Books: The Rover Boys at School
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Arthur M. Winfield >> The Rover Boys at School
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"About that dynamite being stolen by train wreckers. They think
some of the explosive was brought up here."
"Didn't hear of it."
"Dynamite is pretty bad stuff to have around, so I've heard."
"Awful! Awful! I never want to see any of it," answered Ricks,
with a decided shake of his head.
"If it goes off it's apt to blow everything to splinters," went on
Dick.
"That's so -- I don't want any of it," and the old man began to
gather up more waste paper for his fire. Watching his chance,
Torn threw one of the firecrackers into the blaze and then
rejoined his brothers.
With a handful of paper Ricks again approached the blaze. He was
standing almost over it when the firecracker went off, making a
tremendous report and scattering the light blazing paper in all
directions.
"Help! I'm killed!" yelled old Ricks, as he fell upon his back.
"Get me away from here! There's dynamite in this fire!" And he
rolled over, leapt to his feet, and ran off like a madman.
"Don't be alarmed -- it was only a firecracker," called out Tom,
loud enough for all standing around to bear, and then he ran for
the train, which had just come in. Soon he and his brothers were
on board and off, leaving poor Ricks to be heartily laughed at by
those who had observed his sudden terror. It was many a day
before the cranky station master heard the last of his dynamite.
The boys were to ride from Oak Run to Ithaca, and there take a
small steamer which ran from that city to the head of the lake,
stopping at Cedarville, the nearest village to Putnam Hall. At
Cedarville one of the Hall conveyances was to meet them, to
transfer both them and their baggage to the institution.
The run to Ithaca proved uneventful although the boys did not tire
of looking out of the window at the beautiful panorama rushing
past them. At noon they had lunch in the dining car, a spread
that Sam declared was about as good as a regular dinner. Three
o'clock in the afternoon found them at the steamboat landing,
waiting for the Golden Star to take them up to Cedarville.
"Fred Garrison, by all that's lucky!" burst out Tom suddenly, as
he rushed up to a youth of about his own age who sat on a trunk
eating an apple.
"Tom Rover! Where are you bound?"
"To a boarding school called Putnam Hall."
"You don't say! Why, I am going there myself," and now Fred
Garrison nearly wrung off Tom's hand.
"If this isn't the most glorious news yet!" burst in Dick. "Why,
Larry Colby is going too!"
"I know it. But he won't come until tomorrow."
"And Frank Harrington is going too."
"He is there, already --he wrote about it day before yesterday.
That makes six of us New York, boys."
"The metropolitan sextet," chirped in Sam.
"Boys, we ought to form a league to stand by each other through
thick or thin."
"I'm with you on that," answered Fred. "As we are all newcomers,
it's likely the old scholars will want to haze us, or, something
like that."
"Just let them try it on!" cried Tom. "Yes, we must stick
together by all means." And the compact, so far as it concerned
the Rover boys and Fred Garrison, was made on the spot. Later on
Larry Colby and Frank Harrington joined them gladly.
It was not long before the Golden Star, a stanch little side-
wheeler, steamed up to the dock, and the waiting crowd rushed on
board and secured favorable places on deck. The baggage followed,
and soon they were off, with a whistle which awoke the echoes of
Cayuga Lake for miles around.
While waiting on the dock Dick had noticed three girls standing
near them. They were evidently from the rural district, but
pretty and well dressed. The boys took seats near the bow of the
boat, on the upper deck, and presently the girls sat down not far
away.
"He was awfully bold, Clara; I want nothing to do with him," Dick
heard the prettiest of the girls say. "He had no right to speak
to us."
"He had dropped his handkerchief, and he pretended I was stepping
on it," said another of the three. "Oh, here he comes now!" she
went on as a youth of seventeen came into view. He was large and
bold-looking, and it was easy to see that there was a good deal of
the bully about him. He was smoking a cigarette, but on seeing
the girls he threw the paper roll away.
"How do you do again?" he said, as he came up and tipped his hat.
At this all of the girls looked angry, and not one returned his
salutation. But, undaunted by this, the newcomer caught up a camp
stool and planked himself down almost directly between the
prettiest of the three and her companions.
