CHAPTER XV
DAN BAXTER'S MONEY
After the departure of Josiah Crabtree from Putnam Hall, GeorgeStrong became the leading assistant, and another teacher namedGarmore took second place.
Garmore was a Yale man, and soon became as favorably known asStrong, so the pupils had nothing more to find fault with, so faras their instructors went.
As has been noted before, there were several baseball teams amongthe boys. As it grew too cold for baseball, these teams gave upthis sport, and a good number of the lads took up football.
In this sport, Sam, being a good runner, felt very much at home,and soon he was at the head of one of the teams, playing center.Tom was also on the team, playing quarterback.
Not far from Putnam Hall was another academy kept by a certaingentleman named Pornell. The pupils at Pornell's were also greatfootball players, and one day they sent over a challenge that thePutnams, as they were dubbed, should play them a match for thechampionship of the township in which both seats of learning werelocated.
The challenge was brought, by Peleg Snuggers, who had gone over toPornell's on an errand for Captain Putnam.
"It's for you," said Snuggers, handing the communication to Sam.The youthful captain of the eleven broke open the letter and readit aloud:
"PORNELL ACADEMY, November 18, 189-
"To the Putnam Hall Football Team: We hereby challenge you to agame of football for the championship of the township ofCedarville, the game to be played Thanksgiving afternoon next attwo o'clock, at our grounds or at your own, as you may elect. Wewould prefer to play on our grounds, as we have a grandstand,one-half of which will be reserved for your friends, if youwill come over.
"PORNELL FOOTBALL TEAM,
"Per Harry Ackerson, Capt. and Secy."
"They certainly mean business," said Tom, who was in the crowd,listening to the reading of the challenge. "I go in for acceptingit."
"So do I," said Larry, who played halfback.
"And I," put in Fred, who was on the right end.
The members of the football team were all at hand, and it did nottake long to find out each was in favor of the game, and then thematter was laid before Captain Putnam.
"Want to play football with Mr. Pornell's lads, eh?" smiled thecaptain. "All right, I know of no healthier sport, rightlyconducted. You shall play them, and on their grounds if you wish.But, mind you, no neglecting lessons for the sake of practicingbetween now and Thanksgiving!"
The pupils promised to neglect nothing, and went off with ahurrah.
Soon Peleg Snuggers was on his way to the rival academy with thefollowing answer to the challenge:
"PUTNAM HALL, November 19, 189-
"Pornell Football Team: We hereby accept your challenge to play agame of football for the championship of the township onThanksgiving afternoon next at two o'clock. As you have agrandstand we will play on your grounds. In return for the use ofhalf of your stand on this occasion the senior class of ouracademy will put up a silver cup as a trophy, said trophy to go tothe club winning the game, and to belong to that club which shallduring matches to be arranged in the future win the cup threetimes.
"THE PUTNAM HALL FOOTBALL TEAM,
"Per Fred Harrison, Secy and Treas."
Dick had suggested giving the cup, and all of the senior class"chipped in" willingly, raising ten dollars, with which a veryneat trophy was secured through a pupil whose father was asilversmith in New York. I say all the senior class contributed.I must correct this. There was one exception, and that was DanBaxter.
"I haven't got anything for you or your brothers," growled thebully when Dick spoke of the matter before the class. "Let 'emfurnish their own silver cups if they want 'em."
"All right, Baxter; I guess Sam and Tom will be just as wellsatisfied if you don't chip in," had been Dick's ready answer. "Ionly wanted to give everyone a chance to own an equal share in thegift, if it was desired."
"Our football team can't play for a sour apple, Dick Rover.They'll be whipped out of their boots."
"If I was a betting boy, I'd bet you a dollar on the result,"answered Dick coldly.
"I'll bet you ten dollars we win!" put in Fred Garrisonimpulsively.
"I'll cover that bet," sneered Baxter, and drew from his pocket aroll of bills.
"Gracious, Baxter, where did you get that wad?" questioned severalin chorus, for the supply of pocket money among most of the pupilswas limited.
"Never mind--I have it, and that's enough," answered Baxter, buthe lost no time in putting all of the money but the ten-dollarbill away.
It was all Fred Garrison could do to scrape up an equal sum, andeven at that he had to borrow a dollar from Dick. But he was"game," and the money went to another pupil, who becamestakeholder until the contest should be decided.
"It's a shame!" cried Sam, when he heard of the transaction. "Tobet against his own school! I'm like Dick--I don't believe inbetting, and yet I am glad Fred took him up. If it is in mypower, Baxter shall lose his wager."
