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THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL |
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CHAPTER VII -- TOM GETS INTO TROUBLE Putnam Hall was a fine building of brick and stone, standing in the center of a beautiful parade ground of nearly ten acres. In front of the parade ground was the wagon road, and beyond was a gentle slope leading down to the lake. To the left of the building was a playground hedged in by cedars, at one comer of which stood a two-story frame building used as a gymnasium. To the right was a woods, while in the rear were a storehouse, a stable, and several other outbuildings, backed up by some farm lands, cultivated for the sole benefit of the institution, so that the pupils were served in season with the freshest of fruits and vegetables. The Hall was built in the form of the letter F, the upright line forming the front of the building and the other lines representing wings in the rear. There were three entrances -- one for the teachers and senior class in the center, one for the middle classes on the right, and another for the youngest pupils on the left. There were, of course, several doors in the rear in addition. The entire ground floor of the Hall was given over to class and drill rooms. The second floor was occupied by Captain Putnam and his staff of assistants and the pupils as living and sleeping apartments, while the top floor was used by the servants, although there were also several dormitories there, used by young boys, who came under the care of Mrs. Green, the housekeeper. Captain Victor Putnam was a bachelor. A West Point graduate, he had seen gallant service in the West, where he had aided the daring General Custer during many an Indian uprising. A fall from a horse, during a campaign in the Black Hills, had laid him on a long bed of sickness, and had later on caused him to retire from the army and go back to his old profession of school teaching. He might have had a position at West Point as an instructor, but he had preferred to run his own military academy. "Hurrah, here we are at last!" cried Fred Garrison, as the carryall swept into view of the Hall. "I see twenty or thirty of the students, and all togged out in soldier clothes!" "I suppose we'll be wearing suits soon,", answered Tom. "By George! I'm going to give them a salute." "How?" asked Sam. "Never mind. Just wait and see." In a minute more they swept up to the gateway leading to the parade ground. Some of the pupils had seen the carriage coming, and they ran down to learn if any old friends had arrived. "Hullo!" yelled several. "Hullo yourself!" came in return, and then Tom drew out the firecracker still in his pocket and lit it on the sly. Just as it was about to explode he threw it up into the air. Bang! The report was loud and clear, and everybody within hearing rushed to the spot to see what it meant. There were forty or fifty pupils and two assistant teachers, but Captain Putnam had gone out. "Hi! Hi! What does this mean?" came in a high-pitched voice, and Josiah Crabtree, the first assistant, rushed up to the carryall. "What was that exploded?" "A big firecracker, sir," answered Peleg Snuggers. "And who exploded it?" Before the utility man could answer there came a cry from the parade ground: "Don't peach, Peleg, don't peach!" "Silence, boys!" burst from Josiah Crabtree wrathfully. "Such a disturbance is against the rules of this institution." "We didn't fire the cracker," piped up a tall, slim boy. "It came from the carriage." "Mumps, you're nothing but a sneak and tattle-tale," was the reply to this, from several older cadets; and, afraid of having his ears boxed on the sly, John Fenwick, nicknamed Mumps by everybody in the Hall, ran off. "Which of you fired the cracker?" demanded Josiah Crabtree, advancing to the carriage step. There was no reply, and he turned to the, driver. "Snuggers, what have you to say?" "I can't say anything, sir. I was taking care of the horses, sir," answered the hired man meekly. "I will find out who fired the cracker before I have finished with you," growled the head assistant. "Get down and march into the Hall." "Gracious, what have we struck now?" whispered Fred to Dick. "Is this Captain Putnam?" asked Dick, without answering his chum. "No, young man; I am Josiah Crabtree, A. M., Captain Putnam's first assistant. And you are --" He paused. "I am Dick Rover, sir. These are my brothers, Tom and Sam." "And I am Fred Garrison," finished that youth. "Very good. I hope, Richard, that you were not guilty of firing that cracker?" "Was there any great harm in giving a... a salute upon our arrival?" "Such a thing is against the rules of the institution. Article 29 says, 'No pupil shall use any firearms or explosive at any time excepting upon special permission'." "We are not pupils yet, Mr. Crabtree." "That argument will not pass, sir. So you fired the cracker? Very well. Mr. Strong!" The second assistant came up. He was a man of not over twenty-five, and his face was mild and pleasant. "What is it, Mr. Crabtree." "You will take charge of the other new pupils, while I take charge of the one who has broken our rules on his very arrival." "Hold on!" cried Tom. "What are you going to do with my brother?" "That is... none of your business, Master Rover. You will go with Mr. Strong." "He didn't fire the cracker. "I did that! And I'm not ashamed of it. I wasn't a pupil when I did it, and I'm not a pupil now, so I can't see how you can punish me for breaking one of your rules." At this there came a titter from the cadets gathered around. Hardly any of them liked Josiah Crabtree, who was dictatorial beyond all reason. The head assistant flushed up. "You are a pupil here, and I will show you that you cannot break our rules with impunity, and be impudent to me in the bargain!" cried Crabtree. "Come with me!" And he caught Tom by the arm, while Dick and the others were led off in another direction. "Surely, this is a fine beginning," thought Tom as he walked along. He was half inclined to break away, but concluded to await developments. "Are you going to take me to Captain Putnam?" he questioned. "We do not permit cadets placed under arrest to ask questions." "Great smoke! Am I under arrest?" "You are." "Perhaps you'll want to hang me next." "Silence! Or I shall be tempted to sentence you to a caning." "You'll never cane me, sir." "Silence! You have evidently been a wayward boy at home. If so it will be best for you to remember that all that is now at an end, and you must behave yourself and obey orders." "Can't a fellow breathe without permission?" "Silence!" "How about if I want a drink of water?" "Silence, I say!" stormed Josiah Crabtree. "I'll warrant you'll not feel so smart by the time you are ready to leave Putnam Hall." There was a silence after this, as the head assistant led the way into the building and conducted Tom to a small room looking out toward the rear. "You will remain here, Rover, until Captain Putnam returns." "How long will that be?" "Didn't I tell you not to ask questions?" "But Captain Putnam may not return for a day or a month," went on Tom innocently. "Captain Putnam will be back in an hour or two." Without another word, Josiah Crabtree turned and left the room, locking the door behind him. "Well, by crickety!" came from the boy when he was left alone. "I've put my foot into it from the very start. I wonder what Captain Putnam will say to this? If he's half as sour minded as old Crabtree, I'll catch it. But I haven't done anything wrong, and they shan't cane me -- and that's flat!" and he shook his curly head decidedly. The room was less than ten feet square and plainly furnished with two chairs and a small couch. In one comer was a washstand containing a basin and a pitcher of water. "This looks a good deal like a cell," he mused as he gazed around. Suddenly his eyes caught some writing on the wall in lead pencil. He stepped over to read it. "Josiah Crabtree put