"Splendid day for the trip," he went on.
"Won't you have some confectionery?" and he hauled from his pocket
a box of cream chocolates and held them out.
"Thank you, but we don't wish any," said the youngest of the
girls.
"Won't you have some?" asked the unknown of the eldest girl.
"I don't want any, and I told you before not to speak to me!" she
said in a low voice, and the tears almost came into her eyes.
"I ain't going to hurt you," grumbled the young fellow. "Can't a
fellow be pleasant like?"
"I do not know you, sir."
"Oh, that's all right. My name is Daniel Baxter. Sorry I
haven't a card, or I would give you one," was the smooth
rejoinder.
"I do not wish your card," was the answer delivered in the most
positive of tones.
"Oh, all right. Yes, it's a splendid trip," said the fellow, and
drew his camp chair even closer. The girls wished to edge away,
but there was no room in the narrow bow. The eldest girl looked
around as if for help. Her eyes met those of Dick, and she
blushed.
"Say, that fellow is a regular pill," whispered Tom to his elder
brother.
"Somebody ought to take him by the collar and pitch him
overboard."
"You are right, Tom," answered Dick, and then as the bully
attempted to crowd still closer to the girls he suddenly arose,
took a few steps forward, and caught Dan Baxter by the arm.
"You get out of here and be quick about it," he said in low but
firm tones.
The fellow started, and for the instant his face changed color.
But then he saw that Dick was but a boy, younger and smaller than
himself, and his bullying manner returned. "Who are you talking
to?" he demanded.
"I am talking to you. I told you to get out -- and be quick about
it."
"Oh, cried the eldest girl, but her face took on a look of relief,
for she saw that Dick was a thoroughly gentlemanly youth."
"Who are you anyway?" blustered Dan Baxter.
"My name is Dick Rover, if you want, to know." Dick turned to the
girls. "He was annoying you, wasn't he?"
"Very much," answered the three promptly. "Then you'll get out,
Daniel Baxter."
"Supposing I refuse?"
"If you refuse, I'll pitch you out, and make a complaint to the
police at our first stopping place."
"You talk big!" sneered the bully, but he was much disconcerted.
"Don't you talk back to my brother," put in Tom, who had come up.
"You think you're a regular masher, as they call such silly
fellows, but I don't think your game is going to work here."
"That's it," chimed in Sam.
"Humph! three of you, eh?" muttered the bully. "We'll see about
this some other time," and leaving his camp chair he made for the
cabin and disappeared, from view.
"He's a bad egg," was Tom's comment, but how thoroughly bad the
Rover boys were still to learn.
CHAPTER VI
FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
"I must thank you for ridding us of that fellow," said one of the
girls. "He has annoyed us several times."
"It was a pleasure to assist you," answered Dick, with the
politeness of a dancing master, and tipped his hat; and his
brothers and Fred Garrison did the same.
After this there seemed nothing to do but to be introduced, and
Dick did this for the boys, while the eldest girl acted for
herself and her companions.
"My name is Dora Stanhope," she said. "These are my cousins
Nellie and Grace Laning. We live at Cedarville."
"Just the place we are going to!" cried Torn. "We are bound for
Putnam Hall. I suppose you know the place?"
"We do -- very well," answered Dom Stanhope. "It is less than
quarter of a mile away from our farm."
"And it is quite near to our place too," added Nellie Laning.
"Then perhaps we'll see more of each other," remarked Fred
Garrison.
"Perhaps; but isn't Captain Putnam rather strict about letting you
boys out?" questioned, Dora.
"We don't know yet -- we are newcomers."
"Newcomers!" cried Nellie. "Then you don't know that fellow who
was just here?"
"No. Does he belong at Putnam Hall?"
"Yes. I know nothing of him, however, further than that I have
seen him several times on the Hall road."
Dick gave a low whistle.
"Perhaps we've put our foot in it," remarked Sam in a low tone to
him.
"Never mind; we did what was right," answered Dick. "No fellow is
justified in acting as Dan Baxter did."
"That's right."
"Tell us something about Putnam Hall, won't you?" said Fred
Garrison, after a pause.
At this the three girls laughed.
