Stratemeyer Edward
The Putnam Hall Champions

CHAPTER XXVII
IN THE TROPHY ROOM

“Are we all here?”

“We are.”

“Then come along. And don’t make any noise on your life!”

These words were spoken in whispers. Following them came silence, and like so many shadows fourteen forms crept downstairs and out of a side door of Putnam Hall. They made directly for the boathouse dock. The boys were in their socks, and did not attempt to don their shoes until safe in the boathouse.

Three rowboats were in readiness, and as quietly as possible the cadets entered them and shoved off. Into the water dropped the oars; and the three craft were headed for Pornell Academy.

“We might have gone in the sloops, but there is no telling about the wind,” said Jack, when he felt it would be safe to talk.

“We can row as well as not,” answered Andy. “The exercise will do us good.”

“I only hope it stays clear until we get back,” said Pepper, with an anxious look at the sky, where the clouds were beginning to hide the stars from view.

“Say, fellows, are you sure Mumps or some other sneak isn’t on to our game?” asked Stuffer.

“That’s a risk we had to run,” answered Bart Conners. “I don’t believe Mumps knows of this, though.”

Nearly all of the boys were good oarsmen, and by their united efforts the three boats moved swiftly over the bosom of Cayuga Lake. Not another craft seemed to be stirring, and the night was as quiet as a graveyard.

“We are coming in sight of the Pornell dock,” said Jack, at last. “Now, Fred, you’ll have to lead the way, for you are the only one who knows all about this place.”

“I’ll do it,” answered the youth who had once been a Pornell Academy student.

The midnight prowlers left their rowboats tied up at the dock and followed Fred Century to the campus of the school and then to a doorway leading to the basement.

“This door is locked, but the servants usually leave the key on the window,” whispered Fred. “Here it is.” He took the key and unlocked the door. “Shall I go in alone and open the window to the trophy room, or do you want to come in this way?”

“You had better go in alone,” answered Jack. “We might stumble over something in the dark and make a noise. Where is the room?”

“Down there – the fifth window from here. You had better hide until I open the blinds.”

“We will,” whispered Pepper.

Carrying the bags and the excelsior they had brought along, the cadets retreated, leaving Fred to enter the school building alone. Fred closed and locked the door after him. Then the cadets outside crouched down behind some bushes.

“I hope he isn’t caught,” whispered Andy. “Somebody might take him for a burglar and shoot at him!”

“I see a light in one of the upper rooms,” said Jack. “That looks as if somebody was up.”

“There goes the light out,” answered Dale, a moment later.

With their hearts beating rapidly, the cadets waited. Now that they had really embarked on the midnight expedition they began to realize what a great undertaking it was.

“If we are caught, Doctor Pornell may have us all locked up,” said one boy who was extra nervous.

“If you want to withdraw you can do so,” answered Jack. “Everyone to take part here must do so of his own free will.”

“I’ll tell yez what we’ll do,” said Hogan. “If an alarm comes run for the lake for all ye are worth!” And this was agreed upon by all.

Five minutes passed – to the waiting cadets it seemed much longer than that – and still they heard nothing from Fred. They gazed at the blinds of the trophy room anxiously.

“Maybe he has been caught and those inside are waiting to collar us, too,” suggested Harry Blossom.

“He may have had to wait for somebody,” returned Jack. “Remember that light we saw upstairs. That might have been a monitor or teacher going around.”

A few minutes later they saw one blind open softly and then the other. Then Fred’s head appeared in the semi-darkness and he beckoned to those outside.

“Keep quiet!” he whispered. “Don’t make a sound. I think one of the teachers is still up. I heard him talking to somebody and he said something about a toothache.”

“Confound his toothache!” murmured Pepper. “Why can’t he go to bed and go to sleep?”

“I guess he would if he could,” said Andy. “You don’t suppose he is staying up with a toothache for the fun of it?”

As silently as possible one cadet after another climbed in at the window. When all were inside, the blinds were closed and the curtain drawn and then lights were lit.

“Did you lock the door to the hall?” asked Jack of Fred.

“I did – and hung a bit of paper over the key-hole, too,” was the answer.

Without delay the midnight visitors unfolded their bags and got ready the excelsior. In a very few minutes – for all worked with nervous haste – they had packed away nearly every trophy the room contained. These included three flags, four banners, four silver cups, a gold tankard, a bronze statue of a bowler, a marble statue of an oarsman, a bronze tablet containing the names of the school champions for several years back, two decorated canoe paddles, and several other trophies of more or less importance.

