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

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СКАЧАТЬ the path. He bumped into the bench heavily, lost his balance, and went sprawling on his chest and face.

      “Hi! hi! who did this? Who upset me?” he screamed wrathfully. “Stop, you young rascals! If you don’t stop I’ll have you all expelled!”

      He picked himself up after an effort and got back his wind, but by that time all of the cadets were out of sight. The Ritter contingent went to an angle of the school building, where hung a rope running up to a dormitory. Jack, Pepper and Stuffer followed Andy to the washshed and there secured the key left by Peleg Snuggers.

      “Hurry up, Andy,” cried Pepper, who was looking back to see if they were being followed. “Remember, old Crabtree is on the warpath!”

      The kitchen door was quickly opened, the key being left in the lock, and up a back stairs sped the four cadets, Pepper leading the way.

      “Wait a minute!” whispered The Imp, when the upper hallway was gained.

      “What do you want?” questioned Stuffer.

      “Here is the bell clapper. Crabtree is out of his room, and we might – ”

      “Hurrah! just the thing!” cried Andy. “Give it to me, Pep. You have done enough for one night.”

      “I’ll go with Andy,” put in Stuffer. “You and Jack go to bed.”

      And while the young major and his chum sped for their dormitory Andy and Stuffer ran down a side hall leading to the apartment occupied by Josiah Crabtree. As expected, the door was unlocked and they quickly stepped inside the room.

      “I’ll put it in his bureau drawer, among his shirts,” said Andy. “He’ll be sure to find it to-morrow.”

      “Oh, say, I’ve got an idea!” cried the lad who loved to eat. “But it will rob me of my candy,” he added woefully.

      “What is the idea, Stuffer?” asked Andy, who was placing the bell clapper between the teacher’s dress shirts in the bureau.

      “I’ve got this molasses candy with me. Supposing I put some of it in the bed? He might – ”

      “Have sweet dreams!” finished the acrobatic youth. “Good! Spread the candy out well, Stuffer. It’s a bit hard, I know. But the heat of old Crabtree’s body will fix it all right!”

      The bell clapper disposed of, the two cadets spread the molasses candy, which was in thin, flat form, in the bed, between the sheets. Then they turned down the light as they had found it, and hurried forth and to their quarters. As they did this they heard a door below slammed shut and locked.

      “Crabtree is coming in!” announced Pepper, who was on the watch. “I’ll wager he is as mad as a hornet for not catching us!”

      Some of the other cadets had been told about what was going on, and at several dormitory doors heads peeped forth. But then sounded a peculiar whistle, coming from Emerald Hogan.

      It was a signal that the teacher was coming around, inspecting the dormitories. Every cadet understood, and there was a wild scramble to put out the lights and leap into bed.

      The only lad who did not escape was Gus Coulter. In the semi-darkness he ran into another cadet and was knocked flat. Before he could get up and reach his bed the door opened and Josiah Crabtree appeared. The light was burning brightly, for it was Coulter’s duty that week to put it out.

      “Coulter, stand up!” cried the teacher, wrathfully, and the cadet arose sheepishly.

      “What are you doing out of bed this time of night?” demanded Josiah Crabtree.

      “I – er – I got up to – er – to get a drink,” answered the youth, stammeringly.

      “Indeed!” was the sarcastic rejoinder. “And do you dress every time you want a drink?”

      At this question there was a snicker from one of the beds. Josiah Crabtree whirled around to find out who was laughing at him. But every boy lay as if sound asleep.

      “Who was laughing, I demand to know!” cried the teacher.

      There was no answer.

      “Coulter, were you outside a few minutes ago?” went on Josiah Crabtree.

      “Me?” asked the cadet, in apparent astonishment. “I just got out of bed.”

      “And dressed to get a drink of water, eh?”

      Well, I – er – I didn’t feel well and I thought I might need a doctor. But I am better now.”

      “Humph! a likely story,” growled the teacher. “I will attend to your case later.” And off he hurried, to find out, if possible, if any students in the other dormitories were up.

      When he reached the room used by Jack and his friends he found the young major on his back snoring lustily. All the other boys seemed to be sleeping soundly, and their garments were hung up with care and their shoes placed exactly as the regulations of the school required. The teacher did not know that under the covers some of the boys had not yet taken off their socks and dress shirts, and that the shoes at Pepper’s chair were an extra pair and not the ones The Imp had been wearing all day, – those foot coverings being still on his feet.

      Having looked around carefully, Josiah Crabtree retired and continued his inspection of the sleeping rooms. As soon as he was out of sight and hearing Pepper sat up and so did his chums.

      “Just escaped and no more,” said Dale Blackmore. “Well, a miss is as good as four miles.”

      “Sure, an’ somebody would have been caught had he looked at Pep’s feet!” came from Emerald. “Nixt toime take off your shoes, me b’y, ’tis safer.”

      “I hadn’t time,” answered Pepper. “But I’ll take them off now,” he added. “Walking around the Hall at night in my socks is good enough for me.”

      The boys had been told of what had been done with the sticky candy, and all waited impatiently for Josiah Crabtree to retire. Presently they heard the teacher enter his room, closing and locking the door after him.

      “Now for a little more fun!” whispered The Imp. “Come on, but don’t make any noise!”

      One after another the cadets stole out in the dimly-lit hallway and tiptoed their way to the teacher’s apartment. Listening at the door they heard Josiah Crabtree disrobe, put out the light, and crawl into bed.

      “Now just wait!” whispered Stuffer. “There will be something doing in a few minutes, mark my words!”

      CHAPTER V

      JOSIAH CRABTREE MAKES A FIND

      With bated breaths the cadets awaited developments in the room occupied by the dictatorial Josiah Crabtree. They were not long in coming.

      They heard the teacher turn over several times in bed. Then came a few seconds of silence and then a snort of disgust.

      “What is this stuff?” they heard Josiah Crabtree mutter. “Is it glue, or what? I’m stuck full of it! It must be another trick of those confounded boys!”

      Then the teacher bounced up out СКАЧАТЬ