The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch; Or, The Cowboys' Double Round-Up
by Edward Stratemeyer · English · Gutenberg #26539 · 363,874 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch; Or, The Cowboys' Double Round-Up
Author: Edward Stratemeyer
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Most recently updated: January 4, 2021
Language: English
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THE ROVER BOYS AT BIG HORN RANCH
or
The Cowboys' Double Round-Up
by
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
(Edward Stratemeyer)
Author of "The Rover Boys at School," "The Rover Boys
on Treasure Isle," "The Rover Boys at Colby Hall,"
"The Putnam Hall Cadets Series," etc.
Illustrated
[Illustration: ANDY AND FRED FOUND THE ROCKS ANYTHING BUT EASY TO ASCEND.
Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch (Page 271)]
New York
Grosset & Dunlap
Publishers
Made in the United States of America
* * * * *
BOOKS BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
(Edward Stratemeyer)
THE FIRST ROVER BOYS SERIES
THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE
THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS
THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP
THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE RIVER
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE PLAINS
THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM
THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE
THE ROVER BOYS AT COLLEGE
THE ROVER BOYS DOWN EAST
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE AIR
THE ROVER BOYS IN NEW YORK
THE ROVER BOYS IN ALASKA
THE ROVER BOYS IN BUSINESS
THE ROVER BOYS ON A TOUR
THE SECOND ROVER BOYS SERIES
THE ROVER BOYS AT COLBY HALL
THE ROVER BOYS ON SNOWSHOE ISLAND
THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS
THE ROVER BOYS ON A HUNT
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE LAND OF LUCK
THE ROVER BOYS AT BIG HORN RANCH
THE PUTNAM HALL SERIES
THE CADETS OF PUTNAM HALL
THE RIVALS OF PUTNAM HALL
THE CHAMPIONS OF PUTNAM HALL
THE REBELLION OF PUTNAM HALL
CAMPING OUT DAYS AT PUTNAM HALL
THE MYSTERY AT PUTNAM HALL
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.
Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York
Copyright, 1922, by
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION
My Dear Boys: This book is a complete story in itself, but forms the
sixth volume in a line issued under the general title, "The Second Rover
Boys Series for Young Americans."
As noted in some volumes of the first series, this line was started years
ago with the publication of "The Rover Boys at School," "On the Ocean,"
and "In the Jungle," in which I introduced my readers to Dick, Tom and
Sam Rover and their relatives and friends. The twenty volumes of the
First Series related the doings of these three Rover boys while attending
Putnam Hall Military Academy, Brill College, and while on numerous
outings.
Having finished their education, the three young men established
themselves in business and became married. Dick Rover was blessed with a
son and a daughter, as was also his brother Sam, while Tom became the
proud father of a pair of the liveliest kind of twin boys.
From their home in New York City the young Rovers were sent to a boarding
school, as related in the first volume of the Second Series, entitled
"The Rover Boys at Colby Hall." From that institution of learning the
scene was shifted to "Snowshoe Island," where the lads spent a mid-winter
outing. Then they rejoined their fellow-cadets and had some strenuous
doings while "Under Canvas." After that, in a volume entitled "The Rover
Boys on a Hunt," I related how they uncovered the mystery surrounding a
strange house in the woods. And following this came a trip to Texas and
Oklahoma, where, "In the Land of Luck," the boys aided Dick Rover in his
efforts to locate some valuable oil wells.
In the present volume the scene is shifted back to Colby Hall and then to
a ranch in the West where some remarkable happenings await our young
heroes.
From reports received I am assured that the sale of this line of books
has now passed the _three million_ mark! This is as astonishing as it is
gratifying. I sincerely trust that the reading of the volumes will do all
of the boys and girls good.
Affectionately and sincerely yours,
Edward Stratemeyer.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Snow and Snowballs 1
II. Something about the Rover Boys 13
III. What the Sneak Told 23
IV. Prisoners 35
V. By the Fishing-Pole Route 46
VI. A Touch of Mystery 58
VII. Something about a Sleighride Party 70
VIII. A Fight and a Challenge 82
IX. The Shooting Contest 93
X. Spouter's Secret 103
XI. The Election of Officers 113
XII. Bonfire Night 123
XIII. A Startling Discovery 133
XIV. The Parade 145
XV. Baseball 156
XVI. Spouter Is Cornered 166
XVII. Good-Bye to School 175
XVIII. On the Way West 184
XIX. In the Saddle 193
XX. At Big Horn Ranch 204
XXI. Hop Lung and the Fish 213
XXII. A Horse and a Snake 222
XXIII. Jarley Bangs 232
XXIV. A New Arrival 242
XXV. Professor Duke's Secret 254
XXVI. The Cattle Stampede 264
XXVII. The Mountain Lion 274
XXVIII. In the Cave 284
XXIX. A Confession 294
XXX. The Capture--Conclusion 303
THE ROVER BOYS AT
BIG HORN RANCH
CHAPTER I
SNOW AND SNOWBALLS
"Line up, fellows! No crowding ahead in this contest."
"Here, Jack, give me some elbow room if you want me to do any real
snowball throwing!" cried Fred Rover.
"All the elbow room you want," returned his cousin gayly.
"Remember the prize!" shouted Andy Rover to the cadets who were stringing
themselves out in a ragged line. "The first fellow to throw a snowball
over the top of the barn gets a sock doughnut."
"For gracious sake! what do you call a sock doughnut?" demanded Phil
Franklin, another cadet, as he paused in the act of rounding up a
snowball he was making.
"A sock doughnut is one with a big hole in it," answered Andy, with a
grin.
"Then my socks must be all of the doughnut variety," put in one of the
cadets dolefully. "They are always full of holes."
"Never mind the socks now!" cried Randy Rover. "Let's see who can put the
first snowball over the barn."
It was late in the afternoon of a day in January and a number of the
cadets of Colby Hall had been amusing themselves in the snow which
covered the ground to a depth of nearly a foot. They had started in to
snowballing each other, but had then grown more serious and had built
several snow forts and likewise two or three snowmen which later they had
taken great sport in knocking apart. Then some one had suggested that
they try their skill at seeing who could throw, the highest and farthest,
and this had led to the present contest.
"We'll mark off a line about a hundred feet from the main barn," Jack
Rover had announced. "And then we'll see who can throw highest over the
roof."
The four Rovers were accompanied by half a dozen of their chums and six
or eight others, and at the word from Jack the snowballs began to fly at
a lively rate, a few landing on the roof of the big barn and the majority
hitting the side.
"Say, look out that you don't break a window," warned Gif Garrison. "If
you do, you'll have an account to settle with Captain Dale."
"Here she goes!" yelled Dan Soppinger, and let fly with so much strength
that the snowball sailed up to the very ridgepole of the barn and
disappeared on the other side.
"Hurrah! Dan draws first blood!" shouted Jack.
"Huh! Dan didn't throw over the barn, he just slid over it," snickered
Randy.
Jack was hard at work making a small and perfectly round ball. Now,
taking careful aim, he let fly with all his might.
"There she goes fair and square," he announced with pardonable pride, as
the snowball cleared the top of the barn by several feet and disappeared
beyond.
The snowball had scarcely been thrown when two other balls thrown by Fred
and another cadet went sailing over the barn. Then those in the contest
seemed to acquire better skill, and soon nearly every one of them was
topping the barn with the missiles.
"Phew! some hot work, I'll say," panted Will Hendry, usually called Fatty
because he was the stoutest boy in the school.
"This exercise will do you good, Fatty," returned Fred. "You need to
reduce."
"If Fatty keeps on he'll be eating Colby Hall poor," announced Spouter
Powell.
"Huh! I don't eat any more than any of you," grumbled Fatty. "Fact is, I
hold myself down."
"Gee! listen to that, will you?" exclaimed Andy. "Fatty says he holds
himself down! And this morning I saw him storing away three helpings of
sausages and about 'steen dozen buckwheat cakes."
"Nothing of the kind! I didn't have a bit more than you had," growled
Hendry. He broke off suddenly. "Hello! what's up now?"
"Hi! Hi! What's the meaning o' this?" cried a voice from around one end
of the big barn, and a man, dressed in overalls and a heavy cap and
carrying a broom, appeared.
"Hello there, Bob Nixon!" cried Jack. "What's wrong?"
"There'll be a whole lot wrong if you fellows keep on throwing those
snowballs much farther," answered Bob Nixon, who was a chauffeur for the
Hall and who did all sorts of odd jobs in the winter time.
"Did we hit you?" questioned Phil Franklin.
"You sure did--on the back and on my hand," answered Nixon.
"We didn't know anybody was around on that side of the barn," announced
Andy.
"I don't suppose you did. But never mind me. What I want to know is, do
you fellows intend to smash all the glass in those hotbed frames out
yonder?"
"Great salt mackerel!" ejaculated Fred. "I forgot those hotbed frames
were there."
"Why, the glass is out of 'em, anyway, isn't it?" questioned Gif.
"It was out. But they've been setting some of 'em in again, getting ready
for some early stuff. You've sent those snowballs up to within ten or
fifteen feet of where the frames are located."
"Gosh! it's a good thing you told us of this," burst out Fatty Hendry.
"We might have had a nice lot of glassware to pay for."
"Not you, Fatty," grinned Andy. "You never even hit the top of the barn.
If you break any glass it will be in some of those basement windows."
"Come on up to the other end of the barn," suggested Gif. "Then the
snowballs will fly right out into the open field and do no harm."
"Well, I don't care where you throw 'em as long as you don't get into
mischief," answered Bob Nixon, and disappeared into the barn.
After that the cadets continued to throw over the structure for some
time. But then they gradually lost interest, and as the short winter day
was coming rapidly to an end some hurried into the Hall to do a little
extra school work before the bell should ring for supper.
"Well, what next?" questioned Fred Rover, when he and his three cousins
and Gif, Phil and Spouter found themselves left alone.
"I've got a great scheme for to-night if you fellows will help,"
announced Randy. He and his twin brother were always ready for a joke.
"What is it?" questioned Jack quickly.
"This snow is just soft enough for rolling some big balls, as we found
out this afternoon," answered his cousin. "What's the matter with making
a whole lot of big snowballs and placing 'em in some of the bedrooms
to-night?"
"Gee, that's the talk!" cried his twin merrily. "I'd like to place a
couple in Codfish's room."
"He certainly deserves 'em," added Fred. "He's getting to be just as big
a sneak as he ever was. All of our kindness to him seems to have been
useless."
"And I thought he was going to turn over a new leaf," declared Jack. "I
wonder if some of the other fellows haven't been teasing him and that has
made him go back to his old tricks."
"I know one person I'd like to treat to some big snowballs!" broke out
Fred. "That's Professor Duke."
"Oh, say! I'd like to square up with him myself," burst out Andy. "Gee!
he certainly did have it in for us yesterday."
"Professor Duke is certainly a sour one--much worse than Asa Lemm ever
dared to be," came from Gif.
"I was thinking of Duke when I mentioned it," said Randy. "You know he
has his room in our building instead of with the other professors in
Colonel Colby's residence."
"We don't want to get in bad with the colonel," remarked Fred seriously.
"Oh, I think we can fix it so that nobody will know who did it," returned
his cousin.
The matter was talked over for several minutes, and then, having agreed
on their plan for more fun, the Rover boys and their chums set to work
rolling a number of snowballs which were two feet or more in diameter.
These they placed close to the school building at a point where there was
a series of fire-escapes leading down from the upper halls of the
institution.
"We can let down the ladder just as soon as we're ready to turn the
trick," announced Randy. "I don't believe anybody will notice it, for it
will be dark and so cold that most everybody will be indoors."
"We've got to be on our guard to make certain that Codfish or Duke or
somebody else doesn't spot us," said Spouter Powell. "Of course it
wouldn't hurt if some of the regular fellows found us out, because they'd
keep it to themselves."
It must be confessed that the Rover boys were rather preoccupied in mind
during supper that evening. In fact, Andy grew so thoughtless that he
salted some eggs he was eating three times, so that when he finally came
to his senses the food had to be pushed aside. This happened just as
Professor Snopper Duke was passing, and the new teacher eyed the young
cadet suspiciously.
"What is the matter with that omelet, Rover?" he demanded, in his
high-pitched, nervous tone of voice.
"Nothing the matter with it, sir," answered Andy. "Only I somehow forgot
and salted it too much."
"Really!" returned Snopper Duke sarcastically. "Is that the way you waste
food?"
"No, sir. It was only a mistake," answered Andy meekly.
"You ought to be made to eat that omelet," continued the professor
severely. "Don't let such a thing happen again." And then, with his eyes
rolling around among the other cadets to see if anything else might be
wrong, he passed slowly down among the tables of the mess hall.
"Oh, isn't he a perfect little lamb!" murmured Randy. "So awfully
tender-hearted!"
"Somebody ought to wring his neck," grumbled his twin.
"Just the same, Andy, you'd better be careful how you handle the
salt-shaker after this," put in Jack.
After the meal the Rovers and their chums mingled with the other cadets
and informed two or three of what was in the wind, and as a consequence
there was quite some excitement noticeable when a little later the crowd,
with the exception of Randy, slipped out of the school building by a side
door. Randy ran upstairs, to appear presently on the lower landing of the
fire-escape. Here was suspended a heavy iron ladder in such a fashion
that it could be easily shoved out so that one end would drop to the
ground.
Soon the crowd of cadets appeared in the snow below him, and then, with a
warning to them to get out of the way, Randy let down the ladder and then
came down himself.
"All clear upstairs," he announced. "Not a soul in sight."
"One of us ought to stay on guard up there to give warning in case it's
necessary," announced Spouter.
"Well, suppose you go up," returned Jack.
"I'd just as soon help with the snowballs," returned Spouter. "But if you
want me to go I'll do so." And a moment later he disappeared up the
ladder and into the school building through a window which had been
thrown open.
The cadets on the ground found it no easy task to raise the big snowballs
up the ladder. They tried it first with nothing but their hands, but soon
found they could do much better by dumping a snowball into a big overcoat
and then hauling it up by the sleeves and the tail of the garment. They
worked as rapidly as possible, and soon had eight of the snowballs raised
to the platform of the fire-escape.
"How about it? Everything clear?" questioned Randy, as he came into the
corridor where Spouter was on guard.
"All clear so far," was the reply. "A few of the fellows are in their
rooms, but no one that we are going to bother."
"Then let's get those snowballs inside and distribute 'em."
In a few minutes the snowballs were gotten inside the building, and then
two were rolled and pushed over to the room occupied by Henry Stowell, a
cadet commonly called Codfish on account of the broadness of his mouth.
Luck was with them, for the door was unlocked, so that they had little
trouble in rolling the snowballs inside, where they were placed one on
either side of the single bed the cadet occupied.
After this the cadets rolled several of the balls to various other rooms,
one being placed in the tub of a bathroom.
"I've saved the biggest of the snowballs," whispered Randy. "That's the
one we must place in Professor Duke's room."
The professor's room was around in another corridor, and to get to this
the cadets had to roll the big snowball directly past the top of the
broad stairs leading to the hall below. They had the snowball in a
position right at the head of the stairs when Spouter, who was leaning
over the upper railing on guard, gave a sudden hiss of warning.
"Somebody coming!" he announced in a whisper. "And unless I'm mistaken,
it's Professor Duke!"
"Gosh! I hope he doesn't catch us," returned Gif Garrison. "Maybe we had
better run for it."
"Here he comes right for the stairs!" put in Jack, as he saw the familiar
form pass a light in the lower hall.
The cadets did not know just what to do, and while they paused to
consider, Professor Duke started up the long, straight stairs. He was
evidently in deep thought and did not look above him.
"Run, fellows! Run!" whispered Andy excitedly, and then, as the others
started away he attempted to follow. But the floor was wet from the
melting snow, and down he came flat on his back, both feet hitting the
big snowball squarely.
The movement was sufficient to send the snowball directly to the edge of
the top step. Here, as Andy scrambled to his feet, it hovered for a
moment, then began to slide down the stairs, gathering speed from step to
step.
"Hi! Hi! What is this?" those above heard Snopper Duke ejaculate. And the
next instant the teacher set up a yell of alarm as the big snowball hit
him in the stomach and hurled him to one side. Then the snowball passed
on down the stairs, slid across the lower hallway, and shot directly
through the open door leading to Colonel Colby's private office!
CHAPTER II
SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROVER BOYS
"Gee, we've done it now!"
"The snowball knocked Professor Duke over!"
"Hi! Stop that! What do you mean? Who did that?" came in smothered tones
from Snopper Duke, who now sat on one of the lower steps of the stairs,
holding both hands over the spot where the big snowball had struck him.
"Gosh! it struck him, all right," whispered Gif Garrison.
"Yes. And it went across the hallway into Colonel Colby's office!" gasped
Andy, who had scrambled to his feet and given a glance downward.
"Skip for it!" put in his twin brother quickly. "We mustn't be caught at
this."
The warning was not needed, for all of the cadets were already scrambling
through the corridor and away from the stairs as rapidly as possible.
They came to a halt in front of Room 18, that which Jack occupied.
"Skip inside and pretend to be reading or studying," said the oldest of
the Rover boys.
"I think we had better go to our own rooms," said Gif to Phil and
Spouter. "And remember, mum is the word," he added for the benefit of the
others.
"There'll be some fun sooner or later, believe me," remarked Fred. "Andy,
why did you push that snowball downstairs on top of old Duke?"
"I didn't do it on purpose. I slipped," was the answer. "But come before
they start to investigate." And then he slipped into Jack's room,
followed by his cousins.
And here let me pause for a moment to tell something about the Rover boys
and how it was that they came to be at Colby Hall. My old readers will
not need this introduction, and, therefore, I shall not feel hurt if they
skip my words on the subject.
In the first volume of this line, entitled "The Rover Boys at School," I
introduced three brothers, Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover, and told how they
were sent to Putnam Hall Military Academy where they made a number of
chums, including a cadet named Lawrence Colby.
Passing through Putnam Hall successfully, the three brothers next
attended Brill College, and then went into business in New York City,
where they organized The Rover Company, with offices on Wall Street.
During their school days the Rover brothers had fallen in with three very
nice girls, Dora Stanhope and her cousins, Nellie and Grace Laning. The
three young couples became married and settled down in connecting houses
on Riverside Drive, New York City.
About a year following their marriage Dick and his wife Dora became the
parents of a son, who was named John, and this son was followed by a
daughter Martha. The boy Jack, as he was usually called, was a sturdy
youth with many of the independent qualities which had made his father so
successful.
Shortly after the birth of Jack, Tom Rover and his wife Nellie came
forward with a great surprise in the form of a pair of lively twin boys,
one of whom was named Anderson and the other Randolph. Andy and Randy, as
they were invariably called, were exceedingly active lads, in that
particular being a second edition of their fun-loving father, Tom.
About the time Tom's twins came upon the scene, Sam Rover and his wife
Grace became the parents of a little girl, called Mary. Then, a year
later, the girl was followed by a boy who was christened Fred.
Residing side by side, the younger generation of Rover boys, as well as
their sisters, were brought up very much as one large family. At first
they were sent to private schools in the Metropolis, but the boys, led by
Andy and Randy, showed such an aptitude for fun and horseplay that their
parents were compelled to hold a consultation.
"We'll have to send those kids to some strict boarding school--some
military academy," said Dick Rover.
"I guess that's right," his brother Tom had answered. "Although how my
wife is going to get along without having the twins around is more than I
know."
At that time Lawrence Colby, the Rovers' former Putnam Hall chum, was at
the head of a military academy called Colby Hall. To this institution
Jack, Fred, and the twins were sent. And what they did upon their arrival
there is told in detail in the first volume of my second series, entitled
"The Rover Boys at Colby Hall."
The military school was located about half a mile from the town of Haven
Point on Clearwater Lake. At the head of the lake was the Rick Rack
River, running down from the hills and forests beyond. The school
consisted of a large stone building facing the river, and close by was a
smaller building occupied by Colonel Colby and his family and some of the
professors, and at a short distance were a gymnasium, a boathouse, and
likewise bathing pavilions.
On arriving at Colby Hall the younger Rovers found several of their
friends awaiting them, including Dick Powell, usually called Spouter
because of his occasional desire to make long speeches, and Gifford
Garrison. Spouter and Gif were the sons of Songbird Powell and Fred
Garrison, men who in their boyhood days had been close chums of the older
Rovers while at Putnam Hall. The Rovers made a number of other friends,
and, likewise, a few enemies, many of whom will be heard of later.
As mentioned, Colby Hall was located about half a mile beyond Haven
Point, and on the opposite side of the town was Clearwater Hall, a
boarding school for girls. During a panic in a motion picture house the
Rover boys became acquainted with several girls from Clearwater Hall,
including Ruth Stevenson, May Powell, Alice Strobell, and Annie Larkins.
They discovered that May was Spouter Powell's cousin, and the whole crowd
of young people soon became friends. Later on Mary and Martha Rover
became pupils at the girls' school.
Ruth Stevenson had an old uncle, Barney, and one day, while out hunting,
the Rover boys did the old man a great service. For this he invited them
to spend some winter holidays with him, which they did, as related in
another volume, called "The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island."