 
“Moving day! moving day!
Now is the time to get away!”
 

sang Pepper softly, as he tied up his bag of stuff.

“Hush!” whispered Jack, sternly. “Remember, we are not out of it yet. You can sing when we are on the lake.”

“I’ll be as mum as a mule with the lockjaw,” said Pepper, with a grin.

The trophy room was now totally bare excepting for several small rugs and a table. The rugs Andy began to roll up.

“Might as well finish up the job in first-class style,” said the acrobatic youth.

“Shall we leave a card behind?” asked Dale. “Compliments of Putnam Hall, or something like that?” questioned Stuffer.

“I have something better than a card,” answered Jack. “Just set that little table out in the middle of the floor.” And as some of the others did as requested he took from his pocket two small objects and placed them side by side on the table top. One was a toy cannon about two inches long and the other was a lady’s hatpin with a small American flag attached.

“Good! just the thing!” cried several.

“Couldn’t be better,” added Andy. “They’ll know where they came from right enough!”

“Hush!” came suddenly from Hogan. “I think I’m afther hearin’ footstheps in the hall. Douse the glim!” And he suited the action to the words by putting out the lights.

All became as silent as ghosts and listened intently. They heard footsteps outside, coming nearer and nearer. They fully expected somebody to try the door, and wondered what would happen after that. But presently the footsteps died away in the other direction.

“Somebody going to the kitchen!” whispered Fred. “Guess it is the teacher who had the toothache. Maybe he wants to get some boiling water, or something like that.”

“Well, we are about ready to go, so why linger?” asked Stuffer.

With caution the blinds were again opened. The coast looked to be clear and they dropped to the campus outside, one at a time, and each with a bundle. Fred was the last to come out, and before doing so he unlocked the door to the hallway.

“There will be a surprise there in the morning,” he said.

“I reckon they’ll find out they have been paid back in their own coin,” answered Pepper.

Closing the window and the blinds, the cadets hurried to their boats and were soon out on the lake. Then Pepper told them of the place he had in mind for storing the trophies. That was a deserted house half way between Pornell Academy and Putnam Hall, and on the lake shore.

“The best possible place,” said Jack. “The house is supposed to be haunted and nobody ever goes there.”

Rowing swiftly, the cadets soon reached the vicinity of the so-called haunted house. They took their bags ashore and carried them up to the old dwelling, which was almost ready to fall down. In an upper room they found a big clothing closet and in this they placed all the trophies and closed and barred the door on them.

“Now let the Pornellites find them – if they can,” declared Pepper. “I rather think they’ll have a long hunt to do it.”

Then the cadets hurried back to the lake, rowed to the Putnam Hall dock, and lost no time in creeping into the school and up to their dormitories. Five minutes later all were in bed and trying to get to sleep.

CHAPTER XXVIII
AN UNLOOKED-FOR DISAPPEARANCE

The excitement at Putnam Hall over the disappearance of the cannon and the flagstaff was fully duplicated at Pornell Academy when it was discovered that the trophy room had been looted of its entire contents.

“This is an outrage!” stormed Doctor Pornell. “An outrage! I shall put somebody in prison for it!”

“Something has been left behind,” said a teacher who chanced to be with the doctor. “A toy flag and a toy cannon.”

“What!”

“See for yourself, Doctor.”

“Ha! I understand! A flag and a cannon indeed! This must be some of Captain Putnam’s work – to pay me back for the loss of his cannon and his flagstaff,” stormed Doctor Pornell. “I’ll see about it! I’ll have somebody in jail before night!”

The news soon spread, and great was the indignation among the students and especially among those who had helped to win the trophies.

“Well, we have only been paid back for what we did,” said one pupil, who had aided Roy Bock in the removal of the cannon and the flagstaff. “Those who play with fire mustn’t complain if they get their fingers burnt.”

“We must find those trophies,” declared another.

A hunt was made that day and also the next. In the meantime Doctor Pornell sent a decidedly sarcastic letter to Captain Putnam. This angered the master of Putnam Hall exceedingly, and he sent an equally sarcastic letter in return; and there, for the time being, the matter rested, – so far as the Putnam Hall students were concerned.

But it did not rest with Roy Bock and his immediate cronies. In some manner Doctor Pornell learned that Bock had concocted the scheme to take away the cannon and the flagstaff, and consequently he considered Bock responsible for the removal of the trophies.