me here, "Somebody else has been here before me," thought Tom. "I rather reckon I'll get square too. Hullo, here's another Whittier or Longfellow: "In this lock-up I'm
confined; "I hope I don't stay two days and nights," said Tom half aloud. Then he walked to the single window of the apartment to find that it was heavily barred. "No escaping that way," he went on to read another inscription, this time in blank verse: "And I And I am
jugged, "Good for the chap who hid the teeth!" continued Tom, and smiled as he thought of the rage Crabtree must have been in when he discovered that his false teeth were gone. A rattle in the keyhole disturbed him, and he dropped onto a chair just as the head assistant again appeared. "I want the keys to your trunk and your satchel," he said. "What for, sir?" "Didn't I tell you before not to ask questions?" "But my keys are my own private property, and so is what is in the trunk and the satchel." "All pupils' baggage is examined, Rover, to see that nothing improper is introduced into the Hall." "Want to see if I've got any more firecrackers?" "We do not allow dime novels, or, eatables, or other things that might harm our pupils." "Eating never harmed me, sir." "Sometimes parents load up their boys with delicacies which are decidedly harmful. Come, the keys." Josiah Crabtree's tones were so harsh that Tom's heart rebelled on the moment. "I shan't give them to you, Mr. Crabtree. You have no right to place me here. I wish to see the proprietor, Captain Putnam, at once." "Do you - er -- refuse to recognize my authority over you?" cried Josiah Crabtree passionately. "I do, sir. When I have met Captain Putnam and been enrolled as a cadet it may be different. But at present I am not a cadet and not under your authority." "We'll see, boy, we'll see!" came hotly from the head assistant. "Before I am done with you, you will be sorry that you have defied me!" And with these words he went out, slamming the door after him. Tom had made an enemy at the very start of his career as a cadet. CHAPTER VIII -- A MEETING IN THE MESSROOM In the meantime Dick, Sam, and Fred had been having quite a different experience. George, Strong, the second assistant at Putnam: Hall, was not only a first-class teacher, but a calm and fair- minded gentleman as well; and in addition, and this was highly important, he was not so old but that he could remember perfectly well when he had been a boy himself. "Come this way, my lads," he said with a faint smile. "I trust you will soon feel at home in Putnam Hall. It is Captain Putnam's desire to have all of his boys, as he calls them, feel that way." "What will Mr. Crabtree do with my brother?" asked Dick anxiously. "I cannot say, Rover. Probably he will place him in the guardroom until Captain Putnam arrives." "I am sure he didn't do much that was wrong." "We had better not discuss that question, my boy. Come this way; I will conduct you to your room." "George Strong showed them into the main hallway and up the stairs to the second story. Passing through a side hall, they entered a large, bright dormitory overlooking the parade and the playground. Here were eight beds, four on either side, with as many chairs, and also a table and two washbowls, with running water supplied from a tower on the roof, the water being pumped up by the aid of a windmill. "This room has not been occupied this year," said the teacher. "Captain Putnam and Mrs. Green, our housekeeper, thought it might be as well to put you in here together, along with Lawrence Colby and Frank Harrington, when they come. I believe you are all friends, at least Harrington and Colby intimated as much in their letters." "They told the truth," cried Sam. "This just suits me, and we owe Captain Putnam and Mrs. Green one for doing it." George Strong smiled. Then the smile faded as he remembered how Josiah Crabtree once told Captain Putnam that he did not believe in letting chums room together. "Place each boy among strangers," Crabtree had said. "It will make him more reliant." But Captain Putnam had not listened to the crabbed old fellow, and Strong was glad of it. "Here is a closet, in which each of you can stow his clothing when it is dealt out to him. Your ordinary suits will, of course, be placed, away for you, for during the academy term, you will as cadets wear only your uniforms." "When will I get my uniform?" asked Fred, who was anxious to don his "soldier fixings," as he put it. "Tomorrow, if we have any suit on hand that fit." "I don't want a second-handed suit," put in Sam. George Strong laughed. "Don't worry, my boy; every pupil gets new clothing. But, many boys are so nearly of a size that Captain Putnam always keeps a dozen or more suits on hand." "Oh, that's different." "The beds are all numbered, and to avoid disputes we always put the eldest boy in bed No. 1, and so on. You can arrange this between yourselves, and I feel certain you won't get into, dispute." "We won't quarrel," said Dick. "I don't how exactly how old Frank and Larry are, though." Then arrange to suit yourselves until they come," concluded Mr. Strong. Having shown then their dormitory he conducted them through the building and exhibited the various class and drill-rooms, and then ended up by introducing them to several other pupils, including Bart Conners, the major for the term, and Harry Blossom and Dave Kearney, the two captains. "Welcome to Putnam Hall!" cried Major Bart Conners, a tall youth of nearly seventeen. He shook hands all around, and so did the two captains; and then the assistant teacher left the party. "Oh, it was a shame the way Crabtree treated your brother!" said Captain Harry to Dick. "It's a wonder to me that Captain Putnam keeps him here." "I was in for getting up a petition to have Crabtree removed," put in Captain Dave. "I think every boy in the academy would sign it." "I hope Captain Putnam, is not so severe," said Fred. "Not by a jugful, Garrison," came from Captain Harry. "He's strict, and makes everybody toe the mark, but you couldn't find a better all-around man." "Then he'll suit me." It was now quite late, and presently a loud, clear bell rang out in the belfry. "Six o'clock," said Captain Dave Kearney. "That is to bring in the boys from the playground. They have fifteen minutes in which to wash up for supper. Excuse me, I'll be needed in ten minutes to form my company," and soon the newcomers found themselves alone with several others who had just arrived at Putnam Hall. The cadets were rushing from everywhere to the lavatories, to make themselves presentable on parade. Soon they began to form on the grounds before the building. Dick and the others saw them divide up into two companies, with Harry Blossom at the head of the first and Dave Kearney leading the second. The two companies, called a battalion, were commanded by Major Bart. In addition to the officers, there were two drummers, a bass-drummer, and two fifers. "Companies, attention!" came the command, and the lines became rigid. "By column of fours -- march!" The drums struck up, and away went the columns