“I have kept the box,” he added, “and you can look at the writing if you wish. I think it is in Tad Sobber’s hand, although somewhat disguised.”
The address on the box was investigated by the master of the Hall, who sent for several compositions Tad Sobber had written. The bully was much disturbed when he had to give up the compositions to George Strong.
“What’s that for?” he asked, with a scowl on his face.
“Captain Putnam wants them,” answered the teacher, and would say no more.
With anxious eyes the bully watched the first assistant disappear into the office with the compositions. Then, looking to make sure that he was not observed, he stole up to the door and applied his ear to the keyhole. What he heard filled him with increased alarm.
“It is Sobber’s handwriting beyond a doubt,” said Captain Putnam, after comparing the compositions with the address on the box cover. “I wonder if he knew that the snake was a poisonous one?”
“Perhaps Nick Pell can tell that—after he gets over his trouble,” returned Dick.
“Provided he does get over it, Richard.”
“Don’t you think he’ll recover?” cried Dick, in consternation.
“He may not. It is a very serious case, so Doctor Fremley informs me.”
“What does Mr. Pell say about it?”
“He wants me to investigate. He says he may have somebody arrested for this—and I can hardly blame him. It was a vile thing to do—bring a poisonous snake into the school.”
At the mention of arrest Tad Sobber shut his teeth hard.
“I guess it’s about time I made myself scarce,” he muttered. “Perhaps I had better leave and join Uncle Sid.” And he walked away silently and up to his room. He remained there about ten minutes, then stole forth and down a back way, a fair-sized bundle under his arm.
At the conclusion of the interview in the office Captain Putnam sent for Tad Sobber. One of the monitors went on the errand and came back in quarter of an hour with the information that the youth could not be found.
“Did he have permission to leave the grounds?” asked the captain of the teachers.
“Not from me,” said one instructor after another.
Then Peleg Snuggers was sent out to hunt the bully up and soon came back with the information that Sobber was not around the grounds, but had been seen by two of the cadets walking in the direction of Cedarville. Sobber had given one of the cadets a note for the master of the Hall. This ran as follows:
“Must go to the village on a matter of great importance. Will explain when I return.—T. Sobber.”
“Maybe he has gone to find out about that snake,” suggested Tom.
“How could he?” came from his younger brother. “The museum keeper has moved away.”
“Tad may know where he moved to,” put in Larry.
A whole day passed and the bully did not show himself. Then Captain Putnam drove over to the village and attempted to hunt him up, but without success. He learned that the museum man had shipped his outfit to Boston.
“He has run away,” said the master of the Hall to Mr. Pell and George Strong. “I am satisfied now that he was guilty. But as Nick knew of it, he must have had something to do with it,” he added.
“I trust my son recovers,” answered Mr. Pell, with a deep sigh. But the days went by and Nick Pell still remained in bad shape, very weak and out of his mind for the greater part of the time. During his lucid intervals he told how Sobber had purchased the snake for five dollars, the owner saying it was sick and liable to die in the near future. He added that the bully had said he hoped the snake would bite one of the Rovers.
“I didn’t want him to use the snake,” said the sufferer, “but he insisted, and told me to keep my mouth shut about it.” After that poor Nick began to rave again and had to be given some medicine to keep him quiet. During one of his good spells he was removed to a house located about half a mile from Putnam Hall, where he could get the benefit of absolute quietness. His father went back to business, but his mother remained behind to nurse her boy.
The Thanksgiving holidays were now at hand, but the Rover boys decided to remain at the Hall and not go home until Christmas. Besides, they were preparing for the party at the Stanhope cottage, which was to come off on the following Wednesday evening. They had seen Dora, Nellie and Grace several times, and all had prepared for “the best time ever,” as the girls put it. Captain Putnam gave the boys permission to take the carryall and allowed them to leave the school on the day of the party at six o’clock.
“Whoop! here we go!” cried Tom, as he took the whip and cracked it loudly. “Hold on, everybody! Peleg, don’t let the team lag,” he went on, to the driver.
“An’ don’t you go for to make ’em run away, Master Tom,” answered the driver, grimly.
“It’s a pretty long drive and we don’t want to be late,” said Dick. “So push ahead as fast as you can.”
“Say, Tubby, where’s your stovepipe hat?” asked Sam of the dude cadet, who formed one of the party.
“I—ah—thought it would not be—ah—quite appropriate,” lisped William Philander. “Not—ah—being full dress, you know.”
“He was afraid of having it mashed,” said Fred. “Hurrah! We’re off! Now for a good night’s fun!”
They were to have a good night’s fun—and a most unusual adventure with it.
CHAPTER XIX
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PARTY
It was a clear, bright evening when the boys drove over to the Stanhope cottage. All were in high spirits and sang and joked to their hearts’ content. For the time being the trouble with Tad Sobber was totally forgotten. So far nothing more had been heard of the bully, and all were satisfied that he had left both Putnam Hall and Cedarville and perhaps for good.
“One boy told me he used to live with an uncle in New York City,” said Larry. “He didn’t know the uncle’s name.”