“You and your friends who took part in this disgraceful affair must get back those trophies,” said the doctor to Bock. “If you do not I shall punish you severely.”

“I – I will do what I can,” stammered Bock, who was so chagrined over being found out that he knew not what to say. That afternoon he and his cronies went out on another hunt for the missing things, but without result. They passed the deserted house, but did not go inside. Had they done so they might have seen something which would have amazed them exceedingly, for the old building now had strange visitors.

Some days after the trophies were removed from Pornell Academy Jack and Pepper were out in the Alice when they saw a youth in a rowboat pulling up the shore.

“That is Will Carey,” cried Pepper. “Let us sail over to him and find out if he has done anything about Flossie Ford’s bracelet.”

They caught Carey just as he was starting to fish. It was a favorite amusement with the Pornell Academy student and he took every available opportunity to indulge in it.

“Hello, Carey!” sang out the young major, as he brought the sloop around and told his chum to drop the mainsail.

“Hello yourself,” returned the other youth, not particularly pleased over the meeting.

“How is everything at Pornell Academy?” questioned Pepper.

“Guess you fellows know well enough. Did a big thing, didn’t you, to steal all our trophies?”

“Are your trophies gone?” asked the Imp, innocently.

“Sure they are – and you fellows know it. You cleaned us out nicely I must say.”

“I am very, very sorry, Carey,” and Pepper grinned.

“You look it.”

“The trophies, eh?” said Jack. “When did Pornell ever win any trophies?”

“Oh, he means the trophies they bought at some junk shop,” said Pepper. “You know you can buy all kinds second-hand, for about twenty cents apiece.”

“These were trophies our school won!” exclaimed Will Carey.

“From who – some primary school, or kindergarten class?” asked the Imp.

“Oh, we can win ’em – and you’ll find it out some day,” growled the student from Pornell Academy.

“See here, Carey, we didn’t come over here to ask you about your trophies,” said Jack, earnestly. “We want to know what you have done about Flossie Ford’s bracelet.”

“Oh, can’t you drop that!”

“We could – but we are not going to,” declared the young major. “You must find that bracelet if you possibly can. Have you fished for it any more?”

“Yes, but – ” Will Carey paused and looked at Jack and Pepper doubtfully. “Say, did I hear something about your meeting two masked men around here?” he went on earnestly.

“Perhaps you did – but what has that got to do with the bracelet?”

“Everything. Did the men have green masks and hoods?”

“Yes.”

“Then they must be the same.”

“The same? What do you mean?”

“They robbed me of the bracelet.”

“Robbed you!” cried Jack and Pepper in chorus.

“Yes.”

“But you said you had lost the bracelet – that it fell in the lake,” said the young major.

“Humph, I thought so.”

“Thought what?”

“You’re the Bone and Blood Club, ain’t you?”

“We are. Now what about this bracelet and the two masked men?”

“Why, a couple of days after you caught me I went fishing for the blue tin box again and found it. The bracelet was inside and all right. I took it out and started for the Ford place, intending to give it back to Flossie. On the road I met those two masked men, and they held me up and took the bracelet and a ruby ring away from me.”

“Is this true?” asked Pepper. “You are sure you are not fooling?”

“It is the positive truth – hope to die if it isn’t. The men had clubs and one had a butcher knife, and I admit they scared me half to death. They acted as if they were about half crazy. One said he was going to give the bracelet to the queen of the North Pole, or something like that.”

After that Will Carey did not hesitate to give the particulars of the encounter on the road. His description of the two insane men was so perfect it left no doubt in the minds of his hearers regarding the truth of the recital.

“I wish I could catch those chaps,” he added. “But they said if I told anybody they would come to the school and butcher me some night, so I haven’t dared to open my mouth. Besides, I didn’t want to let Doctor Pornell know about the bracelet.”

“You say they had clubs and a butcher knife,” said Jack.

“Yes, and each of ’em had a couple of white bags over his shoulder, stuffed with excelsior and other things.”

“What!” almost yelled Jack and Pepper in concert.

“White bags. They had something in ’em wrapped in excelsior.”

“Where was this?”

“On the back road – over yonder,” and Will Carey pointed with his hand.

“Humph! We’ll have to look into this,” said the young major and looked meaningly at his chum. “We are in a hurry now. We’ll see you later, Carey.”