of each company, to the front of the parade ground. Then they wheeled to the right, the fifers started up a lively air, and the cadets marched around the hall three times, and at last into the door nearest to the mess-hall or dining room. "By Jinks, that's fine!" cried Sam. "Cadet life will suit me, I'm sure of it." The cadets had hardly disappeared before one of the waiters in the mess-hall came forward. "Please come right in, gents," he said. "Mr. Strong will give you places at the tables." And they went and soon found themselves seated among as jolly a set of boys as they had ever encountered. Of course there were exceptions; where would there not be in a crowd of nearly a hundred? There were pupils there who were morose by nature, those who seldom or never smiled, and there were likewise half a dozen of the Dan Baxter order -- bullies and worse. We shall see more of all these characters as our tale progresses. "I wonder if Tom is going to get any supper?" said Dick to his younger brother. "If they don't give him any, I'll raise a kick, Dick." "So will I." "Silence at the table!" came in the sharp tones of Josiah Crabtree, who presided over the particular board at which the Rovers had been placed. "I was only wondering if my brother was going to get any supper," returned Sam boldly. "Silence! I will take care of that." In the midst of the meal a newcomer appeared at the doorway to the messroom. It was Dan Baxter. "Well, Baxter, how is this?" asked Mr. Strong, the teacher nearest to him. "I - I was carried to Bar Landing," answered the bully sheepishly. "Bar Landing? Then you were on the afternoon boat from Ithaca?" "Yes, sir." "How did you come to be carried past Cedarville?" "I - er -- fell asleep on the trip." "Indeed! Well, when next you travel you had better try to keep awake," was George Strong's comment, and a titter passed along the table, which made Dan Baxter very angry. "Sit down here. Alexander, help Baxter to some supper." "Yes, sah," came from the waiter; and no more was said. Presently Baxter caught sight of Dick at the table opposite, and he looked daggers at the youth. "He's got it in for me," thought Dick; and he was right. The supper at an end, the pupils were allowed two hours to themselves -- one hour outdoors if they wished it, or both hours in the reading room, which was well supplied with books and all of the best magazines. The newcomers went out in a bunch, and Captain Harry Blossom accompanied them. "I'll show you the gymnasium, if you wish to see it," he said. "I would like to know something about Tom," replied Dick. "Where have they placed him?" "Undoubtedly in the guardroom." "Where is that?" "Do you see that window over there?" and Captain Harry pointed with his hand. "Yes," came from Dick and Sam together. "Well, that's the window to the place." "I wonder if I can't talk to my brother?" went on Dick. "It's against the rules to talk to a prisoner." "Well, I'm going to talk anyway," said Dick with a recklessness which was unusual to him. "I want to find out just what they are doing with him." "I guess I had best leave this crowd," remarked the young captain of Company A. Dick was about to ask why, when Sam nudged him on the arm. "Let him go," whispered the younger brother. In a moment more Captain Harry had walked away. "Don't you see what he meant? "asked Sam aloud. "Well hardly." "Then you are losing some of your wit, Dick. He didn't want to see us break the rules. I suppose if he had seen us he would have felt it was his duty to report us." "That's so, Sam. How thick I was! Well, I'm going over to the window now." "So am I." "And I'll go too," added Fred. Off the three hurried across the parade ground, the other new cadets watching them curiously, for all had heard of what Tom had done and how Josiah Crabtree had treated him. The window of the guardroom was but five feet from the ground. In front of it, however, was an iron fence, placed in the form of a semicircle, at a distance of about ten feet from the opening. The fence was higher than Dick's head, and the iron pickets were sharp-pointed. "The window to the room is shut," announced the elder Rover, after an inspection in the semi- darkness. "It's a shame, in this warm weather. Poor Tom will be half smothered to death!" "Wait till I attract his attention," said Sam. Catching up a clod of grass and dirt he threw it against one of the window panes. A minute of suspense followed, but no face appeared at the window. "That's queer," said Fred. "It seems to me be would show himself if he was there." "Perhaps he, can't," said Sam. "He may be chained up in the other end of the room." "I'm going to make sure," said Dick determinedly. "Sam and Fred, both of you give me a boost up." "But how will you get back?" "You can give me another boost through the pickets." "Hurrah! so we can!" cried Sam. "All right; up you go!" And up Dick did go, so rapidly that he almost fell over the top of the iron barrier. "Now, who has a match?" he asked. "Here you are," said Fred, and passed over several. Stepping to the window, Dick tapped upon it, and at the same time struck a light, for the room within was pitch-dark. The next instant he muttered a cry of disgust. "Sold!" "What's that?" came from Sam and Fred. "The room is empty." "Then there must be some mistake," said Fred. "Can you see all over inside?" "Yes." "Sure Tom isn't asleep in a corner or on a couch -- if there is one?" put in Sam. "He would go to sleep if he could." "He isn't here -- no doubt of it," answered Dick, after striking a second match and making another inspection. "Oh!" Dick blew out the match in a hurry and started back for the fence. He had seen the door of the guardroom open and Josiah Crabtree come in. The head assistant of Putnam Hall saw the light of the match and by it obtained a good view of Dick's face. "Ha! that youth has come here to assist his brother to escape!" was the conclusion he reached. He darted for the window and threw it up. "Come back here, Master Rover!" he cried, as he saw Dick trying to mount the fence. "Don't you go!" whispered Sam, and tried to assist Dick from the other side, while Fred did the same. Josiah Crabtree would have leaped from the window, but the bars held him back. "I'll get you yet!" he ejaculated wrathfully, and, turning, ran from the guardroom, with the intention of capturing Dick on the parade ground. CHAPTER IX -- A STRANGE MEETING IN THE WOODS To go back to Tom, at the time he was left alone by the head assistant of Putnam Hall, after refusing to give up the keys to his satchel and trunk. "I've put my foot into it now," thought the boy dismally. "I wonder what Captain Putnam will say to all this when he hears of it? 0f course old Crabtree will make out the worst possible case against me." It was too dark to see much, and he dropped on the couch. He was worried a good deal, yet he was not one to take anything too deeply to heart. Before long a waiter appeared with a tray containing a big bowl of bread and milk. Had Josiah Crabtree had his own way, he would have sent only bread and water for the lad's supper, but such a proceeding would have been contrary to Captain Putnam's rule. The kind captain realized that his pupils were but boys and should not be treated as real prisoners, even when they did break the academy rules. "Heah is yo' suppah, sah!" announced Alexander, the waiter, as he set the tray on the table. "Sorry I can't leave the light, sah." He referred to a lamp, also, on the tray, which he now removed. "What have you got?" asked