CHAPTER V
ON THE WAY TO PUTNAM HALL
"I don't think we'll want to send word to Aunt Martha to be takenback," observed Sam, who sat on the driver's seat with the hiredman.
"Neither do I," returned Tom. "To be sure, we have a nice enoughhome here, but it's dreadfully slow."
"There is no telling what may be in store for us," joined in Dick."Don't you remember how Fred Garrison fared at Holly School? Thatinstitution sent out a splendid circular, and when Fred got therethey almost starved him to death."
"That is true. Where is Fred now?"
"I don't know."
"Mr. Colby wouldn't recommend Putnam Hall if it wasn't all right,"remarked Tom. "Jack, whip up the team, or we'll miss that train."
"They are going putty well now, Master Tom," replied the driver.
The trunks had gone on ahead, and when they reached the depot atOak Run they found old Ricks grumbling because no one was there tocheck them.
"Do you reckon I'm going to be responsible for everybody'sbaggage?" he snarled as Dick approached him.
"I'll check them as soon as I can get tickets," answered Dickcurtly. "What an old bear he is!" he whispered to Tom. "Hedidn't treat me half decently when I was over here about thewatch."
"If only we had a little time I would fix him," whispered Tom inreturn. He had sobered down for several days now and was dying toplay a trick on somebody.
They went into the station and procured tickets, and then foundthe time for the train had been changed, and it would not be alongfor nearly half an hour.
"Good! Just wait till I get back," said Tom.
He had noticed Ricks gathering up some waste paper around thedepot, and felt tolerably certain the old fellow was about tobuild a bonfire of it. Walking over to one of the stores, heentered, and asked the proprietor if he had any large firecrackerson hand.
"Just two, sir," said the storekeeper, and brought them forth.Each was six inches long and thick in proportion.
"How much?" asked the boy.
"Seeing as they are the last I have, I'll let you have them forfifteen cents each."
"I'll give you a quarter for the two."
"Very well; here you are," and the transfer was made on the spot.Slipping the firecrackers into his coat pocket, Tom sauntered upto old Ricks, while Sam and Dick looked on, sure that somethingwas in the wind.
"Ricks, that is pretty bad news from Middletown, isn't it?" heobserved.
"Bad news? What do you mean?" demanded the station master, as hethrew some more waste paper on the fire, which he had just lit.
"About that dynamite being stolen by train wreckers. They thinksome of the explosive was brought up here."
"Didn't hear of it."
"Dynamite is pretty bad stuff to have around, so I've heard."
"Awful! Awful! I never want to see any of it," answered Ricks,with a decided shake of his head.
"If it goes off it's apt to blow everything to splinters," went onDick.
"That's so--I don't want any of it," and the old man began togather up more waste paper for his fire. Watching his chance,Tom threw one of the firecrackers into the blaze and thenrejoined his brothers.
With a handful of paper Ricks again approached the blaze. He wasstanding almost over it when the firecracker went off, making atremendous report and scattering the light blazing paper in alldirections.
"Help! I'm killed!" yelled old Ricks, as he fell upon his back."Get me away from here! There's dynamite in this fire!" And herolled over, leapt to his feet, and ran off like a madman.
"Don't be alarmed--it was only a firecracker," called out Tom,loud enough for all standing around to hear, and then he ran forthe train, which had just come in. Soon he and his brothers wereon board and off, leaving poor Ricks to be heartily laughed at bythose who had observed his sudden terror. It was many a daybefore the cranky station master heard the last of his dynamite.
The boys were to ride from Oak Run to Ithaca, and there take asmall steamer which ran from that city to the head of the lake,stopping at Cedarville, the nearest village to Putnam Hall. AtCedarville one of the Hall conveyances was to meet them, totransfer both them and their baggage to the institution.
The run to Ithaca proved uneventful although the boys did not tireof looking out of the window at the beautiful panorama rushingpast them. At noon they had lunch in the dining car, a spreadthat Sam declared was about as good as a regular dinner. Threeo'clock in the afternoon found them at the steamboat landing,waiting for the Golden Star to take them up to Cedarville.
"Fred Garrison, by all that's lucky!" burst out Tom suddenly, ashe rushed up to a youth of about his own age who sat on a trunkeating an apple.
"Tom Rover! Where are you bound?"
"To a boarding school called Putnam Hall."
"You don't say! Why, I am going there myself," and now FredGarrison nearly wrung off Tom's hand.
