The Putnam Hall Encampment: or, The Secret of the Old Mill

“He says not, and I believe him.”

Sunday morning found the storm cleared away and the sun shining brightly. When the cadets got up they were sleepy, and consequently Captain Putnam had roll call and breakfast delayed. Then came chapel service.

“As to-day is Sunday I shall not inquire into the cause that led to the fire last night,” said the master of the school, when the cadets had assembled. “But an investigation will be made to-morrow morning.”

This announcement was received with interest, and during the remainder of the day the cadets discussed the matter freely among themselves.

“You keep quiet about our smoking,” said Ritter to Sabine.

“I – I didn’t start the fire,” faltered Sabine. “I – er – I put out my cigarette as soon as you left me.”

“Don’t you dare to shove this thing off on me!” said the bully fiercely. “You are as much to blame as I am.”

This remark fairly terrorized the weak-kneed cadet and he promised not to say a word about smoking.

The investigation was started directly after breakfast on Monday morning. The entire school was assembled for the purpose and Captain Putnam showed that he meant to get at the bottom of the affair.

“A fire was kindled against my express orders,” said the master of the school. “I knew a storm was coming but I must confess I did not think it would blow quite so strongly. It was Providence that kept the entire camp from burning down. Dale Blackmore, come forward.”

At this command Dale stepped to the front.

“You assisted in gathering the wood for that bonfire, did you not?” asked the master of the school.

“I did sir,” answered Dale.

“Who else assisted at this work?”

“Captain Putnam, do you expect me to tell on the other cadets?” demanded Dale.

“Blackmore, this is a serious piece of business. The whole camp might have burnt up and some of the cadets with it.”

“I didn’t start the fire, and I don’t know who did.”

“Who gathered the wood beside yourself?”

“I did, for one!” said Pepper, coming forward a few steps.

“So did I,” added Andy and Fred.

“Anybody else?” questioned Captain Putnam, gazing around at the assemblage.

“I was going to, but I didn’t do it, after you said you didn’t want a bonfire,” said Coulter.

“Snow, you admit you helped to gather the wood. Did you kindle the fire?”

“No, sir.”

“What have you to say, Ditmore?”

“I didn’t start any fire.”

“Century, how about you?”

“I didn’t start the fire, Captain Putnam.”

“Somebody had a can of carbide. To whom did that belong?”

“That was mine, sir,” answered Fred. “I – er – I was going to show some of the fellows a new way to light a fire, by mixing the carbide with some water and generating acetylene gas.”

“Didn’t you light the gas?”

“No, sir.”

“You are positive?” And now Captain Putnam’s voice was stern.

“I have told you the truth, Captain Putnam,” answered Fred, and looked the head of the school squarely in the eyes.

“Ahem! When you retired, what did you do with the can of carbide?”

“I was going to put it back on my bicycle, where it belongs, but I forgot it and left it by the pile of brushwood.”

“Open?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Rather a dangerous thing to do.”

“I know it, sir, and I am sorry I did it.”

“Major Ruddy, who was corporal of the guard when the fire started?”

“Corporal Selick, sir.”

“Corporal Selick, what cadets were on post at the time?”

The corporal of the guard consulted his time book and read off the names of eight cadets, including Mason, Sabine and Ritter.

“Mason, you said you saw some fire in the air,” said Captain Putnam, to the lad who had been on Post 4.

“Yes, sir, I did,” answered Mason.

“Will you explain just what you mean?”

“Well, sir, I will as well as I can. I was walking towards Post No. 3 when I saw some fire fly into the air. The wind carried it towards the pile of brushwood. All of a sudden the brushwood was in a blaze, from the can of carbide.”

“You mean the fire fell on the carbide?”

“I guess that’s it, sir, and the carbide got wet from the rain that was just starting.”

“Why didn’t you put the fire out?”

“I tried to, but it roared so from the carbide and gas I got frightened, – and then the high wind did the rest,” answered Mason frankly.

“You say the fire came from the direction of Post 3?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Who was on that post?” asked the master of the school, turning to the other guards.

“I was,” answered Reff Ritter, after a pause.

“Did you see the fire, Ritter?”

“I – er – yes, sir – that is, after Mason spoke about it.”

“Where did it come from?”

“Why sir – I think – er – it came out of the sky. Maybe it was from a fire balloon,” added the bully, struck by a sudden inspiration.

“A fire balloon?” queried Captain Putnam doubtfully.