On this island the boys met two of their former enemies, Nappy Martell
and Slugger Brown, as well as Asa Lemm, a discharged teacher of Colby
Hall. The Rovers exposed a plot against old Uncle Barney and caused the
hunter's enemies to leave Snowshoe Island in disgust.
Some of the boys hoped they had seen the last of Nappy and Slugger, but
Jack was doubtful; and how those two unworthies turned up again to cause
more trouble is related in the book entitled "The Rover Boys Under
Canvas."
This was at the time of the annual encampment, and at an election of
officers Jack was made captain of Company C and Fred made first
lieutenant.
While the Rover boys were at Colby Hall the great war in Europe opened.
When the call for army volunteers came Dick Rover and his brother Sam
lost no time in enlisting, and as soon as he could get away Tom Rover
followed; and the three fathers of the boys went into the trenches in
Europe to do their duty for Uncle Sam.
During the following winter at Colby Hall Gif Garrison received a letter
from an uncle, stating that he and his chums might use a bungalow up in
the woods. Gif at once invited the Rover boys and Spouter to become his
guests, and what a glorious time the lads had is related in a volume
entitled "The Rover Boys on a Hunt."
The return of the older Rovers from Europe at the conclusion of the great
war in which they had served gallantly brought something of a surprise.
Dick Rover had saved the life of a man from Texas, and in return had been
given the deed to some property located between Texas and Oklahoma and
said to be in a region containing oil. He decided to go to Texas and
Oklahoma to investigate, and the four boys begged to go along. How they
went to the oil fields and what stirring adventures they had there are
related in detail in the volume preceding this, called "The Rover Boys in
the Land of Luck."
Here they fell in again with Nappy Martell, Slugger Brown, and another
good-for-nothing lad named Gabe Werner, and also with a man named Carson
Davenport, who did his best to do Dick Rover great harm. Davenport and
some of his cohorts were finally placed under arrest. As a result of this
Gabe Werner's father took hold of some wells that were being sunk by the
Davenport crowd. But in the end he and the Martells and the Browns lost a
great deal of their money, so that they were left almost penniless.
"It's a terrible blow for those three families," said Dick Rover, when
this occurred. "It will make Mr. Werner quite a poor man."
"Well, I don't particularly wish them any hard luck," remarked Andy.
"Just the same, I guess Nappy, Slugger, and Gabe got what was coming to
them."
Before going down to Texas and Oklahoma the Rover boys, while along the
Rick Rack River during a violent storm, had succeeded in rescuing a man
and his son who were caught between some rocks and a drifting tree in the
middle of the swiftly flowing stream.
The man, John Franklin, was exceedingly thankful for what had been done
for him, and so was his son Philip. It developed later that the Franklins
owned a tract of land in Texas. And when it was discovered that the tract
inherited by Dick Rover from the soldier in France was practically
worthless, Jack's father made an arrangement to work the Franklin place
on shares. Two oil wells were bored, and both of these paid handsomely,
making the Rovers richer than ever and also placing a substantial amount
in the bank to John Franklin's account.
"Do you know I can scarcely believe it's true," Phil Franklin had said to
the Rover boys. "Why, my father will have more money than he ever dreamed
of."
"We're as glad as you are, Phil," Jack had answered. "Glad on your
account as well as our own. Now maybe you can go to Colby Hall with us."
"Say, that would be immense!" Phil had returned with pleasure. And that
fall he had joined the crowd at the military academy and soon made for
himself a host of friends.
"Gee, I never thought going to school could be so nice," declared Phil
Franklin to the Rover boys one day. "I always considered going to school
a hardship. But this is bang-up in every way."
"I guess you haven't made any enemies yet, Phil," remarked Fred. "Don't
forget that Nappy Martell, Slugger Brown, and Gabe Werner all hailed from
here."
"I've met only one fellow that I don't like," returned Phil Franklin.
"That's a fellow who came in the day I did, a big, tall, lanky chap named
Lester Bangs."
"Oh, you mean Brassy Bangs," broke in Randy. "I know that fellow only too
well. I had quite a set-to with him one day in the gym."
"For a new cadet he's certainly pretty forward," answered Jack. "I'm glad
he isn't a member of my company. If he was I think I'd have to call him
down more than once."
"I guess Colby Hall is bound to have its bullies," Andy had remarked on
hearing this. "No sooner do we get rid of one group than another appears.
They seem to grow like weeds."
During the fall there had been the usual football season at the military
academy, and the boys had acquitted themselves quite creditably, winning
seven games out of twelve. Then had come the brief Christmas holidays.
And following this the lads had settled down once more into the grind,
resolved to do their best at their lessons. But, of course, they were
only boys, and they had to have their fun, and occasionally the fun went
a little too far and brought forth rather disastrous results, as we have
just seen.
CHAPTER III
WHAT THE SNEAK TOLD
"I certainly didn't think that snowball would go down the stairs so
easily," remarked Andy, when he and the other Rovers were alone.
"Keep quiet," warned Jack, who had remained at the partly-opened door. "I
want to hear what takes place."
"This is outrageous, simply outrageous!" they heard in Snopper Duke's
high-pitched voice. "How dared you roll such a snowball down these
stairs? And how came you to get that snowball up there anyway?"
"Excuse me, Professor, but I don't know what you're talking about,"
answered another voice; and at this Jack gave a slight start, for he
recognized the words as coming from Brassy Bangs.
"What is that? You do not know anything about the big snowball that just
came hurtling down these stairs?" stormed Professor Duke.
"No, sir. I just reached the top of the stairs," answered Brassy Bangs.
"I came out of my room not ten seconds ago."
"What do you know about this, Stowell?" went on the professor, who had
now come slowly to the top of the stairs, followed by Professor Grawson,
who had come out of Colonel Colby's private office where he had been
looking over some reports when the big snowball had landed with a thump
against the desk at which he had been seated.
"Me? What do you mean?" stammered the youth who was known to the cadets
as Codfish and who had always been more or less of a sneak.
"Somebody just rolled a big snowball down the stairs. It struck me and
nearly knocked me flat," returned the irate teacher.
"Yes, and it rolled all the way into the private office," added Professor
Grawson.
"I don't know anything about any snowballs," said Codfish. "I noticed the
floor was all wet and I wondered what it meant."
"I saw some fellows rushing around the corner," came from Brassy Bangs.
"Who were they?" demanded Snopper Duke.
"I don't know."
"Which way did they go?"
"That way," and Brassy pointed out the direction.
By this time the two professors had reached the top of the stairs and
Grawson was looking at the water marks on the polished floor.
"Here is where they brought that big snowball in," he remarked, pointing
to the track that led to one of the windows. "They must have brought it
up on the fire-escape."
"Here are several other tracks. I think we had better follow them,"
returned Snopper Duke quickly.
The track leading to the bathroom was most in evidence, and the two
professors quickly discovered the big snowball resting in the bathtub.
"Evidently they put this here to have some more fun with," announced
Professor Grawson grimly. "Well, it won't do much harm here. I'll turn on
a little hot water and it will soon melt and run off," and he turned on
the faucet as he spoke.
From the bathroom the two professors, followed by Codfish and Brassy,
followed the water trail into a room occupied by several students who
were particularly uppish and whom the Rovers did not like, and here some
more of the snowballs were found.
"Here is another trail," announced Professor Duke, and in a moment more
had thrown open the door leading to Stowell's bedroom.
"Here! what does this mean?" stammered Codfish, as, after the light had
been turned on, he and the others saw the two big snowballs resting on
either side of the bed.
"Stowell, you must have had something to do with this," cried Snopper
Duke savagely.
"No, sir. Not at all, sir," answered the sneak in a trembling voice. "I
don't know a thing about it."
"Where did you come from just now?"
"I--I came up the back stairs. I was just coming through the corridor
when I heard the noise and came to see what it meant."
"The back stairs, eh?" put in Professor Grawson. "What were you doing on
the back stairs this time in the evening?"
"I--I was down in the kitchen." And now Codfish grew pale.
"And what called you to the kitchen?"
"I--I was hungry, and so I asked one of the servants for something to
eat." And now Codfish was fairly whining.
"Humph! didn't you have any supper?"
"Yes, sir. But I wasn't feeling extra well just then and I didn't eat
very much, and that made me hungry afterwards. And, oh, say! I guess I
can tell you something about those snowballs," and Codfish's face lit up
suddenly.
"What do you know?"
"When I was passing through the little entryway that leads into the
kitchen I happened to glance out of the window and I saw four or five
fellows down at the foot of the fire-escape."
"What were they doing?"
"When I looked at them they were just talking among themselves. I only
looked for a moment because I was in a hurry to get to the kitchen and
get back again."
"Did you recognize any of the cadets?"
At this direct question, Codfish hesitated and showed that he felt far
from comfortable.
"I don't like to tell on anybody," he whined. "If I do that they'll be
sure to lick me later on--I know they will!"
"You tell me who they were and I'll see to it that they do not harm you,"
put in Professor Duke quickly.
"I only saw two of the fellows real plainly," answered Stowell. "They
were standing in the light from one of the windows."
"And who were they? Tell me! I want no nonsense now," and Snopper Duke
caught the sneak firmly by the shoulder.
"Ouch! Please don't hurt me!" cried Codfish, in added alarm.
"Then answer me!"
"The two fellows I recognized were Captain Jack Rover and his cousin,
Lieutenant Fred Rover."
"You didn't know the others?" put in Professor Grawson.
"No, sir. I didn't see them well enough. They were all in the shadows."
"I'll investigate this," cried Professor Duke. "Stowell, you come with
me."
"Oh, please don't make me come!" cried the sneak. "They'll almost kill me
if they find I gave them away!"
"They sha'n't touch you."
"Oh, I know what they'll do," moaned Codfish. He had not forgotten how
the Rover boys had sided with him on more than one perilous occasion, and
it scared him half to death to think what they might do when they
discovered how meanly he was acting.
But there was no help for it, and Codfish was marched along between the
two professors, with Brassy and a number of other cadets, who had been
attracted by the noise and the talk, following.
Meanwhile the four Rover boys had listened to as much of the conversation
as they could catch.
"They went into Codfish's room--they are following the trail of the water
on the floor," announced Jack.
"Some of the other fellows are coming out and coming upstairs," announced
Fred. "Let us go out too and see what happens."
"Maybe they'll accuse Codfish of this," remarked Randy, with a grin.
The four Rovers had just come out in the corridor and been joined by Gif,
Phil, and Spouter when they found themselves suddenly confronted by
Professor Duke, with Professor Grawson and poor Codfish directly behind
him.
"So this is your work, is it?" demanded Snopper Duke, glaring angrily at
Jack and Fred in turn.
"To what do you refer, Professor?" asked Jack, as calmly as he could.
"You know well enough, Captain Rover. It is useless for you to deny it,"
stormed the angry teacher. "You and your cousins here are responsible for
bringing those big snowballs into the school."
"Who says so?" questioned Fred. At the same time he gave Codfish a look
that made the sneak want to hide himself.
"Never mind who says so. We know it to be a fact," stormed Snopper Duke.
"Will you kindly let me know what you mean by such outrageous conduct?"
"Is it so very outrageous, Professor, to bring a few snowballs into the
school?" questioned Randy innocently.
"We've often brought snow into the school," put in Andy. "We used to use
it for making a sort of home-made ice-cream--with milk and sugar and a
little flavoring, you know."
"Colonel Colby or Captain Dale never ordered us to leave the snow
outdoors," added Fred, and at this there was a snicker from among a
number of the cadets who were gathered.
"I will not listen to such nonsense," stormed Snopper Duke. "You four
brought those snowballs into this school, and some of you kicked that
snowball down the stairs on top of me," he added, glaring at them.
"I want to say right now, Professor Duke, that that big snowball went
downstairs by accident," answered Andy, feeling that there was no help
for it and that he must make a clean breast of the matter. "We were
rolling it down the corridor when all at once I slipped in a puddle of
water and both my feet struck the snowball and sent it on its way down
the stairs. But we didn't mean to send it down; I can give you my word on
that."
"I don't believe it," stormed Snopper Duke.
"I'm telling you the truth, sir."
"Perhaps Rover didn't mean to send the snowball downstairs," put in
Professor Grawson mildly. As a general thing he sided with the cadets and
they had little difficulty in getting along with him.
"Mr. Grawson, I was the one to suffer through this outrageous trick,"
fumed Snopper Duke. "And you will kindly permit me to handle the affair.
These four cadets are guilty and must be punished."
"I agree it is more your affair than mine, Mr. Duke," returned the other
teacher. "But don't you think it would be wise to let the matter rest
until Colonel Colby comes back from the city?"
"Not at all! Not at all! These young rascals must be taken in hand, and
at once. Otherwise our authority in this institution will go to pieces."
At this moment there was a movement among the students who had collected
in the corridor, and Gif and Spouter stepped forward.
"Excuse me, Professor Duke," said Gif. "But I had as much to do with
bringing those snowballs upstairs as anybody."
"And so did I," added Spouter.
"And I was in on the deal, too," came from Phil Franklin, as he too
stepped forward.
"What? All of you?" demanded Snopper Duke, eyeing them coldly.
"I can assure you we meant no great harm," continued Spouter. "We were
only going to have a little fun among ourselves and with our
fellow-cadets--that is, mostly," he added somewhat lamely, as he
remembered what had been said about placing some of the snowballs in the
teacher's room.
"Were any others implicated in this despicable piece of business?"
demanded Professor Duke, looking around at the assembled cadets. "Answer
me at once!"
There was no reply to this, the cadets simply looking at each other
questioningly.
"We're all here, sir," said Jack. "There were no others." And he and his
cousins gave their chums a warm look to show they appreciated their
coming forward to take a share of the blame.
"Seven of you, eh?" was the teacher's sour comment. "A fine piece of
business, truly." He thought for a moment. "Come with me, all of you, and
we'll see what damage has been done down in the office."
The assembled cadets made a passageway, and through this filed the Rovers
and their chums with Professor Duke following close on their heels.
Professor Grawson remained behind to talk to Stowell.
"They'll kill me for this--I know they will!" whined Codfish. And now he
was on the verge of tears.
"I don't think the Rovers will touch you, Stowell--I don't think they're
that class of boys," answered Professor Grawson. "Come. I'll go to your
room with you and help you throw those snowballs out of the window." He
had not forgotten that he had been a schoolboy himself once, and he had
small sympathy for such a sneak as Henry Stowell.
Down in Colonel Colby's private office it was found that the big snowball
had done little damage outside of wetting a couple of the rugs. What was
left of the snowball had been gathered up by Pud Hicks, the janitor's
assistant, and now he was mopping up the floor.
"I'll take the rugs and dry 'em in the laundry," said Hicks. "I think
they'll be all right by morning."
"You cadets remain here until I return," said Professor Duke, when Hicks
was ready to depart. And then he went outside and in the hallway held a
whispered conversation with the janitor's assistant.
"I guess we're in for it," said Jack to his cousins and his chums.
"What do you suppose they'll do with us?" questioned Phil.
"I'm sure I don't know."
In a few minutes Snopper Duke returned, and there was a grin of
satisfaction in his eyes as he faced the cadets.
"You will all follow me," he declared, "and I'll show you what can be
done in this school to cadets who act as outrageously as you have acted.
Come! March!" and he led the way out of the private office.
CHAPTER IV
PRISONERS
In one of the wings of the school building there was located a room about
twelve feet square with one window which was barred, and this, as my old
readers know, was known officially as the school guardroom or prison.
Jack and Fred had once been prisoners in this guardroom on a charge that
was afterwards proved to be false.
"Gee! I wonder if he's going to take us to the guardroom?" whispered the
youngest of the Rovers.
"I don't see how he can crowd seven of us into that small room," answered
Randy. "Why, it's only got one cot in it!"
Professor Duke led the way through the corridor and up the broad stairs.
In the meanwhile Professor Grawson had ordered the other cadets to their
rooms, so there was no one at hand to witness what was taking place.
Arriving on the second floor, Snopper Duke led the way into another
corridor and then up a somewhat narrow stairway leading to the third
floor.
"Hello! I wonder where he's going to take us now?" questioned Fred in
wonder.
"This is certainly a new wrinkle," declared Gif.
The third floor was but dimly lit until the professor turned on more
light. Then he turned into a little side corridor at the end of which was
located a long, narrow room which, during the previous year, had been
used by some of the hired help but which was now unoccupied.
"You will remain in this room until I have a chance to communicate with
Colonel Colby," said Professor Duke, as he marched the cadets in. "And
remember! I want no cutting up here. I want you to remain perfectly
quiet."
"How long shall we have to stay here?" questioned Jack.
"That will depend on what Colonel Colby has to say about it," was the
sharp answer.
"Do you expect us to stay here all night?" demanded Randy.
"You will have to stay here unless Colonel Colby gets back from the city,
and I think that hardly likely to-night," answered the teacher. "Now
remember! No noise and no horseplay or I'll do something that you won't
forget in a hurry," and with this admonition he walked out of the room,
closing and locking the door after him.
"Listen!" cried Fred, as all of the others started to talk at once. And
going to the door, he listened intently, and so did the others, and they
heard Snopper Duke pass through the little corridor and down the stairs.
"He's gone, all right enough," remarked Phil Franklin.
"Well, what do you know about this, anyhow!" cried Gif.
"I think he's treating us like a lot of children," declared Andy
angrily.
"I don't believe he has any right to keep us out of our regular rooms,"
came from his brother.
"Well, anyway, he took the right," answered Jack grimly. "And what is
more, he seems to have the best of us."
"He won't have if we break down that door."
"I don't think you'll have an easy job of it breaking down that door,"
put in Spouter. "I happened to notice that there was not only a regular
lock on it, but also a top bolt. You'd have to smash the whole door to
get out. But it certainly is a despicable piece of business," Spouter
continued. "And at the first opportunity we have we'll have to lay the
whole case before Colonel Colby. I'm sure when he has verified our
report, and gone into the various merits of the case, he will make a
finding that will be in accordance with----"
"Gee! Spouter can spout even if he is a prisoner," burst out Randy.
"Better get up on a chair, Spouter, and make a regular speech about it,"
he continued, grinning.
"This is a new experience for me," remarked Phil, with a smile. "I never
thought I was going to be put in jail."
"You can hardly call it being put in jail, Phil," answered Jack. "In a
military academy it is quite common for a cadet, when he has broken the
rules and regulations, to be placed in the guardhouse, just the same as
he is placed in the guardhouse in the regular army."
"I thought maybe they'd make us do what they call police duty," said the
boy from Texas. "One fellow told me that while he was in the training
camp he overstepped the regulations and they made him peel potatoes until
he was sick and tired of seeing them."
"Well, they do that too," put in Fred. "You might have to do something
like that if we were at the annual encampment. But while the school
session is on all they do is to lock you up."
The boys found that the long narrow room contained two double beds and
two cots, as well as a couple of bureaus, several stools, and a table. At
one end was a small bathroom and a clothing closet. There were three
small windows in a row, all looking out on the snow-covered fields behind
the school.
"Well, we've got a place to sleep, anyhow," announced Jack. "Although
three of us will have to sleep in one of the beds."
"Not much in the way of covering," remarked Gif, who had been making an
investigation. "Just one thin blanket on each bed. And that radiator is
not letting out heat enough to warm a cat," he added, as he placed his
hand on the one small radiator of which the long bedroom boasted.
"Never mind, we can keep on our uniforms if we want to," declared Randy.
"And who knows but what Colonel Colby may come back at any minute, and
then I'm almost certain that he'll let us go back to our own rooms."
"He will unless old Duke cooks up some dreadful story against us," came
from his brother. "You can bet he'll make out as black a case against us
as he can."
"Yes. But I think Professor Grawson will have something to say too," said
Jack. "And he has always been a very fair-minded man."
"I don't see why Colonel Colby took on such a man as Snopper Duke,"
declared Spouter. "He's every bit as bad as Asa Lemm was."
"But you've got to hand it to him for being a very well educated man,"
said Jack. "And he certainly knows how to teach when he's in the humor
for it."
"I don't think a man who is as harsh-minded as he is ought to be a
teacher," was Gif's comment. "He can't get a cadet to do his best if he's
forever nagging at him. Now, if I was a teacher, I'd do my best to gain
my pupils' confidence."
There was a pause, and presently Andy began to chuckle.
"Say, he certainly did look funny when that big snowball hit him in the
stomach and nearly knocked him over," he cried.
"How could you see that when you were on your back?" questioned Fred.
"Oh, I managed to flop over and look down the stairs just in time. He was
some sight, believe me. It's a wonder he didn't go over backward to the
floor below. I don't know what saved him. He must have grabbed the
banisters just in time."
"You can't really blame him for being mad. I think maybe I'd be mad
myself," said Gif. "However, let's drop that. What are we going to do? Go
to bed?"
"I don't see that there is anything else to do," answered Jack.
"I've got to do something to keep warm," declared Andy, and suddenly
turned a somersault over one of the beds. Then he began to box with his
brother, and the two spun around from one end of the room to the other.
"Here! you stop that," warned Fred. "You know what Duke said. You keep on
and he'll put us down in the cellar or some other worse place."
After this the seven cadets became more quiet, and, sitting as close as
possible to the little radiator which gave forth only a mite of warmth,
they discussed the situation for half an hour longer.
