Stratemeyer Edward
The Putnam Hall Champions

CHAPTER XIII
FUN WITH PELEG SNUGGERS

“What’s this?”

“Crows, I declare!”

“They are dropping cards!”

“Say, this is the limit, isn’t it?”

“Hurrah, Pornell has got to eat crow to-day!” cried one Putnam Hall cadet.

“That’s right,” added another. “Hope they enjoy it.”

The trick Pepper had played made all the cadets laugh loudly. As for the Pornell students they looked dark and sour.

“This is an outrage!” stormed Roy Bock. “Eat crow indeed! I say we didn’t lose the match. They didn’t play fair.”

“We did play fair – and that’s the end of it,” answered Dale, and walked towards the carryall. Others followed, and soon all the Putnam cadets were ready to depart. Some bitter things were said on both sides, and several of the rivals came close to getting into a pitched battle.

“I will have no fighting,” said George Strong. “Come, we will depart at once.”

“But we won fairly, Mr. Strong,” pleaded Dale.

“I feel sure you did, Blackmore, and I give Doctor Pornell no credit for allowing his scholars to treat you in this style. But I want you to act as young gentlemen.”

At last the carryall, the carriages, and the cadets on bicycles were on their way. The bowling team was in the carryall and with them were Jack, Pepper and a number of others. Mr. Strong was in one of the carriages ahead.

“I declare, I think they were too mean for anything!” cried Andy. “I wish I had punched that Roy Bock’s head for him!”

“Yes, and Grimes ought to be thrashed, too,” added Pepper.

“I noticed that Fred Century kept rather quiet,” said Jack. “I don’t believe he liked the way Bock acted. When Bock claimed a foul he looked bored.”

“I guess he’s as nice a fellow as there is at that Academy,” was Stuffer’s comment. “Say, anybody bring any fruit along?” he added. “I’m half starved.”

“Was there ever a time when you weren’t half starved?” asked Jack, grinning. “Here’s something I brought for your especial benefit,” and he handed out an orange.

“Good! You have saved my life!” And Stuffer began to eat the fruit with great gusto.

“I had a sneaking idea they might provide a little lunch,” said Jack. “I think Captain Putnam would have done so.”

“Sure an’ Docther Pornell is too mean to do that same,” answered Hogan. “I’ve been tould he’s only liberal whin there’s money to be made by it.”

“That’s the way of some would-be high-toned folks,” said Dale.

“I want to know about those crows,” came from Harry Blossom. “Where did they come from?”

“Pepper set them loose – I saw him do it – he and Jack,” answered Bart.

“I’ll have to own up that I’m responsible,” said the Imp, with a broad smile. “I took the crows along because I felt almost sure Bock’s crowd would do something dirty – I know Bock so well.”

“But where did you get the crows?”

“I was talking with a young farmer one day and he told me how he had been trapping crows in his cornfield. As soon as this match was arranged I got the farmer to catch the crows and boxed ’em up. Then I wrote out the cards and fastened them on the crows’ wings.”

That evening the Putnam Hall cadets had a little celebration on the campus in honor of the victory. In this Ritter, Coulter and Paxton took no part, but all the other students did and they had a jolly time. Pepper and some others captured Peleg Snuggers and told him he had to make a speech.

“I don’t know nuthing about no speech,” said the general utility man. “You better let me go – I’ve got some work to do down to the barn.”

“We want you to tell us about your experience as a soldier,” said Pepper.

“I never was a soldier – I was a fireman.”

“That’s the talk!” cried Andy. “Tell us how you became a fireman, and rescued four live kittens from a ten-story burning building, Peleg.”

“Didn’t rescue no kittens. But once I rescued – ”

“A three-legged bedstead,” finished Stuffer.

“No, it was a – ”

“Broken-backed clothes horse,” suggested Dale. “Did the horse get over it, Peleg?”