"If this isn't the most glorious news yet!" burst in Dick. "Why,Larry Colby is going too!"
"I know it. But he won't come until tomorrow."
"And Frank Harrington is going too."
"He is there, already--he wrote about it day before yesterday.That makes six of us New York, boys."
"The metropolitan sextet," chirped in Sam.
"Boys, we ought to form a league to stand by each other throughthick or thin."
"I'm with you on that," answered Fred. "As we are all newcomers,it's likely the old scholars will want to haze us, or, somethinglike that."
"Just let them try it on!" cried Tom. "Yes, we must sticktogether by all means." And the compact, so far as it concernedthe Rover boys and Fred Garrison, was made on the spot. Later onLarry Colby and Frank Harrington joined them gladly.
It was not long before the Golden Star, a stanch little side-wheeler,steamed up to the dock, and the waiting crowd rushed on board andsecured favorable places on deck. The baggage followed, and soon theywere off, with a whistle which awoke the echoes of Cayuga Lake formiles around.
While waiting on the dock Dick had noticed three girls standingnear them. They were evidently from the rural district, butpretty and well dressed. The boys took seats near the bow of theboat, on the upper deck, and presently the girls sat down not faraway.
"He was awfully bold, Clara; I want nothing to do with him," Dickheard the prettiest of the girls say. "He had no right to speakto us."
"He had dropped his handkerchief, and he pretended I was steppingon it," said another of the three. "Oh, here he comes now!" shewent on as a youth of seventeen came into view. He was large andbold-looking, and it was easy to see that there was a good deal ofthe bully about him. He was smoking a cigarette, but on seeingthe girls he threw the paper roll away.
"How do you do again?" he said, as he came up and tipped his hat.
At this all of the girls looked angry, and not one returned hissalutation. But, undaunted by this, the newcomer caught up a campstool and planked himself down almost directly between theprettiest of the three and her companions.
"Splendid day for the trip," he went on.
"Won't you have some confectionery?" and he hauled from his pocketa box of cream chocolates and held them out.
"Thank you, but we don't wish any," said the youngest of thegirls.
"Won't you have some?" asked the unknown of the eldest girl.
"I don't want any, and I told you before not to speak to me!" shesaid in a low voice, and the tears almost came into her eyes.
"I ain't going to hurt you," grumbled the young fellow. "Can't afellow be pleasant like?"
"I do not know you, sir."
"Oh, that's all right. My name is Daniel Baxter. Sorry Ihaven't a card, or I would give you one," was the smoothrejoinder.
"I do not wish your card," was the answer delivered in the mostpositive of tones.
"Oh, all right. Yes, it's a splendid trip," said the fellow, anddrew his camp chair even closer. The girls wished to edge away,but there was no room in the narrow b
ow. The eldest girl lookedaround as if for help. Her eyes met those of Dick, and sheblushed.
"Say, that fellow is a regular pill," whispered Tom to his elderbrother.
"Somebody ought to take him by the collar and pitch himoverboard."
"You are right, Tom," answered Dick, and then as the bullyattempted to crowd still closer to the girls he suddenly arose,took a few steps forward, and caught Dan Baxter by the arm.
"You get out of here and be quick about it," he said in low butfirm tones.
The fellow started, and for the instant his face changed color.But then he saw that Dick was but a boy, younger and smaller thanhimself, and his bullying manner returned. "Who are you talkingto?" he demanded.
"I am talking to you. I told you to get out--and be quick aboutit."
"Oh," cried the eldest girl, but her face took on a look of relief,for she saw that Dick was a thoroughly gentlemanly youth.
"Who are you anyway?" blustered Dan Baxter.
"My name is Dick Rover, if you want, to know." Dick turned to thegirls. "He was annoying you, wasn't he?"
"Very much," answered the three promptly.
"Then you'll get out, Daniel Baxter."
"Supposing I refuse?"
"If you refuse, I'll pitch you out, and make a complaint to thepolice at our first stopping place."
"You talk big!" sneered the bully, but he was much disconcerted.
"Don't you talk back to my brother," put in Tom, who had come up."You think you're a regular masher, as they call such sillyfellows, but I don't think your game is going to work here."
"That's it," chimed in Sam.
"Humph! three of you, eh?" muttered the bully. "We'll see aboutthis some other time," and leaving his camp chair he made for thecabin and disappeared, from view.
"He's a bad egg," was Tom's comment, but how thoroughly bad theRover boys were still to learn.