Tom, sitting up. "Bowl of bread and milk, sah." "Is that what they give visitors for supper?" "Gracious, sah, is yo' a visitah, sah?" "I consider myself as such until I am placed on the muster roll." At this Alexander scratched his woolly head. "Well, sah, I don't know nuffin about dat, sah. I has to obey Mr. Crabtree's oahdahs, sah." "Has Captain Putnam come back yet?" "No, sah, an' he sent word dat he didn't think he could git back, sah, before morning, sah." "Humph! Then I'll have to stay here until that time." "I reckon so, sah." "It's a jolly shame." "Dat's right, sah," and Alexander grinned. "Well, leave the bread and milk. It's better than nothing. But hold on. Who are you?" "Alexander Pop, sah, at yo' service, sah," and again the colored man grinned. He was a short, fat fellow, the very embodiment of good nature. "Well, Alexander, if you are at my service, supposing you get me something else to eat beside this bread and milk." "Oh, sah, I couldn't do dat." "Yes, you could. Here is a quarter. Don't you want to earn that?" And Tom held out the silver piece. "Mr. Crabtree Would hab me discharged if he cotched me, Master Rober." "Then don't let him catch you, Aleck, my boy." At this the negro laughed and showed his immense ivories. "Yo' is jest de boy I dun like to see, sah," he said. "Jess wait an' I'll do wot I can fo you but mum's de word, sah-eh?" "I never peach, Aleck; it's only a coward that does that," concluded Tom. The negro disappeared from the room, but reappeared in less than ten minutes with something done up in a napkin. "Dare you am, sah," he said, "two tongue sandwiches and a big piece of layer cake, sah, all I could git, fo' Mrs. Green am werry sharp. And here is a bit of candle, sah, for a light. But please don't let 'em know I brought yo' de things, sah." "Never a word, Aleck, thank you," answered Tom, and handed over the quarter. Left again to himself, Tom lost no time in making way, not only with the sandwiches and cake, but also some of the bread and milk, for his day's traveling had left him tremendously hungry. The bit of candle was less than two inches long , and began to splutter just as the meal was finished. A rattle at the door caused the lad to sweep the cake crumbs out of sight, blow out the candle, and pocket the tiny bit left. Then the light of a lamp lit up the guardroom, and Josiah Crabtree came in. "Well, Rover, have you enjoyed your supper?" he asked coldly, as he glanced at the half empty bowl. "Very much," was the youth's equally cold reply. "You like bread and milk, then," was Crabtree's sarcastic rejoinder. "Nothing better, sir, for supper." The head assistant bit his lip, and then set down the lamp. "Rover, don't you think, you are making a bad beginning? "he said after a pause. "I don't. understand you, Mr. Crabtree." "Any other boy on joining a school would wish to make his entrance as creditable as possible." "But I haven't joined this school yet." "I won't argue that point." "I wasn't even on your grounds, but in the public highway -- and there shot off -- what? A simple firecracker. And for that you hauled me to this place, and treat me like one who has broken half the laws of the land. If Captain Putnam upholds you in this matter, do you know what I shall do?" "Make an additional fool of yourself, I presume." "I shall write home to my guardian that I do not consider Putnam Hall a proper boarding academy for any boy, and that I want to be put somewhere else." At these outspoken words Josiah Crabtree grew pale. His great unpopularity was already having its effect upon Captain Putnam, and he was afraid that if he should be the means of losing a pupil it might cost him his place, as much as he knew that the captain did not favor changes in his staff of instructors. "Don't be unreasonable, my lad," he said, but his tone was much milder than before. "I don't think's I am unreasonable." "The road is one belonging to this institution -- in brief, a private road. You became a pupil here when you entered our carriage, that, which brought you here." "Does everybody who rides in that carriage become a Putnam Hall pupil?" demanded Tom. He saw that he was worrying Crabtree, and resolved to keep it up. "Well - er -- we won't argue that point." "Then supposing we don't argue anything until Captain Putnam comes back? In the meantime if you will release me I'll go to Cedarville and put up at the hotel for the night." "I shall not release you." "All right, then. But if my guardian takes me away, mark my words, you shall stand a personal lawsuit for having locked me up here without having any right to do so." "Why -- er -- this to me -- me, the head assistant here?" screamed Josiah Crabtree. In his rage he ran over to Tom and caught him by the ear. He had scarcely done so than Tom put out one foot, gave the teacher a shove, and down went Crabtree flat on his back. "You villain!" gasped the head assistant, as he scrambled to his feet. "Don't you pinch my ear again," retorted Tom. The door was open, and before Crabtree could stop him he ran out into the hallway. "Hold on!" "Not much!" "It will be the worse for you!" "I'll risk that." "Stop him, somebody!" screamed Josiah Crabtree at the top of his voice. Without waiting, Tom ran down the hallway. He knew not where he was going, and, coming, to a door, slipped through. He now found himself in the rear of the Hall and a few seconds later ran across the back garden and dove into the farm lands. "Free once more," he thought. "And I shan't go back until I am certain Captain Putnam is on hand to receive me. I wonder how Dick and Sam are faring?" Thinking that his brothers would soon learn of his escape, and not wishing to be caught, he hurried on until the farm lands were passed and he found himself in a woods. "I'll sweep around in a circle and make for that road leading to Cedarville," he concluded, and trudged on rapidly, for the woods were dark and lonely and not particularly to his liking. Tom had covered the best part of half a mile: when he saw a light ahead. At first he thought it must shine from the window of some farmhouse, but soon made it out to be from a campfire, situated in something of a hollow and not far from a spring. "Hullo! Tramps or charcoal burners," he thought. "I wonder if they would be friendly?" He slackened his pace and approached cautiously until within ten yards of where two men sat in earnest conversation. One man was tall and thin and had a scar on his chin. The other fellow was the thief who had robbed Dick of his watch. At first Tom was not inclined to believe the evidence of his eyesight. "Perhaps I'm mistaken," he mused. He resolved to draw nearer and hear if possible what the two men were saying. A clump of bushes grew close to the spring before mentioned, and he crawled up behind this, thus getting within fifteen feet of the campfire. "You are certain you saw the boys, Buddy?" he heard the tall man with the scar say. "I'm as sure of it as I'm sure your name is Arnold Baxt -" "Hush, Buddy, how many times must I tell you that I want that name dropped, especially around here?" "There ain't anybody around here to hear us?" "Well, I don't want the name mentioned. I call you Buddy. You must call me Nolly." "All right, Nolly." "Now, you are dead sure you saw the boys on their way to Putnam Hall?" "I am." "How much have you drank today?" "Only two glasses, this morning. Oh, it was them," went on Buddy, with a total disregard for grammar. The tall man muttered something under his breath. "It's too bad," he said aloud. "What's