THE RIVAL RUNAWAYS
By eight o’clock that morning the runaway cadets of Putnam Hall went
into camp not a great distance away from where Andy had driven the wagon
into the woods. They found an ideal spot in a small clearing surrounded
by dense woods. There the tents were pitched, and some of the boys
cleaned out a handy spring, that all the water needed might be procured.
While some of the cadets were raising the tents, others, under the
directions of Bob Grenwood and Stuffer, were preparing breakfast. The
cook stove had been set up, and three cadets had been detailed by Jack
to procure firewood.
“We’ll have this camp in apple-pie order before noon,” said the young
major. “I am going to observe the same kind of regulations as if we were
off on an annual encampment.”
Early in the morning one of the cadets had hurried away to Cedarville,
to send a telegram to Captain Putnam, notifying him of the state of
affairs. A letter was also dropped into the post-office for the master
of the Hall, and this was marked Private. Then another letter was sent
to Josiah Crabtree, a farm boy being hired to deliver it. This letter
ran as follows:
“Mr. Josiah Crabtree:
“Dear Sir: We have left Putnam Hall to camp out until the return of
Captain Putnam. To remain at the school under the management of
yourself and Mr. Cuddle was impossible. As soon as Captain Putnam
returns we shall lay our case before him.
“Yours truly,
“The Students’ Committee,
“Joseph Nelson, Sec’y.”
“I guess that will set old Crabtree to thinking,” was Dale’s comment,
when the communication was dispatched. “He’ll find out that he can’t do
just as he pleases.”
“Yes, and it will set that new teacher to thinking too,” added Pepper.
“Oh, wouldn’t I like to square up with Pluxton Cuddle, for cutting us
short on rations!”
Andy had told the young major about the tramps and Jack agreed to see
what could be done as soon as camp matters were arranged.
“I’ve got to get things into shape here first,” said Jack. “I feel it in
my bones that Ritter is going to make trouble. Since we ran away he acts
like a regular sorehead.”
While breakfast was being served Reff Ritter and Gus Coulter growled at
nearly everything that was being done. The camping spot, to them, was no
good, the tents were not properly placed, and Reff stated loudly that he
would have picked out a spot that had better drinking water, while
Coulter turned up his nose at the coffee served.
“This is regular dishwater,” said Gus. “I thought we ran away to have
something good to eat and to drink.”
“See here, Gus, if you don’t like the coffee, supposing you make some
for yourself,” answered Bob Grenwood, sharply.
“Huh! Maybe you think I can’t make coffee!”
“This ham is about half done,” came from Nick Paxton. “It isn’t fit for
a dog to eat.”
“Well, what can you expect, when those fellows are running everything to
suit themselves?” growled Reff Ritter. “If I was leader I’d have things
different.”
“See here, Reff!” cried Jack, sharply. “I don’t like your talk at all.
The boys are doing the best they can. You can’t expect everything to
work like a charm at the very start. We are all tired out, and what we
need is a good night’s sleep. Don’t grumble so much.”
“I’ll grumble if I please!” flared up the bully of the school. “You may
be major of the battalion but you can’t boss me here.”
“You didn’t have to come with us if you didn’t want to,” put in Dale.
“Jack is our leader, and everybody in this camp has got to obey his
orders.”
“That’s the talk!” cried Pepper.
“Humph! Then I reckon the best we can do is to get out,” answered
Ritter, with a meaning look at his cronies.
“Yes, give us our share of the camp stuff and we’ll go,” added Coulter.
“All in favor of going with Reff Ritter raise their right hand,” sang
out Nick Paxton.
Evidently the matter had been talked over between the bully and his
cohorts for on the instant nine hands went up.
“Ten of us, counting Reff,” said Coulter. “How many are there all told?”
“Thirty-three,” answered Fred.
“Then we number about one-third of the total and we ought to have
one-third of the stuff,” said a cadet who had voted to join Reff Ritter.
“That wouldn’t be fair!” cried Hogan. “Sure, and it was Jack and his
chums who planned this thing and who got the most of the goods together,
so they did. Ritter didn’t carry a thing but his own clothing.”
“Never mind,” said the young major. “If Ritter and his crowd want to
camp by themselves let them do it. We’ll give them a fair share of the
tents and the provisions.”
A warm discussion followed, which almost ended in a fight. But Jack’s
suggestion prevailed, and just before noon Ritter and his nine followers
left, taking with them a share of the tents and the provisions. The
bully wanted more than was dealt out to him, and went away muttering
that he would pay the others back for their meanness.
“I am glad they are gone,” said Jack, when the crowd had departed. “We’d
never have harmony with them around.”
“Right you are,” answered Pepper. “Just the same, I think we gave them
more than they deserved.”
“We’ve got to keep our eyes peeled for them,” was Dale’s comment.
“Ritter is just the fellow to play us some underhanded trick.”
“That’s true—he doesn’t know when to be grateful,” said Bart Conners.
“I am glad he is gone,” came from Stuffer. “Now we won’t have to cook
for so many.” And this remark caused a smile.
With the discontented ones gone the camp took on a more cheerful
appearance. Breakfast was finished, and the few dishes washed, and then
the majority of the cadets laid down to rest, for they had not had a
sound sleep since the rebellion had begun. Andy and Joe were anxious to
go after the tramps, but Andy could hardly keep his eyes open, while Joe
was little better off.
“Might as well wait until to-morrow,” said the young major. “It isn’t
likely those tramps will go away in a hurry. Most likely they intend to
stay there until cold weather.”
A guard was set, which was changed every two hours, and the cadets laid
down to rest. The majority of them slept “like logs,” and it was again
dark when they commenced to stir around, and Stuffer began preparations
for supper.
“Wonder what is going on at the Hall,” said Jack, as he stretched
himself. “Crabtree and the others must be hunting for us.”
“I don’t care what they do, so long as they don’t find us,” answered
Pepper.
In the evening Pepper and Andy set off for Cedarville, to buy some
things that were needed in the camp. They took to the regular road,
thinking they could easily get out of sight if any of the enemy
appeared.
As they walked along they saw a buggy approaching. It contained two
girls, and as it came closer Pepper uttered an exclamation of pleasure:
“Laura Ford and her sister Flossie! Won’t they be surprised when they
learn what has happened.”
The girls he mentioned were two old friends of the cadets. They were the
daughters of a Mr. Rossmore Ford, a rich gentleman who owned a summer
cottage called Point View Lodge, located on the lake shore. In the past
the boys had done the girls several services of importance and the young
ladies and their parents were correspondingly grateful.