“Yes, sir – they set ’em off from the hotels down the lake sometimes.”

“Hum! And you think it was a fire balloon, eh? What do you think, Mason?”

“I don’t know what to think, sir. I saw a little fire flying through the air, that’s all.”

“Wasn’t it more like the fire from a cigar, or a cigarette?” demanded Captain Putnam, searchingly.

“Why – er – it might have been, sir. It wasn’t very large, that’s sure.”

“Were any of you guards smoking?” demanded Captain Putnam, looking at the eight cadets.

Nobody spoke, but Billy Sabine shifted uneasily and grew very red in the face.

“Sabine, answer me at once!” cried the master of the school. “You were smoking, were you not?”

“Oh, Captain Putnam, I – er – ”

“Answer me at once!” thundered Captain Putnam, and striding forward he caught the weak-kneed cadet by the arm.

“Yes, sir, I – er – tried a cigarette Reff Ritter gave me,” gasped Sabine, in terror. “But I didn’t set the wood on fire, sir. It was – was the light from Ritter’s cigarette did that!” went on Sabine, shaking from head to foot in fright.

CHAPTER XIX

RITTER GIVES A FEAST

Billy Sabine’s revelation caused a profound sensation in the camp. Captain Putnam turned sternly to Reff Ritter.

“What have you to say to this, Ritter?” he questioned.

“It’s a – er – a mistake,” stammered the bully. “I was only fooling Sabine.”

“You gave him a cigarette, did you not?”

“Why, sir, you see I – I found a box of them, in the woods. I took one myself and let Sabine have the other. We just lit them for a moment and then put them out. Isn’t that true?” and Ritter glared darkly at the cadet who had occupied Post 2.

“Why – er – I – I guess so,” stammered Sabine. “But, oh Captain Putnam, I didn’t mean any harm, really I didn’t!” wailed the weak-kneed cadet.

“Mason, you said the fire came from Ritter’s post, didn’t you?” asked the head of the school.

“From that direction, yes, sir.”

“Did it look as if it might be from a cigarette?”

“Well, sir – I – I – ”

“Answer me!”

“It might be from a cigarette, yes.”

“Ritter, I rather think this is proof positive that the fire may be laid at your door,” went on Captain Putnam.

“I didn’t light the bonfire,” answered the bully doggedly. “At home I am allowed to smoke – I don’t see why I can’t do it here,” he added sourly.

“Because it is against the rules, that is why, Ritter. I do not consider smoking good for any growing boy. Your infringement of the rules did a good deal of harm and it might have resulted still more disastrously. I am afraid I shall have to take up this matter with your father. You will come to my tent, and you can come too, Mason and Sabine. Major Ruddy, you may dismiss the battalion.”

The necessary orders were given and the cadets broke ranks, and gathered in knots to discuss the situation.

“Ritter will catch it for this,” said Joe.

“Sure he will, an’ he’s afther deservin’ it,” answered Emerald. “I had me ear burnt, so I did, through his foolishness!”

What was said in Captain Putnam’s tent did not get out until some time later. The captain read Ritter and Sabine a stern lecture, and said he would send the bully’s father a bill for the burnt tents, and also said he would let Mr. Ritter know how the conflagration had come about. He made both boys promise not to smoke again.

“It was all your fault,” growled Ritter, as he and Sabine came away, followed by Mason. “If you had only kept your mouth shut we would have been all right. I’ve a good mind to give you a licking!” And he advanced so threateningly on Sabine that the latter took to his heels and ran out of sight.

When Mason came out he joined Pepper, Andy, and some of their friends.

“I didn’t want to expose Ritter, but he was the one to blame,” said the cadet who had occupied Post 4. “He let the cigarette light fly right in the carbide.”

“Well, I should have put the carbide away,” said Fred, who was present

“How did you come to have it?” asked Pepper.

“Oh, I went to the Hall on an errand for Captain Putnam, and I came back on my wheel, and carried it,” was the answer. “I thought it would be handy – to fill the acetylene lamp with.”

After the excitement attending the fire and the windstorm, matters moved along smoothly in the camp for several days. During that time some of the cadets got up a rowing race, between a crew of four from Company A and another crew from Company B. In this contest Company A won, which helped them to get over their defeat on the baseball field. Ritter did not row in the race, nor did Coulter.

“We don’t want Ritter,” said Henry Lee. “He might give up right in the middle of the race. And we have better oarsmen than Gus Coulter.”