too bad?" "That they are going to Putnam Hall. Still, I don't know as it will amount to anything. But I reckon you had best get out of the neighborhood." "I'm going to get out." "What brought you here?" "I wanted to see you again, as I said before." "About what?" "That mining deal." "I can't do anything at present." "Why not?" "There are some papers missing, Buddy. As soon as I get those I'll be in a condition to go ahead. You know, I've got to move slowly." "Well, what brought you here?" "That is my business." "Every few months or so you come up to Cedarville, Baxt-- Nolly, and on a secret mission." "Well, who has a better right? Come, let us talk about something else. If you -- Hullo, what's that?" Both men leaped to their feet as a sound from the bushes back of the spring reached their ears. Tom had been lying as quiet as a mouse when a pinching-bug, as they are commonly called, had dropped from one of the bushes onto his neck. The bug was as big as a walnut shell, and had fine nippers, and when he took hold of the skin, Tom could not help but make a slight noise as he tried to throw the bug off. Before the boy could arise to his feet the two men were rushing upon him, Buddy with a stick and the tall man with something which he had drawn from his pocket. It was a sand-bag, a favorite weapon used in our large cities by footpads. CHAPTER X -- SETTLING DOWN AT THE HALL "It's a boy!" cried the tall, slim man. "One of the boys!" came from the tramp known as Buddy. "You don't say!" The tall man turned to Tom. "How did you get here?" "Walked," answered Tom as calmly as he could, although this is not saying much, for he realized that the pair before him were desperate characters and that he was no match for them. "Have you been spying on us?" demanded the fellow called Nolly. "I've been spying on this man," answered Tom, pointing to the other fellow. "He stole my brother's watch. What have you done with it?" "Never stole a watch in me life?" returned Buddy quickly. "I say you did, and it will do no good to deny it." "If you say I stole any watch I'll -- I'll knock yer down," cried Buddy fiercely. And he rushed at Tom and aimed a blow at the boy's head with his stick. Nolly also ran forward with his sandbag; and seeing this, Tom leaped back, and was soon making tracks as fast as his legs could carry him. The two men did not pursue him far. Instead, they turned and ran in the opposite direction. Tom hurried on until he came within sight of a large farmhouse. Reaching the front door, he used the brass knocker vigorously. Soon an upper window was raised, and the head of a middle-aged man was thrust out. "Who is there? "he demanded. "I want help, sir," answered Tom. "I am a pupil at Putnam Hall, and I have just spotted a fellow in this neighborhood who robbed my brother of a gold watch." "Is that so!" "Oh, papa, is it one of the boys Grace and I were telling you about?" came in the voice of Nellie Laning. "Aren't you Tom Rover?" "Yes. This must be Mr. Laning." "Yes, my boy, I am John Laning," answered the farmer. "I will be down in a moment. We are in the habit of retiring early." In a few minutes Tom was let into the house, and he told his story to John Laning, his wife, and the two girls, all of whom listened with interest. Then a hired man was aroused, and the two men and the boy hurried to where the campfire had been located. But, as stated before, Buddy and Nolly had made good use of their time, and no trace of them was to be found. "They have skipped out," said Mr. Laning. "To look for them will be worse than looking for spiders in a corn stack. I suppose you'll be getting back to Putnam Hall now?" "If it is all the same, I would like to engage a room at your farmhouse for the night," answered Tom, and told his tale. At the mention of Josiah Crabtree's name John Laning's face grew dark. "I don't wonder you had a row with that man," he said. "I know him only too well. You can stay at my house if you will, and it shall not cost you a cent." "Hullo, here is luck!" thought Tom, and thanked the farmer for his offer. When they got back to the farmhouse, Tom's story had to be told to Grace and Nellie, while Mr. Laning went off to prepare a room for the youth. "Oh, Josiah Crabtree!" cried Nelly. "Why, don't you know he is trying to court our Aunt Lucy?" "Your Aunt Lucy? Who is she?" "Dora Stanhope's mother. Dora's father is dead, you know." "Great Caesar!" burst from Tom; "I hope Dora never gets him for a stepfather!" "So do all of us, Tom; but I'm afraid he has made quite an impression on Aunt Lucy. She is rich; and my own idea is that Josiah Crabtree is after her money." "He's none too good for it," was Tom's blunt comment. The girls and the lad chatted together for half an hour, and then all retired for the balance of the night. "They're awfully sweet," thought the boy, "these two, and Dora too." He slept soundly, and did not arise until after seven. On coming below he found a hot breakfast awaiting him, to which it is perhaps needless to state he did full justice. While he was talking to the girls, and finishing up at the same time, Mr. Laning came in. "Thought I would tell you that Captain Putnam just drove down the Hall road on his way to the school," he announced. "Then I'll get back at once," said Tom, and bade the various members of the family good-by. Hope we meet again soon," he whispered to the girls, and this made both blush. Mr. Laning would have driven the lad to the academy, but Tom declined the offer and set off on foot. It did not take him long to cover the distance, and he entered the grounds as unconcernedly as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Hullo!" cried several cadets as they noticed him. "Where did you come from? Mr. Crabtree has been looking all over for you." "I don't wish to see him. I wish to see Captain Putnam? Where is he?" "Gracious, but you're a cool one!" remarked one of the cadets. "The captain is in his office, I think." "Will you please show me to the place?" "Certainly." The office was a finely furnished apartment just off the main classroom. Tom knocked on the door. "Come in," said a cheery voice, and the boy calmly entered to find himself confronted not only by Captain Putnam, but likewise by Josiah Crabtree. "Ah! Here is the young reprobate now!" cried Crabtree, as rushing up, he grasped Tom by the arm. "You will kindly let go of my arm, Mr. Crabtree," said Tom steadily. "You shan't run away again!" "That's true -- now Captain Putnam is here." "So this is Thomas Rover," said Captain Victor Putnam, with something like a twinkle in his clear eyes. "Rover, I have heard a rather serious report about you and your brother Richard." "What kind of a report, if I may ask, sir?" "Mr. Crabtree says you have been impudent to him, and that when he locked you in the guardroom for breaking the rules you attacked him and knocked him down." "He attacked me first. If anybody attacked you, wouldn't you be apt to knock him down if you could?" "That would depend upon circumstances, Rover. If a man attacked me on the street I would certainly endeavor to defend myself to the best of my ability. But you must remember that you are a pupil here, and Mr. Crabtree is one of your masters, appointed by me." "I am not a pupil yet, sir -- although I hope to be very soon." "Why, what do you mean?" demanded Victor Putnam, and now his voice grew stern. Many a boy would have flinched, but Tom had determined to say just what he thought of Crabtree, and he stood his ground. "I mean just this, Captain Putnam. I