THE DISAPPEARANCE OF GEORGE STRONG
Two days after the fire came another snow-storm, which lasted the best
part of a day and a night. After that the weather cleared rapidly, and it
became quite warm.
"I'm going to Malville," said George Strong, on Monday afternoon. "I
shall be back early in the morning."
"Very well, Mr. Strong," answered Captain Putnam.
Malville was a small settlement back of Top Rock Hill, and George Strong
said he had a distant relative there, whom he wished to see. He set off
in a cutter, and Jack and Pepper chanced to see him depart.
"Have a good time, Mr. Strong!" shouted Pepper, pleasantly.
"Thank you, Ditmore, I am going on business, not pleasure."
The following morning passed, and the assistant teacher did not appear.
Captain Putnam took his place in the classroom, and also taught during
the afternoon.
"This is strange," he said to Josiah Crabtree. "I expected him back by
ten o'clock, or noon at the latest."
The next day passed, and still George Strong did not show himself, nor
did he send any message to explain his absence.
Captain Putnam was much worried, and the absence of the assistant upset
matters in the school. All of the cadets began to talk of the affair.
"Maybe his horse ran away and threw him out on the rocks," said Stuffer.
"If I was the captain I'd investigate," came from Harry Blossom.
"He said he was going on business," said Pepper. "Perhaps the business
took longer than he expected."
Another day passed, and both the master of the hall and his cadets grew
worried. Josiah Crabtree was very sour, for he had to perform some of the
duties assigned to the missing teacher.
"He should have sense enough to come back," said he severely.
"Something is wrong, that is certain," answered Captain Putnam. "I am
going to investigate to-day."
When the boys heard that the captain was going to drive to Malville Jack,
Pepper, and Andy begged to be taken along.
"Perhaps we can be of assistance," suggested the young major. "That is,
if anything has happened to him on the road."
"Very well, I'll take the big sleigh and a team, and you can accompany
me," answered the captain.
In the end the party to go out numbered five, for Dale went along also.
The team was powerful, and in spite of the hills and the snow Malville
was reached in three hours. They found the cottage of George Strong's
relative, and were surprised to find it locked up.
"Nobody has been at home for a month," said a neighbor.
"Did you see anything of a man with a cutter around here yesterday, or a
day or two before?"
"No, sir."
"You would have seen him, had he stopped?"
"I think so. Our family generally see everything that is going on around
here."
The neighbor could tell no more, and Captain Putnam and the cadets were
nonplused.
"He must have gone somewhere!" declared Pepper. "The question is, where?"
"Let us ask the folks around town if they have seen him?" suggested Dale.
This was done, and at last they met a blacksmith who had seen George
Strong on the road a mile outside of Malville.
"He was stopping by the roadside, and two odd-looking men were talking to
him," said the blacksmith. "They seemed to be arguing about something."
"Wait!" burst out Jack. "Tell us how those men looked, if you can."
The blacksmith did so, and they listened with interest.
"The mysterious men, I'll wager a biscuit!" burst out Pepper.
"Exactly what I think," came from Jack.
"Don't you remember what the old woman told you?" came from Andy. "She
said those chaps were talking about a man named George!"
"That's it! Those men must have been hanging around Putnam Hall because
Mr. Strong was there."
The cadets looked at Captain Putnam, whose face was a study.
"You may be right, my lads," said the master of the Hall, slowly. "But
that doesn't explain what the men wanted of Mr. Strong, or where Mr.
Strong has gone to."
"I'm satisfied of one thing," said Jack. "Those men were up to nothing
good."
"Perhaps they robbed Mr. Strong of something, and threw his body into the
snow," suggested Dale.
They listened to all the blacksmith had to say, and then took him along,
so that he might point out the exact spot where the interview had taken
place. It was near a turn in the road, where the snow had drifted but
little.
"Here are many footprints," said Pepper, pointing with his hand.
"It looks to me as if there might have been a struggle," came from Andy.
"See how the snow is dug and scattered about."
"It does look as if something had been going on," answered the captain.
"See, the footprints lead along this path and into the forest."
"Here are the tracks of the horse and cutter!" shouted Dale, who had
wandered down the road. "They go into the woods, too. Do you know what I
think? I think those men either killed Mr. Strong, or made him a
prisoner, and then they carried him off!"
"Let us follow the tracks of the cutter," said Jack, and this was done;
the blacksmith accompanying them.
"It's a nasty business," said the blacksmith. "If those odd-lookin' men
killed your teacher they ought to be hung fer it!"
The tracks of the horse and cutter led into the forest, and then along a
cliff overlooking a stream now thickly covered with ice and snow.
"I see a little shanty!" cried Andy.
"Where?"
"Over yonder at the edge of that next cliff."
"Smoke is coming from the chimney," said Dale, an instant later. "That
shows somebody must be in the place."
"Let us approach with caution," came from Captain Putnam. "There is no
telling how those strange men will act if they are there."
"Better cut a few sticks," suggested Jack, and got out his jackknife.
They soon had sticks, and the blacksmith cut a good-sized club.
"If they be des'prit characters they'd better give me a wide berth," said
he.
Slowly they drew closer to the shanty. Just to the rear of the building
was an open shed, and here they saw the cutter, with the horse tied in a
corner and blanketed.
"What a shame to leave a horse out in such weather as this!" cried
Pepper.
"Those men must be in the shanty," said Captain Putnam. "I sincerely
trust that we find Mr. Strong unharmed."
"Let us slip up behind the trees," said Andy. "We ought to try to capture
them, or something, on the sly."
With caution they crept up behind the trees, and then walked slowly
toward the shanty. Some bushes helped to screen them, and soon they stood
at the very door to the place.
"Somebody is talking!" whispered Jack. "Listen!"
At first they heard only a murmur, but presently they made out what was
being said.
"Yes, sir, George, it's a million and nothing less!" one of the strange
men was saying. "A million, eh, Bart?"
"A million!" came from the other man. "A million, and all in cash, too!
We want no bonds or stocks."
"Stocks?" one of the mysterious men laughed harshly. "Stocks? Do you want
me to become poor again? Cash! It's cash we want, George!"
"What an easy time we can have on a million!" returned the other queer
individual.
"If you would only listen to reason!" came from George Strong. "I do not
know what has put this into your head. I haven't a million dollars, or
anything like it."
"You have!" came from both.
"You are acting very foolishly, Bart. And so are you, Paul. That failure
has turned your heads. If I----"
"I want that money, and I am going to have it!" roared the man called
Bart. "Hand over the million or I will shoot you!"
And drawing a pistol, he pointed it straight at George Strong's head.