"That's another one against Codfish," declared Randy. "I'm sure he's
guilty."
"Well, he had some reason for saying what he did," said Jack. "He had to
clear his own skirts after they found those two big snowballs in his
room."
"Just the same, Jack, you know well enough hardly any other fellow in the
school would have squealed," cried Randy. "Codfish always was a sneak,
and I guess he always will be, no matter what some of the other fellows
do for him."
"Say, look here! I thought you fellows told me that Captain Dale was in
charge of this school whenever Colonel Colby was absent," burst out Phil
suddenly.
"That's true," answered Jack. "He was in charge all the time the colonel
was in the regular army."
"Then why didn't Professor Duke put this up to the captain?"
"Because Captain Dale is away on a little vacation," announced Gif. "He
won't be back until some time next week."
"And where did Colonel Colby go?"
"They said he had gone to the city," answered Fred. "But I don't know
what they mean by that. They may mean Boston, or New York, or some
smaller place."
"The radiator is growing stone cold," declared Gif, who had his hands on
it.
"What'll you bet old Duke didn't turn the heat off?" broke in Andy
quickly. "It would be just like him to do it."
"I guess about the only thing we can do is to go to bed," announced
Jack.
"Well, you had better do it with your uniform on, then," said Spouter.
"Because I'm not going to bed with the windows closed, and it's going to
be beautifully cold by and by."
All of the cadets had been accustomed to sleeping with the windows of
their bedrooms open. But they had also been accustomed to plenty of bed
clothing, and knew they would probably suffer with the scant quantity of
quilts now provided.
However, they had to make the best of it, and in the end did little else
but take off their shoes and coats and then wrap themselves in the
blankets as best they could. Of course, there was some horseplay in which
even Phil Franklin indulged. But on the whole the cadets kept rather
quiet, for they did not want to make matters worse than they were.
"The last time Randy and I were home our dad laid down the law good and
plenty," announced Andy. "So we've got to do something towards toeing the
mark."
"I'm afraid Brassy Bangs and a lot of the other fellows will have the
laugh on us for this," remarked Fred, as he turned in.
"Oh, well, you can't have fun without paying the piper once in a while,"
was Jack's comment.
It grew colder during the night, and on rising to cut off some of the air
that was blowing over him, Fred noticed that it had begun to snow. The
fine hard particles were drifting into the room, and he called the
attention of some of the others to this.
"I don't care. Let it snow in if it wants to," grumbled Randy sleepily.
But some of the others demurred to this, and presently one of the windows
was closed entirely and the others left open only a few inches.
"Gee, talk about Greenland's icy mountains!" exclaimed Gif, on arising a
little after seven o'clock. "Some coldness, if you ask me!"
"You said it!" declared Jack, as he got up and walked across the floor to
where the radiator was located. "Cold as ice!" he announced.
"Did you leave it turned on?" questioned Randy quickly.
"I certainly did."
"Then old Duke must intend to freeze us out!" exclaimed Fred. "What do
you know about that!"
"I know it's a mean piece of business," answered Andy. "Gee! why, we
might all catch our death of cold."
Having washed themselves, the cadets lost no time in donning the clothing
they had taken off on retiring. Then they continued to walk around the
narrow room in order to keep their blood in circulation. It was now about
eight o'clock, and they wondered if they would get any breakfast.
"A hot cup of cocoa or coffee wouldn't go bad," remarked Spouter. "Not to
say anything about ham and eggs, hot muffins, or a few other things on
the side."
"Yum, yum! don't mention them," groaned Andy. "I feel hollow clean down
to my shoes. I didn't have any too much supper, and I was depending on
having a few crackers I had in my closet."
"And I left an apple on my bureau," declared Phil.
"And I had two doughnuts stored away to take to bed with me," came from
Fred.
The boys heard the cadets below assembling for roll call and the short
morning parade, and then heard them march into the mess room of the Hall
for breakfast.
"My! but I wish I was downstairs right now," declared Randy. "I wouldn't
do a thing to that breakfast table!"
"Maybe they'll bring our breakfast to us," suggested Jack.
"If they do you can bet there won't be any too much of it--if old Duke
has anything to do with it," returned Gif grimly.
CHAPTER V
BY THE FISHING-POLE ROUTE
Another half hour went by, and the boys confined in the room on the third
floor of the school building became more and more impatient.
"Perhaps they won't give us any breakfast at all," said Phil Franklin
presently.
"If they don't there'll be war," declared Andy. "I won't stand for being
starved."
"None of us will stand for that," put in Gif grimly. "But I don't believe
Duke will dare do it. You must remember he will have all the other
teachers to contend with. They have the same rights here as he has."
"Yes, but Professor Grawson turned this affair over to Duke," was Fred's
comment.
"That was because old Duke was the only one to really suffer through what
we did," answered Jack.
Another fifteen minutes passed, and then those in the room heard
footsteps outside. The door was unlocked and Professor Duke appeared,
followed by Pud Hicks and Bob Nixon and two of the mess-room waiters.
"Well, did you behave yourselves during the night?" demanded the teacher,
as he glanced sharply from one to another of the cadets, all of whom eyed
him curiously.
"We did, sir," answered Phil, who was nearest to the door.
Leaving those who had accompanied him at the door so that none of the
cadets present might escape, Snopper Duke strode into the room and looked
around suspiciously, even going so far as to glance into the bathroom and
the clothing closet. As was the custom during the school term, the cadets
had put the beds and the cots in order, and also arranged the chairs and
other furniture.
"Professor Duke, I'd like to ask something. Do you know we have no heat
in here?" questioned Jack.
"Growing boys like you don't need too much heat--it makes them lazy,"
responded the teacher tartly. "You will be warm enough after you have had
your breakfast."
"Can we go downstairs now and get it?" asked Andy quickly.
"No. You are to have it up here. I have had it brought up for you," was
the answer. And then Professor Duke motioned for the two waiters to come
in.
They carried two trays covered with napkins, and these they deposited on
the table.
"Has Colonel Colby come back yet?" questioned Spouter.
"You will know quickly enough when he comes," was the teacher's reply.
And then he motioned the waiters out of the room.
"Professor, do you think----" began Bob Nixon. But the teacher caught the
Hall chauffeur by the arm and pushed him out into the hallway.
"Never mind now, Nixon," he broke in hastily. "We'll talk matters over
downstairs." And thereupon he closed and locked the door once again, and
the cadets heard him and all of the others go below.
"What do you suppose he brought Hicks and Nixon up here for?" questioned
Randy, when they were left alone.
"I don't know, unless he thought we might try to break out, and if so he
would have them along to stop us," answered Jack.
"Maybe he thought the cold and waiting for breakfast would make us
desperate," suggested Gif. "However, now they've gone, let's see what
they have brought us to eat."
Eagerly the seven cadets whipped away the napkins that covered the two
trays. They gave one look, and then a cry of disappointment arose.
"What do you know about this!"
"Isn't this the limit!"
"Black coffee and bread without butter!"
"And mush with nothing but a little molasses on it!"
"And no sugar in the coffee, either!"
"Talk about your prison fare!" groaned Andy. "I think this takes the
cake!"
"You mention cake and I'll murder you!" burst out Fred. "Why don't you
speak of ham and eggs, lamb chops, fried potatoes, coffee cake with
raisins in it, and things like that while you're at it?"
"Wow! Fred for the water faucet!" exclaimed Jack, and got his cousin by
the arm and made as if to run him into the bathroom.
"Hold up! I'll be good!" pleaded the youngest Rover. "But, say! doesn't
looking at these two trays make you weary in the bones?"
"Well, anyway, the coffee is hot," declared Spouter, as he tasted it.
"And we might as well drink it before it gets cold. It will help to warm
us up."
Thereupon the seven cadets fell to eating, and soon every particle of the
scanty breakfast furnished to them had disappeared. They grumbled,
however, as they ate, and continued to grumble after the repast was
finished.
"I'm quite sure Colonel Colby wouldn't treat us like this," declared
Gif.
"He certainly did much better by Fred and me when we were placed in the
guardroom," declared Jack. "We got as good a meal as we ever had served
to us in the mess hall."
"It's nothing short of a crime not to turn the heat on," said Fred, who
was examining the radiator again. "Just as cold as ever."
"Listen!" cried Randy suddenly.
All did so, and heard a faint knocking on the door.
"Who is that?" questioned Jack, moving to the portal.
"Is that you, Jack?" came in Fatty Hendry's voice. The stout youth was
whispering through the keyhole.
"Yes, Fatty. What brought you up here?"
"I got wind that you fellows were being fed scanty rations," answered
Fatty. "How about it?"
"It's true, all right enough."
[Illustration: "OUR FRIENDS ARE ON THE JOB!" CRIED FRED, DELIGHTEDLY.
Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch (Page 51)]
"Well, Dan Soppinger, Walt Baxter and myself got our heads together and
we managed to make up a bundle of food for you. Just watch the window on
your right," continued the stout youth, and then tiptoed away.
Wondering what their friends intended to do, the seven cadets crowded to
the window in question and opened it wide. It was still snowing, and
through the thickly-flying flakes they presently saw the end of a fishing
pole on which was tied a bundle done up in a pillow case.
"Hurrah! Our friends are on the job," cried Fred delightedly, as the
bundle was slipped from the end of the fishing pole and hauled into the
room. Then he looked out of the window and saw at a little distance the
face of Dan Soppinger at another window.
"Got it all right, did you?" demanded Dan, as he hauled in the fishing
pole.
"We sure did, Dan; and much obliged to you."
"Has Colonel Colby come back yet?" questioned Jack, looking over his
cousin's shoulder.
"No. And there is no telling when he'll come back," answered Dan. "He
sent word that his business might keep him away for several days." Then
Dan spoke to some one behind him, and continued in a low voice, "I've got
to go now, or they'll catch us. Good-bye."
The imprisoned cadets closed the window again and then placed the bundle
on the table and opened it. They found it contained a rather jumbled
collection of buttered bread, cheese, the knuckle of a boiled ham, a
small glass full of jelly, a square of pound cake, three bananas, a
couple of oranges, several apples, a small bag of lump sugar, and a can
of condensed milk.
"Some collection, all right enough," declared Spouter, as they surveyed
it. "I guess they grabbed up anything they could lay their hands on."
"They must have heard we had black coffee without sugar," put in Fred.
"Too bad we were in such a hurry. We might have feasted in great shape
off of this collection."
"Never mind. The sugar and condensed milk may come in handy later,"
answered Jack.
The boys divided some of the fruit, and then made themselves a few
sandwiches, and with this topped off the scanty breakfast they had
previously consumed. They placed the rest of the things on the top shelf
of the closet and folded up the pillow case carefully.
"We'll have to send that back the first chance we get," declared Fred.
"Otherwise some cadet is going to catch it when his room is inspected."
With nothing to do, the cadets found the time drag heavily. They looked
around the room for some reading matter, but found nothing outside of
some newspapers which had been placed on the shelves of the closet. These
were old sheets, and contained nothing which they cared to peruse.
"Hurrah! we're going to have some heat, anyhow," cried Randy, about
eleven o'clock. "Hear the radiator cracking?"
He was right, and soon the radiator became moderately warm. This did not,
of course, warm the room very thoroughly, but it took the chill off and
made it more comfortable than it had been.
"I'll bet a cooky that some of the others made old Duke turn the heat
on," declared Gif.
"Either that or else some of our chums turned it on when he wasn't
watching," answered Jack. Some time later they found out that Bob Nixon
had turned on the heat unbeknown to Snopper Duke. It was also learned
that Professor Grawson and Professor Brice knew nothing about the heat
having been turned off.
About half-past twelve Snopper Duke appeared again, this time with one of
the under teachers and two of the waiters. The under teacher had his arms
full of books.
"I have had some of your text books brought up here," explained Professor
Duke. "There is no sense in your wasting your time here doing nothing. I
want you to study the same as if you were attending your classes. I have
also had your dinner brought up."
"Do you expect us to study in a cold room?" questioned Jack. He had
thrown one of the small bed covers over the radiator and added a book or
two so that the teacher might not notice that it was warm.
"I'll not discuss that point with you, Rover," was Snopper Duke's sharp
reply. "You can eat your dinner, and then go at your studies." And
thereupon he directed the two waiters to deposit the fresh trays on the
table and take the old ones away. Then the seven cadets were locked up as
before.
In comparison, the dinner was just as scanty as the breakfast had been.
For each pupil there was a small boiled potato, almost cold, a few lima
beans, a small slice of roast beef, and one slice of unbuttered bread.
There were also several paper drinking cups, to indicate that the cadets
might drink all the water they cared to draw from the faucet in the
bathroom.
"Regular miser's lunch," was Andy's comment, as he surveyed it.
"Exactly!" answered Fred. And then he added dryly: "What are we going to
use that sugar and condensed milk on?"
"Oh, the condensed milk will go fine on the bread," put in Spouter. "I
used to like condensed milk sandwiches."
"And you can eat the lump sugar for dessert if you want to," put in
Jack.
All began to eat, and in the midst of the meal they heard another knock
on the door. This time Ned Lowe was there, one of their chums who was a
great singer and banjo player.
"Be on the watch for the beautiful fishing pole," sang Ned in a low
voice. "Hurry up. We can't stay up here very long."
All leaped for the window, and a few minutes later the fishing rod came
once more into view, this time with another bundle attached to it. They
held the end of the pole while they detached the bundle and fastened upon
it the empty pillow case. The new bundle was in a large paper flour bag.
"Here is where we are going to have a regular feast!" cried Jack with
satisfaction. "Just look! Almost half a boiled tongue, a quart jar of hot
coffee, some boiled sweet potatoes, and half an apple pie. I declare I
don't see how they managed to get hold of it."
"They're certainly looking out for us," answered Spouter.
With this addition to the food already on hand, the boys started in to
have a real good dinner. They were enjoying it thoroughly and cracking
all kinds of jokes when they suddenly heard a commotion in the corridor
outside.
"I've caught you, have I?" they heard Snopper Duke exclaim. "What
business have you up here, anyway?"
"I wasn't doing any harm, Professor," came in the voice of Dan
Soppinger.
"What is that you have behind your back? Give it to me this instant,"
went on the teacher.
"Gee! that's Dan Soppinger, and he's got himself into trouble!" exclaimed
Jack, in alarm.
"I really didn't mean to do any harm," the imprisoned cadets heard Dan
answer.
"What is that you are trying to hide? Give it to me!" There was a brief
silence, and then those in the room heard the teacher continue: "A
pumpkin pie and almost a pound of cheese! Where did you get those things,
Soppinger? And what were you going to do with them? Come, answer me!"
"If you want to know, I was going to try to get them to those fellows you
locked up," answered Dan Soppinger, in desperation. "I heard you were
just about starving them to death."
"What's that? Starving them to death? Stuff and nonsense! They are
getting all that they need, and it's not for you to interfere in my
business," went on Snopper Duke, his high-pitched voice rising still
higher in anger. "You should be down in your classroom. Give me those
things and go downstairs at once. I'll attend to your case later."
"Gee! poor Dan is certainly in hot water," whispered Jack.
"Old Duke must have been spying on him," said Randy.
"Maybe he'll come in here and see how matters are going!" cried Spouter
excitedly. "It might not be a bad thing to get all that extra food out of
sight."
He had scarcely spoken when they heard Professor Duke at the door. An
instant later the portal was thrown open and the teacher stepped in. His
eyes swept the trays and the plates of food the cadets were holding.
"Ha! So this is what is going on, eh?" he stormed. "Having food brought
in on the sly, eh? Well, I'll see that that is stopped! You'll go without
your supper for this!" And then, after a few more words, he stormed out
of the room, banging the door behind him and locking it.
CHAPTER VI
A TOUCH OF MYSTERY
"Now I reckon we are worse off than we were before," remarked Jack, as
the assembled cadets looked at each other in consternation.
"If he cuts off our supper the best thing we can do is to save this
grub," declared Randy. "We'll have to go on short rations."
"And when we feel real hungry we can turn to our school books for
consolation," added his twin brother. "Gee! but doesn't this take the
cake?" And picking up his algebra he threw it at Phil. The boy from Texas
dodged, and the algebra hit the wall behind him.
"Don't start a rough-house, Andy," remonstrated Jack quickly. "We're in
deep enough as it is. Please don't forget that Fred and I are worse off
than any of you."
"How do you make that out?" demanded Gif.
"Because we are officers, and are supposed to be models for the rest of
the cadets."
"Huh! I forgot that," said Gif. "That's too bad."
It must be admitted that the cadets were far less cheerful while
finishing their meal than they had been a few minutes before. They ate
somewhat sparingly, and placed what was left of the food in an
out-of-the-way corner under one of the cots.
"No use of taking chances," said Jack. "Duke may come in here and search
the closet for rations when he gets the dirty dishes."
"Well, I suppose we might as well spend our time studying," came from
Spouter presently. "We've got to learn our lessons, no matter if we are
prisoners. Otherwise later on we'll be marked down for that, too."
"Too bad that poor Dan had to be caught with that pumpkin pie and
cheese," groaned Randy. He was particularly fond of the pies turned out
by the Hall cooks.
Making themselves as comfortable as they could around the radiator, the
seven cadets began to study. Thus an hour passed, and then came more
footsteps in the hall.
"Another visitor," said Jack, looking up.
When the door was thrown open they expected to see Snopper Duke or one of
the other professors, and they were, therefore, much surprised when
Colonel Colby stepped into the room. The master of the Hall was alone.
"Attention!" called Jack sharply--for this had been arranged between the
cadets earlier in the day--and thereupon all of the cadets leaped to
their feet and saluted.
This action came somewhat as a surprise to the master of the school, and
just the faintest flicker of a smile passed over his features. Then he
closed the door behind him and came forward.
"I am very sorry to learn that all of you have been breaking the rules of
this institution," said Colonel Colby, in an even tone of voice. "Captain
Rover, I would like to have your version of the affair if you care to
make a report."
"I don't know that I can make much of a report, Colonel," answered the
young captain, his face flushing. "We brought the snowballs into the
school, and that is all there is to it."
"Well, what about sending that big snowball down the stairs on top of
Professor Duke?"
"That was an accident, sir, and I was responsible for it," broke in
Andy.
"An accident? Professor Duke is quite certain it was done by design."
"He is mistaken, sir," continued Andy, and then in a few words related
exactly how the accident had occurred.
"Well, what about the snowballs that were placed in the rooms of Stowell,
Besser, Lunn and in the bathroom?"
"We only meant it for a little fun, Colonel," pleaded Fred. "Of course, I
realize now that maybe we went a little too far."
"You certainly did go too far, Lieutenant Rover. And I am especially
surprised to find you and Captain Rover mixed up in anything of this
sort. I expect the officers of the cadets to set a good example."
"I was thinking you might say that, Colonel Colby," put in Jack quickly.
"And I should have thought of it before I went into the affair. But we
were having such fun outside snowballing, and like that, that we got
deeper into it before we gave it a second thought."
"And we really didn't know that we couldn't bring any snow into the
school," put in Phil rather lamely.
"Such an explanation won't go here, Franklin. I expect my students to
have more common sense than that. Of course, it may have been nothing but
a boyish prank, and if you can give me your word that the snowball which
went down the stairs and hit Professor Duke was not aimed at him
deliberately, I shall feel inclined to let the matter pass."
"Oh, Colonel Colby, will you really do that?" questioned Fred eagerly.
"Please remember we've been punished already," put in Spouter. "Locked up
like a lot of criminals, and the radiator turned off until we almost
froze to death!"
"The radiator turned off?" questioned the owner of the school. "It is hot
enough now," he added, as he placed his hand upon it.
"But it wasn't before," answered Gif, and gave the particulars. As he did
this Colonel Colby's face became a study.
"I will look into that," he said, and then walked over to one of the cots
and also to one of the beds and inspected the thin coverings. "I trust
none of you caught cold?"
"Well, I did catch a little cold," answered Spouter, and began to cough,
for what he said was true.
After this Colonel Colby talked to the cadets for fully ten minutes,
trying to show them that what they had done was not what he expected of
them. He was kind almost to the point of being fatherly, and made several
remarks which caused the boys to do considerable thinking.
"I am afraid some of you lads do not like Professor Duke," said he. "I am
afraid you consider him rather quick-tempered and irritable."
"Well, he certainly isn't as nice as most of the other teachers,"
declared Randy flatly.
"He always seems to be waiting for a chance to get in on a fellow," broke
out Fred. "In some ways he's even worse than Asa Lemm was."
"But he's a splendid teacher, I will say that for him," declared Jack.
"Only, the way he sometimes jumps on a fellow is terrible."
"I shouldn't like to have you boys compare Professor Duke with that
scalawag, Asa Lemm," declared Colonel Colby. "Lemm had a good
education--if he hadn't had I should not have engaged him to teach
here--but he was not the honest and upright man Snopper Duke is. I will
admit that at times he is quick-tempered, but, believe me, boys, he has
good reasons for it--or, at least, there is quite some excuse for his
acting that way at times. I do not feel like discussing his personal
affairs with you, but you will be doing a real act of kindness if at
times you don't notice his actions when he seems rather sharp. I am quite
sure he doesn't always mean it."
