CHAPTER XVIII
WINTER SPORTS
"Hurrah, boys, the ice is forming just as fast as it can! We'llhave skating in twenty-four hours!"
It was Sam who came rushing into the gymnasium with the news. Theplace was crowded at the time, for it was too cold to play on thegrounds outside.
"Skating!" cried Tom. "That just suits me. I wonder if I broughtmy skates along?"
"You didn't," answered Sam. "Neither did I."
"I have my skates," said Fred Garrison. "Brand new pair."
"My skates were old," said Tom. "I must strike Captain Putnam fora couple of dollars of my allowance and buy a new pair."
"So must I!" put in Sam. "Dick, I know, has his skates."
It was early in December, and it had been growing colder steadily.There had been one fall of snow, but it had amounted to butlittle.
The next day skating in the cove of the lake near Putnam Hall wasexcellent, the ice being from three to four inches thick. At onceSam and Tom went to Captain Putnam.
"Want to buy some skates?" said the captain. "Well, the money Iam keeping is your own, and I presume every boy likes to skate.Here are two dollars for each of you. Show me your purchases whenyou get back."
"We will," replied the lads, and hurried off, for time wasprecious, with the smooth ice waiting for them. They knew that acertain hardware dealer in Cedarville had a good quantity ofskates on hand, and started to walk to the village without delay.
"Baxter is going to buy a pair of skates, too," said Sam, on theway. "I heard him telling Mumps about it."
"Well, we don't want Baxter for company," answered Tom. "He cango alone."
It did not take the lads long to reach Cedarville, but once at thehardware store considerable time was lost in getting just theskates desired.
"It's queer Baxter hasn't shown up," said Tom, when they wereready to leave.
"Perhaps he went elsewhere for his skates," suggested Sam.
The hardware shop was at the end of the village street, and asthey passed a number of places of business Tom suddenly caught hisbrother by the arm.
"There is Baxter now--just entering that tavern!" he exclaimedin a low voice.
"The tavern!" repeated Sam. "Why, it's against the regulations toenter a drinking place!"
"I don't care--I saw Baxter go in," returned Tom. "He was witha tall man."
"If Captain Putnam hears of this, Baxter will be sent away, or atleast punished."
"Perhaps, Sam; but I shan't tell him."
"No; we're no tale-bearers. Let us go up to the side windows ofthe tavern and see if we can see them."
This was agreed to, and the two boys hurried up to first onewindow and then another.
"They are not in the saloon part, that's certain," said Tomblankly. "But I saw Baxter go in, and the tall man with him."
"Here is a side room," answered Sam.
"And there they are, at a corner table. The man is giving Baxtersome money!"
Tom peeped into the window over his brother's shoulder. "Mygracious!"
"What's up now, Tom?"
"That tall man is the same fellow I met in the woods. The manthat was with the tramp who stole the watch!"
"You don't mean it!"
"But I do! See the scar on his chin?"
"Yes."
"He is that thief's pal, as they call it."
"And he just gave Baxter some bank bills! What does it mean?"
"I give it up. But I know one thing--that man ought to bearrested!"
"That's true. Oh! they have seen us! If they--hi! what do youmean by that?"
For a burly bartender had suddenly come up behind both of the boysand hurled them backward.
"No spying around this place!" cried the dispenser of liquorsroughly. "Take yourselves off!"
"There is a man inside I want to see," said Tom.
"Why don't you come in, then?"
"I will--as soon as I can find a policeman or a constable."
"What! going to have a gent arrested?"
"The man inside knows all about a stolen watch."
"You must be mistaken."
"No, I am not. Where can I find a policeman?"
"Down at the steamboat landing, most likely."
"All right. Sam, you stay here and see that that fellow don'tmake tracks," and Tom prepared to move away.
"See here, we don't want any trouble in our place," said thebarkeeper. "We run a respectable house, we do."
"Then you ought to help me bag the pal of a thief," retorted Tom.
"Hold on, Tom!" came from Sam. "They're gone! They slippedthrough a back door!"
Tom ran up to the window again. It was true Baxter and the manwith a scar had disappeared.
"Come on back!" he cried to his brother, and both ran to the rearof the tavern. Here there was a yard, at the end of which stood abarn and a long, low carriage shed. Only a negro hostler was insight.
"Perhaps they haven't come out yet," began Sam, when he caughtsight of a buggy on a road behind the barn. It was going at afurious rate, the scarred man driving, and lashing his mettlesomehorse at the same time.
"There goes the man!"
"That's so. Where is Baxter?"
"I don't know."
They ran after the buggy, but soon gave up the chase, as man andturnout disappeared around a bend leading to the woods back ofCedarville.
"We've lost him!" murmured Tom, when he could get back his breath."Now who in the name of Old Nick can he be?"
"Evidently a friend to Baxter. Perhaps he is Baxter's father?"suggested Sam.
"Baxter's father--Gracious! He is!"
"How do you know?"
"I'm not positive, but when I met him and the thief in the woods,the thief, who was called Buddy, started to call that fellowBaxter, but the tall man wouldn't have it, and made him call himNolly. His right name, I feel certain, is Arnold Baxter."
"Then, if he isn't Baxter's father, he must be some closerelative, otherwise he wouldn't give Baxter that money. Now it iseasy to see where the bully gets all of his cash. That tall manmust be rich."
"Yes, but who knows how he comes by his money? He is the chum ofa thief, that's certain."
A search was made for Dan Baxter, but he could not be found. As amatter of fact, he had been in the buggy, hiding under the seat.The boys hung around for quarter of an hour longer, and thenresolved to return to Putnam Hall.
"No use of making a row about it," said Tom. "I remember thatpoliceman at the steamboat landing. He is a terribly fat fellowand evidently a hard drinker. He couldn't help us enough. We hadbetter try to work this out on our own account. I'll tackleBaxter the first chance I get."
When the Hall was reached they looked around for the bully, butfound he had not returned. They had now to go in for theirstudies, and for the time being the affair was dropped.
That afternoon found them on the lake, and while enjoying theskating Dick was informed of what had occurred. "A bad crowd,"said the elder Rover. "Yes, tackle Baxter, by all means. But becautious what you say, for you can't prove much, remember."
A race had been arranged between the boys, and Dick was one of thecontestants. The distance was from one end of the cove to theother was a little over three-quarters of a mile. There were tenstarters, including Fred, Frank, Larry, and Mumps. Mumps had areputation as a skater, gained at his home on the Hudson River.
"All ready?" shouted the starter.
There was a dead silence.
"Go!" came the word, and away went the ten, their skates flashingbrightly in the setting sun. Soon Larry Colby was in advance,with Mumps just over his shoulder.
"It is Larry's race!"
"Mumps is a close second!"
"Shake 'em up, Fred! What are you lagging about, Frank? Go it,Leo!"
Skirk skirk skirk went the skate runners, and now a crowd of ladsstarted in pursuit of the racers. Soon the turning point wasgained. Larry was in advance still, but now Mumps over
took him,and suddenly the boy from the Hudson who had such a reputation asa racer shot fifteen feet in advance. It looked as if the racewas certainly his, and Larry and the others felt much downcast.
The Rover Boys at School; Or, The Cadets of Putnam Hall Page 18