The Putnam Hall Rivals

“I’ll make you.”

“We don’t want to stay here,” said Pepper. “It’s a beastly place and we’ll catch our death of cold.”

“You shall stay here.”

“I protest!” cried Jack.

“Ruddy, it will do no good, I tell you. And let me tell you something more. Your conduct is unworthy of an officer. After this, you shall be a private, nothing more.”

“You are going to take my majorship away from me!” gasped Jack.

“Yes.”

The boy’s heart sank within him. This was the unkindest cut of all.

“It’s dirt mean!” cried Pepper. “Jack, for two pins I’d write home about this.”

“Yes, and leave Putnam Hall,” added the deposed major.

“You two boys will behave yourselves!” roared Josiah Crabtree. “If you make any more trouble I’ll show you a thing or two!”

With this the teacher went out, banging and locking the door behind him.

Jack and Pepper felt hurt and angry. They had done nothing wrong, and did not consider that they were being treated fairly.

The forenoon dragged by slowly and both boys were chilled. Growing desperate, Pepper began to hammer on the door again and his chum followed suit.

For fully quarter of an hour nobody paid attention to the noise, and they were on the point of stopping the racket when Josiah Crabtree again appeared, followed by Peleg Snuggers and another man, who did occasional jobs around Putnam Hall.

“Hold out your hands,” said the teacher, grimly; and almost before they knew it, Jack and Pepper were handcuffed. Then the teacher slipped the key of the handcuffs into his pocket.

“This, is a high-handed proceeding,” said Jack.

“I believe you objected to the cold,” said the teacher, ignoring the remark.

“We did – I am half frozen,” answered Pepper.

“Then come, and I’ll provide you with a warmer place,” was the answer.

It would have been useless to resist in the presence of the three men, and so the boys marched out of the storeroom and along the hallway. Soon they came to a cellar door.

“Are you going to put us down in the cellar?” cried Jack.

“March, and do not ask any more questions,” said Josiah Crabtree.

The boys tried to argue, but the assistant teacher would not listen. Down into the cellar went the party and walked along until they came to a square stone room that was built close to one of the big heaters.

“You won’t freeze here,” said the teacher, and shoved them inside. “Now, if you make any more noise, you shall not have a mouthful of dinner.”

Again the door was closed and locked on the two unfortunates. They heard the others hurry away, and faced each other in the gloom.

“This is the worst yet,” said Pepper. “It’s a regular dungeon cell!”

“It is an outrage and I shall not stand for it,” was his chum’s comment. “Phew! how hot it is! That furnace is a regular bake-oven!”

“First he freezes us and then he bakes us,” muttered Pepper. “Oh, but he is a hard-hearted wretch!”

“Here is something to make you feel better,” said Jack, when he felt certain nobody was watching them. “Hold out your hands, Pep.”

The Imp did so and Jack commenced to feel of the lock of the handcuffs. Soon Pepper was at liberty.

“However did you do it, Jack?” he questioned.

“I watched my chance and took the key from old Crabby’s pocket.”

“Good for you!”

“Now unfasten my bracelets, will you?”

“Certainly.”

With their hands at liberty, the boys felt a trifle better. But the semi-darkness and the heat did not suit them at all. Besides this, the hot stone room was full of a dry dust that set them to coughing.

“I’d like to put old Crabtree in this place,” muttered Jack.

“I wonder if we can’t get out, Jack?”

“What good will it do?”

“A lot of good. We can remain out of Crabtree’s reach until Captain Putnam gets back. Then we can demand a hearing.”

“I don’t see how you are going to get out.”

“Have you got a match?”

“Nary a one.”

“Let us explore in the dark then. Start at the door. I’ll go to the right and you can go to the left.”

This was done, and they went over the stone walls with care. Nothing in the way of an opening presented itself.

“Now let us try the flooring above,” said Pepper.

“How can we reach it?”

There was a bench in the room, and they turned this up on one end. Then Pepper boosted his chum to the top. Jack felt around with care.

“Here’s a crack in the floor,” said he, presently. “Hullo!”