"What should we know about that place?" asked Dora. "We have
never been inside, excepting at one Christmas entertainment."
"But you must see some of the fellows occasionally."
"Not often," said Grace Laning. "Captain Putnam does not allow
his pupils to leave the grounds excepting on special occasions.
But papa caught three of the pupils in our strawberry patch once."
"He did? And what happened to the fellows?" put in Tom with deep
interest.
"Father made them pick twelve quarts of berries for him for
nothing, and didn't let them eat a single one."
"Great Caesar! What a fine fellow your dad -- I mean your father
-- must be."
"Of course he is fine. The boys had no right to attempt stealing
the berries. My father would have given them some for the
asking."
"But they wouldn't have been half as sweet as if they were hooked
on the sly," said Tom wisely, and everybody laughed.
"You boys ought to have fine times at Putnam Hall," went on Dora
to Dick. "I sometimes see the soldier boys marching; and once,
last summer, I visited their encampment."
"We are looking forward to a good time,"' was the answer. "And I
trust we see you again," went on Dick; and Dora blushed prettily.
The Golden Star was now approaching a little landing known as
Hopedale, and all left their chairs to see the village, and people
getting on and off. It was an engaging scene, and the did not
return to the bow of the boat until ten minutes later, after
taking a walk completely around the steamer's deck.
In the bow a surprise awaited them. During their absence Dan
Baxter had appropriated four of their camp chairs and was
stretched out on them as if in sleep.
"Oh, what a cheek!" cried Tom.
"Let us haul him off," suggested Sam.
"All right, come ahead," put in Fred.
"Oh, please don't have another row with him!" cried Dora in alarm.
"Let him keep the seats. We can go somewhere else,"
"All right, let the pig sleep," said Dick.
He felt tolerably certain that Dan Baxter was awake and heard him,
but the bully made no sign.
The party walked away, and the bully sneered softly to himself.
"They didn't dare to tackle me," was what he thought in his
conceit. "I'd like to meet 'em one by one alone I'd show each a
trick or, two."
At last Cedarville was reached and the little steamer tied up at
the dock, and the boys and girls went ashore. Just before
leaving, Dick took a look at Dan Baxter and saw that he wag now
sleeping in earnest.
"I won't wake him," he thought. "If he is carried to the head of
the lake, it will only serve him right."
Once on the dock, he and Fred hurried off to see about the
baggage, and while they were gone a well-dressed and pleasant-
looking farmer came up and kissed each of the girls. It was Mr.
Laning.
"I hope you had a nice visit to Cousin May's," he said. "Come,
the carriage is waiting out in the street."
And he hurried the girls away before they had hardly time to say
good-by.
"Nice girls," remarked Tom.
"Yes, indeed," answered Sam. "Hope we see them again."
"We won't have much of a chance if what they say about Putnam Hall
is true, Sam. Evidently Captain Putnam believes in keeping his
pupils well in hand."
"Well, Uncle Randolph believes we ought' to be taken well in
hand."
Dick and Fred returned presently, bringing with them a tall, lean
man of apparently fifty.
"Boys," cried Fred, "let me introduce you to Mr. Peleg
Snugsomebody, general utility man at Putnam Hall."
"Peleg Snuggers, please," said the man weekly. "Excuse me, but I
was sent to bring you to the Hall."
"Do we walk?" demanded Tom.
"No, sir; the carryall is out on the street, and my boy Pete has
the wagon for your trunks."
"The trunks are already in the wagon," said Dick. "Come ahead."
"How many of you, please?" went on Peleg Snuggers.
"There is only one of me, thank you," answered Tom meekly.
"Don't joke me so early in the term, please," said the utility man
pleadingly. "Goodness knows, I'll get more than my share between
now and Christmas. I mean, how many it the party?"
"Five of us, Mr. Sluggrub."
"Snuggers, please; Peleg Snuggers -- an easy name to remember when
you get the swing of it, sir."
"To be sure, Smullers. Yes, there are exactly five of us," and
Tom winked at his companions.
"That's all right; the captain said to bring five. Where is the
other?"
"What other?"
"The other boy. I see only four of you."
"You asked me how many there were in the party, Mr. Snugbug."
"Yes, sir; and you said five."
