HOW IT ALL CAME OUT
There had been a good deal of anxiety the night before when Jack had
failed to return and all sorts of reasons were assigned for his absence.
Then late at night Dick's car was returned by a constable who said he
had found it in the road just outside the town of Riverton and,
recognizing it and knowing that there had been inquiries made about it,
had brought it back.
This did not explain Jack's absence, however, and many telephone
messages were sent to various parts of the town, enquiring for him.
Mr. Brooke reported his having been to the office and others remembered
having seen him but where he had gone and why the car had been abandoned
were puzzles that no one could solve.
When Jack himself appeared at the last moment and announced that he was
ready to begin his examinations there was a general rejoicing but the
mystery was as deep as ever for the boy would not answer any questions
at the time, merely repeating that he had been detained but was glad
that he was no later.
Then he set to work upon the first of his papers and no one disturbed
him for two hours when he went outside and said to Percival who had
finished his paper:
"Somebody did not want me to take this examination but I am taking it
and that is all there is to say about it."
"But where have you been, Jack?"
"Up in the hills, miles away from here. I stayed with a hermit who might
have been Rip Van Winkle himself during a part of the night and set out
for Hilltop some time after sunrise, just making it in time."
"Yes, but Jack, what did you do it for?" and Dick showed that he was
greatly puzzled as well as distressed. "Didn't you know that the boys
would be worried?"
"I am not so fond of going off miles away by myself and then walking
back as to do a thing of that sort willingly, Dick," laughed Jack. "I
was run away with, abducted, kept a prisoner, released by a man who has
been a prisoner himself, walked for miles through the mountain passes,
stayed with a hermit and his dog and finally got back here just in time.
Did you get your car?"
"Yes, and that's what worried us for we did not know what had become of
you. Tell me all about it?"
"There is not time," with a laugh, "but I will tell you some things. You
remember the man with the white mustache?"
"Yes, of course."
"He was up in the mountains where my captors took me and it was he who
got me free and afterward left me, going I know not where. I told you I
would tell you who he is one day."
"Yes, so you did but if you don't like to----"
"I don't mind telling you, Dick. The man is my stepfather and you can
easily see why I was agitated when I heard that he was about and then
when I met him. He has been in prison for a number of years and then my
mother was happy, safe and comfortable. His being free again made me
worry for I hoped that he never would trouble us again."
"So you would."
"Now he has gone I don't know where and we need not say any more or
think any more about him."
"But who ran off with you, Jack, and why?"
"Men I had never seen before. They were hired by some one who does not
want me to take the examinations and so lose my standing in school. It
does not really matter who they are, Dick."
"It does matter to me, Jack," said Percival, excitedly, "for if I find
out who they are they will be glad enough to leave the school
themselves. Have you no idea, Jack?"
"Oh, I have an idea, of course, but suspicion is not proof as I told you
once before so suppose we let it pass."
"Well, just as you like but that is not what I should do," returned
Dick, evidently disappointed.
"But as I am the person most interested and as that is the way I feel
about it, why not let it go at that?" and Jack smiled.
"Oh, very well, just as you like," and no more was said.
Dick told the other boys what Jack had told him of his adventures and
many of them were for making an investigation but as Dick told them that
their friend did not care for this they concluded to let the matter drop
and there it rested.
Herring and Merritt and others were suspected but nothing was said to
them and they kept away from Jack and his particular friends and it was
not long before this affair was forgotten.
The examinations continued and at the end of them when the reports were
made, Jack was found to have passed the highest of any one in his class
in all but two of his studies and within one or two of first place in
the others.
This would give him a good lead for the rest of the term and help him in
the final examinations at the end of the school year, his standing
having greatly improved since he had come to the Academy.
"You have done well, old chap," said Billy. Manners, "and I want to see
you do better yet the next time."
"I am going to try to at any rate, Billy," said Jack.
"Old Bull is getting very cranky these days," Billy added. "He is
getting to be more of a martinet than ever and would keep us drilling
from morning till night if he had his way. I fancy he thinks this is
another West Point."
"Perhaps he remembers how you fooled him with the mad dog alarm,"
laughed Jack.
"He did not know it at the time or I would have been put on guard duty
all night. Anyhow, there will be trouble if he keeps up this everlasting
drilling. I don't believe the doctor cares for it but the doctor is a
good old fellow and never says anything about what any of his
instructors does. He is as mild mannered as an old woman."
"How did you come out yourself in your examinations?" Jack asked.
"Pretty good, but I like fun too much to do any overtime in study. Maybe
I would have done better but for that."
"Perhaps you would but I would rather have you full of fun than going
about grumbling and complaining against everybody as some of the boys
here are in the habit of doing."
"Yes, I know who you mean and they did not pass very high either. If
they are not more studious for the rest of this term they will be told
to go somewhere else at the end of it."
The work began again in a short time and Jack devoted himself as
sedulously to his work as before, while, at the same time, he indulged
in all the sports that boys like best and excelled in them, making more
friends every day and making those he had already made more and more
fond of him.
Percival stood high in his classes as usual for, as he said, he was
looking for Jack to catch up with him and, therefore, wanted to keep as
far ahead as possible and to make himself stronger to meet his friend
when the latter should have reached his rank.
As Billy Manners had said, there seemed to be trouble brewing in the
Academy, not only on account of Colonel Bull but for other reasons and
those who were in the way of observing the signs closely in such
institutions were of the opinion that the clouds would not be long in
breaking.
Those who have been interested in the careers of Jack Sheldon and his
friends at the Academy thus far may find something more of this in the
next volume which is called "The Hilltop Boys in Camp," wherein are told
many things now only hinted at.
"It is my opinion that if troubles do arise we will find Jack taking as
strong a part for the right as he always has," said Dick to Harry and
Arthur one day when they were talking of these matters.
"Then if we happen to be in the wrong he will go against us, do you
mean?" Harry asked.
"I should not be surprised."
"Yes, but how do you know we will be in the wrong?"
"I don't; we must wait and see."
THE END