Stratemeyer Edward
The Putnam Hall Champions

CHAPTER XXIV
FRED CENTURY MAKES A CHANGE

It was a great victory for Jack and his chums, and when they came ashore they were almost hugged to death by their friends.

“When I saw you drop behind my heart went down into my shoes,” said Harry Blossom. “But when you came in ahead my heart – ”

“Climbed out of your cap, I suppose,” finished Pepper.

“Just about. Oh, it’s a dandy victory,” and Harry’s face fairly beamed.

“Boys, you did very well – very well indeed!” exclaimed Captain Putnam, coming up and extending his hands. “Major Ruddy, you have a sloop to be proud of.”

“I am proud of the Alice,” answered Jack. “She did all that I expected of her.”

Bob Anderson took his defeat calmly, but the Pornell Academy students were very bitter, Roy Bock and his cronies especially. Bock and the others had lost considerable money on the contest and this galled them exceedingly. They could not understand how the Alice had forged ahead when it looked as if she was beaten.

“Guess Century must have stood in with the Putnam Hall fellows,” growled Bock.

“That is absolutely false!” cried one of the students who had helped to sail the Ajax. A wordy war followed, and in the end Roy Bock got his nose punched, which made him more angry than ever.

Ritter, Paxton and Coulter were much downcast by the way the race had terminated. All their plans to do Jack’s boat an injury had failed, and how they were going to meet their money obligations they did not know.

“We are up against it good and hard,” said Ritter.

“I’ve got a plan,” said Coulter. “Roy Bock is dead sore over this. He thinks there was some understanding between Century and Jack Ruddy. Let us see if we can’t get him to make some kind of a protest, and we can back him up in it. Perhaps we can have the bets declared off.”

This plot met with instant favor at Reff Ritter’s hands and he lost no time in interviewing Roy Bock. Bock did not want to run the risk of another encounter with the Century crowd, yet he, too, could not afford to lose the money he had staked on the contest.

“Let us talk this over all around,” said he, and called in several of his cronies. Later he and his friends, with Ritter, Paxton and Coulter, went to one of the judges of the contest.

“We think this race ought to be declared off,” said Bock.

“For what reason?” demanded the gentleman, in astonishment.

“We think the Ajax lost the race on purpose,” went on Bock, and then he told of how Jack and Fred Century were friends, and how the young major had assisted those on the Ajax when that craft had capsized.

“Fred Century does not like it at Pornell Academy and is going to leave at the end of this term,” Bock went on. “I am certain he threw the race into the hands of the Putnam Hall cadets.”

“So am I,” added Ritter boldly, and then he spoke of a talk he had overheard between Jack, Pepper and Fred Century. He said that there could not be the slightest doubt but what Century had played into Jack Ruddy’s hands, and Coulter and Paxton said the same.

This statement aroused a hot discussion, in which all the judges and several outsiders took part.

“I consider every sloop was sailed honestly,” said one judge. “If ever a race was won fairly this was won by the Alice.” Bock and Ritter continued to talk, but the judges would not consider their protest, and at last they had to withdraw much crestfallen.

Bock’s actions made a large number of the Putnam Hall cadets very bitter, and on Saturday night there was something of a pitched battle between Andy, Pepper, Dale and six other of the Putnam Hall boys and Roy Bock and his gang. Blows were freely exchanged, and sticks and stones were used, and Bock and his cohorts were forced to run away. Bock got a black eye and Grimes had two of his front teeth loosened, while Gussic had his coat split up the back from bottom to top. Of course the Putnam Hall cadets suffered somewhat, but they went back to the school happy, having driven the enemy from the field.

“We must get square for this,” said Grimes. “I’ll never rest until I pay them back.”

“Right you are,” returned Roy Bock. “I wish I could get back at the whole school.”

“That’s the talk,” added Gussic. “We ought to do something that will make the whole crowd sore.”

“I’ll think up something,” said Bock. “Just give me a couple of days to do it in.”

The report that Fred Century was going to leave Pornell Academy was true. Fred was a bright, clean-hearted lad, and the manners of such fellows as Bock and Grimes did not please him. More than this, when he went to Doctor Pornell that individual treated him coolly.

“I have heard what Roy Bock has said,” said the doctor. “And I must confess I am inclined to think that you sailed the race in such a fashion as to please Putnam Hall.”

“Doctor Pornell, this is – is infamous!” cried Fred. “If you are going to side with Bock I am going to leave this school at once!”

