The Putnam Hall Cadets: or, Good Times in School and Out

“Now, fellows, is your chance!” cried Stuffer. “A little water from one of the pitchers – ”

“Whoop!” came from Hogan. “It’s a bath he’s afther nadin’, sure!” And up the stairs he bounded. Water pitcher in hand, he approached a window over the one the teacher was trying to open. Then down came the water on the teacher’s head, wetting him thoroughly.

“Ouch!” roared Josiah Crabtree, and began to dance around. “Oh, the water has gone down my back! It’s ice-cold! Oh, I’ll pay you for that!”

“Thank you, no payment requoired!” said Hogan, softly, and closed the window again.

“Emerald, you’re a gem!” said Andy. “Won’t old Crabtree feel fine with a wet back on such a bitter night as this?”

“If you don’t let me in I’ll – I’ll have the law on some of you!” yelled Josiah Crabtree. “This is – er – preposterous! Open the door!”

“All the winders is tight shut,” said Peleg Snuggers, who had been making an examination. “I must say, I dunno how we are to git in, Mr. Crabtree.”

“We must get in,” fumed the teacher. “Why, my back feels like a – er – an icicle.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“If I stay out here I’ll catch my death of cold.”

“I’ve got an idee, sir. I might get a ladder and put it up to the second-story winders.”

“Yes, yes. Get the ladder at once.”

The general utility man hurried off to the carriage house and presently came forth carrying a long ladder.

“It’s all I can do to lift it, sir,” he said. “You’ll have to help me raise it.”

“I can do that.”

“They’ve got a ladder!” whispered Jack. “They are going to try to get into one of the upper windows.”

“Come on upstairs,” returned Pepper. “Say, has anybody got a blank cartridge left?”

Several had, having saved them from the encampment, and they were passed over to Pepper, who placed one in his gun. Then Andy loaded up likewise.

“Put on your caps, boys,” said Pepper. “Pull ’em down over your eyes, so Crabtree can’t recognize us in the dark.”

This was also done, and a score of students crowded into the room which the teacher and Snuggers expected to enter.

They had scarcely done so when there came an unexpected crash. In trying to raise the heavy ladder both Josiah Crabtree and Snuggers had allowed it to slip, and the end came through the window sash, shattering the window panes into a thousand pieces.

“Phew! That’s the time they did it!” exclaimed Henry Lee. “There will be some glass to pay for when this adventure is over.”

“Well, that wasn’t our fault,” came from Harry Blossom. “They should have been more careful with the ladder.”

“Snuggers, have a care!” roared Josiah Crabtree. “You have broken the window.”

“Twasn’t my fault!” howled the hired man. “Why didn’t you keep her from slippin’?”

“Hold the bottom of the ladder while I go up,” ordered the teacher, ignoring the question. “Be careful now. I don’t want to break my neck.”

“I’m a-holdin’ tight enough,” grumbled the hired man.

With caution Josiah Crabtree started to come up the ladder.

“Here comes the burglar, boys!” shouted Pepper, in an assumed voice. “He has broken the window. He deserves to be shot!”

“Yes, yes! shoot the burglar!” came in a shout. “Shoot him!”

“We’ll teach ’em that they can’t rob Putnam Hall even if Captain Putnam is away.”

“Stop!” screamed Josiah Crabtree. “I am no bur – ”

“Take careful aim,” commanded Pepper, loudly. “All ready?”

“Boys, I am no bur – ”

“All ready?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Boys, I command you to sto – ”

“Fire!”

Bang! bang! bang! went three of the guns, the cadets shooting high up into the night air. With a wild scream of terror, Josiah Crabtree slid down the ladder, on top of Peleg Snuggers’ head, and both sank to the ground.

“There goes Mr. Burglar!”

“Run away, you robber! If you don’t we’ll give you another dose!”

“Oh, my poor head!” groaned Snuggers.

“They are shooting at me!” moaned Crabtree, scrambling up.

“They be takin’ us for burglars!” went on the general utility man.

“There are two of them,” came from above. “Shoot them, fellows! They must be regular desperadoes to try such a game as this.”

“Let us run!” screamed Peleg Snuggers, and set off at his best pace, with Josiah Crabtree at his heels. Neither stopped until he was safe in the shelter of the barn.

“There they go!” laughed Pepper. “I’ll wager they won’t come back in a hurry.”

“Shove the ladder off,” commanded Jack, and this was done, the ladder falling out across the campus.

“Of course they’ll come back,” came from Dave Kearney. “What shall we do next?”

“Sure an’ there is plenthy av water,” suggested Hogan.