IN WHICH ALEXANDER POP RUNS AWAY
"Will you submit to having your trunk examined or not?" demanded
Captain Putnam, after a painful pause, during which Alexander
Pop's eyes rolled wildly from one teacher to the other.
"Yo' kin examine it if yo' desire," said Aleck. "But it's an
outrage, Cap'n Putnam, an' outrage, sah!"
Without more ado Captain Putnam approached the waiter's trunk, to
find it locked.
"Where is the key, Pop?"
"Dare, sah, on de nail alongside ob yo' sah."
Soon the trunk was unlocked and the lid thrown back. The box
contained a miscellaneous collection of wearing apparel, which the
captain pushed to one side. Then he brought out a cigar box
containing some cheap jewelry and other odds and ends, as well as
two five dollar bills.
"Dat money am mine, sah," said Aleck. "Yo paid me dat las'
Saturday, sall."
"That is true, but how did this get here, Pop?"
As Captain Putnam paused he held up a stud set with a ruby-the
very stud the cadet Weeks had lost!
"Dat--dat stud--I never seen dat shirt-stud before, cap'n,
'deed I didn't," stammered the waiter.
"That is certainly Weeks' stud; I remember it well," put in George
Strong. "He showed it to me one day, stating it was a gift from
his aunt."
"And here is a cheap watch," added Captain Putnam, bringing forth
the article. "Pop, is this your watch?"
"No, sah--I--I never seen dat watch before," answered Aleck
nervously. "I dun reckon sumbuddy put up a job on dis poah coon,
sah," he continued ruefully.
"I believe the job was put up by yourself," answered Captain
Putnam sternly. "If you are guilty you had better confess."
A stormy war of words followed. Alexander Pop stoutly declared
himself innocent, but in the face of the proofs discovered the
master of the Hall would not listen to him.
"Peleg Snuggers shall take you in charge and drive down to the
Cedarville lock-up," said the captain.
The news that some of the things had been found in Pop's trunk
spread with great rapidity. Many were astonished to learn that he
was thought guilty, but a few declared that "a coon wasn't to be
trusted anyway."
"Niggers are all thieves," said Jim Caven, "never yet saw an
honest one."
"I don't believe you!" burst out Tom. "Pop's a first-rate fellow,
and the captain has got to have more proof against him before I'll
believe him guilty."
"Oh, he's a bad egg!" growled the Irish boy.
"You only say that because he called you down last week," put in
Frank. He referred to a tilt between the new pupil and the
colored man. Jim Caven had tried to be "smart" and had gotten the
worst of the encounter.
"Yes, I think he's as honest as you are!" burst out Tom, before he
had stopped to think twice.
"What! do you call me a thief!" roared Jim Caven, and leaped upon
Tom, with his face as white as the wall. "I'll make you smart for
that!"
One blow landed on Tom's cheek and another was about to follow,
when Tom dodged and came up under Caven's left arm. Then the two
boys faced each other angrily.
"A fight! Fight!" cried a number of the cadets, and in a twinkle
a ring was formed around the two contestants.
"I'm going to give you the worst thrashing you ever had," said
Caven, but in rather a nervous tone.
"All right, Caven, go ahead and do it," cried Tom. "I will stand
up for Aleck Pop, and there you are!"
Tom launched forth and caught Caven on the right cheek. The Irish
lad also struck out, but the blow fell short. Then the two boys
clinched.
"Break away there!" cried Frank. "Break away!"
"I'll break his head!" panted Caven. "How do you like that?" And
he held Tom with one hand and hit him in the neck with the other.
The blow was a telling one, and for a brief instant Tom was dazed.
But then he caught his second wind and threw Caven backward.
Before the Irish lad could recover his balance, Tom struck him
in the nose, and over rolled his opponent.
A shout went up. "Good for Tom Rover! That was a telling blow!
I Keep it up!"
"I'll fix you!" gasped Jim Caven, as soon as he could speak.
"I'll fix you!" and staggering to his feet, he glanced around for
some weapon. Nothing met his view but a garden spade which Peleg
Snuggers had been using, and catching this up he ran for Tom as if
to lay him low forever.
"Caven, none of that! Fight fair!"
"He shan't call me a thief!" growled the Irish boy. "I'll show
him!" And he aimed a tremendous blow for Tom's head.
Had the spade fallen as intended Tom's cranium might have been split
in twain. But now both Dick and Frank caught the unreasonable youth
and held him while Sam and several others took the spade away.
"Stop it--here comes Mr. Strong!" came the unexpected cry from
some outsiders.
"Yes, give it up, Tom," whispered Sam.
"We're in hot water enough, on account of that feast."
"I'll give it up if Caven is willing," muttered
"I'll meet you another time," answered Caven, and walked rapidly
away.
"What is the row here?" demanded George Strong, as he strode up.
"Nothing, sir," said one of the boy. "Some of the fellows were
wrestling for possession of that spade."
"Oh, I was afraid there was a fight," and Mr. Strong sauntered
off.
He was on his way to the barn, and presently the cadets saw him
come forth with the man-of-fall-work and the light spring wagon.
"They are going to take poor Aleck to the Cedarville lock-up,"
announced Fred. "Poor chap, I never thought this of him!"
"Nor I," answered Dick. "To me this affair isn't very clear."
"I don't believe they will be able to convict him of the crime,"
put in Sam.
An hour later Peleg Snuggers started away from Putnam Hall with
his prisoner. Aleck looked the picture of misery as he sat on a
rear seat, his wrists bound together and one leg tied to the wagon
seat with a rope.
"Dis am a mistake," he groaned. "I aint guilty nohow!"
Some of the boys wished to speak to him, but this was not
permitted. Soon the turnout was out of sight.
"You may think I am hard with him," said Captain Putnam, later on,
"but to tell the truth he does not come from a very good family
and he has a step-brother already in prison."
"Aleck can't be held responsible for his stepbrother's doings,"
murmured Tom, but not loud enough for the master to hear him.
A diligent search had been made for the other stolen articles, but
nothing more was brought to light. If Pop had taken the things he
had either hidden them well or else disposed of them.
It was nearly nightfall when Peleg Snuggers drove back to the
Hall. Dick and Tom met him just outside the gates and saw that
the man-of-all-work looked much dejected.
"Well, Peleg, is he safe in jail?" called out Tom.
"No, he ain't," was the snappy reply.
"Why, what did you do with him?" questioned Dick quickly.
"Do? I didn't do nuthin--not me. It was him as did it all--cut
that blessed rope and shoved me over the dashboard on to the
hosses!" growled Snuggers.
"Do you mean to say he got away from you?" asked Tom.
"Yes, he did--got away like a streak o' fightnin', thet's wot he
did, consarn him!" And without another word Peleg drove to the
rear of the Hall, put his team in the barn, and went in to report
to Captain Putnam.
Another row resulted, and this nearly cost the utility Man his
position. But it appeared that he was not so much to blame that
Alexander Pop had taken him unawares and finally he was sent away
to his work with the caution to be more careful in the future.
Before night and during the next day a hunt was made for the
colored man, but he had left the vicinity entirely, gone to New
York, and shipped on one of the outward-bound ocean vessels. The
Rover boys fancied that they would never see him again, but in
this they were mistaken.