came to Putnam Hall with the best intention in the world of doing my duty as a pupil and becoming a credit to your institution. I hadn't a thought of breaking a rule or being impudent. Before I entered your grounds I thought of a big fire cracker I had in my pocket, and just for the fun of the thing set the cracker off, as a sort of farewell to the outdoor life so soon to be left behind." "Captain Putnam, are you going to listen to such tomfoolery?" interrupted Josiah Crabtree. "I believe I have a right to tell my story," answered Tom. "Unless that right is granted, I shall leave the Hall, go back to my guardian, and tell him that I refuse to become a pupil here." "You are a pupil already," snarled Crabtree. "I am not -- and that is just the point I am trying to make," went on Tom to the owner of Putnam Hall. "As soon as the firecracker went off, this man rushed up and demanded an explanation. He was going to lock up my brother first, but I said I had fired the cracker, and so he compelled me to go to the guardroom with him. I was locked in and treated to bread and milk for supper, and he wanted to steal the keys of my trunk and valise from me." "Steal!" ejaculated Josiah Crabtree. "That is what it amounted to, for the keys, and boxes are my property." "Mr. Crabtree merely wanted to see that your baggage contained nothing improper," put in Captain Putnam. "There are certain things we do not allow boys to bring into the institution." "Then he had a right to keep my baggage out until I was properly enrolled as a pupil. I did not bring in the trunk and bag myself." At this Captain Putnam began to smile. "I see the point you are trying to make, Rover. You are trying to prove that you were placed under arrest, so to speak, before you were under our authority here." "Exactly. I will leave it to you, Captain Putnam, if I was really a pupil when Mr. Crabtree hauled me off to the guardroom." At this plain question the face of the owner of the Hall became a study. "You make a very fine distinction, Rover," he answered slowly. "Perhaps so, sir; and I do it because I want to begin right here. If I am to be handicapped at the start of my career, what is the use of my trying to make a record for myself?" and Tom looked the master of Putnam Hall full in the face. Without a word Captain Putnam held out his hand. "Thomas, you have considerable spirit, but I think your heart is in the right place, and I am willing to try you. Supposing you enroll as a pupil now, and we let bygones be bygones?" "With all my heart, sir!" cried Tom, glad to have the whole affair settled so easily. "Why, are you going to let the -- the young rascal go?" demanded Josiah Crabtree, in amazement. "I'm not a rascal, Mr. Crabtree." "Yes, you are!" "Mr. Crabtree, I have decided to drop the matter," put in Captain Putnam, in a tone which admitted of no dispute, and the head assistant fell back abashed. "Rover says he wishes to make a record for himself, and I am inclined to help him. He starts his term free and clear of all charges against him -- and his brother whom you have locked up shall do likewise. Kindly call Mr. Strong." "It is a -- a most unusual proceeding," growled the head assistant. "Perhaps, but we will talk that matter over at another time." Josiah Crabtree went out; and in a minute George Strong appeared, and Tom was turned over to him, to sign the roll of the academy and to join Sam, Fred, and the others in the class room over which Mr. Strong presided. "Hullo, you're back," whispered Sam, but no more could be said until recess, when Tom told his story in detail. In the meantime Dick was released. "So you met the fellow who stole my watch!" cried the elder brother. "I wish you had got the timepiece." "So do I, Dick." Dick had been captured by Josiah Crabtree just as he was vaulting the iron fence around the guardroom window. The head assistant had locked him up in the apartment Tom had occupied, and there Dick had remained all night. "Oh, Crabtree is a terror!" said Dick later on. "I hope Dora Stanhope's mother never marries him." "I'll wager neither of you have heard the last of Crabtree, even if we are not in his classes," remarked Sam. "He will watch for a chance to get even, mark my words." "I don't doubt it, Sam," answered Tom. "But let him come on. I intend to do my duty as a cadet, and I am not afraid of him." CHAPTER XI -- A ROW IN THE GYMNASIUM For several days matters moved along smoothly with the Rover boys. In that time their chums, Frank Harrington and Larry Colby, arrived, and these, with Fred, made up the "Metropolitan Sextet," as they called themselves -- the sole occupants of dormitory No. 6. Next to this dormitory was apartment five, occupied by Dan Baxter, Mumps, and six others of the bully's cronies. The two apartments were connected by a door, but this was nailed up. So far there had been no open rupture between Baxter and Dick, but there was trouble "in the air," and it was bound to reach a climax sooner or later. Fortunately for Dick and his brothers, Captain Putnam had cadet uniforms to fit them, and the three were now dressed in true military style. The other boys had to wait until uniforms could be made for them. The first day at Putnam Hall was spent in assigning the newcomers to the various classes, according to their knowledge. On the second day the three Rover boys were placed in the awkward squad, to learn the military drill. The squad was presided over by Corporal Mark King, a youth who was cut out to be a soldier, although his father was a sea captain. "Now then, line up!" he called out to the newcomers. "All of you will please toe that crack in the floor; now turn out your toes like this, and put your shoulders back, hands with the palms to the front." His instructions were followed to the letter, for all were anxious to learn as fast as possible. "Now the first thing to remember is to say nothing, but obey orders promptly," exclaimed the corporal. "When an order is given, the first part is a warning, while the conclusion is the time when that order must be executed. For, instance, I tell you 'Eyes right!' I say 'Eyes,' and you get ready to move your eyes; I add 'Right,' and you instantly turn them to the right, and keep them there. Now we'll try. Eyes-right! Great smoke! number four, you turned them to the left! Now again: Eyes right! Good! Eyes - front! That's first-class. Now: Eyes - left! Eyes -- front! That couldn't be better." And so it went on for an hour, during, which the boys learned not alone how to use their eyes, but also to "left face," "right face," "front face," and "about face" -- that is, to turn directly to the rear. Then they learned how to mark time "with their feet, starting with the left foot." "Tomorrow you shall learn how to march," said Corporal King when the drilling was over. "And then each of you will get a gun and go through the manual of arms." "Will we learn how to shoot? asked Tom. "I can shoot a little already." "We have target practice once a month, and during the annual encampment," concluded the corporal. "I wish that encampment was already at hand!" sighed Sam. He imagined that life under a tent would just suit him. As soon as the boys "got the run" of the institution they began to feel at home. They made friends rapidly, especially when it became known that Sam was a fine runner and Tom a capital baseball player. There were several baseball teams in the school, and they frequently played matches on Saturday afternoons. The gymnasium pleased Dick as much as it did his younger