Late in the week Pepper heard through Mumps that Paxton and Ritter were going after the nest of hornets that had been discovered in the woods. He at once went to Jack and Andy with the information.

“I think we might as well secure that nest,” said the young major. “If the Ritter crowd get it, there is no telling what they will do with it.”

“Come on – I’m willing to get it,” said The Imp.

The three cadets walked into the woods and then made the discovery that Ritter and Paxton were just ahead of them. Paxton had a big, white paper bag in his hand.

“We are too late!” cried Andy in dismay.

“Wait, if they get the nest let us see what they do with it,” whispered Jack.

Taking care not to be seen, the young major and his chums followed the bully and Paxton through the woods until they came to the spot where the hornets’ nest was located. It was after sundown and the hornets had gone into the nest.

Paxton had a veil and this he put over his face and then put on his white cadet gloves. This done he climbed the tree from which the nest was suspended and over the nest slipped his big paper bag. Then he broke the nest loose and tied the bag shut.

“I’ve got it!” he cried in triumph! “Now we can have dead loads of fun!”

“We’ll put it in Jack Ruddy’s tent,” said Ritter. “And we’ll tell Ditmore and Snow the major wants to see them.”

“Listen to that!” whispered Pepper.

“I wish I could break that bag over Ritter’s head,” came from the acrobatic Andy.

Jack and his friends saw Ritter and Paxton walk through the woods in another direction. Then the bag with the hornets’ nest was left in the crotch of a tree.

“They intend to come back for it to-night,” said Andy.

“I’ve got an idea!” exclaimed Pepper. “Say, it’s great! We’ll fix up a bogus bag and make an exchange!”

This suggestion met with instant favor, and while Jack watched the bag in the crotch of the tree Pepper and Andy ran into camp, got some paper and paste and made another bag, similar in size and looks. Into the second bag they stuffed some moss and dirt.

“That’s all right,” said Jack, when the pair came back. “Now we’ll make the exchange.” And this was soon accomplished, and the bogus bag left where the original had rested.

“I think we ought to let some of the other fellows in on this trick,” said Andy. “We’ll have the laugh on Ritter and Paxton. More than likely they’ll tell their cronies.”

This was agreed to, and Dale, Fred, and half a dozen others were told. Then Dale said he had heard that Ritter was going to give a little feast that night, he having sent to one of the lake hotels for cake, and bottled soda water and root beer.

“Oh, if we could only get hold of that cake and the soft drinks!” cried Pepper.

“Maybe we can,” said Dale. “A boatman named Lemoss is going to bring them.”

“We must interview Lemoss,” said Pepper, and straightway he and Andy and Dale concocted a scheme for intercepting the boatman with the supplies.

This was an easy matter, for Lemoss was an innocent fellow and did not dream that he was being humbugged. He had been paid for the stuff and turned it over to Pepper and Dale, when they came out in a rowboat to meet him. The boys quickly “doctored” the soda water and root beer by adding to it a large dose of pepper and salt, and they also peppered the cake. Then they rowed to the shore and put the things out on a fallen tree.

Scarcely had they rowed away than they saw Ritter, Coulter and Paxton come out and look up and down the lake. The chums were behind some bushes and they heard Ritter utter an exclamation.

“Well, if the old fool hasn’t put the things out here on a log!” came from the bully. “How careless!”

“Too lazy to row in and tell us,” grumbled Coulter.

“Never mind, the stuff is here, and that’s the main thing,” said Paxton. “I’d just like to have some of the root beer now.”

“No, you’ve got to wait till to-night,” said Ritter. “There is just enough to go around.” And then the things were smuggled up to the camp and out of sight.

That evening when the cadets had an hour to themselves, Pepper and Andy were accosted by Mumps.

“You two fellows are wanted at Major Ruddy’s tent,” said the little sneak. “Hurry up.”

“Who said so?” asked The Imp, with a grin to his chum.

“Word was passed along, that’s all I know,” answered Mumps, and ran away, to avoid further questioning.

Andy and Pepper hurried to the tent. On a cot rested a neat package. It was addressed as follows:

Major Jack Ruddy:

Call in your friends, Snow and Ditmore, and treat them.

Two Lady Friends.

“Hello, so you’ve got it!” said Pepper. “I suppose the enemy is watching outside, to see developments.”

“Hush,” whispered Jack. “I was going to suggest – ”

“Wait!” came from Andy. “Ritter celebrates to-night. Why don’t you postpone this – just to throw them off the track?”

