The Putnam Hall Encampment: or, The Secret of the Old Mill

“So I will.”

“I came to see you about that bell clapper that was brought back to the church this afternoon.”

“Ah!” Deacon Pelham’s face became a study. “Did you take it?”

“No, sir.”

“Glad to hear it. It was a scandalous piece of business. But what do you know about it?”

“I know that some of the cadets of Putnam Hall wish to hush the matter up. It was only a little joke and – ”

“A very bad joke, my boy.”

“Perhaps, but they thought that if you’d drop it they would make the church a contribution of this.”

Fred drew out the money – six new crisp one-dollar bills.

“Hum! Six dollars, eh? Well – er – the church needs money that is sure.”

“It will pay for the cut rope and more, sir. It was only a joke. If you’ll drop it, it will save some cadets a lot of trouble,” went on Fred earnestly. “All you’ve got to do is to send word to Captain Putnam that the matter has been adjusted. You’ll do that for me, won’t you Mr. Pelham?”

At first the deacon was obdurate, but in the end he weakened. The church was in a poor way and needed every dollar it could get. As head of the committee he promised to drop the matter, and wrote a note to that effect and signed it. Then Fred gave him the money.

“But, mind you, no more jokes,” said the deacon, as the cadets departed.

“Not that kind anyway,” answered Fred, and off he sped on his bicycle, with Dale beside him.

“It was easier than I thought,” said Dale. “Now to get that note to Captain Putnam in secret before he starts his investigation.”

CHAPTER VI

AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF IMPORTANCE

“I guess that note will do the business – and we’ll never be suspected.”

It was Reff Ritter who spoke and he addressed Gus Coulter and Nick Paxton. The three cronies were in a wing of the school, out of sight and hearing of the other pupils.

“What did you put in the note?” asked Paxton with interest.

“Oh, I wrote in a disguised hand and stated that I knew the cadets had banded together to keep mum about the bell clapper and the only way for Captain Putnam to get at the bottom of the affair was to ask each officer and private, starting from the major down. I put the note on the captain’s desk and he must have it by now.”

“Good!” chuckled Paxton. “If he starts in by questioning Ruddy he’ll soon get at the bottom of the matter, for the major won’t dare to tell a falsehood.”

“And more than likely he’ll lose his position,” put in Coulter. “I hope he does.”

“He ought to lose it,” answered Reff Ritter. Not for a moment did he give Jack credit for the good turn he had done him.

While the three lads were talking Captain Putnam had entered his office and taken up the note. He read it with interest and his brow contracted.

He was much disturbed, for since the open rebellion of the cadets, when they had refused to be starved into submission by Pluxton Cuddle, he had made the students promise not to band together in secret against the discipline of the school. Ritter knew this, and this was why he sent the note.

“I cannot permit this,” murmured the head of the school to himself. “I must make a complete investigation to-morrow, – and the guilty parties must be made to suffer.” And then he held a conference with Josiah Crabtree and George Strong. Crabtree was in favor of punishing nearly everybody, but George Strong, with his usual goodheartedness, counseled moderation.

“It most likely was merely a thoughtless prank,” said Mr. Strong. “The cadets meant no harm. Bell clappers, as you know, have been taken by students from times immemorial.” And at this Captain Putnam had to turn away with a smile, for in his younger days he himself had assisted at the removal of, not a clapper, but the bell of the boarding school he had attended.

“We’ll see in the morning,” said Captain Putnam, and there for the time being the matter rested.

It must be confessed that Jack, Pepper and their chums were somewhat worried that night, and the young major slept but little. Fred and Dale had reported the interview with Deacon Pelham and had seen to it that the note got into Captain Putnam’s hands.

Early in the morning Pepper was out on the campus when he saw Captain Putnam appear. A moment later one of the stablemen brought up the captain’s black horse and the head of the Hall vaulted into the saddle in true military style and was off.

“He’s in a hurry,” thought Pepper, and he wondered where the master of the school was going. He watched the captain turn into the lake road and then uttered a low whistle.

“I’ll bet a button he is going to visit Deacon Pelham!” he murmured. “Maybe he wants to learn if that note was genuine.”

The roll of the drum soon summoned all of the cadets to the campus, and with Jack at the head of the battalion, they went through the manual of arms and then marched around the Hall and into the messroom. Jack and Pepper both put on a bold front, yet each felt far from easy.

“They’ll catch it – just wait!” whispered Ritter to Coulter. “Before noon they’ll wish they had let that clapper alone!”

After breakfast the cadets went to chapel. The services here were almost over when Captain Putnam came in and took his place on the platform.

“Now you’ll hear something drop!” said Ritter gleefully, to his cronies.

“Ritter, stop your talking!” said George Strong, who was near.

“I – er – I only wanted the window closed,” stammered the bully. “I feel cold.”

“Couldn’t you close it yourself?”

“Coulter was right there – I thought he could do it.” Then the window was closed, and the conversation came to an end.

“I have a few words to say to you young gentlemen,” said Captain Putnam, coming to the front of the platform. His eyes swept the auditorium and Jack and Pepper felt something cold run up and down their backbones. “As you all know, the clapper of the bell of the Union Church was taken night before last, and the deed was done by some cadets of this institution.”

The captain paused, and the silence was so intense that the ticking of the clock could be plainly heard.

“The taking of the clapper was a foolish prank, and it was an equally foolish prank to place it where it was found,” continued Captain Putnam. “Yesterday I resolved to make a thorough investigation and punish the offenders.”

“Quite right, eminently proper,” murmured Josiah Crabtree.

“I heard, too, that a plan had been put through by you cadets to stand together – that everybody was to keep mum, as it is called. This you know is a violation of the agreement made after the – er – the unfortunate affair which – er – led to a rebellion among you.”

“I didn’t hear of that,” murmured one of the cadets.

“Nor I,” added another.

“What did you say, Farhaven?” asked the captain quickly.

“I didn’t hear of any agreement to keep mum,” replied the cadet addressed.