“But about those crazy men?” began the Pornell Academy student. He did not understand the sudden haste of the others.

“The authorities are already watching out for them,” answered Jack. “Run up the mainsail again, Pep,” he continued to his chum, and the Alice moved away from that locality.

“Jack, do you imagine those bags were our bags?” demanded Pepper, when they were out of hearing of the Pornell student.

“We’ll soon know. I am going to sail for the deserted house at once.”

“He said they were stuffed with excelsior.”

“Yes, that is what made me suspicious.”

The run to the vicinity of the old mansion did not take long. Reaching what was left of an old dock, they tied up, and almost ran to the building.

“Nobody around now, at all events,” observed the young major, as they glanced through the lower rooms.

“No, but somebody has been here, Jack – by the muddy footprints.”

Wondering if their suspicions would prove correct, they mounted to the second story of the old mansion and ran into the room in the closet of which the trophies had been stored.

“Empty!” gasped Pepper, peering inside the closet.

“Every bag gone!” echoed Jack. “Those crazy men must have carted them all away!”

“Where did they take the things to?”

“That remains to be found out. And if we can’t find the things – ” The young major paused. “Well, somebody will have a fine bill to pay, that’s certain!”

CHAPTER XXIX
THE HILL CLIMBING CONTEST

That night Jack called a special meeting of the cadets who had participated in the removal of the trophies from Pornell Academy. This took place in the gymnasium, and every possible care was taken to exclude outsiders.

“We are in a pickle,” admitted the young major. “Events have taken an unexpected turn, and what we had best do I do not know.” And then he told everything, how Will Carey had been robbed of the bracelet and his ring, and how the crazy men had carried off all the bags of trophies.

“Pepper and I did our best to trace the men, but we could not do it,” Jack went on. “We found some whisps of excelsior on the road, and some footprints, but not enough to follow to the end.”

The loss of the trophies carried consternation to everybody present, and the boys felt more than blue as they discussed the situation. They had expected to return the trophies to Pornell Academy in secret in the near future. Some were in favor of going to George Strong with their story.

“The crazy men are his relatives,” said one. “He ought to do all in his power to locate them.”

“If we go to him Captain Putnam will find out that we took the trophies,” said Andy. “And we don’t want that to happen – at least not yet.”

“I move we wait before we do anything,” said Dale. “Let us all go out into the woods and hunt for those men.”

“We don’t want to get killed,” said Stuffer.

“If we find them we needn’t show ourselves. The best plan would be to watch ’em until they go to sleep for the night and then run for help and bag ’em before they move in the morning.”

“Dale talks as if he had spotted them already,” said Bart, with a laugh.

“Well, you offer a better plan,” retorted Dale.

It was finally decided that the cadets should wait at least a week before going to Mr. Strong or the authorities. In the meantime all were to make a strong effort to locate Bart Callax and Paul Shaff.

“I am going out every time I can get the chance,” said Pepper, and many others said the same. Although they did not care to admit it, they were much worried over the disappearance of the trophies and wondered what they would have to pay to get out of the scrape if the things were not recovered.

“I suppose Doctor Pornell can make it hot for us,” sighed Andy. “Hang it all! I almost wish we hadn’t touched the things!”

Just as the meeting was breaking up a noise was heard in one of the lockers of the gymnasium. Pepper rushed to the door and flung it open and confronted Mumps, who looked too scared to speak.

“Playing the sneak, eh?” cried Pepper and yanked Mumps out on the gymnasium floor.

“I – I went into the – the locker to – to – er – ”

“To pick violets, I suppose,” said Andy. “Boys, he has been spying on us!”

“Down the sneak!”

“Make him promise to keep his mouth shut!”

“I – er – I won’t say a word!” cried Mumps. “I promise you I won’t. Oh, let me go, please let me go!”

“This way with the sneak!” cried Dale, and pointed to the shower bath at one end of the building.

“No, no!” yelled Mumps. “Don’t turn the water on me, please don’t! I – er – I didn’t come here of my own free will.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, Reff Ritter and Coulter and Paxton made me come,” whined the sneak.

“Were you going to report to them?” demanded Pepper.

“Yes. They made me do it.”

“Then we’ll let you off on one condition – and only one,” said Jack.

“What is that?”

“That you don’t breathe a word to anybody about what has been said.”

“All right, I promise.”

