CHAPTER X WHAT HAPPENED TO JACK
The cadets of Putnam Hall were soon seated for supper. This was usuallya plain but substantial meal, and generally all the boys ate well.
Jack marched in at the head of the battalion and took his seat. A minutelater he reached for his glass of water. He was thirsty and drank halfthe contents of the glass before stopping. As he placed the tumbler backon the table he made a wry face.
"That water isn't good," he observed to Dale, who sat close to him.
"Perhaps it's the ice in it," answered Dale. "I thought yesterday theice had a peculiar flavor."
"That may be it," went on the young major. Then he started to eat andthought no more of the water. But before he had finished the meal hedrained the glass and called for more. Somewhat to his surprise thesecond glass of water tasted much better.
"That's queer," he mused. "Maybe there was something in that firstglass, although I didn't see anything. Perhaps one of the fellows put alittle salt in, just for fun." Then he dismissed the subject from hismind.
Word had been passed around that the young major was to meet Reff Ritterin the gymnasium and a crowd of students collected to witness theproposed contest. Jack went down with Pepper and his other chums.
"How do you feel for the trial?" questioned Pepper.
"All right," was the reply.
"Hope you didn't eat enough to make you lazy," came from Andy.
"Sure, an' ye can thrust Jack to take care av himself," broke inEmerald. "He'll beat Ritter all to pieces, so he will!"
Reff Ritter came down with Paxton and Coulter, and lost no time ingetting into his "gym. togs," as the cadets called their athleticoutfits. Jack speedily followed.
"Who is to go at it first?" asked Joe Nelson.
"That is for Dave Kearney to decide. He is to be referee and judge."
"You can toss up a cent for it," said Dave. This was done, and ReffRitter obtained first chance to show what he could do. Each contestantwas to have three chances.
Ritter leaped up on the flying-rings, and amid utter silence gave anexhibition lasting fully five minutes. As my old readers know, he wasreally quite a gymnast, and what he did brought forth considerableapplause.
"Now, Jack, show us what you can do," said Pepper, as the young majorstepped to the front.
Jack leaped up and grasped the rings. He had been feeling very good, butnow a strange sleepiness seemed to be overtaking him. He began to swingand to do various acts done by Ritter, but his efforts were, bycomparison, awkward and clumsy.
"What's the matter with Major Ruddy?"
"That isn't half as good as what Ritter did."
"Jack doesn't seem to be on his mettle at all to-night," whisperedStuffer to Pepper.
"Brace up, Jack, old boy, and show 'em what you can really do!" criedPepper, encouragingly.
Jack heard the cries and did all he could to throw off that sleepyfeeling. By sheer willpower he made a brilliant turn or two which calledfor hearty applause.
"That's the way to do it!"
As Jack dropped to the floor Reff Ritter again mounted, and now thebully "put in his best licks." There was cheering and hand-clapping.Ritter had already been awarded the first trial, and now it looked as ifhe would win the second also.
"Now, Jack, brace up and show 'em what you can do when your mind is onit," said Pepper.
"You can do better than he did, I am sure you can," said Andy. "Don't goat it quite so slowly."
"I--I'm feeling unusually dull to-night," answered the young major. "Ireally don't know what to make of it."
"Maybe you had better postpone the affair, then?" said Stuffer.
"This isn't going to be postponed!" cried Coulter, who heard the remark.
"Humph!" murmured Pepper. "Are you running this affair?"
"No, but Ritter is winning, and Jack Ruddy has no right to withdraw."
"I am not going to withdraw," answered Jack, gritting his teeth. "I amgoing ahead, and I am going to win."
He sprang to the flying-rings and began to swing strongly. Then he madea turn and tried to make another. All at once everything seemed to dancebefore his eyes. He felt his grip relaxing. Then all became dark, and hefelt himself falling--falling--falling--and he knew no more.
"What's the matter with Jack?"
"He is falling!"
"Catch him!"
Such were some of the cries which rang through the gymnasium as theyoung major was seen to let go with one hand, swing limply for a fewseconds, and then let go with the other. Pepper, Andy, and Dale rushedforward, and between them they broke the fall that otherwise might haveproved serious.
"He has fainted!" said Pepper. "Let us carry him into the open air," andthis was done.
"I guess he is only shamming," grunted Gus Coulter.
"That's it," added Paxton. "He was afraid of losing."
"Major Ruddy isn't that kind of a boy, and if you say he is I'll punchyour head!" exclaimed Dale, indignantly.
"Sure, an' something is wrong wid him," was Hogan's comment. "He's aspale as a ghost, so he is!"
Jack was placed on a bench outside of the gymnasium, and while Pepperran for some water Andy fanned him vigorously. In the meantime, somesmall boys ran off to tell Mr. Strong and Captain Putnam of what hadoccurred.
"Jack! Jack!" cried Pepper, bending over his chum. "Jack, what is thematter with you?"
