CHAPTER VI THE BASKET IN THE TREE
Supper was served at Putnam Hall in the winter time at six o'clock, andas a general thing the meal was over inside of half an hour, when thecadets had an hour or more to themselves.
On the following day, after supper, Jack and the others watched DanBaxter and his cronies closely.
"Emerald, you and Dale stop them about seven o'clock," said Pepper, andto this the two cadets agreed.
The Irish lad and Dale kept a close eye on Dan Baxter, who was withCoulter and Reff Ritter. At a few minutes to seven the bully and hiscronies started away from the Hall in the direction of a side road--thatleading past the Shepard farm.
"Here is where we hold 'em up a bit," said Dale, and ran forward callingloudly.
"What do you want?" asked the bully, stopping short, with a scowl.
"Wait a minute," said Dale, and walked up slowly, while Hogan did thesame.
"Don't be all night about it," put in Reff Ritter.
"What's this report I heard to-day?" said Dale, facing the bully.
"What report?" asked Baxter, suspiciously.
"You know, Baxter."
"I must say I do not."
"About that race on the ice, and all that," said Hogan. "It's a queertale, so it is! Didn't yez hear all about it at Cedarville?"
"I haven't heard anything."
"Neither have I," put in Ritter.
"I guess Coulter knows about it," went on Dale. "He usually knowseverything. Did you see the horse?" he demanded.
"The horse?" asked Gus Coulter, puzzled. "What in the world are youtalking about?"
"That horse they brought into the school."
"I didn't see any horse."
"Certainly he was a beauty," said Hogan, with a broad laugh. "Allpainted with that red paint, too. Where did that paint come from, answerme that now?" he demanded, in a whisper.
"I don't know anything about a horse or any red paint either," growledDan Baxter. "Is this a joke?"
"Listen to that!" cried Dale. "Say, you can put on a good front, can'tyou?"
"It's true."
"Maybe you don't know about that ghost business either," came fromHogan. "Very innocent, so ye are, I must say!" And he winked with hisleft eye in a most mysterious manner.
"See here, you are talking Greek to me!" roared Baxter. He was anxiousto get away. "If you can't explain I don't want to talk to you."
"Emerald, perhaps they don't know after all," whispered Dale, but insuch a manner that the bully and his friends could hear.
"Be gorry, I hope we haven't put our foot into it thin!" muttered theIrish cadet. He walked up to Reff Ritter. "Say, forget it!"
"Forget what?" demanded Ritter.
"All I was after telling you."
"You've told me nothing yet."
"Is that so now? Then so much the better."
"Oh, you're trying to fool us!" burst out Dan Baxter. "I don't want tolisten to another word," and he turned away, and his friends followedhim. Dale and Hogan waited a minute and then went back to the Hall, sothat the bully and his cronies might not get too suspicious.
"We held 'em up ten minutes," said Dale. "I hope that helped Pepper andthe others out."
In the meantime Pepper, Andy, and Jack left the Hall by a roundabout wayand hurried along the road leading to the Shepard farm. It was quitedark and rather cold, although there was but little wind.
"I see a carriage coming!" exclaimed Jack, presently. "Step back of thebushes and see who is driving it."
The others complied, and soon the carriage came up. On the seat drivingwas Amos Shepard, and at his feet rested a big square basket.
"There he goes," exclaimed Pepper, when the farmer had passed. "Let usfollow him."
It was an easy matter to follow the carriage, for the road was rocky andthe farmer had to drive slowly. Coming to a turn, the man in thecarriage dismounted and placed the big basket in a crotch of a tree.Then he went on his way to Cedarville.
"Quick--there is no time to lose!" exclaimed Pepper. "Dan Baxter maycome for this basket at any minute."
They soon had the basket out of the crotch of the tree and examined thecontents. There were the stuffed turkey, nicely cooked, some freshbiscuit, two pies, some apples, a jug of cider, and some other things.
"We'll appropriate a pie and some biscuits and apples, and likewise abit of the turkey," said Andy.
"Be careful," warned Jack. "If you muss the turkey up Baxter willsuspect something."
"I'll fix that easily enough," came from the resourceful Pepper.
Having taken what they wanted, the boys proceeded to "season" whatremained with the pepper and with some lard and vinegar Andy hadprocured on the sly from the academy kitchen. They had brought somenapkins with them, and in these placed what they had appropriated. ThenPepper calmly proceeded to break down one of the tree limbs.
"What are you doing that for?" asked Jack.
"I'll show you," said Pepper, calmly, and under the broken-down limb heplaced the basket, resting on its side. "How is that?"
"First-rate!" laughed Jack.
"Looks exactly as if the basket had been on the limb and it had brokenand spilt the stuff," said Andy.
"Now we'll get out of sight and watch," went on the Imp.
