The Putnam Hall Rebellion

“Ten of us, counting Reff,” said Coulter. “How many are there all told?”

“Thirty-three,” answered Fred.

“Then we number about one-third of the total and we ought to have one-third of the stuff,” said a cadet who had voted to join Reff Ritter.

“That wouldn’t be fair!” cried Hogan. “Sure, and it was Jack and his chums who planned this thing and who got the most of the goods together, so they did. Ritter didn’t carry a thing but his own clothing.”

“Never mind,” said the young major. “If Ritter and his crowd want to camp by themselves let them do it. We’ll give them a fair share of the tents and the provisions.”

A warm discussion followed, which almost ended in a fight. But Jack’s suggestion prevailed, and just before noon Ritter and his nine followers left, taking with them a share of the tents and the provisions. The bully wanted more than was dealt out to him, and went away muttering that he would pay the others back for their meanness.

“I am glad they are gone,” said Jack, when the crowd had departed. “We’d never have harmony with them around.”

“Right you are,” answered Pepper. “Just the same, I think we gave them more than they deserved.”

“We’ve got to keep our eyes peeled for them,” was Dale’s comment. “Ritter is just the fellow to play us some underhanded trick.”

“That’s true – he doesn’t know when to be grateful,” said Bart Conners.

“I am glad he is gone,” came from Stuffer. “Now we won’t have to cook for so many.” And this remark caused a smile.

With the discontented ones gone the camp took on a more cheerful appearance. Breakfast was finished, and the few dishes washed, and then the majority of the cadets laid down to rest, for they had not had a sound sleep since the rebellion had begun. Andy and Joe were anxious to go after the tramps, but Andy could hardly keep his eyes open, while Joe was little better off.

“Might as well wait until to-morrow,” said the young major. “It isn’t likely those tramps will go away in a hurry. Most likely they intend to stay there until cold weather.”

A guard was set, which was changed every two hours, and the cadets laid down to rest. The majority of them slept “like logs,” and it was again dark when they commenced to stir around, and Stuffer began preparations for supper.

“Wonder what is going on at the Hall,” said Jack, as he stretched himself. “Crabtree and the others must be hunting for us.”

“I don’t care what they do, so long as they don’t find us,” answered Pepper.

In the evening Pepper and Andy set off for Cedarville, to buy some things that were needed in the camp. They took to the regular road, thinking they could easily get out of sight if any of the enemy appeared.

As they walked along they saw a buggy approaching. It contained two girls, and as it came closer Pepper uttered an exclamation of pleasure:

“Laura Ford and her sister Flossie! Won’t they be surprised when they learn what has happened.”

The girls he mentioned were two old friends of the cadets. They were the daughters of a Mr. Rossmore Ford, a rich gentleman who owned a summer cottage called Point View Lodge, located on the lake shore. In the past the boys had done the girls several services of importance and the young ladies and their parents were correspondingly grateful.

CHAPTER XXV

NEWS OF INTEREST

“And so you’ve really and truly run away!” cried Laura Ford, after Pepper and Andy had told their story. “What fun! I wish I was a cadet!”

“How angry that Mr. Crabtree must be!” came from Flossie, as she tossed back her curls. “Of course he’ll tell Captain Putnam it was all your fault.”

“Most likely,” said Pepper.

“Where are you going now?” asked Laura.

“To Cedarville – to buy some things we need. You see, we came off in such a hurry we forgot some things,” and The Imp grinned.

“Can’t we help you?” asked Flossie. “I’d dearly love to – you boys have done so much for us.”

“Might bake us some pies,” suggested Andy, with a twinkle in his eye.

“Just the thing – only we’ll get the cook to do the baking. We’ll have the pies for you to-morrow. Where shall we bring them?”

“Oh, that will be too much trouble,” cried Andy. “I didn’t really mean what I said.”

“But we’ll get the pies for you – and some cake too. Just tell us where to bring them,” said Laura. “Can we visit your camp? I’d like to see what it looks like.”

“We’ll feel honored,” said Pepper, and then he told where the camp was located. The girls said they would have the coachman drive them as close as possible to the spot and would get there early enough, so the cadets could have the pies for dinner. Then the two parties separated.

“Now those are girls worth knowing!” cried Pepper. “Always willing to treat a fellow just right.”

“I guess Stuffer would think so – if he knew about the pies,” returned Andy. “Well, I’d like a piece of good pie myself.” And he smacked his lips.

The boys hurried to Cedarville and there procured the articles they wanted. Then they asked several people if any chicken thieves had been around lately.

“Yes, indeed!” said one man. “Tom Robinson lost some chickens last week, and so did Billy Peters and the Widow Lilly.”

“Were any lambs stolen?” asked Andy.

“I heard that Landerson the butcher, had a lamb stolen a couple of weeks ago. He just bought it from a man over to Hoetown. What do you want to know for? Do you know anything about the thieves?”

“I think I do. I’ll go over and ask the butcher about the lamb.”

At the butcher shop the two cadets had quite a talk, the upshot of which was that the butcher said he would visit the camp on the following afternoon, bringing two farmers who had lost chickens with him. He let the boys have some fresh meat on trust, and smiled broadly when they asked him not to tell anybody where their camp was located.

“I know something about the trouble up to the school,” he said. “One of them teachers – I think his name is Crabapple, or something like that – wanted my cousin, Jim Pepperhill, to go up there to keep order. But Jim didn’t like the looks of the teacher and wouldn’t go.”

“Did Mr. Crabtree say what the trouble was?” asked Pepper.

“Said some of the boys wouldn’t behave themselves, and that they had to be locked in their bedrooms and kept there.”

From the butcher shop the two cadets visited the post-office, to see if there was any mail for themselves and their fellow students. To their surprise they were told that another cadet had called there only half an hour before and taken all the cadets’ mail away.

“Who was it?” asked Andy, and the clerk described the person.

“I think his name is Coulter,” he said. “He has been here for mail before. Wasn’t it all right to give it to him?”

“Not just now,” answered Pepper. “After this you keep some of the mail here until one of our party calls for it.” And he wrote down a list of names. Then he and his chum hurried off in the direction of camp.

“It was mighty cheeky of Coulter to take all the mail!” grumbled Andy. “Why didn’t he sort it out and hand our mail back? Now we have got to wait until he gets ready to bring it to us.”

“Maybe he won’t bring it, Andy.”