The cadets held a consultation and then came outside of the tent. They saw Ritter, Coulter and several others hanging around.

“Looks like a fine cake,” said Jack, in a low voice, addressing his chums. “Must have come from the Fords.”

“Wish you could cut it to-night,” grumbled Andy.

“It will keep,” was the reply. “I’ll invite the crowd and open up the bundle to-morrow night, eight o’clock.”

“All right, we’ll be on hand,” said Pepper, and then he and Andy walked away. A little later the chums saw Ritter and his cronies slouch off much disappointed.

“We’ve got to wait for our fun,” growled Ritter.

“Maybe the hornets will be dead by that time,” said Paxton. “But I suppose we can’t help that. Ritter, how about your celebration?”

“That won’t be postponed,” chuckled the bully. “We’ll have a dandy time.”

Word was passed around and after the camp was quiet Ritter and his cronies stole away, taking with them several bundles done up in newspapers. They would have been astonished had they known what was in one of the bundles – one smuggled in by Pepper and Andy.

The crowd went into the woods, and there by the light of two lanterns Ritter brought out his cake, root beer, soda water, and other good things to eat and drink.

“Now help yourselves,” cried the bully, good naturedly.

Some cake was cut and passed around, and also the drinks.

“Wow! this is hot cake!” cried Coulter, biting into some pepper.

“I should say so!” added Paxton. “Say! my mouth is on fire!”

“Hi, give me a drink! I’ve got a mouthful of salt!” exclaimed another cadet.

“Say, are you fellows batty – this cake is all right!” declared Ritter and filled his mouth with the compound. The next instant he commenced to splutter.

“Oh! oh! I’m on fire! Give me a drink, quick! And he grabbed a bottle of soda water.

In the meantime the other lads had begun to drink. They did not, however, swallow much, for root beer and soda water with salt and pepper in them are not very palatable.

“This is a trick!” roared Reff Ritter, in a rage. “Somebody has doctored this stuff.”

“Try the other cake,” said Coulter, pointing to a bundle that had not yet been opened.

“I will, but I suppose it’s as bad as any of it,” grumbled the bully and tore the bundle apart savagely. Then it slipped from his hand and struck the ground violently.

“The ball has opened!” came in a low voice from Pepper, who with his chums, was viewing the scene from a distance – a safe distance, they hoped.

CHAPTER XX

ON BUTTERFLY ISLAND

“What’s this?”

“Oh, I am stung!”

“It’s a nest of hornets!”

“Let me get out of this!”

“Ouch! Wow! This is terrible!”

So the cries rang out, as the paper bag broke and the hornets’ nest fell to the ground with a thump.

The hornets had been angry before, at being imprisoned, and now the shock evidently made them madder than ever. Out they swarmed about Reff Ritter and his cronies, who slapped right and left to ward them off.

Ritter was stung on the nose and on the chin, and every one of the other lads was attacked.

For several seconds the bewildered boys did not know what to do, and simply made wild passes through the air at their enemies. Then, with one accord, they attempted to run away. In doing this Coulter bumped into Paxton, and both went down and the hornets swarmed all around them.

“Let me get away!” screamed Gus Coulter. “I’ll be stung to death!”

“Let me up!” shrieked Paxton. “I’m stung in the eye!”

“It’s your hornets’ nest!” growled Coulter, and getting up he went after the crowd, who were scattering in all directions.

It was certainly the liveliest time imaginable and Pepper and his chums roared heartily as they saw the others doing their best to fight off the little pests. Fortunately the Ritter crowd did not come near them, so they were not bothered at all by the hornets. Ritter ran for the lake shore, and the whole crowd traveled nearly a quarter of a mile before they dared to halt, so thoroughly were they alarmed.

“Well, that’s a case of the stinger getting stung!” was Andy’s comment, after the excitement was over.

“I’ll wager the Ritter crowd won’t go back to finish that feast,” came from Dale, with a grin.

“Too bad! So much good cake and stuff gone to waste!” said Stuffer, with a sigh.

“Go on back after it, Stuffer,” said the young major. “I reckon they will let you have the whole of it.”

“Not on your life!” cried the lad who loved to eat. “Think I want an introduction to those hornets? Besides, the stuff is all doctored anyway.”

As soon as the fun was over, Jack and Pepper and the others hurried back to camp and retired for the night. They did not, however, go to sleep but kept their ears open for the return of Ritter and his cronies.