“If you break your promise – ”

“We’ll make you wish you had never seen Putnam Hall,” finished Andy.

“That’s the talk,” cried several.

“I won’t say a word – positively I won’t,” answered Mumps, and then he was led to the door and fairly kicked out on the campus. It may be added here that he was so scared he never did say a word until long afterward. Ritter and his cronies tried to “pump him,” but the sneak put them off by stating the meeting was held to consider baseball matters for the coming season.

For three days, including Sunday, the cadets roamed around the vicinity of Putnam Hall, on the lookout for the two insane men. Occasionally they were watched by Ritter and his cronies and this once led to something of a fight between Jack and the bully. Ritter received a black eye and after that, for the time being, kept his distance.

Wednesday of that week was a half-holiday, and a number of the cadets arranged a hill-climbing contest. This was to consist of reaching the top of Devery Hill, three miles from the school. The contestants were not to go by the road, but must travel in a straight line from Putnam Hall, over two small hills before Devery was reached.

“That is something to take the wind out of a fellow,” said Stuffer.

“You wouldn’t lose your wind so quickly if you didn’t eat so much,” replied Andy. “I am going into the race.”

“So am I,” said Pepper. “Jack says he will go, too.”

Sixteen cadets were to participate, and they were to start from the Hall campus at one o’clock in the afternoon. It was a cloudy day and some were afraid it was going to rain.

“Never mind, who’s afraid of a little rain,” said Jack.

“I am not,” answered Pepper.

“Do we take a lunch along?” inquired Stuffer anxiously.

“Certainly,” said Andy. “Onion cakes with liver syrup.”

“Well, I’m going to take a sandwich anyway,” declared the youth who loved to eat.

Promptly on time the sixteen cadets lined up for the race. All were lightly clad and in the best of spirits.

“Now remember,” said George Strong, who had been selected to start the racers off. “The boy to reach the flat rock on the top of Devery Hill first wins the race. Are you all ready? Then go!”

Away they went, pell-mell, across the campus, leaping a small hedge and running up a footpath leading to the top of the first hill. The teacher gave them a cheer and so did Captain Putnam, and Peleg Snuggers waved his big red handkerchief after them. The other cadets yelled wildly and ran along a short distance, but soon dropped behind.

Ritter and Paxton were in the race. Coulter had thought to enter, but was suffering from a sore toe. There were to be two prizes, and the cronies thought they could win, for both were good runners and knew how to climb.

The distance over the first hill was a mile and over the second hill another mile. Then came the third mile, up to the top of Devery, a steep incline, covered with rocks and brushwood.

By the time the first hill was left behind some of the cadets were showing signs of becoming winded. Two dropped out of the race and three others were left far in the rear before the top of the second hill was gained. The pace was a smart one, and Jack, Pepper and Andy found themselves perspiring freely.

“No more of this for me!” came from Stuffer, after two-thirds of the distance had been covered. “I am going to stop off to rest,” and he threw himself down on the grass under a tree. Another cadet did likewise.

At the foot of the last hill Jack, Andy and Pepper found themselves pretty well bunched. In front of them were Ritter and Paxton. The rest were a good bit behind.

“I am going to get ahead of those fellows!” cried the young major, and commenced to climb with renewed vigor. Soon he passed Paxton, who scowled darkly at him, but said nothing.

Pepper was close behind Jack and Andy, but a few yards to one side, when the three heard a noise above them. Looking upward, they saw several stones of good size rolling down the hillside.

“Beware of the rocks!” sang out Jack, and leaped aside just in time. Pepper was grazed on the shoulder and Andy got a pinched foot. Then they heard a yell from Paxton.

“Oh, my foot! The rock has mashed my foot!”

“It was Ritter’s fault!” called back Jack. “He sent the rocks down on us! I guess he wanted to injure me.”

He had hardly spoken when he heard a sudden exclamation of terror. Ritter had slipped and was rolling over and over down the hillside. He passed Jack and Pepper and then came toward Andy. The latter reached out and caught the bully by the arm and held him.

“Don’t let me go down!” screamed Ritter, in fright.

“You are safe,” answered Andy. “Pick yourself up and take care of Paxton – he needs you. Some of the rocks you rolled down struck him.”

“I – I didn’t mean to do it,” stammered the bully. But the look on his face showed that he was not speaking the truth. He had played a mean trick, but Fate had paid him back almost instantly. His face was much scratched, his wind was gone, and he had to withdraw from the race.