The Putnam Hall Rivals

“Does he seem to be caught by the rocks?”

“No.”

The teacher took a look and then ordered that the hole be made a little larger.

“I will lower myself to him,” said George Strong. “Then I will pass him up to you.”

He disappeared into the hole and took the torch with him. Presently he called out, and then they saw him lifting up Dale’s limp form. They caught hold of their chum’s body and drew it to a place of safety.

“He seems to be knocked unconscious,” said Jack, soberly.

They assisted the teacher to the surface above the cave, and then all three turned their attention to Dale. There was a lump on the unconscious boy’s head and a scratch on his chin.

“Get some water and we’ll bathe him,” said George Strong, and this was done, and presently Dale opened his eyes.

“Take it away!” he murmured. “It’s too heavy for me!”

“You’re all right, Dale,” said Jack. “You’re safe.” And then Dale stared around him.

“Wha – what did you say?” he stammered. “Oh, my head!” And he put up his hand.

“You are safe,” said the teacher.

“Didn’t that rock come down on me?”

“It came pretty close to you. It must have grazed your head, and that is what made you unconscious.”

“And how – how did I get here?”

“We dug you out,” said Pepper.

“Oh!” And for the time being the suffering youth said no more.

They continued to bathe his face and wrists, and presently he said he felt better. But George Strong made him wait half an hour before standing on his feet.

“I’m a bit dizzy and light-headed, but that’s all,” declared Dale, when they finally set out for Putnam Hall. “Say, I reckon I had a narrow escape, didn’t I?”

“You did,” answered the teacher.

“Weren’t you caught at all?”

“No.”

“That’s what I get for trying to lift up a tree,” pursued Dale, with a sorry little grin. “No more such foolishness for me!”

They took their time about getting back, and it was long after the supper hour when the academy was reached. George Strong explained matters to Captain Putnam and they had the meal in private.

“That was certainly quite an adventure,” remarked Jack.

“Yes, and one I shouldn’t wish to experience again,” answered Dale. “I shan’t go into another cave in a hurry, take my word on that!”

“I wonder if the cave was ever used for anything?” asked Pepper.

“I do not think so,” returned George Strong. “It was merely a split in the rocks, probably caused by a landslide.”

CHAPTER XVIII

SEEN THROUGH A SPYGLASS

Three days later Jack came to Pepper, Andy, and Dale, who were out on the campus catching ball.

“Mr. Strong is in trouble,” he announced, and the ball catching came to an end at once.

“What’s up, Jack?”

“Somebody I think has been playing tricks on him.”

“What did they do?”

“Order a lot of things in his name.”

“I must say I don’t understand,” said Andy, with a puzzled look.

“Day before yesterday there came an elegant set of Cooper’s works by express with a C. O. D. charge of thirty-two dollars. Mr. Strong never ordered the books.”

“That’s mean, to play a trick like that on him,” said Dale. “Now if it was old Crabtree I wouldn’t say a word.”

“Yesterday came a bookcase, also C. O. D., at eighteen dollars, and then he got three fountain pens by mail, with a bill for twelve dollars.”

“Has he any idea who ordered the things?” asked Andy.

“Not the slightest idea in the world.”

“He must be mad.”

“He said he was very much annoyed and could not imagine who would be mean enough to play such tricks on him.”

“If they signed his name to the orders that would be forgery,” was Dale’s comment.

“So it would.”

“Why doesn’t he send for the orders?”

“He is going to do it.”

The second assistant teacher was indeed in trouble. On the day following the above conversation a parrot arrived in a cage for him, followed by a canary bird. Then came a canoe and a rifle, both, sent “on approval.” The next day he got a letter from a city firm, asking how he wished them to send the automobile that he desired.

“This is too much!” said the teacher, as he read the letter to Captain Putnam.