The bully’s crowd came in about an hour later. To keep the stings from hurting they had covered the spots with soft mud and so everyone was a sight to behold. All grumbled a good deal under their breath.

“They’ll be more hateful than ever now,” was Andy’s comment. “Better watch ’em.”

“I intend to,” answered Pepper.

On the following morning when Ritter and his cronies appeared at roll call everybody else had to smile. The bully had a big swelling on his nose and another on his chin. Coulter had a puffed-out cheek and Paxton had one eye closed. As they lined up for inspection The Imp could hardly keep from roaring outright.

“Ritter, what is the matter with you?” asked George Strong, as he caught sight of the bully’s face.

“Some friends and I found a hornets’ nest in the woods and the hornets got after us,” was the answer.

“Is that so!” cried the teacher. “I am very sorry to hear it. Who else was stung?”

The bully gave the names.

“We have some salve you can put on the hurts,” continued the teacher sympathetically. “I will get it for you.”

“Oh, we put salve on last night,” said Ritter. “But maybe some more will help,” he added quickly, for the stings were still painful.

Jack and the others had expected an open row with the bully and his cohorts, but it did not come. As a matter of fact the crowd that had been stung were so ashamed of their appearance that they did all they could to keep out of sight. When it was off-time they got two boats and rowed down the lake, to a refreshment resort at which they stopped whenever they got the chance.

“I’ll get square, you mark my words,” cried Reff Ritter, savagely, as all were waiting for ice-cream to be served.

“I don’t understand how they got the hornets’ nest,” said Paxton.

“They made some kind of an exchange,” said Coulter. “And we got it in the neck!” he added, coarsely.

“Yes, and in the face and on our hands too,” added another cadet, who had a swollen forehead.

The cadets were about to leave the refreshment place when they saw a carriage approaching on the road which skirted the lake shore. The carriage contained Mr. and Mrs. Ford and their two daughters.

“Come on, we don’t want to meet those folks,” said Ritter.

“I am not afraid of them,” said Paxton. “I’ll get out when I feel like it.”

Some were for going and some were for staying, and the upshot of the matter was that Paxton and two others remained. Ritter, Coulter and the rest rowed off down the lake.

When the Paxton crowd came back they were met by the others. Paxton was excited and looked at Ritter and Coulter knowingly.

“I’ve got a note for Major Ruddy,” said one of the cadets, a lad named Wilbur who had only been at the school a short while. “That gentleman who stopped at the refreshment place gave it to me.”

“What’s it about?” asked Ritter, abruptly.

“I know,” said Paxton quickly. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

As soon as the encampment grounds were reached Wilbur went off to deliver the note to Jack. Paxton called Ritter and Coulter to him, and the three walked away to a spot where nobody could hear them.

“That note to Ruddy is an invitation for the Ruddy crowd to go on a picnic with the Fords,” said Paxton. “I overheard the Fords mention it when Mr. Ford was writing the note.”

“When and where?” demanded Ritter.

“They are going up to Butterfly Island day after to-morrow, directly after breakfast. They’ll take lunch along and stay there until supper time. They’ve invited Ruddy, Ditmore, Snow and Blackmore to participate.”

“Butterfly Island, eh?” mused the bully.

“Yes. Say, why can’t we go up there too and spoil the fun?” went on Paxton.

“That’s the talk!” added Coulter.

“We can – if we can get away from the camp,” answered Ritter. “Let us watch our chance and see what we can do. How are they to go to the island?”

“Mr. Ford is going to charter a launch, the Emma, and will stop here for the others, – if they get permission to go.”

“Oh, they’ll get permission easily enough – Captain Putnam wouldn’t care to offend such a rich man as Mr. Ford.”

While this talk was going on the note was delivered to Jack. The young major read it and then sought out his chums.

“Here’s a chance for a fine outing!” cried Jack, and handed the invitation around for inspection.

“If Captain Putnam will let us accept,” said Pepper. “Let us go and ask him right now.”

They soon found the head of the school and showed him the note.

“Yes, you may go,” said he. “Only remember to be back by nightfall, – and don’t get into any mischief.”

“We’ll remember,” said Andy.

“Don’t stir up any hornets’ nests, for instance,” and Captain Putnam smiled meaningly.

“We’ll let hornets severely alone,” answered Jack with a laugh.

Word was sent to the Fords that their kind invitation was accepted, and then the four cadets waited impatiently for the time for the picnic to arrive. They went in undress uniform, and it is safe to say that never did four lads brush up more or pay more attention to their shoes, collars and ties.