The Putnam Hall Rivals

“Well, I never!” he cried.

“What’s up now?”

“There are Crabtree and Snuggers looking all around the place! I’ll wager a bun to a bakery that they think we have run away from the Hall!”

Jack looked out also, and both boys saw the teacher and the general-utility man walk all around the campus and then disappear in the direction of the gymnasium.

“I hope they have a good time looking for us,” observed Pepper, with a broad grin.

“Maybe they’ll come up here next.”

“If they do we’ll have to lay low.”

Nearly an hour passed, and then they heard footsteps in the hall outside. Instantly both became quiet as mice.

“They don’t seem to be around here,” they heard Peleg Snuggers remark.

“Let us look in all the rooms,” answered Josiah Crabtree.

The boys almost held their breath as they heard the door tried.

“This is locked up,” said Snuggers.

“Let me see,” answered the assistant teacher, and they heard his hand upon the knob. “Have you a key, Snuggers?”

“No, sir.”

There was a brief pause.

“Boys, are you in there?” called out Josiah Crabtree. “If you are, answer me.”

A deathlike silence followed. Jack and Pepper scarcely dared to breathe.

“They couldn’t git up here nohow, Mr. Crabtree,” said the general-utility man. “Somebody would be sure to see ’em.”

“I don’t know about that. Boys that will crawl through the flooring of a closet will do almost anything,” grumbled the teacher. “Who has the key to this room?”

“Most likely Mrs. Green.”

Mrs. Green was the matron of the Hall, she having charge of all the female help and also doing a great deal for the small boys in the institution. At the mention of her name the hearts of the cadets sank.

“Mr. Crabtree!” called a voice, from the floor below.

“What is it?” returned the assistant teacher.

“You are wanted in the office, sir – a gentleman to see you.”

“Who is it?”

“Gave the name of Simon – Andrew Simon.”

“Really! My old friend Simon!” murmured the teacher. “Snuggers, I will go below at once. We can continue this search at another time.” And down the stairs went Josiah Crabtree and the general-utility man after him.

“Phew! but that was a narrow escape,” murmured Jack. “If they had gotten in here our cake would have been dough.”

After that the boys found the time hanging heavily on their hands. They talked the situation over in a low tone, but could reach no satisfactory conclusion.

Presently it grew darker and began to rain, the storm keeping up far into the night. This made a noise on the roof, so they could talk with but little danger of being heard.

At supper-time they partook of some more of the eatables in the basket and then prepared to make themselves comfortable for the night. They were resting on the bed when they heard a low whistle at the door.

“Hullo!” came in Andy’s voice.

They unlocked the door, and there stood Andy and Stuffer, each with some supper done up in a napkin. Andy also had a candle and some matches. Dale had told them where to come.

“Had a time getting this here,” said Stuffer, after the candle had been lit.

“Old Crabtree is nearly crazy, thinking you have run away from the Hall,” said Andy. “He and Snuggers have been hunting all over for you. They even sent word to Cedarville.”

“Well, let Crabby worry – he deserves it,” grumbled Pepper. “Say, it’s mighty good of you to bring this,” he continued.

“Here are a couple of new magazines, too,” said Stuffer, handing them over. “I got them from the library. They’ll help you to pass away the time.”

Andy and Stuffer did not dare to remain upstairs long, and soon left, and then the door was locked as before and Jack hung his handkerchief over the keyhole. The curtain to the window was drawn down tightly, so that the candlelight might not be seen by anybody outside.

Several hours went by and the academy became quiet. Both boys had read for awhile and also taken several naps. Then Pepper started up.

“Jack, I’ve an idea!”

“What now, Pep?”

“Let us go downstairs after old Crabby is to bed and play some trick on him.”

“That would be all right – if we didn’t get caught. But if he catches us it will go so much harder with us when it comes to a settlement.”

“I don’t care,” said the Imp, recklessly. “We may as well be hung for sheep as lambs.”

They talked the matter over, and at last concluded to go below. The candle was extinguished and the door opened with care. They crawled cautiously to the top of the stairs and looked down.

“Everybody is in bed by this time,” whispered Pepper.

They waited a little, to make certain. Then they crept down and made their way to the door of the apartment which the assistant teacher occupied.

“He’s asleep and snoring,” said Jack, and told the truth.

They tried the door and found it unlocked. With extreme care they entered the room. A dim light was burning in a corner of the apartment, casting shadows in all directions. Covered up on the bed lay Josiah Crabtree, flat on his back and with a nightcap on his head.

Their first move was to transfer the key of the door from the inside to the outside. This done, Pepper got a washbowl of cold water and placed it on the floor beside the bed. Then they took several of the chairs and placed them on the floor sideways, and put down several piles of books near by.