They ran out of sight and waited. Not five minutes later Dan Baxter,Coulter, and Ritter hove into sight.
"Here is the spot, fellows," they heard the bully of the Hall exclaim."Anybody around?"
"I don't see anybody," answered Ritter.
"Where's the basket?" asked Coulter, gazing up into the tree.
"Here it is, on the ground," said Baxter. "Too bad, it's tumbled over."
"The limb broke down with it, it was so heavy," said Reff Ritter.
Baxter got down and struck a match.
"The stuff is pretty well tumbled around," said he. "And, say--some ofthe turkey is gone!" he added.
"Maybe some animal came up and took it," suggested Coulter. "I thought Isaw a dog on the road."
"I am not going to eat after a dog," said Ritter.
"Oh, I reckon it's all right," said Baxter, hastily. He did not wantanything to occur to spoil the grandness of his proposed spread. To hiscronies he had boasted that this was to be the finest spread ever givenon the sly at Putnam Hall.
Taking up the basket, the bully rearranged the things. He noticed thatthere was not as much as he had ordered, and made up his mind to "pitchinto" Amos Shepard when next they should meet. He and Coulter carriedthe basket and Ritter the jug of cider, and off they went to the Hall,entering unobserved by a back way, and sneaking to their dormitory,where the goodies were hidden in a clothes closet.
"Oh, wait till to-night!" said Pepper, as he and his chums alsoreturned.
The evening seemed to drag after that, so many were waiting for bedtimeto come. Baxter tried to learn from Dale what the talk earlier in theevening had meant, but got no satisfaction.
All of the boys of the bully's dormitory had been invited to the feastand also some other cadets, making a total of sixteen lads who were toparticipate. They were all followers of Dan Baxter, and but few of themwere liked by the other cadets.
At last it was time to go to bed, and one after another the boys wentoff. Our friends undressed and then slipped on some warm coats overtheir night garments. Soon the monitors came around to see thateverything was as it should be for the night.
"Now is our time," whispered Pepper. "Baxter's crowd will be stirringsoon."
With caution they left their dormitory and stole along the hallway. Asluck would have it, there was a room next to the Baxter dormitory thatwas vacant, the plaster having fallen and being not yet repaired. Thedoor was unlocked and our friends entered.
"Listen," said Pepper, as they all came close to a door whichcommunicated with the next dormitory.
"Now, fellows, we'll have the finest feast you ever saw at any school,"they heard Dan Baxter say. "I'll carve the turke
y and you, Coulter, cancut the cake, and Mumps can pour out the cider. After the cider we'llhave something a little stronger."
"I don't think they have anything hotter than that cider," murmuredPepper.
Those outside of the room heard the bully and his cronies make numerouspreparations for the feast. Then the stuff was passed around and allprepared to do full justice to what was handed to them.
"That is all right," exclaimed Reff Ritter, as he bit into a turkeysandwich. "Say, wouldn't it make Jack Ruddy and his crowd feel sore toknow about these good things we are having!"
"Say, this sandwich is pretty warm," came from Paxton. "Phew! but it'shot!"
"Why, it's cold, Nick," answered the bully of the Hall.
"Is it? Not much! It's full of pepper."
"Ouch!" came from Mumps. "Oh, my tooth!"
"What's the matter with it?" asked Coulter.
"I've bitten on something hard. Guess it was a stone."
"Creation, what's this?" came from Ritter. "Say, Dan, this smells likevinegar."
Another boy was drinking some cider. He made a wry face and ejected theliquid from his mouth.
"That's the worst cider I ever tasted!"
"Let me see!" cried Dan Baxter, and caught up a glassful. He took oneswallow and began to breathe heavily.
"It's--it's--pep--peppery!" he gasped. "Oh, my insides are burning up!Somebody give me some water."
"Whow! The cake is peppery, too!" came from another.
"And full of sand!"
"This piece of celery has got lard all over it!"
"This is the worst sandwich I ever tried to eat!"
"This apple is full of vinegar!"
"So is this currant jelly!"
"Say, fellows, somebody has played a trick on us!"
"Don't eat any more of the stuff. It may be poisoned!"
"Oh, don't say that!" groaned Mumps, turning pale. "I--I don't want tobe poisoned!"
"Who--who touched this stuff?" gasped Dan Baxter. He was so angry hecould hardly speak.
No one could answer the question.
"If I ever find out who did it, I'll--I'll skin 'em alive, that's whatI'll do!"
"One thing is certain," said Reff Ritter, in deep disgust. "All of thestuff was fixed up, and there will be no feast to-night, that is sure. Iwouldn't touch another mouthful for a thousand dollars."
"I am going to find out who did this," said Baxter, starting up. "And Iam going to find out to-night!"