The Putnam Hall Champions

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.

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.

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.