"Well, of course, if there's some reason----" began Jack.
"There is quite a reason, Captain Rover. But, as I said before, I do not
care to discuss Professor Duke's personal affairs further. Only, if I
were one of you boys, I should go very slow in judging him. And now to
come back to this present affair: I have had a talk with Professor Duke
and I will have another talk this evening, and, all told, I think you
have been punished enough. So we will call the matter off and you can
return to your classrooms."
"Thank you very much, Colonel Colby," cried Jack, and, starting forward,
he offered his hand, and the master of the school shook it warmly. Then
all of the other cadets came forward to do likewise.
"I hope you won't punish those other fellows for getting some extra food
up to us," said Fred, as he and Andy brought out the hidden things and
placed them on one of the trays. "They only tried to do us a good turn."
"You may rest assured, Rover, that I shall treat them only as they
deserve," answered Colonel Colby, and led the way downstairs. Here the
cadets separated, each to pay a brief visit to his own room before going
down to the classrooms on the lower floor.
"I wonder what Colonel Colby meant when he said Duke had reasons for
being irritable?" remarked Randy.
"I don't know, I'm sure," answered Jack thoughtfully.
"Maybe he's suffering from some sickness," suggested Fred. "Perhaps he
ought to have an operation and hates to have it done."
"Maybe he's worried about money matters," came from Randy.
"It was certainly something worth while or Colonel Colby wouldn't have
been so serious about it," said Fred. "Gee! I'm sorry if I misjudged him,
if there is really something wrong."
"I don't believe Colonel Colby would caution us if it wasn't so," said
Jack. "And after this I'm going to give Duke as much consideration as I
possibly can."
The boys had been told to go to their classrooms, but this was hardly
necessary, for they had just about presented themselves when the
afternoon session of the school came to an end. Then they followed some
of their friends down to the gymnasium, where they were at once
surrounded and asked to give the particulars of what had happened to
them.
"It wasn't a great deal," said Jack. "And first of all I want to know
what was done to Dan and the others."
"Oh, Colonel Colby read us a little lecture, that's all," answered Walt
Baxter, one of the cadets. "He told us we had no right to take any of the
food without asking for it."
"I offered to pay for it," put in Ned Lowe, "and so did Dan. But the
colonel said that wasn't the point. That he wanted the discipline of the
Hall maintained."
"Did he say anything about Professor Duke?" questioned Fred.
"Not a word."
"Well, he told us something," continued the youngest Rover, and then
related what had been said on the subject.
"Say, that squares with something I once heard," cried Walt Baxter. "I
met Professor Duke down at the barn one day where he was waiting to have
Nixon drive him down to town. The professor was walking around, wringing
his hands and muttering to himself. He looked all out of sorts, and he
said something that sounded to me like 'I don't see how I can do it! I
don't see how I can really attempt it!'"
"And what do you suppose it was that bothered him, Walt?" questioned Jack
curiously.
"I'm sure I don't know. I watched him walk up and down and wring his
hands. And then he took a notebook out of his pocket and began to study
some of the figures in it. Then Nixon came along with the auto, and he
jumped in and rode off."
"Well, that sure is a mystery," declared Randy.
This news concerning Snopper Duke gradually spread throughout the school,
and many of the boys watched the teacher curiously. In the meantime
Colonel Colby had a conference, not only with Duke, but also with
Professor Grawson; and when the classes opened the next day Jack and the
others found themselves treated just as if nothing out of the ordinary
had occurred.
"Colonel Colby said he would let the matter pass, and I guess he's going
to keep his word," remarked Fred.
There was only one boy who remained troubled, and that was Codfish. He
avoided the Rovers and the others as much as possible, often running away
at the sight of them.
"Codfish is just about scared stiff," remarked Randy. "He knows he got
himself in wrong."
"What a poor fish he is," answered his twin.
On Saturday afternoon a number of the boys obtained permission to visit
the town and attend the moving picture performance if they so desired.
Jack had telephoned to his sister, and Martha had answered that probably
a number of girls from Clearwater Hall would be in town at the same
time.
"And I've got something to tell you, too, Jack," said Martha over the
wire. "Something I'm sure you'll be interested in hearing."
"Why don't you tell me now?" he replied.
"Oh, this isn't something to tell over a public telephone," his sister
answered.
The snowstorm had come to an end, and it was clear and bright overhead
when the four Rovers and some of the others tramped to Haven Point. Here,
at the railroad station, they met Martha and Mary, and also Ruth
Stevenson, May Powell, and several other girls from the academy.
"How are your eyes feeling, Ruth?" questioned Jack anxiously, as he
walked side by side with the girl on the way to the moving picture
theater. As my old readers know, Ruth had once suffered dreadfully
through getting some pepper into her eyes, and it had been feared that
she might go blind.
"Oh, my eyes are quite all right again, Jack," answered the girl.
"Sometimes they feel the least bit scratchy. But I bathe them with a
solution the doctor gave me and then they feel quite natural."
"I'm mighty glad to hear that," Jack returned warmly. For of all the
girls who were friends of his sister he liked Ruth the best.
As luck would have it, there was a very good show on that afternoon, and
as a consequence a crowd had assembled to obtain tickets of admission.
Randy went ahead to get all the tickets needed, and while he did this
Martha plucked her brother by the coat sleeve and drew him a little to
one side.
"What's this you've got to tell me, Martha?" questioned the young captain
in a whisper.
"It's about a fellow at your school--a chap named Lester Bangs," replied
the girl.
"Oh, you mean the fellow we call Brassy Bangs! What about him?"
"He and one or two of his particular chums have been up to Clearwater
Hall three times. They took some of the girls out in a sleigh they hired,
and that Bangs did his level best to get Ruth to go along. And now he has
invited her to attend some kind of a party next week," was Martha's
reply, words which for some reason he could not explain even to himself
cut Jack to the heart.
CHAPTER VII
SOMETHING ABOUT A SLEIGHRIDE PARTY
"What kind of a party is it, Martha?"
"I don't know, except that it's somewhere out of town and some of the
girls and fellows are going to the place in sleighs. I wasn't asked to
go, and I got the information in a roundabout way."
"Then Ruth hasn't said anything to you about it?"
"Not a word. But I'm sure she received this Lester Bangs' invitation."
"And you think she may accept it?"
"I hope not, Jack. Because I don't like Bangs. He wears such showy
clothing and jewelry."
"That's the reason we call him Brassy--he is brassy in looks and brassy
in manner. He's just as much of a hot-air bag as Tommy Flanders," went on
the young captain, referring to an arrogant youth who the summer before
had pitched for Longley Academy and been knocked out of the box.
"Isn't it queer, he put me in mind of Flanders?" whispered Martha. "I
hope you don't have any trouble with him, Jack." And then, as some of the
others came closer, the private conversation had to come to an end.
While in the moving picture theater Jack sat with Ruth beside him. They
occasionally spoke about the scenes presented to them and also about
school matters in general, but not one word was said by either about the
party Martha had mentioned.
"Mr. Falstein certainly gets good pictures," remarked the girl, when the
performance had come to an end and the crowd of young people was moving
out of the theater. "They're just as good as one can see in the big
cities."
"They're the same thing, only he gets them a little later," answered
Jack.
"I like the comic pictures better than anything," declared Andy. "I hate
those serious ones. They're generally so awfully mushy."
"Why, Andy Rover, how you talk!" cried Alice Strobell. "I think that
picture they showed today of Life in a Big City was perfectly grand."
"Especially where the heroine sobbed herself to sleep over the sewing
machine in her garret room," went on Andy, with a snicker. "Wasn't that
just the tear-bringer?"
"I don't care! It was just as true to life as it could be," answered
Alice sturdily.
"Well, maybe," was the airy return of the fun-loving Rover. "Come to
think of it, I never did run a sewing machine in a garret room with the
snow blowing through a busted window. I'd rather sit in the shade of the
old apple tree reading a good book and getting on the outside of some
ripe pears," he continued, and at this there was general laughter.
As was their custom, the young folks drifted from the theater to a nearby
candy and ice-cream establishment. Here they split up into various groups
at some tables in the rear. Of course, the boys insisted on treating the
girls, and there was quite a discussion over what each would have. Martha
and Mary had paired off with Gif and Spouter, and Fred and the twins were
with some of the other girls, and this left Ruth and Jack by themselves.
Several times the young captain wanted to bring the conversation around
to the question of the party that had been mentioned. But every time he
checked himself.
"What were you going to say?" questioned Ruth, when he caught himself
once. "You act as if you had something on your mind of special
importance, Jack."
"Not at all! Not at all!" he returned hastily. "How are you getting along
with your studies, Ruth? Do your eyes interfere much with them?"
"Not a great deal. But, of course, I have to be more or less careful. But
I'm doing finely, so the teachers say."
"We're going to have an election of officers soon," continued the young
captain. "Some of the fellows are urging me to run for major of the
battalion. Ralph Mason is going to drop out, you know."
"Oh, Jack! why don't you run?"
"Do you want me to run, Ruth?"
"Why, of course! if there's any chance of getting it, and I don't see why
there shouldn't be," she returned quickly.
Her manner was so intimate that once again he was on the point of
mentioning the party. But then he shut his teeth hard and pretended to be
interested in something taking place at the other tables.
"Don't you think you could win the election if you tried?" Ruth
continued, after looking at him questioningly for a moment.
"Oh, I guess I'd have as good a chance as any one in command. Of course,
there are a number of other officers who would have as good a chance as
I'd have. But I'm not altogether sure that I want to be major. If I held
that office Colonel Colby would expect me to toe the mark all the time
just as an example to the others. Even as it was, he didn't like to have
me as a captain and Fred as a lieutenant mixed up in that snowball
affair."
"Oh, but, Jack! think of the honor of being major of the battalion,"
cried the girl. "I'm sure Martha and your folks will be very proud of
you."
"Would you be proud, Ruth, if I should win the position?" he asked in a
low tone.
"Why, of course--we all would," returned the girl, her face flushing
slightly. "I always like to see my friends make something of
themselves."
Ruth's tone was cordial enough, and once again Jack was on the point of
switching the talk to the party. But now some of the young folks had
finished, and the little gathering began to break up and he and Ruth were
surrounded by the others.
"We've got to do some shopping," declared Mary, when they were out on the
sidewalk. "So we can't remain with you boys any longer." And a few
minutes later the crowd separated, the girls hurrying in one direction
and the cadets in another.
"You let me know if you hear any more about that party," whispered Jack,
on parting from his sister.
"I will," she answered.
On starting back for the Hall Jack paired off with Fred and purposely
lagged behind.
"Did you hear anything about a party in which Brassy Bangs was
interested?" he asked of his cousin.
"Mary said that Brassy was getting up some sort of party, to come off
either Thursday or Friday of this week. The crowd is going somewhere in
two big sleighs."
"She didn't say where?"
"She didn't know."
"Did she say who was going?"
"As far as she knew the crowd of fellows consisted of Brassy and two or
three of his chums at the Hall and some young fellows around town."
"And what about the girls, Fred?"
"They asked Jennie Mason and Ida Brierley to go and a number of the other
girls from Clearwater."
"Did they ask May?"
"Mary wasn't sure. But she rather thinks that May and Ruth both got an
invite, although in some kind of roundabout way. Did Ruth say anything to
you about it?"
"Not a word. But Martha did. She, too, thought Ruth had an invitation,
but she didn't mention May."
"I wonder if May and Ruth will go?" questioned the youngest Rover. He was
almost as chummy with Spouter's cousin as Jack was with Ruth.
"I'm sure I don't know, Fred. But I do know I'd hate to see either of
them going out with such a fellow as Brassy."
"It will be a shame to have any of those girls associate with him!" burst
out Fred indignantly. "He's not in their class at all--he's altogether
too loud and flashy."
"He certainly sports a lot of cheap jewelry," was Jack's comment. "And
that suit of clothes that he had on when he first came to the Hall was a
scream."
"Let's go around to the livery stable and see if we can find out
something about the party."
The place Fred had in mind was located on a side street less than a block
away, and it did not take the two young officers long to reach it. They
found the livery-stable keeper out, but one of his assistants came
forward to see what they wanted.
"Hello, Waxy," cried Jack cordially, for he had met the young fellow many
times before. "How are you these days?"
"Fine as a spider's web," answered Waxy, with a grin.
"I understand you're going to use your two big sleighs for a party this
week for some of our fellows?" went on the young captain.
"Yes, both sleighs are hired for Thursday or Friday night," was the
answer. "But you could get 'em for any other night you might want," went
on Waxy, with an eye to business.
"Where is the party to be held?" questioned Fred.
"I don't know exactly. They're to go about twelve miles out of town, so I
was told."
"Some young fellows from town helping to get it up, I believe?"
"Yes. Tom Drake, Bill Fenny, Joe McGuire, Ted Rosenblatt, and a bunch of
others are interested. They'll have one high old time, you believe me,"
went on the livery-stable keeper's assistant, with a grin.
"Rather a lively bunch, are they?" questioned Jack.
"About as lively as this town affords."
"It's a wonder some of our fellows are going with them," was Fred's
comment.
"Oh, that'll be all right. There won't be anything out of the way," put
in Waxy hastily, afraid that he had said too much. "They'll have a lively
time, but everything will be perfectly all right."
"Maybe," answered Jack, and then, after a few more words with the
assistant, the two cadets hurried off after their chums.
"If McGuire and Rosenblatt have anything to do with that party it will
certainly be a lively one," said Fred, on the way to the school. "They're
the liveliest fellows this town affords."
"It won't be any kind of a party for our girl friends to attend,"
remarked Jack. "I certainly hope May and Ruth don't go."
"Maybe we ought to warn them, Jack."
"If we did that somebody might say we were sore because we weren't
invited, Fred."
"I know it. But it's a shame, just the same."
"We might let Martha and Mary know what we found out, and then they might
put a flea in the ears of the other girls."
It must be confessed that Jack was rather sober that night and all day
Sunday. He could not get the coming party out of his mind, and he
wondered constantly whether Ruth would really accept the invitation which
had been extended to her. Along with a number of other cadets he attended
church in town, but, owing to the fact that it had begun to snow again,
none of the girls from Clearwater Hall were present at the services.
"I guess I might as well call Martha up on the 'phone," he told Fred,
Sunday evening.
"All right," was his cousin's reply. "And don't forget to mention May."
When the young captain had his sister on the wire he learned a number of
things that surprised him not a little. It seemed that the matter of the
coming sleighride party had been rather freely discussed at Clearwater
Hall, and a number of the pupils there were divided on the question as to
whether to participate in the affair or not. Jennie Mason, Ida Brierley,
and four or five others were in favor of accepting, while others had
either declined or were noncommittal.
"Some of the girls have gotten almost into a fight over it," said Martha.
"It's the liveliest thing that has happened in this school in a long
while. I believe if the discussion keeps up none of the girls will be
allowed to go, even though two married ladies from the town are to go
along as chaperones."
"Did you hear anything further about Ruth or anything about May?"
questioned Jack.
"Not a word. Of course, not having been invited myself, I didn't care to
question either of them for fear they might think I was just a bit
jealous, or something like that."
"Well, I don't think they ought to go to any such party," answered Jack,
and then told what he and Fred had learned at the livery stable.
"I've heard of Joe McGuire and also heard of Ted Rosenblatt!" exclaimed
Martha. "I certainly shouldn't want to be seen in their company. I'll
have to mention this to some of the others." And here the conversation
had to come to an end.
On Monday morning Jack met Brassy Bangs in one of the corridors and
noticed that the loud-spoken youth looked at him rather speculatively.
Nothing, however, was said, and the young captain entered one of the
classrooms and was soon deep in his studies. That evening, however,
Brassy Bangs and two of his chums were missing from their usual places at
one of the mess-hall tables.
"They got permission to go to town. I suppose they went to make further
arrangements about that big sleighing party," remarked Randy.
To show that he meant to do his best as captain of Company C, Jack put in
a full day on Tuesday drilling his command and in the classrooms. As a
consequence that evening found him pretty well worn out from his duties.
Yet he had some studying he felt he must do, and so announced he was
going to sit up for a while after his cousins, who occupied rooms on both
sides of him, had retired.
The young captain was hard at work doing some examples in geometry when
there came a sudden sharp rap on his door. Thinking that one of his
school chums had come to have a word with him before retiring, he threw
the door open and found himself confronted by Brassy Bangs.
"I want to have a few words with you, Jack Rover!" cried the loud-mouthed
cadet savagely. And then closing the door he advanced upon the young
captain in anything but a friendly manner.
CHAPTER VIII
A FIGHT AND A CHALLENGE
Jack Rover could see that Brassy Bangs was laboring under great
excitement. The youth who loved to dress in such a showy manner was red
of face and his eyes glittered in a manner calculated to make any one
quail before him.
But the young captain of Company C was not going to quail, and he stood
his ground and looked the other youth squarely in the face.
"You want a few words, eh?" he said coldly. "Well, what is it?"
"You know well enough what brought me here!" cried Brassy. "I've a good
mind to wipe up the floor with you!"
"I'm not fighting just now, Bangs. But don't forget that I can defend
myself if it's necessary," answered the young captain quickly. And then
he added: "Now say what you've got to say or get out."
"I'll stay as long as I please," blustered the showy youth. "It's a fine
piece of business you've been in--trying to belittle me and my chums in
the eyes of the girls at Clearwater Hall."
"If you came here to talk about the young ladies from Clearwater the
sooner you get out the better," answered Jack, his face flushing.
"Thought you were pulling off a fine stunt, didn't you, when you talked
to Ruth Stevenson about me?" sneered Brassy.
"I haven't said a word to Miss Stevenson about you."
"I know better, Jack Rover. You went to her and some of the other girls
and told them that my chums and I were no good, and that the sleighride
party we and some other fellows were getting up was going to be the
wildest thing that ever took place at Haven Point."
"You're entirely mistaken, Bangs. And the sooner you get out of here the
better it will please me."
"Do you dare deny that you hauled us over the coals with those girls at
Clearwater Hall?"
"I decline to discuss the matter any further with you," answered the
young captain.
"See here, Rover! you can't ride any high horse like that with me,"
blustered Brassy. "You and your cousins and some of the other fellows did
your best to queer our whole sleighing party, and you've got to take the
consequences!" And now Brassy Bangs doubled up his fists and tried to
look more dangerous than ever.
"See here, Bangs! if you don't stop your noise and get out of here I'll
put you out," returned Jack, in a low but firm voice. "I don't want any
fight with you, but I want you to understand that I can hold up my end
every time."
"Like pie you can! You put on a big front as a captain, but I know your
sort well enough! You can't pull the wool over my eyes! You went to the
girls' school and shot off your mouth, and you are going to take the
consequences!" and without further ado Brassy Bangs stepped forward and
aimed a heavy blow at Jack's face.
Had the fist landed as intended, Jack might have been knocked flat. But
the young captain had not been in athletic training for several years for
nothing, and he dodged quickly. Brassy was carried forward, so that his
arm shot over Jack's shoulder and his body came in contact with the young
captain's arm. The next instant Jack had him by the back of the collar
and was holding him at arm's length.
"Now you get out of here!" he cried, and tried to drag Brassy toward the
door.
Of course the other youth squirmed, and in an instant there was a rough
and tumble scuffle. Jack was pushed against the wall, and retaliated by
forcing Brassy backward over a chair. Then the two spun around the room,
upsetting a stand containing a number of books.
"Hello! what's going on here?" came a voice from one of the side rooms,
and Fred appeared. He had been in bed and was attired only in his
pajamas.
Jack and Brassy were so wrought up by this time that neither paid
attention to the interruption. Nor did they take notice when another door
opened and Andy and Randy came into view. Brassy managed to break away
and land a blow on Jack's arm, and in return received a crack in the chin
which sent his head backward and all but unbalanced him.
"Gee! it's a regular fight," burst out Andy. "I didn't know Brassy was
here."
"Neither did I," said Fred. "Why didn't you call us, Jack?"
"He didn't give me time," answered the young captain. "He accused me of
getting him into trouble at Clearwater Hall, and then pitched into me."
"I'll fix you!" yelled Brassy, who was now almost beside himself with
rage. "I'll fix you!" and he made another lunge for Jack.
But the blow he intended to deliver fell short, and before he could
recover the young captain came at him with a crack in the ear, followed
by another on the cheek, and these caused Brassy to stagger into a corner
where he held fast to a chair.
"Say, you fellows will have Colonel Colby here in another minute," warned
Fred.
"I don't care who comes!" bellowed Brassy recklessly. "But see here, I'm
not going to fight four of you!" he went on sullenly, as he glared from
one to another of the Rovers.
"There won't be any more fight!" cried Jack, who had no desire to be
brought up before the master of the school again. "Fred, open that door!"
And then, as the youngest Rover did so, he added to his opponent: "Now
get out of here before I throw you out."
"You can't throw me out!" blustered Brassy. But then, as Jack advanced on
him threateningly, he made a sudden spring for the door and ran out into
the corridor. "I'm not going to fight four to one. But just wait--this
isn't ended yet," he went on, and then disappeared.
Fred closed the door again, and he and the others gathered around Jack,
who was panting from his unexpected exertions.
"Gosh, but he looked mad!" was Randy's comment. "What was it all about?"
