THE MYSTERY OF THE CANES
At the very moment when the consternation of the sophomores was keenest
the sound of a sleigh turning into the yard in which they were standing
caused them all to look quickly toward the gateway. The ground was bare
in places, and the runners of the sleigh, as the iron bands passed over
the gravel, emitted shrieks and groans as if they were striving to warn
the sophomores of the impending peril.
Seated in the sleigh were three men whom the assembly speedily
recognized as members of the freshman class, and their own fears for a
moment doubtless caused the sophomores to magnify the numbers as well as
the danger.
"Look out, fellows! Here they come!" said one in a low voice whom Will
and Hawley recognized. It was Mott, who was again the spokesman and
leader of the little band.
"Let's get out of this," responded one whose voice Will could not
determine, and as if a sudden panic had seized upon them the young men
turned and began to run swiftly.
"Hold on! Hold on, fellows!" called Mott savagely, although his voice
was not loud. "Hold on! What are you running for? There are only three
of them, and we're good for any three freshmen in Winthrop. Don't run.
Come on back!"
Mott's appeal served to restore a measure of confidence among his
companions, and instantly the flight was abandoned and all turned slowly
back toward the yard. Neither Will nor Hawley had yet moved from his
hiding-place, though they were leaning farther out from the corner of
the barn in their eagerness to discover what was occurring in the yard
before them. They could see that the driver in the sleigh was Foster,
and he had leaped out and was now as calmly tying his horse and
fastening the blanket upon it as if never a thought of his rival class
had entered his mind. Beside him two young men were standing, but in the
dim light it was impossible to determine just who they were. The
returning sophomores were now near the new arrivals, and the genial old
minister could also be seen, still standing on the piazza and evidently
not uninterested in the sight and presence of the young men before him.
"What are you doing here, Bennett?" demanded Mott of Foster.
"Oh, we're out for a sleigh ride," responded Foster glibly, "and we just
stopped here to see the fun. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, we stopped to see the fun too," responded Mott gruffly. "It's worth
going miles to see freshmen who don't know any more than to go
sleigh-riding on bare ground. Had a good time, freshman?"
"Yes. Have you?"
"We're all right. If you've come for the canes you're too late."
"Have you just found that out?" replied Foster with a loud laugh. It was
true that he was not aware that the canes had been taken away, but he
was not minded to betray his surprise to the members of the rival
class.
There was a brief interval of silence which was broken by the old
minister, who said, "I shall be very glad, young gentlemen, to have you
come into the house. The night air is cold and you must be thoroughly
chilled. A little while ago I may have appeared somewhat lacking in
hospitality," he added, turning to Mott as he spoke; "but now I can
assure you I shall be very glad indeed to receive you."
"Thank you," responded Foster. "We shall be glad to come in if the
others will come too."
"We can't very well to-night," said Mott glumly. "We've got to go--"
Suddenly there broke in a wild yell upon the silence of the night. The
sound was made by only two men, but these two were possessed of a lung
power that was well-nigh phenomenal. Hawley who with his companion had
been watching the events that were occurring before them had suddenly
turned to Will and whispered, "Let's go in and take a hand! Yell,
Phelps! Make them hear you clear over in Winthrop!"
"Hi-i-i-i!" the two lusty freshmen had shouted together as they leaped
forward, and the prolonged yell was repeated when all the assembly had
instantly turned and for a moment in sheer astonishment were gazing at
the startling approach of men from behind the barn.
"Come on, fellows!" shouted Hawley again. "Come on! We'll get every one
of them! Come on! Come on!"
To the startled sophomores it seemed as if myriads of their foes were
rushing upon them, and after a momentary confusion every one had started
swiftly across the narrow field that intervened between the yard and the
road that approached Coventry Center from another direction.
"Come on, Foster! Come on all you fellows!" shouted Hawley. "Come on!
We'll get every soph that's here and will put 'em where they won't do
any harm till long after St. Patrick's Day."
Obediently every freshman started to follow Hawley, and across the
rough, plowed field they ran swiftly toward the road where the
sophomores had already disappeared from sight behind the bushes that
were thick and high by the roadside. When once they had gained the road
they could see the forms of two men speeding away in the distance, and
with a renewed shout the freshmen started in swift pursuit.
On up the long hill they sped until at last they stood together on the
summit. Not a sight of their rivals was to be seen, and blankly the
freshmen stood and stared about them till Hawley said:
"No use, fellows. They've got away and we might as well go back.
Foster," he added, "did you know the canes were gone?"
"Gone? Gone where?" replied Foster blankly.
"I haven't the slightest idea. All I know is that Mr. Whitaker told Mott
that the canes _had_ been in his house but they had been taken away."
"Who took them?"
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"You don't suppose the sophs got them, do you?" said Foster hastily.
"I hadn't thought of that. It never entered my mind that anybody but our
own fellows had come for them."
"I don't believe it was anybody else that got them," said Will. "You
ought to have heard Mr. Whitaker talk to Mott and the other sophs. They
were just determined to go into his house, but the old man would not let
them. No, you can rest easy about it, Mr. Whitaker never let the canes
go out of his house without knowing who had come for them. No, sir. Not
much."
