CHAPTER XIII FUN WITH PELEG SNUGGERS
"What's this?"
"Crows, I declare!"
"They are dropping cards!"
"Say, this is the limit, isn't it?"
"Hurrah, Pornell has got to eat crow to-day!" cried one Putnam Hallcadet.
"That's right," added another. "Hope they enjoy it."
The trick Pepper had played made all the cadets laugh loudly. As for thePornell students they looked dark and sour.
"This is an outrage!" stormed Roy Bock. "Eat crow indeed! I say wedidn't lose the match. They didn't play fair."
"We did play fair--and that's the end of it," answered Dale, and walkedtowards the carryall. Others followed, and soon all the Putnam cadetswere ready to depart. Some bitter things were said on both sides, andseveral of the rivals came close to getting into a pitched battle.
"I will have no fighting," said George Strong. "Come, we will depart atonce."
"But we won fairly, Mr. Strong," pleaded Dale.
"I feel sure you did, Blackmore, and I give Doctor Pornell no credit forallowing his scholars to treat you in this style. But I want you to actas young gentlemen."
At last the carryall, the carriages, and the cadets on bicycles were ontheir way. The bowling team was in the carryall and with them were Jack,Pepper and a number of others. Mr. Strong was in one of the carriagesahead.
"I declare, I think they were too mean for anything!" cried Andy. "Iwish I had punched that Roy Bock's head for him!"
"Yes, and Grimes ought to be thrashed, too," added Pepper.
"I noticed that Fred Century kept rather quiet," said Jack. "I don'tbelieve he liked the way Bock acted. When Bock claimed a foul he lookedbored."
"I guess he's as nice a fellow as there is at that Academy," wasStuffer's comment. "Say, anybody bring any fruit along?" he added. "I'mhalf starved."
"Was there ever a time when you weren't half starved?" asked Jack,grinning. "Here's something I brought for your especial benefit," and hehanded out an orange.
"Good! You have saved my life!" And Stuffer began to eat the fruit withgreat gusto.
"I had a sneaking idea they might provide a little lunch," said Jack. "Ithink Captain Putnam would have done so."
"Sure an' Docther Pornell is too mean to do that same," answered Hogan."I've been tould he's only liberal whin there's money to be made by it."
"That's the way of some would-be high-toned folks," said Dale.
"I want to know about those crows," came from Harry Blossom. "Where didthey come from?"
"Pepper set them loose--I saw him do it--he and Jack," answered Bart.
"I'll have to own up that I'm responsible," said the Imp, with a broadsmile. "I took the crows along because I felt almost sure Bock's crowdwould do something dirty--I know Bock so well."
"But where did you get the crows?"
"I was talking with a young farmer one day and he told me how he hadbeen trapping crows in his cornfield. As soon as this match was arrangedI got the farmer to catch the crows and boxed 'em up. Then I wrote outthe cards and fastened them on the crows' wings."
That evening the Putnam Hall cadets had a little celebration on thecampus in honor of the victory. In this Ritter, Coulter and Paxton tookno part, but all the other students did and they had a jolly time.Pepper and some others captured Peleg Snuggers and told him he had tomake a speech.
"I don't know nuthing about no speech," said the general utility man."You better let me go--I've got some work to do down to the barn."
"We want you to tell us about your experience as a soldier," saidPepper.
"I never was a soldier--I was a fireman."
"That's the talk!" cried Andy. "Tell us how you became a fireman, andrescued four live kittens from a ten-story burning building, Peleg."
"Didn't rescue no kittens. But once I rescued----"
"A three-legged bedstead," finished Stuffer.
"No, it was a----"
"Broken-backed clothes horse," suggested Dale. "Did the horse get overit, Peleg?"
"Now see here, I didn't say nuthing about a hoss. When I was a member o'the Cowtown Volunteer Fire Company, Mr. Glasby's house burnt down, and Isaved----"
"Two pair of overalls and a box of gumdrops," finished Pepper. "Verybrave, Peleg, very brave! It's a wonder they didn't give you a tinmedal."
"It wasn't no overalls nor no gumdrops nuther," cried the generalutility man. "I saved----"
"A lady and her sixteen small children!" exclaimed Jack. "Hurrah forPeleg Snuggers, the fireman-hero of Cowtown! Peleg, they ought to erecta monument in the public square in your honor for such heroicendeavors!"
"Say, look a-here," gasped Snuggers. "If you want to hear what Isaved----"
"We do! We do!" was the cry. "Tell us!"
"I am really dying to know!" simpered Stuffer.
"It's meself that can't wait a minit longer, Peleg, me brave b'y!"sighed Emerald.
"I saved a sick dog," yelled the general utility man, in desperation.
"A dog!"
"Well, I never!"
"Peleg, that's one on us right enough!"
"He was a valuable dog--wuth two hundred dollars," explained the generalutility man. "He was up on the second floor. I brung him down on theladder. We tumbled half the way, but it didn't hurt the dog none,'though it did skin my nose. Mr. Glasby give me five dollars fer a-doin'of it," added Peleg, proudly.