In as few words as possible the young captain explained the situation so
far as he was able.
"Brassy must have gone over to Clearwater Hall and there got the idea
that you were queering that proposed party," was Fred's comment. "Well,
I'm glad if the girls are wise to what is going on."
"Better chew this over in the morning," admonished Andy. "The thing now
is to get into bed and put out the lights. One of the professors may be
up here any minute."
This advice was considered good, and with lightning-like rapidity the
room was placed in order and the others retired again, leaving Jack to
undress and go to bed as quickly as possible. A little later one of the
monitors came through the hall, but none of the Rovers was disturbed.
It was not until two days later that the Rovers heard the particulars of
what had occurred at Clearwater Hall. Then they learned that, unknown to
any of the girls, one of the teachers had been delegated by Miss Garwood,
the head of the academy, to make a quiet investigation concerning the
proposed sleighing party. And when this teacher had found out who were on
the committee of arrangements, Miss Garwood had forbidden any of the
young ladies to participate. When this became known, Brassy Bangs had at
once concluded that Jack--and perhaps some of his relatives and
friends--was responsible for what had occurred. The party had been called
off.
"I'm glad it's called off," said Jack.
"So am I," returned Fred. "But, believe me, Jack, Brassy will have it in
for you after this."
"Possibly."
"You didn't hear anything about what girls intended to go, did you?" put
in Randy.
"I heard Jennie Mason, Ida Brierley, and Nettie Goss mentioned. That's
all," answered Jack.
He would have given a good deal to have known what was the real attitude
of Ruth and May toward the party. But, as before, neither he nor Fred
felt inclined to make any direct inquiries.
"It almost looks as if Brassy had expected Ruth to go with him," murmured
the young captain to himself, when he was alone that night. And it must
be confessed that the thought made him feel quite gloomy.
After this incident matters ran along smoothly for a week or more at the
Hall. During that time the snow commenced to melt and almost before the
cadets knew it, it had disappeared entirely.
In the meanwhile there was constant talk of the election for officers
that was to take place. Ralph Mason, the major of the school battalion,
was about to leave, as was also one of the captains, so there would be
first an election to fill these vacancies and then another election in
case one or both vacancies were filled by those who were already acting
as officers.
"I really think you ought to try for the majorship," said Gif to Jack.
"You certainly have done well as a captain."
"It would be very nice, Gif," was Jack's reply. "But I feel sometimes as
if I ought to give some of the other fellows a show."
"But they may not want it," answered Andy. "Look at me, for instance. I
don't want to be an officer, and neither does Randy. And Gif here would
rather continue at the head of our athletics."
"Yes, but you fellows are not the whole school," declared Jack, with a
smile.
"I know lots of fellows who want you to run," declared Spouter. "And you
say the word and I'll go around and do a lot of electioneering for you."
The matter was talked over a good many times, and fully twenty of the
cadets came to Jack and told him they wanted him to run for the office of
major. And finally he consented.
"Hello, here's news!" burst out Fatty Hendry, one day, as he joined his
chums. "It's the richest thing ever," and he grinned broadly.
"What's that?" questioned Dan Soppinger, who was present.
"I just heard through Teddy Brown that Brassy Bangs wants to run for
major. That he even told one of the professors about it."
"Why, he can't do that!" declared Fred quickly. "That is, not without
special permission from Colonel Colby or Captain Dale. The major is
always chosen from among the captains and lieutenants, or those who have
been officers before. That is, if there is any one to pick. It's only
Colonel Colby or Captain Dale who can declare the election open to any
one. You can't put a fellow who has just learned to handle a gun to march
at the head of the battalion."
"Well, of course Brassy didn't know that, and he wouldn't believe it
until Captain Dale explained it to him. And then he said he thought he
ought to be able to hold the position because he was one of the best
shots in the school."
"Well, he certainly is a good shot," declared Fred. "I saw him shooting
at a target one day and he certainly made some marvelous hits."
"He comes from the West--from some place where everybody knows how to
shoot," declared Walt Baxter. "I heard him telling some of the fellows
about it one day. He said he had learned to ride and to shoot when he was
only six or seven years old. And he can ride, all right enough, too. I
saw him do it one day when I was on the road back of the Point."
"Well, I think a few of us can do a little shooting," declared Andy.
"Don't forget that out of a possible twenty-five points Fred once made
nineteen and Jack eighteen."
"Oh, yes, I remember that," put in Ned Lowe. "That was the time Lew
Barrow scored twenty."
"Yes, and the time I scored the whole of ten," chuckled Andy. "But I
don't care," he added proudly. "I guess I brought down my share of small
game when we went hunting."
The talk concerning Brassy Bangs wanting to run for the office of major
was true, and the cadet was much disgusted when he found that the
regulations of the Hall forbade this.
"I can beat any one of them at shooting," he grumbled to Paul Halliday,
one of his particular cronies and the fellow who had aided in trying to
get up the sleighing party.
"Of course you can," was Halliday's quick reply. Then he went on: "Say,
Lest, why don't you challenge Jack Rover and his cousin Fred to shoot
against you? You can show 'em up in great shape. It would be better than
fighting them."
"I'll do it!" announced Brassy promptly, for the idea was one that
appealed to him. "I'll shoot against them with either pistols or rifles,
just as they may choose. I'll show 'em up for a couple of dubs when it
comes to handling firearms."
"That's the talk!" broke in Billy Sands, another of Bangs' chums. "You
say the word and Paul and I will take the challenge to the Rovers right
away."
"All provided Colonel Colby or Captain Dale will permit the contest,"
said Brassy sourly. "Maybe that's another one of the things their dirty
rules won't allow."
The matter was talked over for a while longer, and the three boys went
off to interview Captain Dale. He listened to them with a smile, and then
nodded.
"Of course you can have a contest of that sort if you desire, Bangs," he
said presently.
Following this the challenge to Jack and Fred was promptly issued. It, of
course, came as a surprise to the Rovers.
"We ought not to dirty our hands with a fellow like Bangs," declared the
young captain to Fred.
"Oh, we can't afford to refuse, Jack!" cried his cousin. "If we did the
fellows in the Hall would think we were afraid."
And thereupon the challenge was accepted.
CHAPTER IX
THE SHOOTING CONTEST
It was decided that the shooting contest should take place the next day.
"It doesn't give us much time to practice," grumbled Fred.
"We might as well have it over with," answered Jack. "There is no use of
allowing it to interfere with our lessons or with the coming election for
officers."
"Do you think we can shoot as well as Brassy?"
"We can try, Fred. From all reports he's quite a wonderful shot. It seems
he comes from a place where everybody is used to firearms."
It had been decided to hold the contest on the regular range back of the
school grounds. Fred and Jack had been in favor of rifles, but the boy
from the West had voted in favor of pistols. As a consequence, Captain
Dale had told them the contest would be divided into two parts of a
possible fifteen points each, the first part to take place with pistols
and the second with rifles.
"Say, you fellows have just got to snow Brassy under!" cried Randy.
"Don't leave him a leg to stand on."
"That's easy enough to say, Randy," answered Jack. "But it isn't so easy
to do."
"I know it, and I was only fooling. However, do your best and make some
kind of showing against that loud-mouthed fellow."
Early on the morning of the contest Jack and Fred received permission to
take rifles and pistols and do a little practicing with the firearms.
They went out alone, not wishing to be disturbed by any one.
As they were crossing the fields they saw a figure coming from a side
road. The person approaching had the cape of his overcoat drawn up
tightly around his throat and wore his cap pulled down well over his
forehead.
"That fellow looked like Brassy Bangs," declared Fred, as the distant
figure leaped over a hedge and disappeared.
"It certainly did look like Brassy," answered his cousin. "But what in
the world could he be doing out so early in the morning?"
"Maybe he was practicing a little on his own account."
"He didn't have any gun with him."
"That's right. But he might have a pistol."
"He never struck me as a fellow who would get up so very early. He always
appeared to be rather lazy. And besides that, he didn't come from the
range. He came from the river road."
"I know it, Jack. Maybe he's been out all night for a good time with some
of those fellows from town."
After this the two Rovers lost no time in hurrying to the rifle range,
and there practised with their pistols and their rifles until it was time
to return to the Hall for roll call and the drill before breakfast.
"Well, we may not win, but we'll make some kind of a showing," remarked
Fred.
It was a clear day, the air just bracing enough to put the cadets of
Colby Hall in good spirits. When the time came for the contest nearly all
of them hurried to the range.
"Now then, Lest, show 'em what you can do!" cried Paul Halliday.
"The Rovers won't have a look-in!" broke out Billy Sands. "It will be a
regular walk-away for Lest."
"Don't be so sure of that," answered Gif.
"Brassy may be all right enough with a pistol; but don't forget that Jack
and Fred know how to handle a rifle," added Spouter.
A coin was tossed up and it was thereby decided that the contest with
pistols should take place first. Each contestant was to shoot three
times, the rings on the target counting from 1 to 5. The three
contestants were to shoot in rotation, Fred first, Brassy second, and
Jack last.
If Fred was a trifle nervous when he went to the front to shoot, he did
his best to control it. Taking as careful aim as possible, he fired.
"A three!"
"That's good enough for a starter!"
With a self-satisfied look on his face, Brassy Bangs strode forward, took
quick aim, and fired.
"A bull's-eye!" shouted Billy Sands in delight.
"I told you he could do it!" added Paul Halliday.
When Jack came to the front he managed to make a 4.
"That's the stuff!" cried Randy. "You're only one point behind!"
On the second round Fred managed to make a 4, while Jack scored a 3, thus
tying the Rovers. Brassy scored a 4.
"Seven to nine in favor of Bangs!"
Then came the third round, and again Fred scored a 3 and Jack did
likewise, while Brassy delighted his cronies by scoring another
bull's-eye.
"A total of ten each for the Rovers!"
"And fourteen for Bangs!"
"I told you Lest could hold 'em down!" shouted Billy Sands.
"Just wait till they shoot with the rifles. He'll walk away from 'em!"
added Paul Halliday.
It must be admitted that the Rovers and their chums were somewhat
disappointed that the score stood four points in favor of Brassy.
"Now, Fred, do your best," whispered Andy to his cousin, as the latter
went to the front after carefully examining the rifle handed to him by
Captain Dale.
The firearm was a light affair, but of approved pattern and supposed to
be quite accurate for use at a distance of two hundred yards.
Fred took longer to aim with the rifle than he had with the pistol, and
there was a breathless silence until after the report rang out.
"A four!"
"That's the stuff, Fred!"
"Now, Brassy, let us see what you can do!"
As confident as ever, Brassy Bangs came to the front, took the rifle
handed to him, and shot rather hastily.
"A three!"
Jack was up next, and to the dismay of many of his friends made only a
2.
Then came the second round with rifles, and in that Fred scored a 4,
Bangs a 1, and Jack a 3.
"Hurrah! Fred Rover and Brassy Bangs are tied with eighteen points
each."
"And Jack Rover has fifteen points."
Then came the final round, and amid a breathless silence Fred shot and
scored a bull's-eye. Then came Bangs, and made a 2. And Jack ended the
contest with a bull's-eye.
"Hurrah! Fred Rover wins the match with twenty-three points!"
"Yes, and Jack Rover and Brassy Bangs are tied for second place with
twenty each!"
"Hurrah for Fred Rover!"
"Pretty good shooting, I'll say!"
"It was all to the merry, Fred!" exclaimed Jack, as he caught his
cousin's hand. "You did fine!"
"The best ever!" burst out Andy.
"Say, Jack, why don't you and Brassy shoot off the tie?" questioned
Spouter.
"I'm willing," was the ready reply of the young captain.
"I'll shoot off the tie with pistols," put in Brassy quickly.
"No, let it be with rifles," broke in Randy.
"I'll tell you what I think would be fair," announced Captain Dale. "Each
of you take one shot with a rifle and one shot with a pistol." And after
quite a little discussion it was so agreed.
The pistols were used first, and there Brassy made a bull's-eye while
Jack managed to register a 4. Then the rifles were used, and here Jack,
shooting first, made a bull's-eye while Brassy got a 2.
"Hurrah! Nine to seven in favor of Captain Rover!"
"Some shooting, Jack!"
"If you had shot as good as that in the first contest you might have
beaten Fred."
"I'm quite content, even if I didn't beat Fred," announced the young
captain, with a smile.
Brassy Bangs was quite gloomy over the outcome of the contest, and he and
his cronies lost no time in quitting the range.
"I'm mighty glad you two fellows beat him," announced Gif. "Maybe it will
take a little of the conceit out of him."
"Well, Gif, you've got to admit he's a wonderful shot with the pistol,"
answered Jack.
"Yes. And his rifle work isn't any worse than mine," answered Andy. "Now,
I'll promise to make a lot of bull's-eyes for you if you'll let me use a
good-sized shotgun or a blunderbuss," and at this there was a snicker.
For the rest of that day Brassy Bangs had little to say. But the next
morning he was as loud-mouthed as ever, declaring that he would have won
the contest had he been allowed to use his own pistol--a long affair of
the old-fashioned western variety.
"Had he done that it might have given him one more point," declared
Randy. "Of course that would have put him ahead of Jack in the first
contest, but it wouldn't have helped him when it came to the rifle
work."
"Oh, let's drop Brassy," said Jack. "I am really getting tired of hearing
of him."
"I can't bear him," put in Phil Franklin. "Once or twice he has tried to
become chummy with me, but I've always given him the cold shoulder."
It was now drawing on toward the time for the election, and there was a
great deal of wire-pulling among the various cadets as to who might run
for the offices. Three names were in the field for the office of major:
Jack, a Captain Glasby, and a Lieutenant Harkness.
Glasby was a fellow who was very well liked, while Harkness was a
lieutenant who at one time had been more or less of a crony of Nappy
Martell, Gabe Werner, and others of the crowd that had been opposed to
the Rover boys.
"Well, I sha'n't complain if Glasby gets the position," declared Jack.
"But I'd hate mightily to see Lieutenant Harkness at the head of the
school battalion."
"I never liked Harkness myself," put in Spouter. "He isn't a bit better
in many respects than Gabe Werner."
It was soon noised around the school that Brassy Bangs and his cronies
were doing their best for Harkness, while another crowd, led by Bart
White, were rooting in rather a lively fashion for Captain Glasby.
"We've got to get busy for Jack," said Gif to Spouter. "Come on! Let's
sound out all the fellows in the Hall we think we can influence." And
thereupon he and Spouter and a number of others set to work to
electioneer for Jack as hard as they could.
Several days before the election Andy and Randy obtained permission to go
to Haven Point on an errand. It was rather a disagreeable, misty day, and
they were tramping along through the mud on the outskirts of the town
when they saw Brassy Bangs and a stranger ahead of them. The stranger was
a tall, thin individual, dressed in an old-fashioned suit of rusty black
and with a big slouch hat pulled well down over his head. He was puffing
away at a large black cigar, and seemed to be very much in earnest in
what he was saying to Brassy.
"I saw that fellow around the school about a week ago," declared Randy.
"He didn't look like a very nice sort, either."
"He certainly has a fierce-looking mustache," was Andy's comment. "And
it's as red as his hair."
"I tell you I can't do it, and that's all there is to it," the boys heard
Brassy exclaim, in reply to something the stranger had said.
"And I say you've got to do it," returned the man, and his tone was
decidedly ugly. "You've got to do it--or otherwise you've got to take the
consequences."
"You wouldn't be so mean, Haddon!" pleaded Brassy, and now the Rovers
could see that he was more or less scared.
"Wouldn't I?" returned the strange man harshly. "You just try me and see!
The best thing you can do is to agree to what I said. If you don't,
well----" and here the tall man shrugged his shoulders--"you'll do as I
said before--or you'll take the consequences."
CHAPTER X
SPOUTER'S SECRET
"Say, this is rather interesting," remarked Randy in a low tone to his
brother.
"That fellow is certainly threatening Brassy," returned Andy. "I wonder
what it can be all about."
"He wants Brassy to do something."
The two Rovers kept on behind Bangs and the man called Haddon, and
presently saw them turn down a side street where was located a small
factory that had been in operation during the war but which was now
closed. Both disappeared into a shed attached to the factory.
"Let's see if we can find out what it's all about," said Randy.
"I'm willing," answered his twin. "Maybe that fellow will grow abusive
and hurt Brassy."
"Well, a good licking wouldn't hurt him," answered his brother, with a
grin.
"Oh, that's all right. But we don't want to see him half killed even if
we don't like him."
"You trust Brassy to take care of himself," was the quick reply.
The twins hurried to the shed and there found that the door had been left
open and that the man and their fellow-cadet had gone into another part
of the low building.
"You know as well as I do that that barn and them hosses was worth at
least twelve thousand dollars," the man was saying to Brassy. "That was a
big loss for John Calder."
"Please don't say another word about it!" pleaded Brassy.
"I won't if you'll do as I told you to."
"But I've let you have a hundred and ten dollars already! It's every cent
I can spare!"
"Well, I've got to have more."
"I'll bet you've been gambling it away, Haddon."
"It's none of your business what Bud Haddon does with his money!"
exclaimed the stranger, with a toss of his head and blowing a ring of
tobacco smoke toward the ceiling of the shed. "If you don't want me to
start things you do as I told you to."
"Do you know what I think!" exclaimed Brassy, after a pause. "I think
those tramp cowboys were guilty."
"You can't put that off on no cowboys!" exclaimed Bud Haddon. "I know all
about it, and so do Jillson and Dusenbury."
"They don't know anything--at least they don't know anything about me!"
cried Brassy. But it was plainly to be seen that he was exceedingly
nervous. "Somebody's been cooking up a story against me!"
"Ain't nobody cookin' up nothin'," growled the man. "I know what I'm
talkin' about. You'd better get busy if you know when you're well off. If
you don't, and your uncle gets wind of this--well, good-night for you!"
"Oh, don't say anything to my uncle! Please don't!"
"Well, then you get busy. I've hung around here about as long as I intend
to. I'm goin' back to Chicago in a few days."
At this juncture the Rovers heard a noise outside, and several boys
playing hide-and-seek appeared. Not wishing to be discovered by Brassy
and his companion, Andy and Randy hurried out into the street and up to
the corner. Here they waited for a while, and presently saw Brassy and
Bud Haddon come forth. The man sauntered away in the direction of the
town while Brassy sped off on the winding road leading to Colby Hall.
"Now what do you make of this?" questioned Randy, as he and his brother
continued on their errand.
"It looks rather suspicious to me," answered Andy. "It looks as if Brassy
had done something that wasn't right and this man was going to expose him
unless Brassy paid over some hush money."
"Yes, and from what Brassy said, he evidently has already paid the man
one hundred and ten dollars."
On the way back to Colby Hall after their errand was finished the twins
discussed the matter, but could arrive at no satisfactory conclusion.
That evening they told their cousins of what they had heard, and also
mentioned the matter to Gif and Spouter.
"It looks to me as if that Bud Haddon had a hold on Brassy," remarked
Jack. "But whether Brassy is really guilty or not of some wrongdoing
remains to be found out."
"I wouldn't put it past him to do something that wasn't right," came from
Fred.
"That remains to be seen, Fred. Brassy might do some things that we
wouldn't do; but at the same time I doubt if he's so very bad at heart.
He's loud-mouthed and has a hasty temper, and he likes to show off, and
all that sort of thing, but that doesn't say he's a criminal."
"That Bud Haddon looks like a bad one," announced Randy. "I wouldn't
trust him with a nickel."
"It certainly is a mystery," came from Fred. "Just the same as it's a
mystery about Professor Duke."
"Gosh, don't mention Duke!" broke out Gif. "I had all I could do to keep
from getting into a row with him this morning. He certainly is a tart one
at times."
"But he looks troubled," answered Jack. "Ever since Colonel Colby spoke
about him I've been watching him carefully. And, believe me, that man has
something on his mind that's far from pleasant."
"He certainly comes and goes a good deal," said Spouter. "He was away
several hours last night and the night before. And I understand he's
going away to-morrow afternoon again."
"Colonel Colby must know it's all right. Otherwise he wouldn't let him go
away so much," declared Gif.
On the following morning when the mail was distributed Spouter received a
letter from his father that interested him greatly. He read the
communication several times, and then, placing it in his pocket, ran off
to where he had left Gif.
"Come on, Gif!" he cried gayly. "I've got great news! Come ahead and help
find the Rovers."
"What's the news?" demanded the other, as they hurried on side by side.
"Just wait and I'll tell you all about it--maybe." And then Spouter
stopped short, struck by a sudden idea. He thought for a few seconds and
then his face broke into a broad smile.
The two boys found the Rovers up in Room 20, which the four cousins used
as a sitting room. All were busy studying and looked up in surprise as
Spouter dashed in with Gif at his heels.
"Glorious news, boys! Glorious news!" sang out Spouter, as he beamed at
them.
"What is it?" they demanded in chorus.
"Glorious, I tell you, glorious!" Spouter waved his hands eloquently.
"Why remain cooped up here within the dingy walls of a school when the
mighty plains, the boundless forests, the leaping streams, and the azure
blue of the skies await you? Why snuff the tainted air of the musty
classroom when the free ozone of the hills and mountains beckons to you?