Thanksgiving was but a week off, so the football team had to workhard to get into proper condition. Moreover, studies must not beneglected, for Captain Putnam was strict, and would have canceledthe game had his cadets become unmindful of their school duties.But the team got permission to get up an hour earlier than usualevery morning, and this time was spent in the hardest kind ofpractice with the ball.
The report that Baxter had bet against his own school spread, andthe bully became more unpopular than ever. But this did not daunthim, and soon he had a dozen other bets on, aggregating fiftydollars or more.
"It's a mystery to me where he gets so much money," said Dick toCaptain Blossom one day, "Is his father rich?"
"I can't tell you," answered the youthful commander of Company A."Fact of the matter is nobody knows much about Baxter--not evenMumps his chum. Nobody ever comes to see him, and he seldom evergets any letters, yet he always has all the spending money hewants."
"Perhaps he's got a gold mine somewhere," laughed Dick.
"I don't know about that, but I do know that there are days whenhe hasn't a cent, and the next day he will have just such a rollof bills as you saw him with day before yesterday--and the moneydoesn't come to him through the mail either."
"Perhaps Captain Putnam deals it out to him."
Captain Harry shook his head. "Not much! The captain wouldn'tlet him have more than five dollars at a time. I've been throughthe mill, and I know."
Here the matter was dropped, but Dick had good cause to rememberthis conversation later on.
The distance from Putnam Hall to Pornell Academy was a mile and ahalf, and it was arranged that the football team, Captain Putnam,George Strong, and several others should ride to the latter placein the Hall carriages while the others walked the distance.Thanksgiving dawned bright and clear. The morning was spent inthe Hall chapel, and dinner was served promptly at twelve.
"Don't eat too much," cautioned Sam. "I want every player to bewide awake today."
The start was signalized by a grand flourish of tin horns; andaway went the two carriages with the horses on a gallop, followedby a large number of the cadets on foot, organized into theirregular companies, with Major Bart Conners at the head of thebattalion. The boys were in their best uniforms, and certainlypresented an imposing appearance as they marched behind the musicof their drums and fifes.
When the grounds at Pornell Academy were reached, they were foundto be more than three quarters full, for the proprietor of theplace had opened up for the benefit of the public at large, andmany had come from Cedarville and the surrounding territory. Thegrandstand was already comfortably filled, many coming into thepart reserved for the Hall folks on tickets of invitation issuedby Sam and indorsed by Captain Putnam.
"Here they come!" yelled the boys of Pornell. "Three cheers forPutnam Hall!"
The cheers were given with a will; and, getting the football teamand the other cadets together, Putnam Hall gave a rousing cheer inret
urn for Pornell Academy.
Then the football teams disappeared into their respective dressingrooms, and the newly arrived cadets took their places in thegrandstand. A timekeeper and referee had already been appointedby Sam and the rival captain, at a meeting at the Hall three daysbefore.
"My! what a crowd!" exclaimed Tom, as he surveyed the multitude."I didn't think we were going to have such an audience as this!"
"Nor I," returned Sam. "We must do our level best, fellows!"
"That's what!" came from several. "If we get whipped--"
"Remember what Baxter did--that's enough to nerve anybody on,"finished Larry Colby.
"By the way, where is Baxter?"
"Sneaked out of the ranks," answered another player. "Nobodywanted to march with him."
"Well, I don't blame them," concluded Sam.
"Doctor Pornell now put in an appearance and desired to know ifthe football team did not wish to march around the oval escortedby his own players.
"Certainly!" cried Sam. "And to show this is a purely friendlymatch, let us march side by side," he went on, and this was alsoarranged. The Putnam Hall drum-and-fife corps led the march, andeach player strode forth with a rival at his side. The marchbrought forth a wild round of applause and a veritable shriekingof tin horns and cracking of wooden clappers.
After the march each team was allowed quarter of an hour forpracticing. The Pornellites came out first and tumbled over theleather in lively fashion. The Putnamites soon followed.
"They may be all right, but they haven't the weight," said one ofthe rivals. And this appeared true, for each Pornellite, man forman, was at least five pounds heavier than his opponent. Butweight does not always count for everything, even in a footballmatch.
"Time for practice is up!" came presently, and the two teams drewaway from the gridiron. Then there was a toss-up for goals, andPornell won and took the east end, that which was most favored bythe slight breeze that was blowing.
And then the great game began.
The Rover Boys at School; Or, The Cadets of Putnam Hall Page 15