When the carryall arrived at the Stanhope place they found the cottage well lit up. Dora had invited a number of her girl friends and these, with her cousins, Grace and Nellie, were already on hand. The boys let out a ringing cheer as they stopped at the horse-block, and the girls came out to greet them.
“All here?” cried Dora.
“All here,” was the answer.
“Good!” cried several of the girls.
“I guess we are a bit early,” observed Dick. “But we wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be late, and it’s a long drive over.”
“You are not a bit too early,” answered Dora, and gave him her dainty hand which he squeezed ardently.
Soon the boys were piling out on the ground, and a general handshaking followed. Those who did not know each other were introduced, and everybody walked into the house, where a room upstairs had been prepared for the cadets’ reception.
“Now, everyone must feel perfectly at home,” said Mrs. Stanhope, who was being assisted by Mrs. Laning and Mr. Laning. The older folks prepared the refreshments while the young people sat down in the parlor and the sitting room.
At first, as at all parties, there was a little stiffness, but this was soon broken by Tom asking in a solemn voice:
“Say, did anybody bring an iceberg in his pocket? If he did he will please set it on the kitchen stove to thaw out.”
“Oh, Tom!” shrieked Nellie, and all the girls giggled. Then the “ice was broken” and everybody started to talk at once. Even William Philander was pleased, for he had discovered a tall, willowy girl who exactly suited him and who thought him charming.
At first they played half a dozen different games and gave out riddles, and Songbird recited a poem written in honor of the occasion. The poem was the best effort he had yet made in the verse line and of course everybody applauded. Then Grace said he ought to have it published in the Cedarville weekly paper, and this pleased the poet
very much.
“Maybe you can get a dollar a line for it, Songbird,” suggested Dick.
“If he can we’ll let him divide up with us,” added Tom, and this caused a laugh.
Presently refreshments were announced, and the boys and girls paired off and entered the dining room. Here a long table was spread, decorated with autumn leaves and the Putnam Hall colors. There were six colored candles on the table, each with an elaborate red shade, and the general effect was warm and pleasing. There were plenty of good things to eat, including ice-cream frozen into all sorts of forms. When the forms were passed around, Dick got a drum major, Tom an Uncle Sam, and Sam an airship. Hans got a fat Dutch boy, which tickled him immensely.
“Dot vos look chust like some poys by der Fadderlandt,” he observed.
With the ice-cream came snapper bonbons, filled with all sorts of things made of paper, and soon one boy was wearing an apron, another a nightcap, and the like. Dora got a yellow jacket, and Nellie a baker’s cap, while Grace skipped around wearing a poke hat over a foot high. There was plenty of laughter, and the old folks did not hesitate to join in. Nuts and raisins followed the ice-cream, and then the young folks went back to the sitting room and the parlor to finish their games and have some music.
“Dora, you must play for us,” said Dick, and led her to the piano. Then, while some of the others gathered around the girl played “Waiting for the Wagon,” “Aunt Dinah’s Quilting Party,” and a number of other favorites, and these the crowd sang lustily.
“Guess it is about time for us to leave,” whispered Fred to Dick, presently. “I know you’ll like to have Dora play all night for you, but it can’t be done.”
Dick looked at his watch.
“Phew! as late as this!” he exclaimed softly. “Yes, we’ll have to go.”
“Let us sing ‘Home, Sweet Home,’” suggested one of the boys, and Dora struck up the opening chords. They were in the midst of the first verse when Dick chanced to glance towards one of the windows and stopped short.
A man was outside peering in at the party.
It was Merrick!
“Well, I never!” burst out the eldest Rover boy, and his sudden exclamation caused Dora to look at him curiously and stop playing.
“What is the matter, Dick?”
“Did you see that man at the window? He is gone now.”
“I didn’t see anybody.”
“Who was it?” asked Tom, quickly.
“It was that rascal Merrick!”
“Merrick!” ejaculated Sam. “The fellow who took Uncle Randolph’s bonds?”
“The same.”
“Oh, Dick, you must be mistaken.”
“I was not mistaken—I saw him as plain as day. I am going to look for him,” added the eldest Rover, for the man had now disappeared.
He ran for the hall door, and the other boys followed. The girls remained in the parlor, much frightened, for it was after midnight.
As Dick reached the piazza he saw a dark form stealing along a row of bushes near the garden fence.
“There he is!” he exclaimed. “Stop!” he called out, loudly. “Stop, I tell you!”
“Who did you say it was?” asked John Laning, as he came from the kitchen with a stout cane in his hand.
“That rascal Merrick, one of the two men who stole my uncle’s traction company bonds,” explained Dick.
“What can he be doing here?”
“I don’t know. There he goes, over the fence!”
“He is running towards the side road!” exclaimed Sam. “Come on after him!”
“Wait till we get our hats and coats,” said Tom, and ran back to pick up the articles mentioned. This took a couple of minutes, and by the time he came back Merrick was out of sight.
The three Rovers ran to the side road, Fred Garrison and Mr. Laning with them.