Why waste time over musty books when rifle and fishing rod can be had,
when one can fling himself in the saddle and go dashing madly across
the----"
"Jumping crabs and hopping mud turtles!" exclaimed Andy. "Spouter has got
'em again!"
"What is this, Spouter?" demanded Randy. "A moving picture, or just a
plain everyday nightmare?"
"Ha, ha!" continued Spouter, prancing around. "Whoopee! Bang! Bang! Let
her go, boys! Lasso him quick before he gets away!" and the talkative
cadet made a movement as if throwing a lasso.
"Say, Spouter, come down to earth, will you?" cried Jack, grabbing his
chum by the shoulder. "What's the matter with you?"
"Maybe he swallowed a few yeast cakes by mistake," remarked Andy.
"It's the best news ever, fellows!" went on Spouter. "I got it this
morning."
"All right! Let's have it," came quickly from Fred.
"I've been waiting for this news for several weeks."
"News from where?" came from the others.
"News from home."
"From your dad?" questioned Randy.
"Exactly."
"What has he done now--bought you an automobile?" questioned Gif.
"Better than that!"
"For goodness' sake, spill out what you've got to say!" returned Fred, in
exasperation.
"When we went to Cedar Lodge on our grand hunt we were Gif's guests,"
resumed Spouter. "This summer the tables are to be turned, and all of you
are to be the guests of yours truly."
"Gee, that sounds interesting, Spouter!" cried Randy.
"Where do we go and when?" questioned his twin.
"You're to go just as soon as school shuts down and you can get ready."
"And where to?" questioned Jack curiously.
"Ha! that's the deep, dark and delightful secret," returned Spouter.
"You're all to be my guests, and I'll promise you the time of your lives.
Oh, boys, but this is going to be something great!" And the cadet
playfully pounded one and another on the shoulder with his fist.
"But how can we go if we don't know where we're going?" asked Fred.
"You'll know, Fred, before you're on the way," was the mysterious answer.
"And, believe me, after you've found out you won't want to turn back."
"What! do you mean you're not going to tell us where we're going?"
demanded Jack, in astonishment.
"Exactly, Jack. That's going to be my little secret until this school
shuts up," and Spouter folded his arms calmly and grinned at all his
chums.
They looked at him in blank amazement. This was a proceeding that had
never happened before. Suddenly Gif made a dash forward.
"Let's pound it out of him!"
"That's the talk! We'll make him tell!"
"Pull him down and sit on him!"
"Pull off his shoes and tickle his feet! He's got to tell!"
"Poke him in the ribs!"
"He got a letter this morning. I'll bet the news is in that!" shouted
Gif. "It's in his pocket now!"
All attempted to pounce upon Spouter, but he was too quick for them, and,
dashing across the room, he shot into Fred's bedroom, banging the door
after him. Then, as the others followed, he ran out into the corridor and
then sped for his own room, where he locked the door behind him. Then he
hid the letter in a place where he was sure none of his chums would find
it.
"Well, this takes the bakery!" announced Randy, after all of them had
pounded on Spouter's door in vain. "What do you suppose it means?"
"It's simple enough," remarked Jack. "Spouter is going to invite us on
some sort of outing this summer, but he doesn't want to tell us yet what
sort it's to be."
"He spoke about mountains and rivers and horseback riding," said Randy.
"That looks like some sort of outdoor affair," and his eyes glistened.
"Come on out, Spouter, and let us love you a little," called Fred through
the keyhole.
"You go on down and I'll meet you downstairs," was the reply. "And
remember, you're not to know another word about this until vacation
comes."
"Going to take us away in a submarine, Spouter?" demanded Andy.
"No, he's going to take us in an airship to the south pole," declared his
twin.
"Never mind where I'm going to take you," answered Spouter. "You just
keep calm until vacation time comes, and then you'll learn fast enough in
what direction you're going to travel. And, believe me, we'll have some
outing, or else I'll miss my guess."
And with this statement the Rover boys and Gif had to be content.
CHAPTER XI
THE ELECTION FOR OFFICERS
"Company attention! Shoulder arms! Forward march!"
Boom! Boom! Boom, boom, boom!
The drums rang out clearly on the morning air and the Colby Hall
battalion swung into line on a march that carried it around the school
buildings and then to the lake shore. Here Colonel Colby and Captain Dale
inspected the three companies. Then the retiring major, Ralph Mason, was
called on for a little speech which brought forth many cheers, and after
this the command was dismissed.
It was the day for the election, and there was to be no school session
until the afternoon.
At the last election there had been a total of 111 votes cast. But now
there were one hundred and twenty-five cadets at the institution. There
had been some talk of organizing a new command to be known as Company D,
but so far this had not materialized.
As was the custom, the election was held in the main hall of the school
and was presided over by Captain Dale and Professor Brice.
"I see they expect a hundred and twenty-five votes," remarked Randy.
"That means sixty-three will be necessary to a choice."
"Well, I'm sure Jack will get at least forty on the first vote," returned
his brother.
"I hope he gets the whole sixty-three," put in Dan Soppinger. Dan had
once run for a captaincy, but had dropped out and turned most of his
attention to athletics.
As at other elections, it was decided by Colonel Colby that each officer
should be voted for separately.
"We'll try for a new major first," announced the head of the Hall.
The ballot box was placed on the table, and after a short intermission
during which there was some very active electioneering among the various
groups assembled, a bell rang and the cadets were formed in one long line
and told to march up and deposit their ballots in the box.
It must be admitted that Jack was rather anxious, although he did his
best to conceal it. He smiled at Captain Glasby, who smiled back. Then he
smiled at Lieutenant Harkness, but that under-officer only favored him
with a scowl.
"Harkness will never win anything with that look on his face," was Gif's
comment, as he noticed the scowl. "The fellows like an officer who can
take things pleasantly."
It did not take the cadets long to vote, and as soon as all of the
ballots had been cast Captain Dale, assisted by Professor Brice, began to
tabulate the vote. In less than ten minutes they had finished. Then a
bell rang and Captain Dale came forward to read the result.
"Total number of votes cast . . . . . . . 125
Necessary to a choice . . . . . . . . . . 63
Louis Glasby has . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Jack Rover has . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Darrell Harkness has . . . . . . . . . . . 24"
"What do you know about that!" exclaimed Fred. "Jack and Glasby are
within one vote of each other!"
"I'll say that's getting pretty close," answered Randy.
"As no cadet has received the number of votes necessary to a choice, I
will give the school a recess for fifteen minutes. Then we will vote
again--for the same cadets or for new ones if you feel so inclined."
After this brief announcement by Captain Dale came a hum of voices and
there was some strenuous electioneering in all parts of the hall and also
in the corridors and out on the campus.
"Glasby is stronger than I thought he was," remarked Gif to Jack. "We'll
have to do some tall work to overcome his vote."
"I think we can get some of the Harkness fellows to come over to us," put
in Spouter. "I don't believe he's as popular as he thinks."
"Maybe we can get him to withdraw," suggested Andy, with a grin.
"Withdraw, not!" broke out Fred. "He's not that sort."
While the conversation was going on somebody touched Jack on the
shoulder, and turning he found himself confronted by Paul Halliday.
"Say, see here, Rover! I'd like a word with you," whispered Halliday
somewhat excitedly.
"All right, shoot!" answered the young captain.
"This is a little private matter," went on Halliday. "You can bring your
cousins along if you want to," he added.
Wondering what Halliday had in his mind, Jack, along with Fred and Andy
who happened to be close by, followed him to an out-of-the-way corner of
a corridor.
"We want to know if you're willing to make a deal with us," said Halliday
in a low, nervous tone of voice. "You know Harkness got twenty-four
votes. Well, he's willing to throw those votes to you if you are willing
to back him for the new captain of Company C."
"I can't do that," answered Jack quickly. "If I get to be major I'm going
to back Fred here for the captaincy."
"Oh, but, Jack, I could drop out of that!" put in his cousin quickly.
"Not much, Fred! I said I was going to do it, and I'm going to stick to
my word. Besides that, I might as well tell you, Halliday, that I don't
believe Harkness is the best fellow for the position."
"Then you won't consider my offer?" demanded Halliday sourly.
"Certainly not!"
"I don't believe you can control the Harkness votes," put in Andy. "I
believe Jack will get a whole lot of them on the next ballot."
"He won't get a one of them, and he'll lose some of his own!" answered
Paul Halliday. "You just wait and see!" And then he walked away.
"Jack, that move might have given you the majorship," said Fred.
"If I've got to get it that way, Fred, I don't want it," was the prompt
reply. "I wouldn't vote for Harkness under any circumstances. He's in
hand and glove with Brassy Bangs, Halliday, Sands, and that whole bunch;
and I don't believe he ought to be an officer."
A few minutes later came a commotion near the main entrance of the Hall.
A cadet named Gibson who was doing some electioneering for Glasby had
knocked Paul Halliday down, and there was every prospect of a fight when
the two cadets were separated by a number of friends.
"He offered to sell the Harkness vote if our crowd would vote later on
the way he wanted us to!" declared Gibson. "You would think he had half
the vote of the Hall in his pocket," and he glared at Halliday, who
thereupon lost no time in sneaking out of sight.
The report that Halliday, Sands, and even Brassy Bangs were trying to
sell the Harkness vote in exchange for some votes for a captaincy soon
spread, and a number of the cadets who had voted for the lieutenant
became disgusted and promptly said they were going to change. A lively
discussion followed, in the midst of which the bell rang for the second
ballot.
"Gee, Jack! if some of those fellows do change their votes I hope they
come to you," murmured Gif.
"Well, I must confess I'm hoping that myself," answered the young
captain, with a smile.
Once more the boys lined up and deposited their ballots. Then came some
anxious waiting, and finally Captain Dale announced the result:
"Total number of votes cast.....125 Necessary to a choice............63
Jack Rover has...................67 Louis Glasby has.................46
Darrell Harkness has..............9 Peter Floyd has...................3"
"Hurrah! Jack wins!" cried Fred enthusiastically, and was the first
person to grab his cousin by the hand and shake it warmly.
"That's great, Jack!" exclaimed Gif, slapping him on the shoulder. "Let
me congratulate you!"
"It's just the result I was looking for!" burst in Spouter, his face
wreathed in smiles.
Of course, Louis Glasby was much disappointed, but he took his defeat in
good part and came up bravely to shake Jack by the hand.
"It was a fair and square contest, Jack," he said. "And I congratulate
you." And then turning to the other cadets he called out: "Three cheers
for Major Rover!" They were given with a will; and then Colonel Colby,
Captain Dale, and many of the older persons came forward to congratulate
the newly-elected head of the school battalion.
"Speech! Speech!" came the cry from the students. "A speech from the new
major!" and almost before he was aware of it Jack was escorted to the
platform.
"I don't know what to say to you," he said, as he faced his
fellow-students. "I thank you very heartily for your support and I will
do my best to deserve it. I want to say that I am particularly pleased at
the nice manner in which Louis Glasby has taken his defeat. He's a fine
fellow and I hope I shall always have him for my friend." And following
these words there was more cheering.
"Evidently the Harkness combination went to pieces," remarked Randy. "He
polled only nine votes."
"And that was nine too many," murmured his brother.
Following the election for major, Captain Dale announced that they would
next vote for a new captain for Company A.
"I don't know what you fellows are going to do, but I know I'm going to
vote for Louis Glasby," announced Jack.
"I think a whole lot of fellows will do that," answered Fred. "He'll
probably get every one of his original fifty-one votes."
Again there was an intermission of a quarter of an hour, and then the
boys were lined up for the vote to fill the vacancy in Company A. On the
first ballot Glasby got 60 votes while Fred poled 18 votes, the rest
being scattering. Then on the second ballot Glasby was declared elected
with 69 votes in his favor.
"Three cheers for Captain Glasby of Company A!" called out Jack quickly,
as he shook hands with his late rival, and the cheers were given with as
much of a will as they had been for the newly-elected major.
"Well, I got thirty-two votes on that last ballot," announced Fred. "That
shows I've got some friends in this school. I don't want to be the
captain of Company A. I'd rather remain a lieutenant of Company C."
"But we've got to have a new captain for Company C now that Jack has
stepped out," put in Phil Franklin.
A quarter of an hour later the balloting began for a new captain for the
company Jack had commanded. Here developed a spirited rivalry, and it was
not until the fifth ballot that the final vote was taken. Then Fred won
by 64 votes with the other votes scattered among eight contestants.
"Three cheers for Captain Fred Rover!" shouted Phil Franklin
enthusiastically, and threw his cap high in the air. He had electioneered
as hard as anybody for the youngest Rover.
Then Fred was called on for a little speech, and after that there was
another election for lieutenants and a number of minor officers.
"It certainly was our day, Fred," said Jack, as he and his cousin shook
hands.
"Right you are, Major Rover," and Fred saluted in the most precise
military fashion.
"Bonfires to-night, boys!" sang out Andy. "And we'll have some big
doings, believe me!"
"Right you are!" declared his twin.
CHAPTER XII
BONFIRE NIGHT
It was the custom at Colby Hall for the officers of the battalion to take
dinner with Colonel Colby on the day of an election. This was quite a
formal affair and the cadets to participate made it a point to look their
best.
"Say, Jack, you're going to make a stunning looking major," remarked
Fred, as he watched his cousin dressing.
"How about yourself as captain?" was the reply.
"Just wait till Ruth Stevenson sees Jack in his new uniform!" cried
Randy.
"Say, Jack, why not have a life-sized photo taken and give it to her to
hang over her dressing table?" put in Andy, with a grin.
"You beware, Andy," admonished his cousin, waving a finger severely at
him. "Remember, as the commandant of the battalion, I can throw you into
a dungeon cell if I feel so inclined," and Jack strutted around grandly
in the privacy of the Rovers' sitting room.
"I'll be good, oh, Most Noble One," answered the fun-loving Rover, bowing
down until his head almost touched his feet.
Jack and Fred had already sent word to Martha and Mary, and they, of
course, had told Ruth and the others. It is needless to say that the
Rover girls and their chums were almost as much pleased over the results
of the election as the boys had been.
"I'm just dying to see them on parade with Jack at the head," confided
Martha to the others.
"Yes, and Fred in command of Company C," added Mary. "Just to think of
it! And he so much younger than the others!"
"I hope I'm on hand to see their first parade," said Ruth, her eyes
beaming with pleasure.
"I thought you were going to write Jack a letter about that party," said
Martha in a low tone.
"I am. To-night. And I'll let him know that I've wanted to do it ever
since the party was talked of," went on Ruth.
The officers' dinner was a great success. Every one present made a little
speech and Colonel Colby and Captain Dale made addresses to which the
cadets listened with keen attention.
"It is my desire to make this military academy one of the best in the
country," declared the colonel earnestly. "And I cannot do that without
the sincere cooperation of every cadet attending the institution. As many
of you know"--and here he glanced at Jack and Fred--"when I was about
your age I attended Putnam Hall Military Academy. I am sure the training
I received there did me much good, and I am also sure that I made many
friends who will stand by me as long as I live.
"I want this institution to be one of good-fellowship all around, and I
am relying upon all of you to do your best. At Putnam Hall in many
respects we followed the honor system which I have put into operation
here. That honor system did not fail there, and I do not look for it to
fail here. I want you all to have a good time; but there is a limit, and
every one of you knows what that limit is just as well as I do. In the
late war the training which some of our soldiers had received at Putnam
Hall stood them in good stead. And I want the training received here to
be of equal benefit if any of my cadets should ever be called upon to
fight for our country."
"Three cheers for Colonel Colby!" came from Jack a minute later, and the
boys assembled nearly split their throats trying to do justice to their
feelings.
While this dinner was going on the other cadets had their repast in the
mess hall and then flew off in all directions to prepare for the real
festivities of the evening. They had gotten together several piles of
barrels and boxes, as well as brushwood from the forest behind the
school, and these were soon heaped up along the river bank into great
bonfires, the light of which could be seen a long distance.
"It's going to be some night, believe me!" sang out Andy merrily. "We'll
tear the woodpile down, as the old saying is."
"We want to be a little bit careful or else we'll have Snopper Duke or
some other professor calling us down."
"Snopper Duke is going away. I heard him tell one of the other teachers
that he had had a sudden call to go somewhere out of town," answered
Randy.
"Going away again, eh?" questioned Gif, in surprise. "He certainly is
getting to be a regular Man of Mystery."
The greater part of the cadets were wildly excited over the prospects of
a good time that night. A few of them, however, including Lieutenant
Harkness, Paul Halliday, and Brassy Bangs, looked far from pleased.
"They make me tired," was Brassy's comment. "You'd think that being major
of the school battalion was next to being president."
"If I can't be anything better than a lieutenant I think I'll resign
altogether," returned Harkness. "I'd rather go in for athletics."
"You'll have a pretty good chance if you do," announced Paul Halliday. "I
understand they're going to try to divorce the officers from
participating in baseball and football as much as possible. A fellow can
hold a commission and be on a team at the same time only when it seems
absolutely necessary."
"Then Jack Rover and Fred Rover will have to give up playing baseball,"
put in Brassy quickly.
"More than likely. Although, of course, they'll hate to lose such good
players as they are," put in another cadet who was present.
When the officers' dinner was at an end Jack and Fred lost no time in
hurrying to their rooms, where they donned their old uniforms. It was
what was termed a "holiday night" at the Hall, which meant that for the
time being the cadets were all on an even footing and must treat each
other as if such a thing as an officer was unknown.
By the time Jack and Fred joined the crowd along the river bank the fun
was at its height. Many of the cadets were running around indulging in
all sorts of horseplay while others were dancing around the bonfires
singing the songs they had learned in the school and while at the
encampments. Several of the boys, including Andy, were in clowns' costume
with big slapsticks which they used vigorously on everybody who came
within their reach.
"Hurrah, boys, let her flicker!" cried Fred, as he rushed forward.
"Everybody join in!" he added, and then boomed out with this well-known
Hall refrain:
"Who are we?
Can't you see?
Colby Hall!
Dum! Dum! Dum, dum, dum!
Here we come with fife and drum!
Colby! Colby! Colby Hall!"
"That's the stuff!" cried Jack. "Let's have it again!" And then the
refrain boomed out louder than ever.
"Come on! Let's march around the school," came from Gif, and he caught up
a firebrand as he spoke.
A number of others were quick to follow his example, and in a minute more
a torchlight procession was in progress, winding along over the campus,
around the school, and through the edge of the woods beyond. Then the
boys came back by way of the barns and sheds in the rear.
"Look out that you don't set something on fire," warned Jack.
"Something is on fire already!" burst out Andy suddenly.
"You don't say!" queried Spouter.
"Where is the fire?" demanded half a dozen others, looking around
anxiously.
"Right down there," declared the fun-loving Rover, and pointed to the
bonfires along the river.
"Wow! Let's duck him for that!" cried Phil Franklin.
He made a dive for Andy and so did several others, but the agile Rover
was too quick for them and danced out of their reach, having no desire to
take an involuntary bath in the river, which at that time of the year was
very cold.
In the past the cadets had had considerable fun with Job Plunger, the
school janitor, who was quite deaf and who was often called Shout because
everybody had to shout at him to make him hear. But this time Plunger was
wise and kept out of sight, as did also Pud Hicks, his assistant, and Bob
Nixon, the chauffeur. The only person the boys could get hold of was Si
Crews, the gymnastic instructor.
"Give us a song, won't you?" asked several of the boys at once, for Si
Crews was known to be quite a singer.
"I will if Lowe will play the mandolin or the banjo," answered Crews.
"That's the stuff, Ned!" called Fred. "Go on and get your mandolin."
Ned Lowe, who was also a good singer, was willing, and at once ran off
into the school to get the musical instrument mentioned. When he came out
he tuned up hastily and then played while Si Crews sang one or two
old-time songs. Then Ned gave the crowd one or two funny songs and a
dozen or more of the cadets joined in the chorus.
"Here's a chance to get square with Codfish!" cried Fred, as the sneak of
the school showed himself in the crowd.
"Oh, we might as well let Codfish drop," answered Jack.
But before this could be done Andy and Randy caught hold of Stowell and
pushed him forward through the circle of merry cadets around one of the
fires.
"We're going to initiate you in the Ancient Order of Cornmeal," declared
Andy.
"I don't want to be initiated," answered Codfish. "You let me alone!"
[Illustration: THERE DESCENDED UPON CODFISH SEVERAL POUNDS OF
FINELY-GROUND CORNMEAL.
Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch (Page 131)]
"Oh, but this is a first-class Order, Codfish," returned Randy. "If your
reputation is bad it will render you almost spotless."
"You let me go!" burst out Codfish in sudden fear, as Andy and Randy and
several others came close to him. "I don't want any horseplay to-night.
I'm tired out."
"To be initiated in this Order you've got to lie down," continued Andy,
and, motioning to his brother and some of the others, they suddenly
caught poor Codfish and stretched him out on the grass in front of the
fire.
"Are you ready to be initiated?" questioned Randy solemnly, as he stood
over Codfish with a small paper bag in one hand.
"You let me----" began Codfish.
"He says 'let me!'" burst out Randy quickly. "So go to it, Most Potent
Sower of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Cornmeal! Go to it, I say!"