“Now see here, I didn’t say nuthing about a hoss. When I was a member o’ the Cowtown Volunteer Fire Company, Mr. Glasby’s house burnt down, and I saved – ”

“Two pair of overalls and a box of gumdrops,” finished Pepper. “Very brave, Peleg, very brave! It’s a wonder they didn’t give you a tin medal.”

“It wasn’t no overalls nor no gumdrops nuther,” cried the general utility man. “I saved – ”

“A lady and her sixteen small children!” exclaimed Jack. “Hurrah for Peleg Snuggers, the fireman-hero of Cowtown! Peleg, they ought to erect a monument in the public square in your honor for such heroic endeavors!”

“Say, look a-here,” gasped Snuggers. “If you want to hear what I saved – ”

“We do! We do!” was the cry. “Tell us!”

“I am really dying to know!” simpered Stuffer.

“It’s meself that can’t wait a minit longer, Peleg, me brave b’y!” sighed Emerald.

“I saved a sick dog,” yelled the general utility man, in desperation.

“A dog!”

“Well, I never!”

“Peleg, that’s one on us right enough!”

“He was a valuable dog – wuth two hundred dollars,” explained the general utility man. “He was up on the second floor. I brung him down on the ladder. We tumbled half the way, but it didn’t hurt the dog none, ’though it did skin my nose. Mr. Glasby give me five dollars fer a-doin’ of it,” added Peleg, proudly.

“What, for skinning your nose?” questioned Jack, innocently.

“No, fer savin’ the dog from the fiery elements – thet’s wot Mr. Glasby called ’em – ’though I didn’t see no elements – it was jest a big, red-hot fire,” added the general utility man, and then, watching his chance, he slipped away and kept out of sight for the rest of the evening.

During the past Summer and that Spring the bicycling craze, as it was called, had struck Putnam Hall hard, and now fully twenty of the cadets had wheels. As a consequence a number of the lads organized the Putnam Hall Bicycle Club. Every lad who had a wheel was eligible to membership, and our friends were not long in joining. Ritter was a member and Coulter and Paxton also joined. Bart Conners was the leader of the club.

“I move we get up a long distance race,” said Bart, one day. “We have had several small contests, but a race of fifteen or twenty miles would show just what the fellows can do.”

His proposal interested some of the cadets at once. Of course there were many who did not feel they could ride in a race that was so long, but Pepper, Jack and Andy went in and so did Ritter, Coulter and Paxton. Bart, of course, entered, and six others followed.

It took a little study to lay out the course, but at last this was accomplished, and the time of the race was set for a Wednesday afternoon a week later, Captain Putnam agreeing to close the school an hour earlier than usual, if the weather was right for the contest.

Reff Ritter was a good bicyclist, and as soon as the race was assured he went around trying to make wagers on the outcome of the contest. The majority of the cadets would not bet – it being against their principles, nevertheless the bully found some willing to put up their money, and he staked all he had – thirty dollars – on his chance of winning.

“If you are so sure of winning there isn’t much use of our going in the contest,” said Paxton to Ritter, as he and the bully and Coulter met.

“Well, I am bound to win,” answered Ritter. “I think you can help me to do it, too. You’d like to see me beat Ruddy and Ditmore and Snow, wouldn’t you?”

“Very much!” answered Coulter, with emphasis.

“Well, here is the chance. And another thing – what’s the matter with your betting that Ruddy, Ditmore and Snow will lose? Then, if they do lose, you’ll stand to win something.”

“But they may win,” said Paxton, who was rather cautious when it came to putting up his money.

“Yes, and I’ll tell you I haven’t a dollar to spare,” added Coulter, who was the poorest of the three. On more than one occasion he had borrowed spending money from Ritter and Dan Baxter.

“I’ve got a plan,” answered Ritter. “Come on out on the lake in a rowboat. Then we’ll be sure that nobody will overhear us,” and he led the way to where the rowboats were tied up. Ever since the scare over the use of the French headache powder Ritter had been more or less nervous and afraid of exposure.