“As you please,” answered the master of the academy. He was in a particularly bad humor that morning.

Fred Century was as good as his word. He walked to Cedarville that noon and sent a special message to his father, relating what had occurred. Mr. Century arrived at Pornell Academy the next morning, and a warm discussion between him and Doctor Pornell followed, lasting an hour. Then Fred packed his trunk and left the academy never to return.

“This disarranges my plans, Fred,” said his father, on the way to Cedarville. “Your mother and I were going to Rome, you know. I do not know what to do with you.”

“I know what I’d like to do,” answered Fred. “I’d like to go to Putnam Hall. The fellows there are bright and up-to-date, and not such cads as Bock and Grimes.”

“Hum!” mused Mr. Century. “Well, that might be arranged. I know Putnam Hall has a fine reputation. I thought of sending you there in the first place.”

The carriage was halted, and soon it was turned around and driven in the direction of Putnam Hall. Arriving at that institution, Mr. Century went in to interview Captain Putnam. When he came out to call his son he was smiling.

“It is arranged, Fred, and you are to be a cadet here from to-day on.”

“Good enough!” cried the youth. “That suits me right down to the ground, father!”

“In taking you as a pupil I think Captain Putnam is making something of a sacrifice,” continued Mr. Century. “You know of this talk about the boat race. Well, now some folks will cry ‘fraud’ louder than ever. But Captain Putnam says he is willing to stand by what the judges decided, especially as he has received word from Bob Anderson that he thinks the race was a fair one.”

Fred was taken to the private office, and he shook hands warmly with Captain Putnam.

“I know you are doing me a favor, Captain Putnam,” said the boy. “In return I shall do all in my power to make myself a credit to your school.”

“That is all I ask, Century,” answered the master of the Hall. “I presume it will not be necessary for anybody to introduce you,” he added, with a faint smile.

“No, sir – I know about a dozen of the boys already.”

“I will have your measure taken for a uniform – and have you assigned to one of the dormitories,” went on Captain Putnam, and called in one of his assistants. After Fred had been measured and his trunk had been taken upstairs, Captain Putnam called in Jack.

“Major Ruddy, allow me to acquaint you with a new pupil, Frederic Century,” he said.

“A new pupil!” cried the young major. “Why – er – is Fred coming to school here?”

“I am, Jack. Aren’t you glad to have me?”

“I am delighted!” cried Jack, and smiled warmly. “But this is the greatest surprise yet,” he continued. “I thought you were at Pornell.”

“Quit yesterday – and mighty glad to do it. I’ll tell you all about it some other time.”

Fred Century was warmly welcomed by Pepper, Andy and the others. He was put in a dormitory next to that occupied by Jack and his chums, the two apartments being connected by a door which was rarely locked. He was made to feel at home, and said over and over again he was more than pleased over the change he had made.

“Doctor Pornell is as great a cad as some of his pupils,” said he to Pepper. “How some of the better class of boys can stand him is more than I can comprehend.”

“Well, some folks have more money than brains,” answered the Imp. “And that’s the case with many of the Pornellites, I imagine.”

“Bock is down on Putnam Hall,” went on Fred. “He vows he will get square.”

“We’ll watch out for him,” answered Pepper. “I reckon we can give him as good as he sends.”

CHAPTER XXV
A CANNON AND A FLAGSTAFF DISAPPEAR

“Jack!”

“What is it, Andy? You look as excited as if you had met a lion face to face.” And the young major sat up in bed in wonder.

“Hustle into your clothing and come downstairs. Something awful has happened.”

“What’s up?” asked Pepper, who had overheard the talk.

“The cannon is gone, and so is the flagstaff!”

“What!” came in a chorus from several cadets. “The cannon and the flagstaff gone?”

“Exactly.”

“Do you mean the new cannon?” queried the young major.

“To be sure I do. The old one is back in the barn.”

“Where has it gone to?” asked Stuffer.

“Nobody knows. It disappeared during the night – and so did the flagstaff.”

“Did somebody chop the flagstaff down?” asked Dale.

“Sure, an’ anybody mane enough to do that ought to be hung, so they ought!” growled Emerald.

“No, they didn’t chop it down – they dug it up.”

“And carted it off?” asked Pepper.

“Yes. Come on down. You never saw Captain Putnam so excited in his life. Peleg Snuggers just called him up. I got up ahead of time because I couldn’t sleep any longer,” concluded Andy.

