The Mystery at Putnam Hall Part 19

"Well, I presume I shall have to drop the matter," said the captain, after a few more questions. "But let me warn you all about fires in those woods in the future. If a fire gained headway here we might burn everything down to the ground."

So, from an official standpoint, the matter was dropped. Ritter beckoned to Coulter, and they hurried away, followed by Nick Paxton and one or two others.

"Well, that ends the tar-barrel celebration," said Pepper, rather mournfully. "I really ought to make Ritter and Coulter pay for the barrels."

"You won't get any money out of Ritter," remarked Bart Conners.

"How do you know, Bart?"

"Because he hasn't any. He asked for credit at the store yesterday--to buy some cigarettes--and the shopkeeper refused, saying Ritter owed him eighty cents already."

"Humph!" mused Pepper, and said no more.

"Come on--forget it!" cried Jack. "We'll celebrate anyway."

"We've got other barrels," came from Dale.

The cadets rushed out and to the lake-sh.o.r.e, and soon several bonfires were blazing merrily. Around these the students congregated, and sang songs and "cut up" generally. Dale had to make a speech, and the boys caught him up on their shoulders and carried him around the campus.

"Isn't it grand!" murmured Bert Field. "I am mighty glad I came to Putnam Hall."

"So am I," answered Fred Century. "It's much different from what it was at p.o.r.nell Academy."

"It was a great victory, Fred, wasn't it?"

"It certainly was, Bert. I am only sorry for one thing."

"What is that?"

"That it wasn't p.o.r.nell we beat instead of that other club."

"Oh, well, we'll get a chance at p.o.r.nell some day," answered Bert Field.

The celebration along the lake-sh.o.r.e lasted until half-past eleven. Then the bell was rung, and laughing and singing, the cadets trooped off to their various dormitories.

"All quiet by midnight!" came the order.

"Fifteen minutes yet," cried Andy, consulting his watch. "Whoop-la! Here goes!" And in the joyousness of high spirits he turned a handspring over one of the beds. Then he turned another spring over a table and stood on his head on one of the chairs.

"Hurrah for Snow's Imperial Consolidated Circus!" cried Pepper. "The one and only aggregation of stupendous wonders on the face of the globe!

The marvelous twisting and death-defying acrobat! Walk up and see the blood-curdling exhibition! It will cost you but the small sum of a dime, ten cents; children double price, and no grandfathers unaccompanied by their parents admitted. Line will form on the left and everybody will please have his cash ready. Transfers not accepted on this line."

"Good for Pepper!" came from Jack. "When he fails as a student he can turn dime-museum shouter."

"On the right you will see our most mysterious wonder, Major Jacobus Ruddonowsky, the royal Russian sword swallower," went on The Imp, pointing to his chum. "He swallows two swords for breakfast, three for lunch and six to eight for dinner, with daggers for dessert. He is wonderfully strong, and can carry on his arms an amount of gold lace that would break a camel's back. As soon as the tent is full he will sing for you that famous ditty, ent.i.tled, 'How I Love to Line You Up When I'm Major of the Gang.'"

"Wow! that is where you caught it, Jack!" cried Dale, with a grin.

"And here we have a third wonder," went on Pepper, pointing to the football captain. "Commodore Daleo, the leather-ball juggler. The most renowned juggler of the spheroid in the world! You think it is here, but it is not, for lo! he has juggled it over the line and kicked it as high as an airs.h.i.+p. He will show you----"

"Silence in here!" came a voice from the doorway, and Josiah Crabtree appeared. "I will have silence!"

"Oh, dear!" murmured Pepper. "Anybody got any silence to spare? Mr.

Crabtree wants some."

"You must all be in bed by midnight, and the light must be out," went on the teacher. "This unseemly revel must cease!" And then he walked on, to stop the noise coming from the other dormitories.

"Say, Pepper, how do you like that?" murmured Fred.

"I knew there would be frost," sighed The Imp. "Every time old Crabtree appears we get a cold wave."

"Be thankful he didn't mark you down for extra lessons," said Andy.

"If he did that I'd rebel," returned Pepper.

After that the talk was carried on in whispers, and each cadet lost no time in disrobing. A few minutes after midnight all were in bed, and one after another lost himself in the land of dreams.

The day had been a particularly strenuous one for Jack and the young major slept soundly until the rising-bell rang loudly. Then he rubbed his eyes sleepily and stretched himself.

"Wish I didn't have to get up just yet," he murmured. "I could sleep another hour without half trying."

"Same here," responded Pepper.

"I never feel awake until after I've had a wash," came from Andy, who had just leaped up.

Soon all of the cadets in the dormitory were dressing, and one by one they washed up and went below. Andy and Jack were the last to leave.

"What's the matter?" asked the acrobatic youth, as he saw the young major searching around for something.

"I'm looking for my watch and chain, Andy."

"Where did you put it?"

"Where I always do--on the stand at the head of my bed."

"Maybe it fell on the floor."

"If it did, it isn't there now." Jack got down on his knees to look around, and then turned over the bedclothes and some other things.

"Maybe Pepper played a joke on you, Jack."

"That may be so. I'll go down and ask him about it."

The young major looked through his clothing and all over the dormitory, and then hurried below. As it was Sunday morning, there was no drill, and the cadets were gathering in the mess-hall for breakfast.

"Pepper, did you see my watch?" asked Jack, coming up to his chum.

"Your watch? No," was the ready reply.