. "He pulled off this stunt last night, andCaptain Shelling, the owner of our school, sent us to town to notify thepolice."
"Oh," said Billie thoughtfully. "So that was where you were going thismorning when you stopped at the Hall. What's that?" she added as thesound of voices, somewhat muffled by the storm, reached them.
"I hope it's the sheriff," said Teddy, hurrying his captive forwardthrough the snow. "Say, I'm glad we caught this fellow now before he hada chance to make off with what he stole. We may have a chance of gettingit back."
They turned a curve in the road and saw a party of half a dozen mencoming toward them on a run.
"The sheriff!" yelled Teddy. "Here's some more luck."
But the sheriff's party seemed almost more surprised at sight of thehundred-odd girls from Three Towers Hall than they were delighted to seethe boys and their captive.
They were more interested in the Codfish, however, and promptly took himinto custody, exchanging real handcuffs for the strap the boys had used.
The boys eagerly told the story of his capture, giving the girls morecredit for their part of it than they deserved, or so the latterprotested, and the sheriff and his party listened with delighted grins.
"Pretty good work," said one of them approvingly. "You couldn't havedone any better if you'd planned it. Well, good day to you, and thanks.We'll soon put this rascal where he won't do more stealing of otherpeople's goods. Get up there, will you?" and he gave the sullen Codfisha push that sent him staggering up the road in front of them.
Before the party disappeared the sheriff turned once more to look backcuriously at the girls and boys who were still standing in the road,staring after them.
"Well, I'll be jiggered, but that is curious," he said, shaking his headdoubtfully. "Looks as if all of Three Towers Hall had turned out for anouting."
"Humph, funny kind of weather for an outing," replied another one. "Theydidn't have a teacher with 'em, either. Pretty queer, I call it."
"Well," said another, philosophically chewing a huge cud of tobacco, "Icall it lucky. If those girls hadn't happened along just when they didwe wouldn't have got hold of this bird so slick. And who am I, to bequarreling with fate?"
Billie Bradley at Three Towers Hall; Or, Leading a Needed Rebellion Page 24