The news spread like wildfire, and soon cadets were hurrying downstairs in droves, some but partly dressed. The alarm was as great as if the school had been on fire.

The beautiful brass cannon, purchased by Captain Putnam but a few weeks before, was gone. So was the noble flagstaff which from sunrise to sunset floated a large American flag. On the grass of the campus were the marks of the cannon wheels, leading to the roadway. From the hole left by the flagstaff there was a long, straight mark over the grass leading to the lake front.

“It is easy to guess what was done,” said Jack. “The cannon was carted off by the aid of boys, men, or horses. Men or boys dug up the flagstaff, hauled it down to the lake, and floated it away.”

“Major Ruddy, assemble the battalion at once,” cried Captain Putnam. And a minute later came the well-known rattle of the drum. But this was not needed, for all the cadets were already at hand, looking at the spots where the cannon and the flagstaff had stood, and asking a hundred and one questions.

“Young gentlemen,” began Captain Putnam, when the two companies of the battalion stood at attention, “a grave lot of mischief has been done here. You all know what that mischief is. If any of you are guilty I want such guilty party or parties to stand forth.”

There was a pause. The cadets looked at each other, but not a boy budged.

“I want no hanging-fire in this,” went on the master of the Hall. “Fun is fun, but this is going too far. Is anybody guilty or not? If guilty, take two steps forward.”

Nobody moved.

“The quartermaster will call the roll. As each name is uttered the cadet will answer ‘Guilty’ or ‘Not guilty,’ as the case may be. Quartermaster, are you guilty or not guilty?”

“Not guilty!” was the prompt reply of the cadet who held the position of quartermaster of the battalion.

The roll was speedily called and every cadet present answered “Not guilty,” in a loud, clear voice.

“This is strange,” mused Captain Putnam. “Can this have been done by some outsiders?”

“Captain Putnam, will you allow me to say something,” said Fred Century.

“Certainly. Come here.”

Fred marched to the front and close to the master of the Hall.

“If this is the work of outsiders I think you can blame some of the fellows of Pornell Academy,” said Fred. “They are very bitter against the cadets here and would be willing to do something like what has been accomplished to make trouble.”

“Humph!” murmured Captain Putnam, and his face became a study. “Have you any proofs against them?”

“No, sir – only I know they wanted to play some kind of a trick.”

“This is a mighty poor trick.”

“I think so myself.”

The battalion was paraded and marched into the mess hall, and Captain Putnam jumped into his buggy and drove over to Pornell Academy. He received a very cold reception at Doctor Pornell’s hands.

“My pupils are young gentlemen, never guilty of such rascality,” said the doctor, haughtily. “I do not deem it necessary to question them concerning it.” And that was all the satisfaction the master of Putnam Hall got.

The cadets had to go to their studies after breakfast, but directly the school sessions were over for the day, many formed searching parties and went forth hunting for the missing cannon and the flagstaff. Jack headed a party composed of Pepper, Andy and Dale, to look for the cannon, while Fred Century took out Bart Conners and Emerald in the Ajax, to look for the flagstaff.

For a short distance along the road Jack and his chums could see the marks of the cannon wheels quite plainly. But further on the road was rocky and hard, and there the tracks could not be told from those made by wagons and automobiles.

“This is a good deal like looking for a pin in a haystack,” observed Pepper, as they came to a halt at a cross roads. “The question is, Did they keep straight on, or turn to the right or left?”

“I don’t think they’d dare to take the cannon to Cedarville,” said Andy. “Somebody would be sure to see them and tell Captain Putnam.”

“I believe Andy is right,” put in Dale. “They must have gone to the right or the left with the piece.”

“The road to the right runs down to the lake front, and it is soft and muddy. They’d not be likely to go that way.”

“Not unless they dumped the cannon into the lake,” answered Jack.

“I don’t believe they’d dare do that,” said Dale. “They’d be afraid of arrest if found out.”

“Then they must have gone up into the woods,” said Jack. “Let us hunt in that direction first anyway.”

The cadets were now joined by others, until a crowd of at least twenty were following the road leading through the woods to Benson Pond. For a distance the road was rocky and hard, then it grew soft, and they beheld the tracks made by the cannon quite plainly.

“Hurrah! we are on the right road!” cried the young major.

So anxious was the crowd to locate the cannon that nearly all started on a run. They had to pass directly under some heavy, overhanging trees, and then came to where there was a stony cliff and something of a shale road.