All unconscious of any plot being hatched out to make them lose the bicycle contest, Jack, Pepper and Andy spent their spare time in exercising on their wheels. A prize of a fine story book had been put up by the club for the winner, and all three were determined to do what they could to come in ahead.

“One of us must win,” said Jack. “I don’t care who it is. But I do want to see Ritter and his cronies defeated.”

“Just what I say!” declared Pepper.

“Same here!” added Andy. “The way Ritter goes around blowing makes me sick!”

“Well, Brag is a good horse, but Win-out is it,” declared Jack.

Fortunately the roads in the vicinity of Putnam Hall had been rolled in the Spring and were, consequently, in good condition. The route laid out took in two small hamlets and also passed Point View Lodge, the Summer residence of a rich gentleman named Rossmore Ford. The boys were fairly well acquainted with Mr. Ford and his family, and they had on two occasions done the Ford girls, Laura and Flossie, great service.

“What do you say if we stop at the Lodge and pay our respects?” said Jack one afternoon, as he and his chums reached that neighborhood on their bicycles.

“I’m willing,” answered Pepper. “I saw Laura Ford in Cedarville not long ago and she wanted to know why we hadn’t been up.”

“And he never said a word about it!” cried Andy. “Say, Pepper, did you want to call alone? I knew you were sweet on those girls, but – ”

“Oh, quit it, Andy. I was going to mention it, but it slipped my mind, really it did.”

“Maybe he was afraid we’d meet another tiger up here if we came,” suggested Jack. “Say, we had a lively time nailing that beast, eh?”

“That’s what,” answered Pepper. “No more runaway circus tigers for me,” he added, with a grave shake of his head.

The boys were less than half a mile from Point View Lodge and it did not take them long to wheel that distance. Then, leaning their bicycles against some trees, they walked up the piazza and rang the bell. A servant answered the summons, and led them into the wide and cool hallway.

“Mrs. Rossmore has gone out,” she announced a minute later. “But the young ladies will be here shortly.”

“Oh, how do you do!” came a cry an instant later, and Laura Ford rushed down the broad stairs, followed by her sister. A warm handshaking followed, and then the girls asked the cadets all about how they had been, and invited them to come out on the lawn and have a game of croquet.

CHAPTER XIV
THE MYSTERY OF A BRACELET

“We have been wondering why you didn’t come and pay us a visit,” said Flossie, tossing back her curly hair.

“Well, you see, we have been very busy with our studies,” answered Pepper, before his chums could speak. “We’ve been thinking about coming, I can assure you.”

“I heard down in Cedarville that you had a bowling contest with the Pornell Academy team,” said Laura. “I understand that you won.” And she smiled brightly.

“I wasn’t in that,” answered Jack. “But Andy was, and he made a fine score, too.”

“Oh, the other fellows did as well as I did,” said the acrobatic youth, modestly.

“I am so glad you beat the Pornell boys,” exclaimed Flossie. “Do you know, I think some of them too horrid for anything!” And she drew down the corners of her pretty mouth.

“Oh, yes, we remember Roy Bock and his crowd,” answered Pepper. “I trust they haven’t annoyed you lately.”

“Oh, the most of them keep their distance now,” said Flossie.

“Flossie has had trouble with one of the boys,” went on Laura. She turned to her sister. “Shall I tell them about it?”

“Oh – well, I don’t care!” murmured Flossie, and blushed deeply.

“Maybe they can help you to get it back,” continued the sister.

“Get what back?” asked Jack.

“Flossie’s bracelet. Have you ever met a Pornell student named Will Carey.”

“Yes.”

“Do you like him?”

“No,” came from Jack and Pepper simultaneously.

“He has Flossie’s bracelet – one papa gave her last Christmas. He called here once and when they were fooling on this croquet lawn he took the bracelet away from her and carried it off. Ever since that time she has been trying to get it back, but he won’t bring it or send it.”

