CHAPTER XXV JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY
Dan Baxter was evidently much chagrined. Pepper stood his ground andlooked the master of Putnam Hall squarely in the face.
"Don't you know that fighting is against the rules of this institution?"said Captain Putnam.
"Captain Putnam, I have not been fighting," answered Pepper, as coollyas he could.
"Not fighting? Do you deny that you just knocked Baxter down?"
"No, sir, I do not deny it. I knocked him down twice."
"And yet you do not call that fighting?"
"I do not, sir."
"Well, what is it then?"
"I was walking out here when Baxter came up. He began to pick a quarrel,and without warning, as some of these boys can testify, he struck me inthe chin and knocked me flat on my back. That made me angry and when Igot up he struck at me again. Then I sailed in and knocked him downtwice."
"It ain't so," muttered Dan Baxter. "He started the quarrel."
"No! no!" came from several.
"It started just as Pepper says," put in Harry. "It was a mean thing forBaxter to attack Pepper without warning."
"That's what it was," said another student standing by.
"You fellows shut up!" roared Dan Baxter. "If you don't I'll----" Hestopped short in confusion.
"Why did you attack him, Baxter?" asked the master of the school.
"Oh, he's getting too airish," said the bully, not stopping to thinktwice.
"Then you admit that you did attack him first?"
At this the bully grew red in the face.
"Well--er--I had good cause."
"Both of you come to my office," said the captain, and he also askedhalf a dozen of the others to come along. At the office the matter wascarefully investigated.
"Ditmore, you may go," said the master of Putnam Hall. "It was not justright for you to do as you did, yet I do not blame you for defendingyourself. Baxter, you can remain." And then all left the office but thebully. After the others had gone Captain Putnam read the bully a sternlecture. The captain had found out about the smoking and drinking at theold boathouse, and told the bully in very plain words that suchpractices would not be permitted around the academy.
"I presume the boathouse caught fire by accident," said Captain Putnam.
"I--I guess it did," said Baxter, meekly.
"It was a mean piece of business all the way through--and doubly mean totry to throw suspicion on some other cadets."
"They did mean things to me, too," grumbled the bully, and then he wasglad to make his escape from the office.
It made Dan Baxter feel sick to face the school after his encounter withPepper. Everybody was talking of how the Imp had polished off the bully.Baxter was glad enough when he received a telegram from his fatherasking him to leave Putnam Hall.
"I'm going on a trip and I shan't be back for some time," said Baxter tohis cronies.
"You're in luck," answered Reff Ritter. "Wish I was going."
"If you can, square up with Pepper Ditmore and his crowd," went on thebully.
"We'll do that," put in Gus Coulter.
On the very day that Dan Baxter left Putnam Hall to go on a trip withhis father, Pepper, Jack, and Andy received an invitation from the Fordsto visit their summer home at Point View Lodge, not many miles away. Theday was bright, and the roads seeming fine they went over on theirbicycles.
"Here is where the Bock crowd once held us up," said Jack, as they wereriding through the woods. "Do you remember?"
"We are not likely to forget it," said Andy. "Nor to forget how we shotthe tiger that had escaped from the circus."
"Which puts me in mind of something," said Pepper. "Do you rememberabout that balloon that came down on us?"
"Of course."
"Well, the balloonist, Professor Aireo, is going to give an exhibitionnext Saturday at Datport, in connection with some sort of soldiers'reunion. I'd like to ride over and see him."
"Let us do it--if we can get off," returned Andy; and so it was agreed.
When the boys arrived at the Ford mansion they found all of the familythere to greet them. Refreshments were served, and then the young peoplewent out in the garden to play croquet and lawn tennis. The girls wantedto know about their life in camp, and smiled when told of the tricksthat had been played.
"You certainly do have good times," said Laura.
"Do you ever see any more of Roy Bock and his crowd?" asked Pepper.
"No, and we don't wish to see them," answered Flossie, with a toss ofher curly head.
After the games there was music on the piano and singing, and then somemore refreshments, and all too quickly it was time for the boys toreturn to the Hall. All said they had had a splendid time.
"I am glad to hear it," said Mrs. Ford. "And do not forget to comeagain."
It was still light when the boys leaped on their bicycles and startedalong the forest road for Putnam Hall. All were in high spirits, andAndy, in front, set a pace which the others followed with difficulty.
"Be careful," sang out Jack. "This road is none of the best."
"Oh, it's all right," answered the acrobatic youth. "Come on!" And hepushed ahead as hard as ever.
"I think this road is better than it used to be," said Pepper, after amile and a half had been covered. "They must have----"
A crash ahead caused him to cut his speech short. They saw Andy fly overthe handle-bars of his machine and land in some thick bushes. Thebicycle spun around in the roadway and then fell, with the front wheelcompletely wrecked.
"Are you hurt, Andy?" asked Jack, slackening his pace just in time.
"I--I don't think I am," was the slow reply, as the acrobatic youthclimbed out of the brushwood. "Gosh! but that was a header, wasn't it?"
"How did it happen?" asked Pepper, who had gone ahead and now came back.
"I got in a rut and that threw me against yonder rock. I suppose I canbe thankful that I didn't break my neck."
"The front wheel is done for," said Jack, examining the bicycle. "Thespokes and the rim are both smashed."
"Then I reckon I'll have to walk home," said Andy, ruefully. "I reckonthe old saying is true, 'The more haste the less speed.'"
"We can take turns at carrying you," said Jack. "One can carry you andthe other the broken wheel."
"Can you do it--on such a road as this?"
"We can try it, anyway."
Andy got on the rear of Pepper's bicycle and went on ahead, and Jackplaced the broken wheel on his shoulder and followed on his own machine.Progress was slow, and long before the Hall was reached it was dark.
"Let us rest awhile," said Pepper. "This is hard work."
"I'll work one of the wheels for awhile," said Andy--"that is, when westart again."
The boys sat down by the side of the forest road to rest. Near by a tinybrook of cold water was trickling.
"There must be a spring near by," said Jack. "If there is, I'm going tohave a drink."
"Ditto myself," said Pepper.
Jack walked off to look for the spring. He was gone only a few minuteswhen he came back in high excitement.
"I've made a discovery!" he cried, softly.
"What kind of a discovery?" asked Andy.
"I followed up the brook until I came to the spring, under a bigoverhanging rock. I was stooping down for a drink, when I caught thegleam of a campfire, through the trees. After I had my fill, I walkedcloser to the campfire to investigate. There I saw those two crazyrelatives of Mr. Strong, Paul Shaff and Bart Callax!"