"Four of us, and only one of you. Isn't that five --or do they
have a different kind of arithmetic at Putnam Hall from what I
have been studying?"
"Please don't joke, Master Rover, please don't. I was to bring
five boys." The utility man drew a slip of paper from his pocket.
"Four new boys -- Richard, Samuel, and Thomas Rover and --
Frederick Garrison -- and Corporal Daniel Baxter."
"Gracious, the bully is a corporal at the Hall!" came from Sam in
so low a tone that Snuggers did not catch it.
"The corporal isn't present," said Fred, gazing around absently.
"So he isn't. Must have missed the boat. Come along, please,"
and Peleg Snuggers led the way to where a large and extra-heavy
carryall stood. A splendid team of iron-grays was attached to the
carriage; and Dick, who loved good horseflesh, could not help but
admire the animals.
"Oh, they are fine, Master Richard," said Snuggers. "Nothing
finer on the lake shore. Captain Putnam's one recreation is to
drive behind a fast team."
"Is it? I wish he would take me out with him some time."
"Always drives alone. Reckon it kind of quiets him, after a noisy
time with the boy."
"I suppose."
They were soon on the way, which led out of Cedarville and over a
hill fronting the lake.
"By the way, do you know where the farms belonging to Mr. Stanhope
and to Mr. Laning are located?" asked Tom, when they were well out
of the village.
"Mr. Stanhope, sir? There isn't any Mr. Stanhope. He died two
years ago. That place you see away over yonder is Mrs. Stanhope's
farm."
"She has a daughter Dora?"
"Yes," Peleg Snuggers paused for a moment. "They say the widder
thinks of marrying again."
"Is that so!" put in Dick, and then he wondered if Dora would be
pleased with her stepfather. "So that is the place?"
"Yes, sir; two hundred and fifty acres, and the fittest dairy in
these parts. If, the widder marries again, her husband will fall
into a very good thing. The dairy company at Ithaca once offered
fifty thousand dollars for the cattle and land."
"Gracious!" came from Tom. "We've been chumming with an heiress.
Are the Lanings rich, too?"
"Very well to do. That is their place, that side road. Here is
where we turn off to get to the Hall. Captain Putnam had this
road made when the Hall was first built."
The road was one of cracked stone, as smooth as a huge iron roller
could make it. They bowled along at a rapid rate, under the wide
spreading branches of two rows of stately maples. They were close
to the lake, and occasional glimpses of water could be caught
through the tree branches.
"It is certainly a splendid locality for a boarding academy," was
Dick's comment. "My, what pure air -- enough to make a sick boy
strong! Do you have much sickness at the Hall?"
"Very little, sir. The captain does not let a cast of sickness
stand, but calls in Dr. Fremley at once."
"That is where he is level-headed," said Fred. "My father said I
was to call for a doctor the minute I felt at all sick."
They were now approaching Putnam Hall, but there was still another
turn to make. As they swept around this, they came upon a tramp,
half asleep under a tree. The tramp roused up at the sounds of
carriage wheels and looked first at the driver of the carryall and
then at the four boys.
"Phew!" he ejaculated, and lost no time in diving out of sight
into some brush back of the row of maples.
"Hullo, who was that?" cried Sam.
"A tramp, I reckon," answered the utility man. "We are bothered a
good deal with them."
"Begging at the Hall for the left-overs?"
"Exactly. The captain is too kind-hearted. He ought to drive 'em
all away," answered Peleg Snuggers; and then the carryall passed
on.
When it was gone, and the wagon with the trunks had followed, the
tramp came out of the brush and gazed after both turnouts. "Say,
Buddy Girk, but dat was a narrow escape," he muttered to himself.
"Wot brought dem young gents to dis neighborhood? It can't be
possible da have tracked me -- an' so quick." He hesitated. "I
t'ink I had better give dis neighborhood de go-by," and he dove
into the brush again. He was the rascal who had stolen Dick's
timepiece.
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."
(For the doings of the Putnam Hall students previous to the
arrival at that institution of the Rover boys see "The Putnam Hall
Series," the first volume of which is entitled, "The Putnam Hall
Cadets." - Publishers)
"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.
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