“The mean fellow!” cried Jack. “Of course he isn’t base enough to steal the bracelet, is he?”

“I hardly think that,” spoke up Flossie. “I guess he is just trying to tease me. Once he said – ” She broke off short and blushed deeper than ever.

“He said he’d give it back for a kiss,” finished Laura.

“And I said I’d rather box his ears!” cried Flossie, “and I would, too! Oh, I wish I had that bracelet back! I’d never speak to him again!”

“He certainly is no gentleman to keep the bracelet when you want it back,” was Pepper’s comment. “You ought to send a constable after him, or something like that, – just to scare him.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare!” cried the girl who had lost the jewelry. “Papa would be very angry, I am sure, if he found out I had allowed the bracelet to go out of my possession, and mamma wouldn’t like it either. No, I’d like to get it back as quietly as possible, if I can.”

“Wonder if we could get it back for you?” mused Jack. “We might try it, anyway, if you say so.”

“Do you think you could?” questioned the girl, brightening up. “Oh, if you could I’d be so thankful!”

“Let us try it anyway,” said Pepper.

“But you will go at it quietly?” pleaded Flossie.

“Yes, nobody shall know of it but Carey himself,” answered the young major.

“He acted real nice first,” explained the girl. “But the second time he called I saw he was of the Roy Bock stamp and I treated him real cool. I was very foolish to let him call at all. I cannot bear such rude boys.”

The cadets remained to play several games of croquet, and to partake of some lemonade and cake. They told the girls about the proposed bicycle race, and the latter said they would be on the watch to see the contestants pass.

“We’ll have cold milk or lemonade ready for you,” said Laura. “So if you want to drink it won’t take you long to do it.”

“Thanks awfully!” cried Andy. “That will be fine. I guess we’ll be pretty dry after climbing the hill below here, especially if the road is dusty.”

On the way back to Putnam Hall the three chums discussed the question of getting back Flossie’s bracelet. They had learned that the bracelet was of solid gold, with five small diamonds set in a row. It had cost at least a hundred dollars, if not more.

“If that rascal really means to keep the bracelet he ought to be horsewhipped for it!” declared Andy.

“I think he is only teasing Flossie,” answered Jack. “But he has no business to do that. She is terribly worried.”

“The idea of Will Carey wanting to kiss her!” said Pepper, almost savagely. “I’d like to – to – thrash him!”

“I think I’ll write Carey a letter, asking him to meet me in Cedarville,” said Jack, after thinking it over. “When he comes I’ll tell him he must return the bracelet at once, or take the consequence, and I’ll hint at the law. Most likely that will fetch him.”

“Want us along?” asked Pepper.

“I think it may be better if I met Carey alone, Pep. If all of us got at him he might get stubborn, thinking we wanted to have the laugh on him.”

“Well, if he doesn’t give up, we’ll all get after him, and good and hard, too,” said Andy.

Jack wrote the letter to the Pornell Academy student that evening. It was short and to the point, and informed Carey that he must meet the young major without fail. He was told to come alone, and was informed that Jack would also be unaccompanied. The next day brought a brief answer, as follows:

“Do not know what you want, but will be there

Will Carey.”

“He’ll be astonished when you tell him what brought you,” said Pepper, when the young major showed him the communication.

There was a small village green in Cedarville, with a number of benches and a bandstand, and Jack had requested Carey to meet him there. The young major was on time, but he found the Pornell student ahead of him.

“Well, what do you want that is so mysterious?” demanded Carey, abruptly. “I haven’t much time. I’ve got another engagement inside of an hour.”

“What I’ve got to say, Carey, won’t take an hour,” answered Jack. “In fact, it won’t take me five minutes.”

“All right – let’s have it.”

“You have a bracelet belonging to Flossie Ford.”

At this announcement Will Carey was startled and showed it. He gazed at the young major hesitatingly.

