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

“That’s the ticket. Put the guns away, or we may arouse Mrs. Green after all, or somebody living at a distance.”

The guns were restored to the racks on the lower floor of the Hall, and this done, two students stationed themselves at each window upstairs, each with a pitcher of cold water.

“Here is where somebody is going to get a fine ducking,” said Bart Conners, with a merry twinkle in his eyes. Bart did not do much talking, but he was as full of mischief as the average cadet.

Soon they saw Josiah Crabtree and Peleg Snuggers sneaking toward one of the lower windows. The hired man had an ax.

“They surely mean business this trip,” whispered Pepper. “Give it to them!”

Down went one pitcherful of water after another, and in a trice both the teacher and the hired man were thoroughly drenched. They set up a howl, and Snuggers dropped the ax as he ran off with Crabtree by his side.

“Haven’t we had about enough?” questioned Jack, after a wild burst of laughter.

“Let’s go to bed, and be as mum as oysters,” said Andy, and this was agreed to. All of the upper windows were closed, and then some of the cadets unlocked the door below that had been open, and fixed the door bell.

“Now, then, not a word from anybody, on his life!” said Jack, and the word spread rapidly. Inside of five minutes every cadet was in bed, the lights were put out, and all became as silent as a tomb inside of Putnam Hall.

CHAPTER XXII

JOSIAH CRABTREE IS NONPLUSED

“What’s to do next, Mr. Crabtree?”

“I – er – I don’t know,” stammered the enraged teacher. He gave a shiver. “I am wet to the skin!”

“So am I,” came from Peleg Snuggers.

“I shall take cold.”

“An’ I’ll be after gitting the rheumatism.”

“I am half of a mind to invoke the aid of the law,” went on Josiah Crabtree, stalking around the barn to keep himself warm. “This is preposterous, outrageous, extraordinary!”

“It’s a blessed shame, sir, that’s wot it is.”

“It is strange that Mrs. Green was not aroused.”

“No ’tain’t, sir – she’s a heavy sleeper. She sleeps with an alarm clock on a chair beside her bed, to wake her up in the mornin’.”

“Snuggers, we must get into the school building in some manner.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let us go around to the front once more.”

“I don’t want another duckin’, sir. It was terribul, that was!” And the general utility man shivered.

“Perhaps we can get under the shelter of the doorway.”

They left the barn once more, and sneaking around the campus, came at last to the front of the hall.

“Why, the door’s on a crack!” ejaculated the hired man. “I thought it was locked!”

“So it was locked!” returned Josiah Crabtree. “Can it be possible that the rascals have left the building?”

“Oh, Mr. Crabtree, perhaps they are after us with them guns!”

“I – I don’t think so. Anyway, let us get inside. Then we can lock the door on them. Some of the cadets must have gone crazy!”

The two passed into the Hall, and the teacher lost no time in locking and bolting the door. All was pitch-dark, and Josiah Crabtree scarcely knew what to do next.

“I don’t see nuthin’,” was Peleg Snuggers’ comment.

“It is not to be expected without a light,” answered the teacher, sarcastically. “Have you a match?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then light up, and I’ll try to get to the bottom of this piece of villainy.”

“Are you certain we ain’t in danger o’ bein’ shot?” queried the hired man.

“Light up, I tell you!” thundered the teacher.

The hallway was soon a blaze of lights. Nothing appeared to be out of its place, and Josiah Crabtree passed from one classroom to the next, and then to the messroom, the kitchen, and to Captain Putnam’s private office.

“They have gone!” murmured Snuggers, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“They are either outside or upstairs,” answered Josiah Crabtree. “Come, we will go up.”

“Hadn’t you better get a club – or somethin’?”

“I’ll take this,” answered the teacher, and brought forth a heavy ruler. Then he gave the hired man a cane, and both mounted to the second floor of the Hall. Here all was as dark as it had been below, and again Snuggers was called on to light up.

Without further hesitation Josiah Crabtree pushed open the door of Dormitory No. 1. A glance inside showed him all of the cadets in bed, apparently fast asleep. He scratched his head in amazement.

“Am I dreaming, or is this a trick?” he murmured.

“Are the rascals there?” queried Peleg Snuggers.

“These – er – cadets seem to be asleep.”

“Asleep!”

“Yes, let us look in the next dormitory,” said Crabtree.

This was done, and then the other sleeping rooms were visited. Not a bed was found vacant, and all of the boys looked as if they were sleeping soundly.

“Snuggers, am I awake?” demanded the teacher.