“I don’t see the tracks of the cannon any more!” cried one cadet, and soon the others said the same.

“Wait till we reach some spot where the road is soft,” suggested Dale, and trudged along hopefully for quarter of a mile. Here they came to the edge of Benson Pond and the roadway was muddy; but the cannon tracks were nowhere to be seen.

“We’ve missed it,” said Jack, with something of a groan.

“Let us retrace our steps and look on both sides of the road,” suggested Pepper. “Maybe we’ll find out just where they left the road. They may have hauled the cannon right into the middle of the woods.”

They walked back slowly, scattering to both sides of the highway. But not a sign of the cannon tracks was brought to light.

“This is certainly a mystery,” sighed Dale. “The tracks seem to fade into thin air. Now they couldn’t make the piece disappear like that.”

“Not unless they blew it up,” said Jack.

“Oh, Jack, do you think they did that?” cried Andy.

“No, I don’t. I’ve got an idea and I am going back to where we saw those tracks last.” And the young major stalked off, followed by the majority of the others.

Reaching the place mentioned, Jack began a close inspection of the ground. Then he moved on slowly, looking first at the ground and then at the trees overhead. Thus he covered several hundred feet, stopping at a spot where the roadbed was a solid mass of rock.

“I’ve found the cannon!” he cried suddenly.

“Found it?” came from a dozen others, and they rushed to his side.

“Yes.”

“Where is it, Jack?”

“Up in yonder tree. They hauled it to this spot, tied it to two big ropes, and pulled it up into the tree. There it is now, shining out between the leaves!” And the young major pointed in triumph to the discovery he had made.

CHAPTER XXVI
A CONFERENCE OF IMPORTANCE

The cannon was there, true enough, and as they viewed the piece the cadets present set up a cheer.

“It must have been quite a job to hoist the cannon into the tree,” observed Pepper, as he gazed at the object, which was suspended fully fifteen feet over his head.

“Not so difficult as you think, Pep,” answered Andy. “All they had to do was to throw the ropes over a couple of strong limbs, tie the ends to the cannon, and hoist away. If they had horses – and I think they had – it was easy.”

“The question is, How are we to get the cannon down, now we have found it,” said another cadet.

“Wait till I see if the ropes have been cut short or simply wound around the tree limbs,” answered Jack. “Somebody give me a boost into the tree.”

He was soon up in the branches, and then he announced that the ropes were sufficiently long to lower the cannon to the ground.

“But we’ll have to work with care,” he said. “For if the cannon should slip somebody may get hurt, – and, besides, the cannon would be damaged by falling on the rocks.”

Half a dozen cadets climbed up into the big tree. The cannon weighed seven or eight hundred pounds and was dangling by several feet of the two ropes. The ropes were slipped into two crotches of the tree and then wound around a part of the trunk. With care the boys loosened the fastenings.

“Now let down an inch at a time,” ordered the young cadet. “If you find the rope slipping catch it in the crotch and wind tight at once. Don’t take any chances, for Captain Putnam would never forgive you if you smashed the cannon. It cost a neat penny, I am sure.”

Slowly and cautiously the cadets in the tree, assisted by some who had hold of the ends of the ropes below, lowered the cannon to the rocky roadbed. Then all gathered around to inspect the find. It seemed to be in perfect condition, for which they were thankful.

With all the boys pulling on the rope it was an easy matter to haul the cannon in the direction of Putnam Hall. As they approached the campus they set up a loud yell, which speedily brought many cadets and teachers to the scene.

“Well done!” cried George Strong, as he looked the cannon over. “Captain Putnam will be delighted to know you have found it.”

“Where is he?” asked Jack.

“Out on a hunt for it.”

“Let’s fire a salute,” suggested Pepper. “That will let everybody know the cannon is found.”

The teacher was willing, and the piece was quickly cleaned and loaded. Jack touched it off, and the report echoed far and wide across the lake and the hills around.

“There, that will tell everybody we’re on deck,” cried Andy, with a happy laugh.

“I hope they heard it at Pornell Academy,” said Dale.

“They must have – unless they are all deaf,” said Stuffer. “Gosh! say that work makes a fellow hungry, doesn’t it?” he added, and hurried off to get a bite to eat.

Captain Putnam came in shortly after the cannon was fired and viewed the piece with pleasure. He had to smile when he heard how the cannon had been discovered swung up in the tree.