“Who told you that?” he asked slowly.

“She did – and she wants it back.”

“Humph! Did she send you to me?”

“No, I volunteered to come.”

“Want to worry me into doing something, I suppose,” and the Pornell Academy student tried to put a sneer into his tone.

“I simply want you to give the bracelet back, that’s all. You’ve got to do it.”

“I did give the bracelet back.”

“You did! To-day?”

“No, two or three weeks ago. I didn’t want her old bracelet. I simply took it to tease her, that’s all.”

“You gave the bracelet back two or three weeks ago?” said Jack, slowly. “She told me yesterday that you still had it.”

“It isn’t so! I returned it to her three or four days after I took it.”

“How did you send it?”

“I didn’t send it. I put it in a box of chocolates and gave it to her.”

“It’s queer she didn’t say anything about that,” mused Jack. Carey’s statement mystified him a good deal.

“Is that all you wanted to see me about?” demanded the Pornell youth.

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll be going,” and without another word Will Carey walked away across the green and down the street leading to the steamboat landing. Jack made as if to follow him, then changed his mind and turned in the direction of Putnam Hall.

“There is a mistake somewhere,” he told his chums. “I guess I had better see Flossie Ford again before I go further in this matter.”

“You might write her a letter,” suggested Pepper.

“Mrs. Ford might not like us to be sending her daughters letters, Pep. No, I’ll talk it over, the first chance I get.”

The chance came sooner than expected. The chums were out on Monday practicing for the bicycle race when they saw a buggy ahead of them. They spurted up, intending to pass the vehicle, when they discovered that it contained the Ford girls, who had been down to the Cedarville post-office.

“Glad we met you,” said Jack, when the greetings were over. “Please stop, I want to ask you something.”

Then, when all had come to a halt by the road-side, he told the particulars of his meeting with Will Carey.

“He never returned that bracelet at all!” cried Flossie, indignantly. “He said it was in the box of chocolates – if he hadn’t said that I never should have taken the box – but when I opened it all there was in it were the candies and a note asking me to meet him for a row on the lake.”

“You are positive it wasn’t in the box?” asked Pepper.

“Yes, I am. I dumped all the chocolates into my lap, for I wanted my bracelet and not the candy. When I saw that he had fooled me I was so angry I threw the chocolates away.”

“Was he there at the time?” asked Andy.

“No, he went away just as soon as he gave me the box.”

“You didn’t go rowing, I suppose,” said Jack.

“No, indeed! I tore up the note and didn’t answer it. Then I didn’t see him for a week. When I did I asked for the bracelet, and he began to tease me and said he had put it in the box of chocolates, under the tissue paper.”

“And you are perfectly positive it wasn’t in the box?” insisted Jack.

“Why, Jack, don’t you believe me?” asked Flossie, reproachfully.

“Yes, but I want to make certain there was no mistake. You looked through the box carefully?”

“I surely did. All that was in it besides the candy was a sheet of tissue paper and a tiny tin tongs. Oh, I am positive the bracelet was not there.”

“Well, I must confess I don’t know what there is to do,” said Jack, biting his lip meditatively. “He declares he gave the bracelet back. Even if you went to law, his word would be as good as yours.”

“Oh, we are not going to law!” cried Laura, horrified.

“I understand. But I don’t see how you are going to get the bracelet back.”

“I’ve got a plan,” put in Pepper.

“Oh, what is it?” asked Flossie, eagerly.

“I don’t think I’ll mention it just now. I’ll tell you about it later,” was the reply. “But you can rest assured of one thing. If Will Carey has got that bracelet we’ll get it for you.”

“I think I know what Pep’s plan is,” broke in Andy. “And if so, I think it’s all right,” and he winked at his chum.

“I trust I get the bracelet soon,” said Flossie, soberly. “Every day I am afraid papa or mamma will ask me about it. And when they do I won’t know what to say! Oh, I wish I had never met that horrid Will Carey!”