brothers, and nearly every day, he spent a quarter of an hour or more in the building, using one apparatus or another, for the building was fitted up with rings, parallel bars, wooden horses, pulling machines, and other paraphernalia of athletic usage. One afternoon Dick had just begun to use a set of parallel bars when Dan Baxter sauntered in, accompanied by Mumps and two other cronies. There were very few cadets in the building at the time, and Baxter came directly to Dick. "I guess we can settle that little affair now," muttered the bully, and slapped Dick on the cheek. "That's for interfering with my doing on the boat." Being on the bars, Dick could not ward off the blow, but he immediately sprang down, and with flushed cheeks leaped in front of Baxter. "You seem very anxious to fight," he said in a low, steady voice. "You can, therefore, take that for a starter!" And hauling off with his right fist, he struck Dan Baxter fairly and squarely upon the nose, causing the blood to spurt and sending the bully to the floor like a shot. If ever there was an individual taken by surprise it was the bully of Putnam Hall. He had not anticipated such a sudden and determined resistance, and for several seconds he lay still, too dazed to move. In the meantime his friends sprang forward, but Dick waved them off. "My fight is with Baxter," he said. "I want you to keep your hands out of it." "You hit him when he wasn't prepared," blustered Mumps. "And he hit me when I was not prepared. Stand back!" And Dick made such a show of being ready to attack Mumps that the toady fell back in great alarm. In the meanwhile Dan Baxter arose, and tried to stop the flow of blood with his handkerchief. "I'll get even with you, Rover!" he growled behind the stained cloth. "At any time you please, Baxter," returned Dick. "But don't you take me off my guard again, or I'll have no mercy on you." "Do you dare to meet me in a fair, standing up fight?" demanded the bully. "I certainly do." "All right, then. Next Saturday afternoon at three." Dick bowed. "Where?" he questioned. "In the patch of woods behind the cornfield." "All right." "Mums is the word, fellows," said Baxter to his cronies. "You will keep this to yourself, Rover, won't you?" "How many do you expect to bring to the fight?" "Only the four fellows who are here." "Very well; I will bring a like number." "Want to tell everybody, don't you?" "No, but I think I am entitled to fair play; and that means that I must have as many friends there as you have." "All right," grumbled Baxter, but he evidently did not like the arrangement. A moment later he hurried off, to do what he could to prevent his nose from swelling. "Dick told only his brothers and his chums of what had occurred, but the news leaked out that a fight was on, and Saturday afternoon found at least twenty cadets in the secret and on their way to witness the "mill," as those who had read something about prize-fighting were wont to call the contest. Now, lest my readers obtain a false impression of my views on this subject, let me state plainly that I do not believe in fights, between boys or otherwise. They are brutal, far from manly, and add nothing to the strength of one's character. It is well enough to know how to defend one's self when occasion requires, but such occasions occur but rarely. But I have set out to relate the adventures of the Rover boys, in school and out, and on land and sea, and I feel I must be truthful and tell everything just as it happened, not only in this volume, but in a those which are to follow; and, consequently, I shall tell of the fight as the particulars were related to me by Sam Rover, Fred Garrison and others -- details which I am certain are correct. The spot was a sheltered one, and on the edge of the woods two spies were posted, to warn the contestants should Josiah Crabtree or any of the other teachers appear, for fighting was against the rules of Putnam Hall, and neither Dick nor Baxter wanted to be caught. Both came to the spot promptly, and, without preliminary talking, took off their coats, collars, ties, and caps. A ring was formed, and Dick stepped forward and faced Baxter. The bully was several inches taller than his opponent and at least fifteen pounds heavier. His nose was a bit swollen, and there was a sneer upon his coarse face. "Rover, if you wish to apologize to me you can do so, and save yourself a thrashing," he remarked. "I can take care of myself, Baxter. Perhaps you would like me to make a similar proposition to you. If so, let me say it is too late; I came here to give you a well-deserved thrashing, and I mean to stick to my determination." "Phew, but we talk big!" muttered Mumps. "You keep your oar out, Mumps," put in Tom. "If you don't, I'll give you a hiding, just as soon as Dick is done with Dan." "Will you? Maybe you'll be the one to catch it," muttered Mumps. Nevertheless, he said no more. "Are you ready?" asked the boy who acted as timekeeper. "I am," said Dick. "So am I," returned Baxter, and hurled himself at his opponent without a second's delay. He had expected to catch Dick napping, but he found himself mistaken. A blow aimed at Dick's face was well parried, and in return Dick hit Baxter heavily on the shoulder. "Hurrah! Score one for Dick!" cried Larry Colby. "That's right, old man, keep at him." "Keep cool, Dan!" put in Mumps. "You can polish him off at your leisure." The blow on the shoulder staggered Baxter, and he fell back, to become more cautious; and then the two boys began to circle around and around, each looking for a favorable "opening." At last Baxter thought he saw what he wanted, and struck out again, and Dick was hit on the cheek. "That's the way, Baxter!" came the cry. "That was a teaser! Give him another!" Again Baxter launched out, and now Dick was hit on the arm. He slipped to one side, and struck out like lightning, and the bully caught it in the neck, something which, spun him around like a top. "Another for Dick!" cried Frank Harrington. "Keep it up!" Again the two boys faced each other. But only for an instant. With a savage cry Baxter sprang upon Dick as if to fairly tear him apart. One blow landed upon Dick's arm and a second on his chest. "It's Baxter's fight! Baxter is still king of this school!" 'You might as well give it up, Rover; he's too many for you!" So the cries ran on, while the bully, encouraged by his success, renewed his efforts; and an additional blow sent Dick to the ground in a heap. CHAPTER XII -- FAIR AND FOUL FIGHTING As Dick went down, Tom and Sam uttered cries of chagrin and horror. The eldest Rover had been struck on the chin, and the blood was flowing from a deep scratch. "Get up! Get up, Dick!" cried Tom. "Don't say you are beaten!" "Yes, yes; get up and go at him!" added Sam. The urging was unnecessary, as Dick was already scrambling up. Dan Baxter made a dash at him, intending to strike him while he was down, but a fierce look from Tom stopped him. "You'll fight fair, Baxter," were Tom's words. "Yes, he'll fight fair," repeated Dick, throwing back his head as if to collect himself. "Fellow- students, Dan Baxter is not fit to be a pupil at this academy." "Why not?" came in a chorus. "He is not fighting me fairly." "What do you mean?" blustered Mumps. "Don't find fault because he knocked you down," added another of the bully's cronies. "I say he is not fighting fair," repeated Dick Stoutly. "He has something in each hand." At this unexpected announcement, Dan Baxter started back and changed color. Then of a sudden he placed