Somewhat comforted by Will's positiveness, the boys began to retrace
their way down the long road, and after a moment Hawley said, "We'll
find out all about it anyway, for Mr. Whitaker will tell us. He's all on
our side. That's what comes of having his grandson in our class. Say,
fellows, you just ought to have heard Mott rake over our class. He had
the nerve to stand there and tell Mr. Whitaker that we were the worst
lot that had ever entered Winthrop."
"I wish we had caught him!" said Foster warmly. "We would have made him
come up in his estimate of the freshmen."
"Oh, he was just talking to hear himself," said Will Phelps lightly. "He
knows who we are all right enough, and he isn't going to forget us right
away either. But I wish we had caught him."
"Here we are, fellows," said Hawley, as the five young men clambered
over the fence and once more were in Mr. Whitaker's yard. "Let's go in
and ask him about it now."
"All right," responded Foster as they started toward the door. "Hold on
a minute. Let me take a look at my horse first. I'll be with you in a
minute. Gre-a-at--" he suddenly began. "The horse is gone!"
"What!" exclaimed Will in astonishment.
No heed was given his expression, however, as all five ran quickly to
the post to which the horse had been tied. But the horse and sleigh were
gone, and not a trace remained to show in which direction they had
departed.
"Sure you fastened him all right?" inquired Hawley anxiously.
"I know I did," replied Foster.
"If you did then he couldn't have got loose. I wonder if Mott and the
sophs could have done it? Come on! We'll go in and tell Mr. Whitaker and
he may be able to give us a point or two. There's a light in the
kitchen, and we'll probably find him there. Come on, fellows!"
Hastily the boys ran to the kitchen door, and in response to their knock
Mr. Whitaker himself opened the door and stood before them.
"Mr. Whitaker," began Foster, "do you know who took our horse and
sleigh?"
"Why! Why, I supposed that you did. Two young men came into the yard not
more than three minutes ago and took them away."
"They did? Then it _was_ the sophs," said Foster turning to his
comrades. "We'll never hear the last of it. We can't get a horse here,
can we, Mr. Whitaker?" he inquired eagerly.
"I fear not. I have none of my own, and there are not many to be had
here anyway."
"Did they start toward Winthrop?"
"I think so. They turned toward the lower road."
"Let's get after them," suggested Foster.
"A long way after them," said Will grimly. "We never could catch up with
them."
"Mr. Whitaker," said Hawley, "how long ago were the canes taken away
from here?"
The good man hesitated, and the freshman without waiting for him to
speak began again. "We belong to the same class as your grandson. We're
freshmen and we don't want the sophs to get those canes."
"I regret exceedingly that I had anything to do with it, but my grandson
over-persuaded me and so I consented. I should say that it was about an
hour ago when they came for the canes."
"Who came?"
"There were two young gentlemen, and they brought me a note which
informed me that I was to let them take the canes away."
"A note?" demanded Hawley. "What did it say? Who signed it?"
"It was signed by Hawley--Albert Hawley, if I recollect aright, and also
by my grandson."
"My name is Hawley and somebody forged it. The sophs have the canes and
I'm afraid it's too late--"
"Too late nothing, Hawley!" said Will impulsively. "What kind of a rig,
I mean wagon or sleigh or whatever it was, did they have?" he inquired
of the minister.
"It was a box wagon, a farm wagon, and they had a farmer to drive for
them."
"Did you know the man?" demanded Will.
"No. I cannot say that I did. He was a stranger to me. But the note--"
"Probably some soph disguised as a farmer. Did he have any other load in
the wagon box?"
"Yes. I noticed some bags of meal."
"Good. And you say they took the lower road?"
"Yes. I recollect that distinctly."
"Isn't there a short cut? Can't we cut across lots and head them off?
They would have to go slow, and it might be that we could head them
somewhere and get those canes away from them."
"Yes," replied Mr. Whitaker. "I don't know that I am doing right to tell
you, but inasmuch as the canes were secured by a forgery I shall
certainly tell you all I know of the matter. If you go down to that
little valley," and as he spoke he pointed in a direction in the rear of
the barn, "you will find a pathway that leads beside the brook almost in
a straight line to what we call the ford. It saves between three and
four miles to Winthrop, and whenever I walk I take the path. I--"
"Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Whitaker! Come on! We'll try it anyway,
fellows. We've nothing to lose and everything to gain. Good night, Mr.
Whitaker! Thank you for what you've told us," called Will Phelps, as he
quickly turned and began to run.
Obediently the boys all followed Will as he ran swiftly across the
field, and in a brief time they discovered the pathway to which the old
minister had referred. There was no conversation now, for the fear in
every heart was that they would arrive at the ford too late to avail.
Besides, there was the likelihood that the canes would be disposed of
before the wagon had gone very far from Mr. Whitaker's house. A
multitude of fears possessed them, but they ran swiftly along the path
where Will Phelps, eager and strong was leading the way. Not once did
they stop for rest. The night air was chilling, and the clouds that
swept across the face of the sky did not hide the light of the moon.
On and on they sped, steadily maintaining the dogged pace which the
leader was setting for them, until at last, well-nigh winded and
thoroughly tired by their exertions, they arrived at the place where the
pathway joined the road and they knew that Winthrop was not more than
three-quarters of a mile away. There they halted, but they had not
recovered from the effects of their long run when they perceived a farm
wagon, apparently filled with bags, coming down the hill that was near
them.