And thereupon without further ado Randy overturned the paper bag he held
in his hand and there descended upon Codfish several pounds of
finely-ground meal which the lads had purchased in town a day or two
before.
"Hi! Hi! What's this? You let me go!" cried Codfish, and then began to
splutter as the dry cornmeal got into his mouth and nose.
"My, Codfish, you'd make a regular muffin now," declared Andy, as the
whitened youth struggled to his feet.
"Give us a song, Codfish."
"Make it a regular corncake hoedown," put in Randy.
"You let me go!" shrieked Codfish, and then in commingled rage and fear
he suddenly caught up a long firebrand from the bonfire and whirled it
around rapidly before him.
"Get out of my way--all of you!" he screamed, and the next minute made a
movement as if to dash the firebrand directly into Randy's face.
CHAPTER XIII
A STARTLING DISCOVERY
"Drop that, Codfish!" exclaimed Randy, and backed away so suddenly that
he tripped over some brushwood and came down flat on his back.
"I'm not going to be tormented any more," stormed Codfish, and swung the
firebrand around again, this time so the flames brushed Andy's shoulder
and also Fred's arm.
"Drop that, you imp!" exclaimed Ned Lowe. "Do you want to put out
somebody's eyes?"
"I don't care! You've got to let me alone!" screamed Codfish.
"We won't let you alone until you learn how to behave yourself and act
like the other fellows do," answered Andy. "You're the worst sneak this
school ever had, and you know it!"
"Yes, and see how you acted after all we did for you when we were at
Cedar Lodge," added Randy, who had scrambled to his feet.
"I--I didn't mean to say anything about those snowballs," whined Stowell.
"They made me do it!" And thereupon, pitching the firebrand back on the
bonfire, he pushed his way through the crowd of cadets and disappeared in
the darkness in the direction of the school.
"Gee, he certainly is a pill!" was Dan Soppinger's comment. "I think none
of us would weep if Codfish left the school for good. How about it?"
"Never mind--don't let it spoil the festivities," cried Andy gayly. "Come
on! Everybody join in! A fine of one suspender button for the fellows who
don't sing!" And thereupon he began a ditty he had composed during the
war.
"Johnny get your musket!
You must get your musket!
Johnny get your musket!
You must get it now!"
And this ditty the lads sang over and over again as they leaped and swung
in a circle around the bonfires.
But all gala occasions must come to an end, and by eleven o'clock the
bonfires were nothing but heaps of smouldering ashes, and then one by one
the cadets returned to the Hall and retired.
"Well, Jack, it will seem kind of funny, won't it, to be at the head of
the school battalion to-morrow morning?" questioned Gif, as he and the
newly-elected major turned into the corridor leading to their rooms.
"Yes, Gif. But it won't be so very strange either, because you know I had
to command the battalion two or three times when the other officers were
away."
Their activities during the whole of the day had made the cadets sleepy,
and nearly all turned in without much ado. Here and there there was an
exception, and these included Fatty Hendry and Dan Soppinger.
"I've got to get out some sort of a composition on City Improvements,"
declared Fatty. "I don't know much about 'em, but if I don't get the
paper in by nine o'clock to-morrow morning there's going to be trouble."
"And I still have some examples in algebra to work out," answered Dan.
"So I think I'll go at them before I retire."
All of the Rovers slept soundly and did not awaken until they heard an
unexpected knock on their door some time before the rising bell.
"Let me in," came in the voice of Dan Soppinger. "I've got news."
Jack opened the door and Dan came in, followed by Fatty.
"Say, what do you know about this!" exclaimed Dan. "Colby Hall has been
robbed!"
"Robbed!" ejaculated Jack. "What do you mean? What did they take?"
"What did they take!" burst out Fatty. "I guess they took about
everything they could get their hands on that was easy to carry off. I
lost my stickpin and my watch."
"And I lost two old stickpins and two rings that I haven't been wearing,"
put in Dan.
"When did you find this out?" questioned the newly-elected major.
"I made the discovery just when I was going to bed after doing some
examples in algebra," answered Dan. "It was about half-past twelve, so I
didn't want to wake anybody up--that is, none of the other fellows,
although I did call on Fatty because I knew he was writing a composition.
He looked around his room then and found he had been robbed, too. Then,
as Professor Duke was away, we called on Professor Watson. He made an
investigation and then said he would report to Colonel Colby the first
thing this morning."
The talk in Jack's room had brought Fred to the scene, and a few minutes
later Randy and Andy came in, rubbing their eyes sleepily.
"What was your stuff worth, Dan?" questioned Fred.
"I think the rings were worth about fifteen dollars each, and the
stickpins almost as much."
"My stickpin was worth thirty-five dollars," groaned Fatty. "And the
watch was a gold one given to me by my grandfather, and I wouldn't lose
that for a good deal."
"Hark! What's that commotion?" put in Jack suddenly.
There was a murmur of excited voices in the corridor, and, throwing open
the door, the Rovers and their friends came out to see what was up.
"My room has been robbed!"
"My watch is gone and a whole lot of other jewelry!"
"I lost three dollars!"
"Huh, that isn't anything! I lost fourteen dollars and a half!"
So the talk ran on as an excited group of cadets, some fully attired and
some still wearing their pajamas, crowded forward.
"Say, what do you know about this!" exclaimed Fred.
"Is anything belonging to us gone?" questioned Jack suddenly.
"I'm going back to find out," came from Randy. "I was so sleepy last
night that I just tumbled into bed and let it go at that."
Without further ado the four Rovers ran back into the rooms they occupied
and began a search of their chiffoniers and the other places where they
kept their things of value.
"My stickpin is gone and also one of my rings," groaned Randy.
"I had a brand new five-dollar bill tucked away in one of my drawers,"
said his brother. "I can't find it anywhere. And, yes, my wrist-watch is
missing!"
"My watch and chain and stickpin are gone, and likewise all my badges!"
cried Fred. "Oh, this is the worst ever!"
"Well, I'm out a ring and three stickpins," announced Jack, "including
that brand new pin I got last year."
As quickly as possible the four Rovers dressed and then joined the other
cadets in the corridor. From all sides were heard excited exclamations as
one pupil after another came forward to announce that either his jewelry
or his money--and sometimes both--were gone.
Colonel Colby and several of the professors had already been notified,
and they quickly appeared on the scene and tried to interview the cadets.
This, however, was a hard thing to undertake because nearly all the boys
wanted to talk at once. There was so much excitement that for the time
being the morning parade and breakfast were completely forgotten.
"This is certainly a terrible state of affairs," remarked the colonel to
Captain Dale. "Have you any idea who can be guilty?"
"No, Colonel. I have always thought that every one connected with this
school was honest."
"It may be the work of some of the hired help," mused Colonel Colby. "But
I hate to think that. Every one who is here came highly recommended."
"We might make inquiry and see if any strangers were in the school last
night during the celebration," suggested Captain Dale. "There was so much
excitement that some one might have slipped in and out without our
noticing."
Finally Colonel Colby told all the cadets to go below for breakfast,
dispensing with the early morning drill.
"As soon as you have finished eating I wish each cadet to make a thorough
search of his room and make out a written list of everything that is
missing and sign the paper. Take careful note of everything when you are
making your search, and if you find any clues to the perpetrator of this
outrageous affair, let me know. The lists can be left at the office as
soon as they are made out." And then, after a moment of thought, he
added: "There will be no session of the school this morning."
"Shall we notify the Haven Point authorities?" questioned Professor
Brice.
"Not at present. I wish to make my own investigation first," answered the
head of the school.
It did not take Jack and his cousins long to swallow their breakfast, and
this finished, they hurried back to their rooms and began the search
Colonel Colby had advised.
"Well, I'm shy that gold fountain pen Aunt Martha gave me," announced
Jack presently. "I'd forgotten about that because I didn't usually use
it. I use the one mother gave me."
Outside of this the Rovers could find nothing more missing nor did they
locate anything in the way of a clue that might lead to the robber. They
sat down and made out their brief lists, signed them, and then walked
together down to the office.
Here a crowd of cadets were coming and going. It was learned that
twenty-two cadets in all had suffered losses which ranged from
seventy-five cents to one hundred and twenty-five dollars. In all it was
figured that the loss would amount to at least twelve hundred dollars.
"This is about the worst thing that ever struck Colby Hall," announced
Jack.
"Who do you suppose did it?" questioned Randy.
"Don't ask me, Randy. I'd hate to suspect any of the fellows."
"Oh, I don't think any of the fellows did it!" burst out Fred.
"Well, what about the hired help?" questioned Andy.
"I don't know any of them that I'd suspect," said Jack promptly. "Every
one looks like a pretty good sort."
Only two cadets came forward with objects that might possibly be a clue
to the robbery. One boy had picked up a handkerchief in his room that he
said did not belong to him, and another boy had found the marks of muddy
footprints over his window sill and on a fire-escape outside.
"Say, that looks as if somebody had come up the fire-escape and got into
the rooms that way," said Jack, when he heard of this.
"They say the handkerchief that was picked up is not marked in any way,"
said Gif.
"Well, every handkerchief used by the cadets is marked," returned
Spouter. "They've got to be that way or they'd get all mixed up in the
laundry."
"How about the help?"
"Their stuff is all marked, too. One of the teachers told me so," put in
Dan Soppinger.
"Say, Ned! you came upstairs for your mandolin," cried Jack suddenly.
"Did you see anybody up here?"
"I don't remember that I did," answered Ned Lowe. "I was in such a hurry
to get the instrument that I didn't pay much attention. And, besides
that, it seemed pretty dark in here after coming away from that big
bonfire."
"A robber would be sure to keep out of Ned's sight," put in Fred.
"I remember seeing some fellows in the lower hall--Major Mason, Bart
White, and one or two others. But I can't seem to remember seeing anybody
upstairs--and yet, somehow or other, it seems to me I did pass somebody
just before I ran into my room," and now Ned looked perplexed.
"Can't you think who it was?" questioned Andy quickly.
"No, I can't."
"If it was a stranger you would have remembered, wouldn't you?" asked
Jack.
"I think I would, Jack. I'd think right away what that person was doing
upstairs." Ned scratched his head. "No, if I did meet somebody, I'm sure
it must have been one of the cadets. But who it was, I can't think."
A little later Colonel Colby continued his investigation by asking all
those who had been inside the building during the celebration to come
forward and tell anything they could that might be of advantage. It
developed that not only Ned but also Ralph Mason, Bart White and two of
the older cadets named Lawrence and Philips had been upstairs some time
between eight and eleven o'clock. The most of these cadets said they had
seen no one else upstairs in the building. But Bart White declared while
at one end of a long corridor he had seen some one slip around a corner
out of sight. He was not sure whether the person had been a cadet, one of
the hired help, or an outsider.
"It was either a man or a big boy," said Bart. "But he moved so quickly
and it was so dark I didn't recognize him, even if I happened to know
him."
"And what time was this?" questioned Colonel Colby.
"Some time between half-past nine and ten o'clock."
Bart was asked to show the colonel where the disappearance of the
stranger had taken place, and it was proved that this was at a point just
around a corner from the room where the footprints leading to the
fire-escape had been discovered.
"Perhaps you saw the person just at the time he was making his escape,"
was Colonel Colby's comment. "We will look for footprints below the
fire-escape."
This was done, but the cadets the night before had tramped around the
school building so much that the footprints were hopelessly mixed. Then
the boys were questioned as to whether or not they had seen any one
dropping from the fire-escape to the ground, and all answered in the
negative.
"We will question the hired help and see what they have to say,"
announced the master of the school.
CHAPTER XIV
THE PARADE
The inquiries made among the hired help of Colby Hall produced little
results. Some of the servants were rather scared and declared to Colonel
Colby that they were innocent of any wrong doing.
"I am not accusing any one here," declared the master of the Hall. "I
only want to find out, if possible, who was guilty of this outrageous
proceeding."
It was found that two men with wagon loads of supplies for the school had
visited the place during the evening, but neither of these men had gone
any further into the building than the storeroom, and both had departed
as soon as their errands were finished. Outside of that, so far as the
servants could remember, no outsiders had been on the premises.
"And yet those footmarks on the window sill and the fire-escape look as
if it had been done by an outsider," said Captain Dale to the head of the
school.
"It's just possible that it may have been an inside job and an outside
job combined," ventured Professor Grawson.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Somebody in the institution may be in collusion with some outsider--some
professional thief. The inside person may have given the outsider a tip
as to when the coast was clear and may even have stood on guard while the
rooms were being looted."
"That is possible, Professor. But is there any one in the place that you
suspect?"
At this Professor Grawson shook his head.
"No, sir. So far as I can imagine they are all thoroughly honest."
"We might institute a general search of all the buildings," announced
Captain Dale. "We can call all the cadets out on the campus and all the
hired help into the mess room and request them to remain while the search
is going on."
"Some of the hired help may object to that," came from Professor Watson.
"If they did it would throw suspicion on them," answered Colonel Colby
quickly. "I think the idea had better be carried out."
All the persons in the school were assembled as mentioned, and then
Captain Dale explained to the cadets what had been proposed and Colonel
Colby did the same to the hired help.
"They're certainly welcome to search our rooms," declared Major Jack
promptly.
"And mine, too," added a score of others.
"I'm sure I haven't anything to conceal," put in Lieutenant Harkness.
"And I haven't anything to conceal either," came from Brassy Bangs. "They
can search my room all they please." He had announced the loss of a
stickpin and six dollars and a quarter in cash.
Among the hired help there was more or less murmuring, one of the old
cooks, an Irish woman who had been in the place since it had been opened,
shaking her head dubiously.
"Sure an' I didn't think yez would take me fer a thief, Colonel Colby,"
said Bridget, gazing at the head of the school severely.
"I'm not taking any one for a thief, Mrs. Mulligan," he answered. "But it
would not be fair to search any of the rooms without searching all of
them."
"Sure an' that's true fer yez," announced the cook, nodding her head in
assent. "An' if that's the way ye're after lookin' at it, go ahead and
search me room all ye please. Only don't be disturbin' them trinkets I
have from me dead mother."
The search was made without delay, all of the teachers and the cadets who
had lost their belongings taking part. It occupied the rest of the
morning. Every room was gone over carefully, and when anything in the way
of jewelry or other such articles as had been reported missing were
discovered all those who had suffered were asked to look on and see if
they could identify anything.
"Gee! there's a fountain pen that belongs to me," cried one of the boys
presently. And then he added in a crestfallen manner: "It's all right. I
lent that to Bill Latimer a couple of weeks ago and forgot all about
it."
Outside of this incident the search came to an end with nothing out of
the ordinary happening. Not an article that had been taken was discovered
in any of the rooms occupied by the cadets or the hired help. Nor was
anything discovered in any of the other rooms or closets of the
institution.
"It certainly is puzzling," declared Colonel Colby, after the search had
been called off. "It looks to me as if a thief had gotten away with
everything he took."
"Either that or he has some hiding place which we as yet haven't
unearthed," answered Captain Dale.
After that the hired help were told they might go, and as soon as
possible dinner was served to the cadets and the teachers. Then, when the
pupils were told to go to their afternoon classes, Colonel Colby and
Captain Dale held a conference in the office and notified the local
police authorities.
"I hate to do it," said Colonel Colby. "But there seems to be no help for
it. It will certainly give our institution a black eye."
"But I do not see how anyone can hold you responsible for this affair,"
returned Captain Dale. "We are as watchful at this institution as they
are anywhere."
"Of course I shall not permit our cadets to lose anything by this," went
on the master of the school quickly. "I shall ask each of them to value
carefully what they have lost, and then, if the things are not recovered
before the end of the term, I will make the loss good."
"That would be very nice on your part, Colonel Colby. And I think it
would be a good investment too," added Captain Dale. "It will prove to
the parents of the cadets that you consider yourself responsible while
they are under your care."
When the local authorities came to the school they went over the ground
carefully with Colonel Colby and some of the others and asked innumerable
questions.
"We have a number of strangers stopping in town, mostly traveling
salesmen," announced the chief of police. "I'll look 'em up, and also
look up any tramps or any other suspicious characters that may be hanging
around." And that for the time being was all he could say. Soon he and
his men departed.
That evening Jack found a letter in his box which had been mailed early
that morning at Haven Point. It was from Ruth. There was also a brief
note to Fred which had been sent by May.
In her communication to the newly-elected major Ruth congratulated him
heartily on his success and said she hoped soon to see him in a parade at
the head of the battalion. After that she wrote as follows about the
sleighing party that had been called off:
"I received an invitation to that party from Lester Bangs and May
received an invitation from Paul Halliday. Jennie Mason, Ida
Brierley and several of the other girls had invitations and they
wanted us to go very much. But, of course, I did not want to go
with such a fellow as Bangs. Then he came to me and started a
report that all of you Rovers were going to another party with some
of the girls from the town, and that the party was to take place
the same night as our party. Of course, I did not want to say
anything about it, because I realized that you could do as you
pleased. But I told Bangs positively that I would not go with him
and May told the same thing to Halliday. Then both of them got
quite ugly and accused you and your cousin of trying to spoil his
outing. I told him you had had nothing to do with it, but he
declared that you had and that you had better look out or you would
get into hot water. So, Jack, please look out for him and tell Fred
to look out for Halliday and the others."
There was more to the letter, and Jack read the communication with great
interest. He felt greatly relieved to think that Ruth had not intended to
accept Brassy's invitation, and later on he dropped her a note thanking
her for her kind congratulations and telling her that the report of
another party in which the Rovers and some girls from Haven Point were to
participate had been faked up.
The note received by Fred was on lines similar to the communication sent
to Jack. He sent word to May clearing up the situation.
"It was a mean thing for Bangs and Halliday to do," declared the
newly-elected captain of Company C. "We ought to pitch into them."
"We can't afford to do it, Fred, now that I'm a major and you're a
captain," was Jack's reply. "Remember what Colonel Colby said: We must be
models for the other cadets."
"Great Scott! does that mean we can't stick up for our rights?" demanded
the youngest Rover indignantly.
"Not at all, Fred. If those fellows say anything, give it back to them.
And if they start to fight, defend yourself just as well as you are
able."
As mentioned before, Snopper Duke had been absent from the Hall during
the election for officers and the celebration which had followed. When he
returned he looked much worried, and this worry was far from dispelled
when he visited his room.
"Colonel Colby, I, too, have been robbed!" he exclaimed, as he came
rushing down to the office. "I've had a silver cardcase taken, and also a
gold watch which has been in our family for several generations, a watch
that belonged to my father and my grandfather."
"It's too bad, Professor Duke," answered the master of the Hall
seriously. "May I ask what the articles were worth?"
"I don't suppose the cardcase was worth more than a few dollars, but the
watch was of gold, and I presume it must have cost fifty or sixty
dollars. It was an heirloom and I treasured it highly."
"I am doing my best to find out something about the robbery," said
Colonel Colby. "But so far all my efforts have been in vain. I intend, if
the articles are not recovered by the time the school session comes to an
end, to pay for everything that has been stolen." And that was all the
master of the Hall could say.
It must be admitted that both Jack and Fred felt quite proud when the
first regular parade of the battalion took place that spring. The cousins
had, of course, sent home word of the election and had received
permission to purchase new uniforms. Both looked spick and span as they
marched out at the head of their respective commands. It was a clear,
warm day, and Colonel Colby announced that the cadets could parade
through Haven Point to Clearwater Hall and return if they so desired.
"Hurrah! That's the stuff!" cried Fred.
And so it was arranged, and one of the teachers telephoned over to the
girls' academy, to let those at that institution know what they might
expect. Then one of the cadets telephoned to Felix Falstein, the owner of
the Haven Point moving picture theater.
"Falstein always hangs out his flags for us," said this cadet. "And he'll
do it this time, I'm sure."
Colby Hall now boasted of a drum and fife corps of twelve pieces, and
they made merry music as the battalion marched away in the direction of
Haven Point. All but three or four of the cadets were in the best of
spirits.
"I think marching over to Clearwater Hall is punk," declared Brassy
Bangs, with a snarl. "Why can't they march some place worth while or just
go around the town and let it go at that?"
"I guess Jack Rover wants to show off before those girls," grumbled Paul
Halliday.
"I wouldn't go if I could get out of it," growled Brassy.
"Oh, don't squeal," returned his crony quickly. "If you do they'll only
laugh at us and make us go anyway."
"Attention there, Bangs!" cried the captain of Company B, the command to
which Brassy belonged. "No talking in the ranks!" And thereupon the
cadets became silent.
As had been anticipated, when the cadets reached Haven Point they found
that Felix Falstein had outdone himself in the way of decorations. Not
only were several flags displayed across the front of his theater, but he
had strung two big flags across the street, and between them placed a
banner which he had had painted some time before and which read:
WELCOME TO
COLBY HALL
"That's very nice of him," remarked Jack, who was marching at the head of
the procession with Captain Dale on horseback close beside him.
"Very nice, indeed, Major Rover," answered the military man.
"I wonder if we can't come to a halt here and go through the manual of
arms?" went on the newly-elected major.
"Certainly, if you wish to do so."
"Battalion halt!" called out Jack, turning around and the three companies
came to a stop.
