The Putnam Hall Rebellion

All ran up to Coulter, to learn that he was alone – some others who had been with him having scattered to look for the new camp of the crowd under the young major.

“See here, Coulter, I want to talk to you!” cried Jack, grabbing the cadet by the arm. “Come here, boys!” he added, to his friends.

Thus caught alone, Coulter was much frightened and when the young major began to talk to him he trembled in every limb.

“What do you want?” he faltered.

“I want to talk to you, Coulter.”

“What about?”

“About a certain talk you had with Reff Ritter.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well, you will know before I am done with you.”

“You let me go,” said Coulter, uneasily. “You haven’t got any right to detain me in this fashion.”

“Well, I am taking the right,” answered the young major sturdily. “I want you to understand – ”

Jack got no further, for with a sudden twist and a push Gus Coulter freed himself, leaped through the crowd, and dashed away.

“After him!” yelled Pepper. “He mustn’t get away like this!”

“I reckon we can catch him,” put in Andy, and then all of the cadets started in pursuit of the fleeing one.

Coulter was badly scared – why he could not exactly tell – and he ran like a deer. But the others kept on his track.

“There he goes!” cried Jack, as the running lad darted behind a heavy clump of bushes.

The next instant there arose on the air a wild cry of dismay and alarm.

“Oh, dear! Help me, somebody!”

“He’s in trouble!” said Andy.

“Go slow – or somebody else may get into trouble, too,” cautioned the young major.

Slackening their pace, the crowd approached the clump of bushes and passed around to one side. They then saw what had caused Coulter to cry for assistance.

On the other side of the bushes was a big swamp hole, filled with muck, dead leaves and water. In his anxiety to escape Gus Coulter had plunged into the swamp hole and was now up to his waist and rapidly sinking.

“Ge – get m – me out, somebody!” he gasped. “Quick, or I’ll – I’ll go down an – and be smothered!”

The others saw that Coulter’s plight was serious and something must be done to save him.

“I’ve got it!” cried Andy, as he looked around. “I reckon I can get him out.”

“How?” questioned Pepper.

“Wait – I’ll show you.”

The acrobatic youth ran to a big tree growing close to the edge of the swamp. He climbed up with marvellous rapidity, and then worked his way out on a branch that grew over Coulter’s head.

“Good for Andy!” cried Jack.

“If only the limb will bend down far enough,” added Pepper.

Soon the acrobatic youth was close to the outer end of the limb. He bent down, but his hand did not come within a foot of Gus Coulter’s reach.

“I – I can’t ma – make it!” gasped the boy below. His face was full of abject fear.

“Wait a minute,” answered Andy.

He turned over, and the next moment was hanging from the limb by his feet, which he had crossed one over the other. Thus he was able to reach Coulter with ease.

“Look out, Andy, that you don’t go down, too,” cautioned Jack.

“And take care that the limb doesn’t break,” added Pepper.

Slowly but surely Andy began to draw poor Gus Coulter from the muck. It was a severe strain on the acrobatic youth, and his muscles stood out like whipcords, while his face, from hanging down, became purple. The tree limb bent low, until the outer leaves swept the swamp hole.

“I don’t think he’ll make it,” was the comment of one of the cadets, but even as he spoke there was a sucking sound and up came Coulter, and the tree limb bounded several feet higher.

“Hurrah! He’s got him!” yelled Pepper, and his cheer was echoed by the others.

Both boys in the tree were somewhat out of breath and they did not descend at once. Finally Andy slid down and Coulter followed.

The lad who had the accident presented a most woebegone appearance. He was covered with black muck up to his armpits, and some of the muck was on his hands and face. Now that the danger was over the others had all they could do to keep from laughing at the unfortunate one.

“Coulter, you can thank Andy for saving your life,” remarked Pepper.

“I – er – I wouldn’t have tumbled into the hole if you hadn’t chased me,” grumbled Coulter.

“And we wouldn’t have chased you if you hadn’t tried to run away,” came from the young major.

“You had no right to stop me.”

“As I said before, I am taking the right, Coulter. I want you to confess something.”

“Me? I haven’t done anything.”

“You know what Reff Ritter did. I heard you talk it over.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean just this,” answered Jack, and then spoke about the talk he had heard between Reff Ritter and Coulter concerning the use of the French headache powders.