“I wish I had a pistol,” remarked John Laning. “No telling how desperate a character that villain may be.”
“I’d like to know if he came on foot or with a horse,” said Dick.
“Do you think he followed us to this place?” asked Sam.
“I am sure I don’t know. The whole thing looks mighty queer to me.”
There was no moon, but the stars were shining brightly, so they could see fairly well on the road. As they reached a bend Tom pointed forward.
“There he is, just going into the bushes!”
“He had better not go that way,” was Mr. Laning’s remark, “unless he knows the ground well.”
“Why not?” asked Sam.
“Just beyond that patch of timber is Nixon’s Swamp, as it is called—as boggy and treacherous a spot as can be found for miles around. If he don’t look out he’ll get stuck there and never get out.”
“Do you know the swamp?” asked Dick. “I mean the good spots?”
“Fairly well—I used to come over here when I was a boy—to pick huckleberries. They are plentiful on the other side of the swamp.”
“Then supposing you lead the way and we’ll follow.”
They were soon in the woods and saw a well-defined path running to the eastward. Beyond was Nixon’s Swamp, and still further on another woods.
They were afraid they had lost track of the man they were after when they heard a crack ahead of them, followed by a short yell of alarm. Merrick had stumbled over a fallen log and pitched headlong into some thorny bushes. It took him some time to extricate himself, and meanwhile the pursuers drew closer.
“I see him!” cried Tom. “He is turning to the right!”
“He is headed for the worst part of the swamp,” was Mr. Laning’s comment. “If he doesn’t look out—”
A minute later a wild cry rang out from ahead. The cry was repeated twice, and then all became as silent as the grave.
“He must have gone down into the swamp,” exclaimed Dick.
“Yes, and more than likely he is drowning to death,” added John Laning.
CHAPTER XX
DICK AND DORA
The boys were almost afraid to penetrate further into the woods, for they found the ground growing wet and spongy under their feet. All halted and gathered around Mr. Laning.
“Do you think he has really been drowned?” asked Sam, with a slight shiver.
“It may be,” was the farmer’s reply. “I know of one man who was drowned here some years ago, and every year cattle are lost here. The bottom of the swamp is very sticky, and once a person gets in he sinks down and under.”
“What shall we do?” questioned Tom.
“We can go ahead, but we want to be mighty careful. Don’t take a step until you are sure of your footing. If you find yourself sinking, grab hold of some tree or bush.”
Mr. Laning led the way and the boys followed, until they had covered a distance of fifty or sixty feet. Here the ground was so soft they had to leap from one tree root or clump of bushes to another. As they moved forward they listened intently for some further sound from Merrick, but none came.
“Hullo, what’s this?” cried Dick, presently, and moved to one side, close to a pool of dark and treacherous-looking water. “A man’s hat!”
He picked it up and turned it over. On the inside were the initials, S. A. M.
“It must be Merrick’s,” he went on. “Can he have gone down here?”
The others came at his call and all looked at the hat, which had been lying in the mud at the side of the pool. Then a match was struck, and all gazed around and into the pool while this faint illumination lasted. No other trace of the missing man was to be seen.
“Merrick, where are you?” called out Dick. “If you need help, say so, and we’ll try to get you out.”
“Do you think he’d answer that call?” asked Fred.
“I think he’d rather go to prison than die in this swamp,” was th
e reply.
The students and Mr. Laning moved cautiously around the edge of the swamp for half an hour and then returned to the roadway. To mark the spot where the hat had been found Dick hung the head covering on a tree limb.
“We can come back in the daylight and make another search,” said he. “And we can notify the authorities, too.”
When they got back to the Stanhope cottage they found the others anxiously awaiting their return.
“Did you catch him?”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, we didn’t catch him, and nobody is hurt,” answered Mr. Laning. “We lost him in the swamp, and there is no telling where he is now.”
“I want to get hold of him for two reasons—that is, if he is alive,” said Dick. “I want to get back those bonds and I want to know what brought him to this cottage.”
“Maybe he came here to rob the Stanhopes,” whispered Tom. “But I shouldn’t tell them, for it will frighten them too much.”
“No, don’t say a word, Tom. If you do, Mrs. Stanhope will be just as nervous as she ever was.”
“I and my family are going to stay here tonight,” announced Mr. Laning; “so we can go on a hunt for that man first thing in the morning.”
“And I’ll drive over, if Captain Putnam will let me,” answered Dick.
The appearance of Merrick had put a damper on the breaking up of the party, and the Rovers were rather silent as they went back to the school. It was too late to speak to Captain Putnam that night, but Dick was up early and saw the master of the Hall before breakfast.
“I trust you had a good time last night,” said Captain Putnam, smiling.
“We did have, sir,” said Dick. “But our party broke up in a way we didn’t anticipate,” and then he told of what had occurred.
The captain had heard of the missing traction company bonds, and he readily allowed Dick to go back to the cottage, using a horse and buggy for that purpose. Sam and Tom wanted to go, too, but to this Captain Putnam demurred.
“I think one is enough, especially as Mr. Laning is there, too,” he said.
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