FRIENDS IN NEED
While the boys were staring around helplessly, and shaking from head to
feet from the cold, Coulter espied another ice-boat coming along the lake
shore.
"Let us stop those chaps!" he called. "Come on! Run!"
The others needed no second bidding. Anything was better than standing
still, and they set off at a dog-trot, and soon came up to the ice-boat.
It was a craft belonging to Bart Conners and some of his intimates.
"Stop! Stop!" yelled Coulter, Paxton, and Mumps. "Stop! There is open
water ahead!"
These cries were heard, and without hesitation Bart Conners turned his
craft into shore, allowing it to slide deep into a snowdrift.
"Oh, pshaw! Why didn't we think to run our boat ashore?" muttered
Coulter. Such a simple move had never entered the heads of the ill-fated
trio.
"What's the matter with you fellows?" demanded Bart Conners. "Why, you
look frozen to death!"
"W--we are--al--almost!" gasped Paxton. "Ca--can't you help us?"
"Did your boat go into the water?"
"Yes."
"Here's a blanket, we've been using it for a seat," sang out a cadet in
Conners' crowd. "Wrap yourself in that."
"Here's my overcoat, Mumps," said another. "I've got my sweater on and
don't need it."
"Coulter, you can take my overcoat," came from Bart Conners.
The three wet cadets were willing enough to don the things handed out to
them. But even with these dry coverings all were intensely chilled.
"Jump on and we'll take you back to the Hall as fast as we can," said
Conners. "It's dreadful to take a plunge in the lake in such weather as
this."
"Who lent you the ice-boat?" asked a cadet in the crowd.
"Oh--we--er--we only thought we'd have a bit of fun," stammered Mumps.
"Phew! if you took that boat without permission, I guess you got paid for
it," was Bart's comment.
The ice-boat was turned back, and as speedily as it could be done, they
brought the craft up to the Putnam Hall landing. Here they met Dale and
Harry.
"What do you fellows mean by running off with our ice-boat?" demanded
Dale.
"It was a mean piece of business," put in Harry. "You ought to be pounded
good for it!"
"Don't scold them now," said Bart. "They've been punished enough. They
got a ducking in the ice-cold water."
"Oh!"
"The ice-boat ran into the open water, and they might have been drowned,
only the water wasn't deep enough," put in another cadet.
"Where is the ice-boat now?" questioned Dale.
"In the open water near shore. I guess you can pull her in by throwing a
line over her," answered Bart.
Like so many half-drowned rats, Paxton, Coulter, and Mumps sneaked into
the Hall, and up to their rooms. The news soon circulated that they had
fallen into the lake, and Captain Putnam ordered them to bed, and had
Mrs. Green prepare some hot tea for them. In the meantime Dale and Harry
took a ride on Bart's ice-boat, and soon succeeded in hauling the
overturned craft to the firm ice once more. The ice-boat was not damaged,
and a little while later Dale and Harry were sailing her as before.
"I hope that teaches those fellows a lesson to leave our things alone,"
said Dale, and it did teach Coulter, Paxton, and Mumps a lesson, at least
as far as the ice-boat was concerned.
Following the adventure just narrated, came a series of heavy
snow-storms, which are remembered even to this day at Putnam Hall. They
lasted over the holidays, and many boys who had planned to visit their
homes at Christmas had to forego that pleasure. One party that left got
stalled on the cars just outside of Ithaca, and remained in the
snowdrifts for twenty-four hours. Another party got as far as Cedarville,
and after remaining there one whole day returned to the Hall.
That the cadets might not feel too blue because they were snowed in,
Captain Putnam allowed them to do pretty much as they pleased during
Christmas week. A fine turkey dinner was served on Christmas and on New
Year's day, and the boys had a great deal of sport in the Hall and in the
gymnasium. Captain Putnam allowed them to have some private theatricals,
and Jack, Pepper, Andy, Dale, and several others gave a two-act drama
entitled "The Boy from the Country." Andy was the country boy who comes
to the city to seek his fortune, and Dale played the part of an old lady
who knows the boy's rich uncle. The drama was full of fun, and was well
received. Before the drama came a banjo solo by one of the cadets, and
then a duet by two of the cadets who could sing remarkably well.
While the singing was going on, Pepper noticed Dan Baxter sneaking behind
the stage, and pointed him out to Dave Kearney.
"I think he is up to mischief," he said. "I've got to go on in the next
dialogue. Won't you watch him?"
"Sure I will," answered Dave, and hurried after Baxter. He was in time to
see the bully throw something on the floor, just at the places where the
actors and singers made their entrances and exits.
"Grease!" murmured Dave Kearney, after getting down and feeling of the
stuff with his fingers. "How mean! The boys would look fine, sprawling
all over the stage."
As soon as he had greased the floor Dan Baxter slipped back to his seat
in the hall.
"Be careful," said Dave, running around to those who were waiting to
perform.
"Careful of what?" demanded several.
"Of grease on the floor. If you're not, you'll go sliding from one side
of the stage to the other."
"How did the grease get there?" asked Jack.
"Dan Baxter put it there--I saw him do it."
"Say, he ought to be mobbed!" cried Andy.
"What a dirty trick!" came from another student. "We ought to pay him
back for that."
"Let us pay him back to-night," suggested Stuffer.
So it was agreed, and it was also settled that nobody should say a word
about the grease until the proper time came. The performance went on,
each performer taking good care not to get too much grease on his soles,
and stepping out with caution. At last the show was over, and the final
curtain went down amid great applause and cheering.
"That was as good as a professional show," declared Joe Nelson.
"Sure an' it was betther nor some professional shows," put in Hogan.
"Wanct I wint to a show in the country--a travelin' troupe 'twas--an'
they couldn't act fer a sour apple. The b'ys got ancient eggs, an' the
stage was a soight to see afther thim players got out av town!"
The performance had lasted until half-past ten, and as soon as it was
over the majority of the cadets retired to their dormitories. With the
crowd went Dan Baxter, much disgusted that his joke had not turned out as
he had anticipated.
"I suppose one of them found out about the grease, and he told the rest,"
was the way he reasoned. "Hang the luck anyway! I don't seem to be able
to get square with that crowd, no matter what I do!"
Baxter was tired, and it was not long before he was in the land of
dreams. How long he slept he knew not, but of a sudden he awoke, to find
a handkerchief tied across his mouth. Then his arms were tied to his
sides, his feet were fastened, and he was raised up out of bed by six
persons and carried from the dormitory.
He was not greatly frightened, because he thought some of the others in
the dormitory were playing a joke on him. He tried to see the faces of
the cadets, but could not, for each of the party had a big paper bag
thrust over his head, with two holes in front, for seeing purposes.
Baxter was carried downstairs to the lower floor of the Hall. Then the
party made its way to a side door.
"Throw a blanket over him, fellows," said one person, and then the bully
was almost smothered. The next instant he found himself out in the snow
and being carried toward the gymnasium. The building was soon reached and
the door opened. Then the whole party went inside, and a lantern was lit.
"Now set the prisoner up, and we will decide his fate," said one of the
masked cadets, and then the bully was placed on an empty box. His heart
sank within him, for he felt that he was not among friends, but among
those who had good cause to be his enemies.