But Jack did not answer. His eyes were closed and now his arms and legsseemed to be getting stiff.
"This is something more than a mere faint," said Stuffer. "I think wehad better call Captain Putnam."
"Here he comes now," said Bart Conners. "Mr. Strong is with him."
"What is the trouble here?" demanded the master of the Hall, as he andhis assistant came up almost on the run.
"Something is wrong with Jack," explained Pepper. "He was on theflying-rings--in a contest with Ritter, when all of a sudden he actedqueer-like and fell."
"Perhaps he had a rush of blood to the head," suggested Mr. Strong.
"He didn't act like that," said Dale.
As Jack showed no signs of reviving, he was carried to the Hall, andPeleg Snuggers was sent off for Doctor Fremley, of Cedarville, who wasthe regular school physician. In the meantime Captain Putnam did what hecould for the sufferer. His army experience had taught him a great deal,yet he was much puzzled by the case before him.
"I cannot understand this," he said to George Strong. "He looked to bethe picture of health this afternoon."
"I know it, sir," answered the assistant teacher.
"Maybe he ate or drank something that didn't agree with him," suggestedAndy.
"He complained of the water at supper," came from Dale. "I told him itmight be the ice in it."
"Our ice is of the best," answered Captain Putnam. "It may have been thefood, but if so, why has not somebody else been taken sick?"
After what seemed to be an unusually long time, Doctor Fremley appeared.He had driven at top speed to the Hall, and the team was covered withlather. By this time Jack had been removed to a private bedroom andundressed. He lay like a log, breathing heavily.
The physician was almost as much puzzled as were the others. But actingon the theory that Jack might have been poisoned by something he hadeaten the doctor used a stomach pump. This brought up something of apeculiar bluish color, which surprised the medical man a great deal. Henodded his head knowingly and then proceeded to give Jack a dose ofmedicine from the little case he carried. In a short while the youngmajor gasped loudly and opened his eyes.
"What is it, doctor?" asked the master of the Hall.
"I am not quite sure, but it looks to me like an overdose of Frenchheadache powders."
"You mean the Saligne preparation?"
"Yes--then you know it?"
"I have some in our medicine closet."
"Could this young man get at the stuff?"
"Yes. I will go and see if the box has been tampered with,"
continuedCaptain Putnam and hurried off. He came back quickly.
"Well?" queried the physician.
"The box is gone."
"You are sure you had it?"
"Positive. I gave a small dose to one of the servant girls only nightbefore last. She complained of a severe headache, and it aided her ingetting to sleep."
"I see. Well, this looks as if this young man had gotten the box andtaken an overdose."
"Will he get over it?"
"Yes. But, let me add, he has had a close call from death. If I had notused the pump and given him that medicine to counteract the effect ofthe powder he might never have regained consciousness."
This plain statement from Doctor Fremley made all present shudder.
"I don't see why Jack should take the powder," said Pepper. "He didn'tsay anything to me about a headache. He told me he was feeling fine."
"And he told me the same thing," declared Dale.
"Perhaps he was a bit nervous over this gymnastic contest and thought toquiet his nerves," suggested George Strong. "But I must admit thatdoesn't look like Major Ruddy. I never knew him to be nervous."
"He doesn't know what nervousness means," declared Andy. "If he took thepowder I guess he did it by mistake. Maybe he thought it was forindigestion, or something like that."
While this talk was going on in the bedroom, Reff Ritter was downstairsin the library, surrounded by a number of his friends. The bully was illat ease. He had not expected the grave turn affairs had taken. Jack wascertainly in bad shape. What if the young major should die? A shiver randown Ritter's backbone, which he tried in vain to conceal.
"What's the matter, are you cold?" asked Coulter.
"No, I--er--I'm a little upset," answered the bully.
"Well, you needn't be," declared Paxton. "It wasn't your fault thatRuddy fainted and fell."
"Oh, I know that."
"It's a pity he had to faint," went on Coulter. "You would have won thatcontest beyond the shadow of a doubt."
"Oh, I know that," answered Reff Ritter, listlessly. He hardly heardwhat was said--his mind was in the bedroom where Jack lay. He wanted togo up--to learn the actual truth--but he did not dare.
"Shall we go back to the gym.?" asked Paxton.
"No, I--er--I think I'll go up to my room," answered Ritter, and startedfor the doorway before anybody could stop him. The others had never seenhim act so strangely, and they looked at each other in surprise.
Ritter gained the hallway just as Billy Sabine was coming down thestairs. Sabine was greatly excited.
"What's the news?" asked the bully.
"Ruddy took an overdose of headache powders," was the reply. "The doctoris working over him, but they all think he is going to die."
"Die!" gasped Reff Ritter, hoarsely. Then he staggered backward,clutched at the stair-rail, and sank heavily on a nearby seat.