both hands into his trouser pockets. "He is putting the things out of sight!" cried Tom, who saw through the bully's intentions. "Come, Baxter, show us what you had." "I didn't have anything," growled the bully. "If you say I had, I'll punch your head off. This is only a ruse to let Dick gain time to get his wind." "That's it!" cried Mumps. "Go at him, Dan, and finish him!" "Baxter daren't turn out his pockets," said Sam, "Do it if you dare." "There is what I have in them," answered the bully, pulling a trunk key from one pocket and some small change from the other. "Perhaps you'll say I was fighting with these in my hands." "Turn the pockets, out!" demanded Dick. "Yes, turn 'ern out!" added Fred, and dozen others took up the cry. "I won't do it," growled Baxter, but it was plain to see that he was growing uneasy. "I'm a gentleman, and I can whip Rover with ease, and do it fairly, too!" While he was speaking, Larry Colby had come up behind him. Ere Baxter could stop the movement, Larry pushed his hand into one of the bully's pockets and turned it out. A jagged stone as big as a walnut dropped to the ground. "There, see that!" cried Larry. "For shame, Baxter!" "I didn't have the stone -- you placed it there!" blustered the so-styled king of the school. "Didn't you though?" said Fred Garrison, who had also come up behind Baxter, and he quickly hauled another stone from the other pocket. "That is how he scratched me," said Dick. "I was sure he had something in his hand." "It's a put-up job!" howled Baxter, growing red in the face. "If you want to continue the fight, come on!" and he squared off again. "That's the talk!" said Mumps. "Let both show their hands! Perhaps Rover has some stones, too!" Both opened their palms, then doubled up their fists. Baxter was the first to strike out. But, as quick as lightning, Dick dodged the blow and landed vigorously upon the bully's chest. Before Baxter could recover, Dick struck out again, and the bully caught it straight in the left eye. "Oh!" he yelled in pain, and put his hand up to the injured optic, which began to grow black rapidly. Then he struck out wildly half a dozen times. He was growing excited, while Dick was as calm as ever. Watching his opportunity, Dick struck out with all his force, and Baxter received a crack on the nose which caused him to fall back into the arms of Mumps. As that nose had been struck heavily in the gymnasium, it was decidedly tender, and Baxter roared with pain. "Have you had enough?" demanded Dick, coming up to him. Yes -- Baxter had had more than enough; but he did not wish to acknowledge it. He made a sign to Mumps previously agreed upon, and Mumps raised his cap as a signal to one of the spies set on guard. "Stop the fight!" cried the guard instantly. "Somebody is coming!" "Nonsense -- nobody is coming!" said the other spy, but Baxter would not listen to him. "I'm not going to be caught -- I'll finish this some other time," he said to Dick, and hurried away with Mumps and his other friends, leaving Dick the victor beyond question. "I knew you could do it!" cried Tom, as he fairly hugged his elder brother. "I'll wager he won't bother you again." "No, indeed!" put in Sam; and Fred and the others said the same. That was the first and last, time that Dan Baxter fought any of the boys openly, but he was their bitter enemy in secret; we shall learn in this and other volumes. As soon as Baxter had retreated, Dick and his brothers hurried to a near-by brook, where the elder Rover took a wash, and tried by other means to remove the traces of the contest from his person. He had a slight swelling on the scratched chin, but that was all, and inside of an hour felt quite like himself once more. With Baxter it was very different, and the Sunday following he asked to be excused from attending church services in the Hall, saying he had fallen on some rocks and hurt his face. On hearing this, Captain Putnam came to see him. "Sorry to hear this, Baxter," he said. "Do you think you need a doctor?" "No, sir; I'll be all right in a few days." "Where did you fall?" "Down by the brook, while we were playing tag." "Indeed! Well, you want to be more careful in the future," was Captain Putnam's advice, and then he left Baxter. If he suspected anything he did not let on. To a certain extent he believed in letting boys fight out their own battles. The Rover boys had come to Putnam Hall in the fall, and now summer sports were cast aside among the pupils, and football and hare and hounds became the rage. As we know, Sam was an excellent runner, and hare and hounds just suited him. "We must ask the captain to let us take a long trip next Saturday afternoon," he said; and the boys went to the owner of Putnam Hall in a body and obtained permission. It was decided that Sam and Fred should be the hares, while Larry Colby was to be leading hound. As Frank Harrington had a trumpet he was made whipper-in. Captain Putnam supplied the boys with a package of old copying books, and these were cut up into small bits and stuffed into two pillow cases loaned by Mrs. Green. The start was made on a clear but frosty afternoon. The hares stood on the parade ground, with the hounds, to the number of thirty, behind them. George Strong had consented to start them off. The hares were to be given three minutes start of the little scholars and five minutes start of the big boys. "All ready?" asked the second assistant of Putnam Hall, as he took out his watch. "All ready," answered Sam and Fred. "Then go!" And away went the two boys straight for the cornfield, dropping bits of paper as they sped along. They leaped the fence in the rear, crossed the brook, and then started along a path leading through the woods beyond. "We mustn't dream of letting them catch us," remarked Sam, as he ran on, with Fred directly behind him. "I wonder where this path leads to?" "The top of the mountain, so Mr. Strong told me. He said there was another path coming down to the westward." On and on they went along the path until they came to a narrow mountain road. Here they met a farmer carting a number of logs in his wagon, and stopped him to ask a few questions. "Yes, that road will take you right up to the top," he said. "But you want to be careful and not make a wrong turn, or you may get lost." "I'm not afraid of being lost," said Fred with a light laugh; and on they sped again, as rapidly as ever, for Fred was as good a runner as Sam, and the pair worked very well together. At the top of the first rise of ground, they came to a spot that was somewhat bare, and here they halted to look back. "There are the small fellows!" cried Sam, pointing with his finger. "And the big ones are not far behind." "They are speeding along in good shape," was Fred's comment. "Come on, before they spot us!" And they hurried up the next hill. Here they encountered a number of rocks, and were brought to a halt several times to determine which was the best path to pursue. "By jinks! the farmer was right -- we are getting lost!" said Sam presently. "Where is the path?" "I think it is to the right." "And I think it is to the left." At this both lads looked at each other, then burst out laughing. "It can't be in both directions, Fred." "That's true, and I am sure I am right." "All right, we'll try it," and they did, but it was a good ten minutes before the path came into view again, and meanwhile the first of the hounds drew dangerously close. But the game was by no means over, as we shall see.
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