"What, for skinning your nose?" questioned Jack, innocently.
"No, fer savin' the dog from the fiery elements--thet's wot Mr. Glasbycalled 'em--'though I didn't see no elements--it was jest a big, red-hotfire," added the general utility man, and then, watching his chance, heslipped away and kept out of sight for the rest of the evening.
During the past Summer and that Spring the bicycling craze, as it wascalled, had struck Putnam Hall hard, and now fully twenty of the cadetshad wheels. As a consequence a number of the lads organized the PutnamHall Bicycle Club. Every lad who had a wheel was eligible to membership,and our friends were not long in joining. Ritter was a member andCoulter and Paxton also joined. Bart Conners was the leader of the club.
"I move we get up a long distance race," said Bart, one day. "We havehad several small contests, but a race of fifteen or twenty miles wouldshow just what the fellows can do."
His proposal interested some of the cadets at once. Of course there weremany who did not feel they could ride in a race that was so long, butPepper, Jack and Andy went in and so did Ritter, Coulter and Paxton.Bart, of course, entered, and six others followed.
It took a little study to lay out the course, but at last this wasaccomplished, and the time of the race was set for a Wednesday afternoona week later, Captain Putnam agreeing to close the school an hourearlier than usual, if the weather was right for the contest.
Reff Ritter was a good bicyclist, and as soon as the race was assured hewent around trying to make wagers on the outcome of the contest. Themajority of the cadets would not bet--it being against their principles,nevertheless the bully found some willing to put up their money, and hestaked all he had--thirty dollars--on his chance of winning.
"If you are so sure of winning there isn't much use of our going in thecontest," said Paxton to Ritter, as he and the bully and Coulter met.
"Well, I am bound to win," answered Ritter. "I think you can help me todo it, too. You'd like to see me beat Ruddy and Ditmore and Snow,wouldn't you?"
"Very much!" answered Coulter, with emphasis.
"Well, here is the chance. And another thing--what's the matter with yourbetting that Ruddy, Ditmore and Snow will lose? Then, if they do lose,you'll stand to win something."
"But they may win," said Paxton, who was rather cautious when it came toputting up his money.
"Yes, and I'll tell you I haven't a dollar to spare," added Coulter, whowas the poorest of the three. On more than one occasion he had borrowedspending money from Ritter and Dan Baxter.
"I've got a plan,
" answered Ritter. "Come on out on the lake in arowboat. Then we'll be sure that nobody will overhear us," and he ledthe way to where the rowboats were tied up. Ever since the scare overthe use of the French headache powder Ritter had been more or lessnervous and afraid of exposure.
All unconscious of any plot being hatched out to make them lose thebicycle contest, Jack, Pepper and Andy spent their spare time inexercising on their wheels. A prize of a fine story book had been put upby the club for the winner, and all three were determined to do whatthey could to come in ahead.
"One of us must win," said Jack. "I don't care who it is. But I do wantto see Ritter and his cronies defeated."
"Just what I say!" declared Pepper.
"Same here!" added Andy. "The way Ritter goes around blowing makes mesick!"
"Well, Brag is a good horse, but Win-out is it," declared Jack.
Fortunately the roads in the vicinity of Putnam Hall had been rolled inthe Spring and were, consequently, in good condition. The route laid outtook in two small hamlets and also passed Point View Lodge, the Summerresidence of a rich gentleman named Rossmore Ford. The boys were fairlywell acquainted with Mr. Ford and his family, and they had on twooccasions done the Ford girls, Laura and Flossie, great service.
"What do you say if we stop at the Lodge and pay our respects?" saidJack one afternoon, as he and his chums reached that neighborhood ontheir bicycles.
"I'm willing," answered Pepper. "I saw Laura Ford in Cedarville not longago and she wanted to know why we hadn't been up."
"And he never said a word about it!" cried Andy. "Say, Pepper, did youwant to call alone? I knew you were sweet on those girls, but----"
"Oh, quit it, Andy. I was going to mention it, but it slipped my mind,really it did."
"Maybe he was afraid we'd meet another tiger up here if we came,"suggested Jack. "Say, we had a lively time nailing that beast, eh?"
"That's what," answered Pepper. "No more runaway circus tigers for me,"he added, with a grave shake of his head.
The boys were less than half a mile from Point View Lodge and it did nottake them long to wheel that distance. Then, leaning their bicyclesagainst some trees, they walked up the piazza and rang the bell. Aservant answered the summons, and led them into the wide and coolhallway.
"Mrs. Rossmore has gone out," she announced a minute later. "But theyoung ladies will be here shortly."
"Oh, how do you do!" came a cry an instant later, and Laura Ford rusheddown the broad stairs, followed by her sister. A warm handshakingfollowed, and then the girls asked the cadets all about how they hadbeen, and invited them to come out on the lawn and have a game ofcroquet.