THE PUNISHMENT OF A BULLY
"Look here, what do you intend to do with me?" asked Dan Baxter, as soon
as he could speak.
"Punish you!" came from all of the masked boys.
"What for?"
"For many things."
"I don't know what I have done."
"You have tried to bully us," said one.
"You greased the stage at our entertainment," answered another.
"You are always quarreling with us," put in a third.
"You want to run things to suit yourself," came from a fourth.
"You get Mumps to play the sneak," added a fifth.
"I--I--don't!" cried the bully, and began to turn pale. "I want you to
let me go. It's cold here!"
"You'll feel warm enough before we get through with you," answered one of
the masked cadets, meaningly.
"If you--you hurt me, I'll--I'll----"
"Don't threaten us, Baxter. If you do, we'll treat you so much worse."
"It's a mean shame!"
"Stay where you are," said the leader of the masked cadets--it was Jack.
"If you move, it will be at the peril of your life!"
After that the crowd withdrew to a corner, leaving Baxter alone. The
bully wanted to escape, but he was afraid to try it. The masked cadets
held a consultation lasting several minutes.
"Just the thing!" was the cry. "Just the thing!"
"Now what do they intend to do?" asked the bully of himself. "Something
awful, I'm sure!"
"Baxter, we have decided on your fate," said one of the masked boys. It
was Pepper, but he disguised his voice well.
"What are you going to do?"
"We are going to brand you first and then march you out into the country,
so that you can't find your way back to Putnam Hall."
"Brand me! March me away! Don't you dare to do it!"
"Blindfold him first, fellows!" came from Andy, and the bully's eyes were
quickly bound tight with a handkerchief.
"Now heat up that iron," came loudly from one of the masked cadets. "I
think that a B on his forehead will look beautiful."
"What are you going to--to--put a B on me for?" asked Baxter, with a
shiver.
"B stands for Bully, and that is what you are, Dan Baxter. Hurry up with
that iron, boys."
"No! No!"
"The iron is getting hot!" came from Dale. He had stepped to one of the
windows and brought in a sharp-pointed icicle.
"Nos. 3, 4, 6, and 7 will hold him, while Nos. 1 and 2 perform the
operation. No. 5 can remain on guard."
"If you brand me, I'll--I'll----" began the bully.
"Silence! If you dare to cry out, we'll brand you on the cheeks as well
as the forehead."
"I won't stand it!" roared the bully and started to get from the
gymnasium, bound as he was. But they tripped him up with ease, and as he
went headlong, one cadet sat on his breast and another on his legs,
rendering him helpless.
"Now then, the iron!" called out Stuffer. "Brand him well."
The icicle was brought forward, and at the same time one of the boys cut
a little lock of hair from his head and lit a match. Then the icicle was
run over Baxter's forehead in the form of the letter B. At the same time
the lock of hair was lit and the smell of the burning hair was allowed to
reach the bully's nose.
"Oh! Oh!" yelled Baxter, squirming greatly. "Let up! Don't burn me! Oh,
I'll be marked for life! Oh, this is outrageous! Don't, I beg of you!
Please let me go! I'll--I'll do anything if you'll only let up on me!"
"Let up now," whispered Jack. "He may get a fit! He is almost scared out
of his life!"
"Now then, the blanket and the old boots," came from Andy, and the victim
of the hazing was provided with a big pair of old rubber boots and a
heavy horse blanket.
"What's this for?" asked the bully.
"For your long tramp into the country," was the answer.
"I don't want to go out into the country this cold night! Let me go,
please do!"
"It's too late to beg, Baxter. You have been a bad boy, and you must take
your medicine."
"I'll have the law on you!"
In a minute more the gymnasium door was opened and the victim was marched
outside. He was well blindfolded, so that he could not see where he was
going. The masked cadets led him into the woods, around the boathouse,
and then made half a dozen turns, so that Baxter was completely
bewildered.
"Here's the old shanty," said Jack, in a loud voice, when they came to a
halt. "Put him into the garret and leave him." And then Baxter was
marched into the carriage house of Putnam Hall and made to mount the
ladder to the loft. Here he was tied to a post, but in such a loose
fashion that he could get free with ease.
"Now, Baxter, listen," said Jack, still in an assumed voice. "You are
probably four miles from Putnam Hall. Don't try to get away, or you may
get into more trouble. To-morrow night we'll come back and finish our
job."
"I--I can't stay here so long. It's cold and I--I ain't got anything to
eat."
"Well, make the best of it," was the cry, and then the masked cadets
scampered off, and a few minutes later were safe in their dormitories in
the Hall.
With a sinking heart Dan Baxter listened to them depart, and then gave a
deep groan.
"I--I can't stand this!" he muttered to himself. "It's dreadful! And to
think they branded me, too. What will Paxton and the others say!"
The loft was not a particularly cold place, for the windows were tightly
closed. Waiting to make sure that the crowd had gone, he pulled himself
free from his bonds.
When he placed his hand to his forehead he could scarcely believe the
evidence of his senses. He could feel nothing of the branding--his
forehead was not sore--it did not hurt! What could it mean?
"They must have tricked me!" he told himself. "What a fool I was to raise
such a howl! How they'll laugh at me for it! But it did feel just as if I
was being burnt!"
All was pitch-dark around him, for the masked cadets had taken the
lantern with them. He stepped forward and ran into a low beam, giving his
forehead a severe bump.
"Ouch! Nothing fake about that!" he muttered, dancing around. "I'll have
to be careful, or I'll break my neck. Wonder how far I am from the Hall
and what sort of a place this can be?" He felt around and grasped some
old spider webs. "Some half tumbled down shanty, I suppose. Perhaps I'd
better make myself at home until morning," and he crouched down and hid
himself in the old horse blanket. He remained awake half the night,
finally falling off into a troubled doze.
When Baxter awoke it was early morning and still dark. He felt cold from
head to feet and gave a shiver.
"I'd give five dollars to be back at the Hall," he muttered to himself.
"Wonder if I can walk the distance before it gets too light? If any
person sees me on the road with the rubber boots and this horse blanket
they'll take me for a lunatic." He gave a deep sigh. "I suppose I must be
two miles away, at least. They said four, but maybe they piled it on."
Several times the bully thought of starting out but gave it up, thinking
he might lose his way; but when it became lighter he took a look around
the loft and presently descended the ladder to the ground floor of the
carriage house.
"Hi, you tramp! Wot be you a-doin' up there, tell me that?" cried a voice
from the other end of the building.
"I'm no tramp, sir," answered Baxter. "I am--Peleg Snuggers!"
"If it ain't Master Baxter!" ejaculated the general utility man, who had
just started in on his morning work. "Well, I never! How did you git
here?"
"What place is this, Peleg?"
"Wot place? Why, the carriage house, o' course."
"What!" yelled Dan Baxter; and at that instant he was by far the maddest
boy the school ever contained.
"Sure. Wot did you think it was, eh?"
"Never mind. Is the back door to the Hall open?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm going in," answered the bully, and ran off without another
word.