“Certainly a schoolboy’s prank,” he said. “But not the kind I admire.”

Fred Century and the others on the Ajax did not come in until dark. They had hunted along the lake shore for several miles, but without success.

“Maybe they hung the flagpole in a tree, too,” suggested Pepper, with a grin.

“It is not likely,” answered Bart Conners. “They’d be more apt to weight it down with stones and sink it.”

“Did you look in the water along shore?” asked Andy.

“We did in some spots, but not in all. We can go out again,” said Fred.

To keep the flag afloat that day Captain Putnam had a rope run from the school building to a nearby tree. He said he would wait a week and see if the flagstaff could not be found and then would order a new one.

“And if I can find out who took the old one I’ll make them pay for it,” he added.

Several days slipped by, and then Staffer came to Jack and Pepper while the others were in the gymnasium exercising.

“I’ve discovered something,” said Stuffer, and then related how he had been down to Cedarville on business and had overheard Roy Bock and several other students talking at the steamboat dock. He had not overheard all that was said, but had heard enough to make sure that Bock and about twelve other students from Pornell Academy had come over to Putnam Hall at midnight and removed the cannon and the flagstaff.

“They think it is a mighty good joke,” said Paul. “I wish we could pay them back for it.”

“We’ll do it, Stuffer!” cried Pepper. “I was just waiting to make sure Bock and his gang were guilty.”

“Did you learn anything about the flagstaff?” asked Andy.

“They took it somewhere down to Rock Point and sunk it.”

“In that case, the best thing we can do is to go after it and tow it back,” said Jack.

They visited the Point the next afternoon and after some trouble located the flagstaff. It was in several feet of water, and held down by two old doors loaded with stones. Once the stones were rolled away, doors and flagstaff came to the surface instantly. Then the big pole was fastened to the stern of the Alice and towed to the Putnam Hall dock.

“Let’s fire another salute, to celebrate the return of the flagstaff!” cried Andy, and this, with Captain Putnam’s permission, was done. The cadets insisted upon planting the flagstaff themselves, just as it had been before, and the work was accomplished under Captain Putnam’s personal directions. Around the foot of the pole they dumped some rocks and poured in a quantity of cement to bind them.

“Now, they’ll never take that pole up again,” said Jack, and they never did, for the flagstaff stands on the campus of Putnam Hall to this day.

That night a special meeting was called in the dormitory occupied by Jack, Pepper and others. About a dozen cadets were invited to be present, including Fred Century, and not a one was absent.

“This meeting is called for the purpose of discussing ways and means of squaring accounts with the Pornell Academy students,” said Pepper, who presided. “They had the audacity to come here at midnight and steal our cannon and our flagstaff. We owe them something. Are we going to pay ’em back or not?”

“Pay ’em back!” was the cry.

“With interest,” added Andy.

“Compound interest,” said Dale, and this made everybody laugh.

“We have here a fellow cadet who was once a student at Pornell,” continued Pepper. “He knows the buildings and the grounds thoroughly. He is willing to tell us all he knows, and will even lead us if we say so.”

“Good for Fred Century,” cried one cadet. “May he live as long as his name implies!”

“I have been at some pains to question Fred concerning Pornell Academy and he says they have in the building one room devoted to trophies of all sorts – flags, banners, silver cups, a statue, and so on, which the various teams and clubs of the school have won from time to time. It has been suggested” – here Pepper drew down the corners of his mouth in such a fashion that everybody knew the suggestion was his own – “It has been suggested that somebody might go over there some night and – ”

“Clean the room out!” cried Andy. “Just the cheese!”

“It’s as good as done, – provided Fred will show us where that room is,” said Dale.

“With the greatest of pleasure,” was Fred Century’s answer. “It is on the north side of the building, next to Doctor Pornell’s private office.”

“Of course we don’t want to hurt any of the things,” said Jack. “We can’t run off with them as they did with the cannon and the flagstaff.”

“We can take sacks along and some excelsior,” said Pepper. “No, I don’t go in for breaking or scratching anything myself. And, oh, say!” he cried suddenly. “I’ve got a dandy hiding place for them!”

“Where?” asked several.

“I’ll tell you that after we have the stuff out of the school. I am sure you will all agree with me the hiding place will be the best ever.”

“In a tree?” queried Andy.

“Not much! This is something better,” said the Imp.

The matter was talked over for half an hour, and then it was decided that the raid on the Pornell Academy trophy room should take place the following night.