CHAPTER XV
BASEBALL
Soon the three companies of the Colby Hall battalion were in a long line
in front of the moving picture theater. At once a crowd began to gather
until several hundred people were assembled. Then the cadets were put
through the manual of arms, after which followed some fancy evolutions in
the street in front of the show house.
"Very good! Very good, indeed!" shouted Felix Falstein, who was present.
His face was beaming and he clapped his hands loudly, and, taking this
hint, the crowd applauded with vigor. Then the march through Haven Point
was resumed and soon the cadets came in sight of Clearwater Hall.
They had good reason to feel proud of what those at the girls' school had
done in their honor. The big flag was flying from the flagstaff on the
campus and other flags were displayed from the front of the building. In
addition to this the classes had been dismissed for the time being and
nearly all the girls were out at the front of the school, many carrying
small flags which they waved vigorously as the cadets approached.
"Oh, don't they look grand!" cried Mary.
"Superb!" added Martha ecstatically.
"I do believe Jack has a brand new uniform," came from Ruth, and then she
began to cheer and all the girls joined in.
The cadets had been cautioned to preserve true military discipline, and
they did their best not to smile and make eyes at their admirers. But it
was hard work, and many a face broke into a grin impossible to control.
Opposite the school the command came to a halt, and then Miss Garwood and
a number of her teachers came forward to greet the cadets and those with
them and invite them to the campus. Here another drill was given, the
girls applauding louder than ever as each movement was executed with a
precision that would have done credit to the cadets at West Point.
"I'm sure that's as good as our fathers did at Putnam Hall," declared
Mary to her cousin.
Colonel Colby had come along with Captain Dale, and during the drilling
had been in earnest conversation with Miss Garwood. Then came a surprise
as the cadets were asked to march into the dining hall of the girls'
school. Here they found generous plates of cake and ice-cream, as well as
glasses of refreshing lemonade, awaiting them.
"Gee, this is the best ever!" declared Andy, smacking his lips.
"Yes. And what a surprise!" returned Randy.
"Some day we'll have to return this compliment," came from Jack. "My,
wouldn't it be a lark to have the girls in our mess hall and treat
them?"
"I suppose we'd have to give 'em regular soldiers fare," was Andy's dry
comment. "Salt pork and baked beans and things like that," and he
grinned.
"Nothing doing!" declared Fred. "We'll feed 'em toasted marshmallows and
angel cake," and at this sally there was a laugh.
Following the refreshments the cadets were allowed fifteen minutes in
which to walk around the school campus and mingle with the girl students.
Jack, of course, at once sought out Ruth to tell her personally how much
he appreciated the letter she had sent.
"I hope, Jack, you haven't had any more trouble with Lester Bangs," the
girl said anxiously.
"Oh, he's growling around a little, but that's all," answered the young
major. "I'm not paying any attention to him, Ruth. I'm mighty glad that
you didn't accept his invitation," and he gave her a warm glance.
"It was awful for him to get up that report about another party,"
answered the girl. "Of course I didn't think it was true--that is, not
what he said about you and your cousins."
"Suppose we let the whole matter drop, Ruth, and forget Brassy Bangs and
his crowd."
"I'm sure I'm willing to do that, Jack." And then the girl added quickly:
"You've had some terrible doings over at the Hall, so I have been told."
"You mean the robbery, I suppose?"
"Yes. Have they discovered anything?"
"Not a thing. It certainly is a mystery."
When the gathering of boys and girls broke up nearly every one was in the
best of humor, the only exceptions being Brassy Bangs and Paul Halliday.
These two unworthies had done their best to get on friendly terms with
some of the girls, but had been snubbed in such a manner that it made
them much crestfallen.
"I'll be glad when we start back," grumbled Brassy to his crony.
"Come on, let's take a walk outside," answered Halliday, and thereupon
the pair left the school grounds.
"What about baseball this spring, Jack?" questioned his sister just
before the cadets were ready to start.
"I'll be out of that this year. There is a new ruling that officers must
step aside and let the other cadets have a chance on the baseball nine
and the football eleven, as well as have a chance in the rowing and other
contests. Colonel Colby has an idea that not enough cadets have filled
these various places in the past. He wants to give every fellow a chance
if possible."
"Well, you can't blame him for that."
"Not at all, Martha. I'm quite content to step aside so far as baseball
is concerned, and so is Fred. We want to do our best as officers and also
do our best with our studies. You know the folks at home are expecting us
to make real records in the classrooms."
"I know that only too well, Jack. Mary and I are working day and night on
our lessons here. We're going to do our best to come out either at the
head of our classes or very near to it."
"How is Ruth making out?"
"She's doing very well. Of course, she had a hard struggle to catch up on
account of the time lost because of her eyesight."
Following the parade to Clearwater Hall the cadets settled down to the
usual routine of drills and studies. But soon there came a call for
aspirants to the baseball team, and then talk of the coming matches with
Columbus Academy, Hixley High, and Longley Academy filled the air.
"Gee! it makes my hands tingle to think about baseball," sighed Fred,
when talking the matter over with Jack.
"I feel the same way," answered the young major. "But remember, Fred, we
can't have everything in this world, and I'd rather be major of the
school battalion--at least, for one term."
"Of course! And I'd rather be captain of Company C."
"Gif tells me there are going to be a number of important changes on the
nine," went on Jack. "A lot of new fellows are clamoring to get on.
They're going to have their try-outs in a day or two."
What Jack said was true, and the following Saturday afternoon a somewhat
patched-up first team played a scrub team. On the scrub, somewhat to the
Rovers' surprise, were Brassy Bangs and Paul Halliday.
"They both claim to know a whole lot about the game," explained Gif. "So
I'm bound to give them a try-out."
"Why, I thought Brassy Bangs came from a ranch in the West?"
"So he does. But he told me they frequently played baseball on the ranch
and that some of the cowboys were really good players. He said one of the
fellows had once played on one of the Midwest Leagues."
"Gee! there's no telling what an up-to-date cowboy will do these days,"
remarked Andy. "Playing baseball, going into the movies and into
vaudeville, and I don't know what else!"
"I guess he finds more money in the doing of those things than he does in
the herding of cows," answered his twin.
The game between the patched-up first nine and the scrub nine resulted in
a tie, 7 to 7. Jack and his cousins watched the game and had to admit
that Brassy Bangs and Paul Halliday did quite well--in fact, much better
than had been expected.
After that the practice was continued, Gif, as head of the athletic
association, trying out one player after another. Then came the final
selection of the regular club to represent Colby Hall, and Brassy Bangs
was given the position of third baseman while Paul Halliday went to
center field.
"I think I ought to be allowed to pitch," grumbled Brassy. "I'm sure I
can send 'em in just as good as any of those other fellows."
"You pitch a pretty swift ball, I admit," returned Gif. "But your
delivery is rather erratic. You put them over the catcher's head several
times. If you did that when the bases were full, it would mean just so
many runs coming in." And after that Brassy said no more about pitching.
The first game to be played was on the grounds of Longley Academy. The
cadets journeyed to the place in carriages and automobiles and on
bicycles, and were joined by quite a number of the girls from Clearwater
Hall.
"Do you suppose Tommy Flanders will pitch?" questioned Randy.
"No. They tell me that last game we had over here was too much for
Flanders and he has given up the nine entirely. I think they'll put in
that new left-hander that they tried at the end of that game," answered
Jack. And in this surmise he was correct.
When the first man came to the bat it was easy to be seen that both nines
were on their mettle. It was a Colby Hall player who had the stick, and
the left-handed twirler for Longley Academy struck him out in
one-two-three order.
"Hurrah! That's the way to do it!" yelled one of the Longley students.
"Now make it three straight!"
"Gee! that was Nevins, one of our best batters," whispered Randy to his
cousin Mary.
"Never mind that, Colby Hall!" shouted Jack. "You've got to encourage 'em
a little bit!" and at this there was a smile.
The next man to the bat got a hit and on a wild pitch managed to reach
third. But that was all that could be done, and Colby Hall retired
without scoring.
During their half of the inning Longley Academy managed to make two runs,
and this was increased by two more at the end of the fourth inning. In
the meantime the best Colby Hall could do was to get two hits and bring
in one run.
"Hurrah! Four to one in favor of Longley!" shouted one of the students
from that academy.
"You've got to tighten up, boys!" called out Fred to the members of his
school team. "Tighten up and show 'em what you can do!"
The fifth inning passed without a run, and so did the sixth. Then in the
seventh Colby Hall managed to pass the home plate twice while Longley
Academy scored once. This made the score, Longley Academy 5, Colby Hall
3.
"Oh, Jack, it looks as if Colby Hall might be beaten!" said Ruth
anxiously.
"I think they might have a better fellow than Brassy Bangs on third," put
in Fred. "He could have put out that last runner with ease. That run
wasn't deserved at all." And a number of others who heard this remark
agreed with the young captain of Company C.
In the eighth inning Colby Hall made one more run. Then Longley Academy
came once more to the bat, and with two men on first and second and two
out, the batsman knocked a high fly to center field.
"Scoop it in, Halliday!"
"It's a dead easy fly!"
"They won't get any runs this inning!"
So the shouts from the Colby Hall boys went on.
In the meanwhile Paul Halliday stepped back a few paces and got directly
under the descending sphere. Down it came, striking his finger tips and
bouncing over his head.
"He's muffed it! He's muffed it!" yelled several of the Longley Academy
contingent gleefully. "Run, boys, run!"
And how the runners did streak from base to base! And before the ball
could be recovered by the bewildered Halliday the three runs had been
scored.
CHAPTER XVI
SPOUTER IS CORNERED
"Hurrah for Longley!"
"That's the way to do it! That makes the score eight to four!"
"My, what a muff that was! That center fielder is a regular
butter-fingers!"
"Soak it to 'em good and plenty, Longley! Only two men out!"
Thus the hubbub on the part of the students of Longley Academy continued
while the cadets of Colby Hall had little to say. There were one or two
cries to take Halliday out of the field, but these were quickly hushed.
"Anybody might muff a ball," declared Jack. "It's too bad, but probably
it couldn't be helped."
The very next player to the bat knocked a liner between first and second
and got to second on a fumble by the first baseman. Then the next player,
after having two strikes called on him, sent a low one down to center
field.
"Go for it, Halliday! Get it!" yelled the cadets eagerly.
Halliday ran for the ball, but was only able to get it on the first
bounce. Then, as he saw the batsman rounding first for second, he threw
the ball wildly.
"Run, Newcomb, run!"
"There goes the ball for the grandstand! Hurry up, Markle, and make it a
homer!"
The ball had sailed over the head of the runner and landed at least ten
feet away from the home plate. The catcher made a dive for it while the
pitcher came to the plate to stop the runners. But it was too late, and
before the sphere could be sent in both runs had been scored.
"Zip! Boom! Two more runs for Longley!"
"That's the way to do it, boys! Let's snow 'em under!"
"Take Halliday out!" was the angry cry of fully a dozen cadets. "Take him
out! He has no business on the team!"
And thereupon amid shouts of derision Paul Halliday was compelled to quit
the field and one of the substitutes went to take his place.
"It wasn't my fault! I stepped in a hole," growled Halliday when he came
to the bench. He made a show of limping badly. "I almost sprained my
ankle."
"Well, your two errors have been very costly," answered Gif coldly.
After that the pitcher for Colby Hall tightened up, and the next man up
was put out on strikes and the side retired.
With the score 10 to 4 against them, Colby Hall did what it could to
redeem itself during the last inning. They made one run, followed by two
outs and two hits which brought a man on first and another on third. Then
Brassy Bangs came to the bat.
"Now, Brassy, here's your chance!"
"Knock it over the back lots!"
Brassy set his teeth and swung the bat with a do-or-dare expression. Then
the first ball pitched came in an outcurve which he swung at in vain.
"Take your time!" called out Gif.
The next was an incurve, but Brassy swung at it and missed again.
"Strike two!"
"Hit it, Brassy! Hit it!"
"Knock the cover off!"
"Take your time! Wait until you get just what you want!"
And thereupon Brassy Bangs did wait--until he had three strikes called
upon him and was declared out.
"That ends the game!"
"And the score is ten to five in favor of Longley Academy!"
"Hurrah! That's the time we showed Colby Hall what we can do!"
The Longley Academy boys went wild in their enthusiasm and danced around
the field like so many Indians. And they had good cause to be elated, for
they remembered only too well the drubbing they had gotten at the hands
of Colby Hall the season before when Jack and Fred had made such records
for themselves.
The Colby Hall cadets could say nothing against the record made by the
Longley nine. They had put up a stiff fight from the start and deserved
their laurels.
"Our defeat was largely due to Halliday and Bangs," declared Spouter.
"Between them they let in at least five runs."
"That's exactly the truth," answered Dan Soppinger. "If I were Gif I'd
read the riot act to those two players."
"Oh, I don't think I'd be too hard on them," came from Jack. "Anybody
might have muffed that ball down in center field, and any of us might
have struck out as Brassy did."
"But both of them made several other errors," put in Walt Baxter.
On the way back to Colby Hall the students were free in their comments on
the game, and there were many uncomplimentary things said about Brassy
and Halliday. Those two players tried to excuse themselves as best they
could; but a baseball player who has not made good seldom gets any
sympathy.
"I'll give you both another chance in the game with Hixley High," said
Gif at last, in talking the matter over with the two players. "But if you
make a single error it will cost you your positions."
The game with Hixley High came off on the following Saturday and was won
by the narrow score of 7 to 6. In the second inning Halliday made another
wild throw from center to second, and Brassy Bangs made a bad fumble in
the fourth inning, and as a consequence both were retired and substitutes
put in their places.
"It was certainly a narrow squeak," declared Fred, when the game was over
and the boys were preparing to celebrate that evening. "I believe if Gif
had kept Brassy and Halliday on the team we would have lost."
"Well, we may lose some other games even so," said Jack. And he was
right. Out of a total of seven games played with the other schools of
that vicinity that season Colby Hall won but four.
"Well, we can't win every year," declared Randy. "And we're half a game
to the good anyway, and that's something."
"It's certainly better than being half a game behind," answered his
twin.
While these matters were going on Colonel Colby and Captain Dale had been
doing everything possible with the aid of the local police, and also a
private detective who had been called in, to solve the mystery concerning
the robbery at the school. But all efforts seemed to be in vain. Not a
trace of the person or persons who had committed the crime could be
found. It was a great mystery.
"I think I'll have to settle with all of the boys and with Professor
Duke," said Colonel Colby to his head assistant. "And there I suppose the
matter will have to be dropped."
Later on he took up the various claims and paid each one of them in
cash.
"I am very thankful to you for this, Colonel Colby," declared Snopper
Duke, when he received his money. "It will come in quite handy, I assure
you. And yet I am much distressed over that watch which once belonged to
my grandfather."
"Well, I hope it is brought to light some day, Professor," answered the
master of the Hall. "And if it is then you can pay me back for it," and
he smiled faintly.
In those days a number of the cadets noticed that Snopper Duke seemed to
be much preoccupied. He paid hardly any attention to what his pupils were
doing and was so absent-minded that often he answered the simplest
questions in the most ridiculous manner.
"He's certainly got something on his mind," was Fred's comment. "I must
say I'd like to know what it can be."
"Maybe we'll never know," answered Jack. "But because of what Colonel
Colby said I'm certainly going to be careful how I treat him. He may have
more of a load on his mind and heart than any of us imagine."
It now lacked but ten days to the end of the term, and the boys were busy
finishing up with the examinations in the various classes and also in
writing the final essays to be handed in. All had worked hard to make a
showing.
"Just think! Only ten days more!" exclaimed Andy, throwing a grammar
across his room at Randy. "Doesn't it make you feel fine?"
"It sure does!" answered his twin, catching the book and sending it back
so quickly that his brother was hit in the stomach. "And that puts me in
mind, Andy. Why not get at Spouter and make him tell us what he's got in
mind about our vacation this summer?"
"Let's do it! Come on! We'll get Fred and Jack and Gif and go and pound
it out of him."
All alive with their scheme, the twins burst in upon the other Rovers
while they were busy writing their essays and broached the subject. The
others agreed, and Fred ran off to get Gif. Then the whole crowd rounded
up Spouter, and grabbing him by the arms fairly forced him along the
corridor and into the Rover boys' sitting room.
"Now, Spouter, you've got to tell us!" declared Randy. "No more
secrets!"
"Oh, gee! Is that it?" was Spouter's reply. "I thought you wanted to
borrow a nickel from me, or something like that," and he smiled feebly.
"Come on now, Spouter! Give it to us straight," demanded Fred.
"No more sawing and fiddling," put in Andy. "We want straight goods.
Where are we going this summer?"
"You're going with me," answered Spouter, with a grin.
"So you've told us about three thousand times. But where are we going?"
"You're going home first."
"Pound him, fellows, pound him! Throw him down and pound him good!" and
thereupon the whole crowd pounced upon the luckless schemer.
"Hold on! Hold on! Let me up!" spluttered Spouter. "Let me up, and I'll
tell you everything!"
"Honest?" demanded Andy. "If you fool us this time we'll drag you to the
bathroom and duck you."
"Cross my heart!" panted Spouter. "Now let me up!"
The others allowed him to arise and then forced him into an easy chair in
the corner and all stood over him menacingly.
"You are going to spend your vacation at a new place which was purchased
by my dad only a few months ago," answered Spouter.
"And what place is that?" came in a chorus from his chums.
"Big Horn Ranch."
CHAPTER XVII
GOOD-BYE TO SCHOOL
"What do you know about that!"
"Big Horn Ranch! That sounds interesting!"
"What sort of a place is it, Spouter?"
"I suppose you must have thousands of heads of cattle?"
"How about horses, Spouter? We'll have enough mounts, sha'n't we?"
"Any good hunting or fishing?"
"Stop! Stop! What are you trying to do?" spluttered Spouter. "Trying to
drown me in a flood of questions? Why don't you ask one thing at a
time?"
"Well, where is the ranch and how are we going to get to it?" questioned
Jack.
"And how big is it?" put in Fred.
And then came another flood of questions until poor Spouter placed his
hands to his ears in dismay.
"I can't answer everything at once," he said finally. "So you'd better
let me tell what I know in my own way. Big Horn Ranch is located out in
Montana, and it comprises a thousand acres or more--how large I don't
exactly know. To get there you journey by rail to a little jumping-off
place called Four Rocks, and then you have to ride or drive to the ranch,
which is four or five miles away. The nearest town of any size is Arrow
Junction, which is quite a distance off."
"How is it your dad bought a place like that?" broke in Gif. "I didn't
know he was interested in ranches."
"Oh, he has always liked outdoor life--you all know that. And this ranch
came to him in rather an unexpected way. There were two brothers who were
interested in a speculation in which my dad was interested, too. My dad
advanced a lot of money to these brothers, and as they couldn't pay up in
cash they asked him if he wouldn't take the ranch off their hands by
allowing them an additional thirty thousand dollars. So he made a trip
out there in company with another man who knew all about ranches and then
he concluded to buy, and did so. So now we own Big Horn Ranch, and the
family expects to spend a large part of each summer there."
"And your father said we could all go out there with you?" questioned
Randy.
"Yes. He told me to invite you four Rovers and also Gif. And that isn't
all," went on Spouter. "He's invited all your folks out there, too. He's
going to make a great big house-party of it!"
"Our folks!" exclaimed Fred. "What do you mean? They can't all go. Uncle
Dick is just back from Texas, and somebody has got to look after the
offices in New York."
"It has been arranged that your father and mother are to go along first,
Fred, and later on Randy and Andy's father and mother are to come out.
Then, when they go back to New York, it's possible that Jack's folks will
come West before the season is over. Gif's folks have not decided on what
they can do, but will let us know in a week or two."
"And what about the girls?" questioned Fred quickly.
"Of course, they are to go along, too. Martha will go with Mary and her
folks, and May will, of course, be with my mother, and she is going to
try to get Ruth to go with her."
"But Ruth said she was going somewhere else," remarked Jack, and his face
showed disappointment.
"I know that, Jack. But I think May can get the Stevensons to allow her
to go. Anyway, all the girls are going to try."
After that the Rovers and Gif asked many other questions concerning Big
Horn Ranch and Spouter told them all he could.
"Of course, I know only what dad has written and what was said about the
ranch before we purchased it. I suppose I'll learn a lot more as soon as
I go home, and then I'll let you know about it."
"Gee! we ought to have the best time ever," exclaimed Andy gleefully, as
he caught Spouter by the shoulders and commenced to dance him around the
room.
"It was certainly well worth waiting for, Spouter," came from Jack.
"I don't see how you managed to keep it a secret," put in Randy. "I'd
have been bustin' to tell it every minute."
"Well, I had a job of it, believe me, with you fellows dinging at me all
the time," was Spouter's answer.
"When do you suppose we can start?" questioned Fred.
"That, of course, will depend a good deal on you and your folks,"
answered Spouter. "My folks are already out there, getting the ranch in
readiness for visitors. I suppose you'll want to go home over the Fourth
of July, but maybe you'll be able to start West right after that."
"I don't know what could hold us back."
"Is the ranch house big enough to accommodate such a large crowd?"
questioned Jack. "There are a lot of us, remember."
"I think so. You see the ranch is really a combination of two ranches,
the buildings of one ranch were located near the eastern boundary while
the buildings of the other
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