CHAPTER X
SETTLING DOWN AT THE HALL
"It's a boy!" cried the tall, slim man.
"One of the boys!" came from the tramp known as Buddy.
"You don't say!" The tall man turned to Tom. "How did you gethere?"
"Walked," answered Tom as calmly as he could, although this is notsaying much, for he realized that the pair before him weredesperate characters and that he was no match for them.
"Have you been spying on us?" demanded the fellow called Nolly.
"I've been spying on this man," answered Tom, pointing to theother fellow. "He stole my brother's watch. What have you donewith it?"
"Never stole a watch in me life!" returned Buddy quickly.
"I say you did, and it will do no good to deny it."
"If you say I stole any watch I'll--I'll knock yer down," criedBuddy fiercely.
And he rushed at Tom and aimed a blow at the boy's head with hisstick.
Nolly also ran forward with his sand-bag; and seeing this, Tomleaped back, and was soon making tracks as fast as his legs couldcarry him.
The two men did not pursue him far. Instead, they turned and ranin the opposite direction.
Tom hurried on until he came within sight of a large farmhouse.Reaching the front door, he used the brass knocker vigorously.
Soon an upper window was raised, and the head of a middle-aged manwas thrust out.
"Who is there?" he demanded.
"I want help, sir," answered Tom. "I am a pupil at Putnam Hall,and I have just spotted a fellow in this neighborhood who robbedmy brother of a gold watch."
"Is that so!"
"Oh, papa, is it one of the boys Grace and I were telling youabout?" came in the voice of Nellie Laning. "Aren't you TomRover?"
"Yes. This must be Mr. Laning."
"Yes, my boy, I am John Laning," answered the farmer. "I will bedown in a moment. We are in the habit of retiring early."
In a few minutes Tom was let into the house, and he told his storyto John Laning, his wife, and the two girls, all of whom listenedwith interest.
Then a hired man was aroused, and the two men and the boy hurriedto where the campfire had been located.
But, as stated before, Buddy and Nolly had made good use of theirtime, and no trace of them was to be found.
"They have skipped out," said Mr. Laning.
"To look for them will be worse than looking for spiders in a cornstack. I suppose you'll be getting back to Putnam Hall now?"
"If it is all the same, I would like to engage a room at yourfarmhouse for the night," answered Tom, and told his tale.
At the mention of Josiah Crabtree's name John Laning's face grewdark.
"I don't wonder you had a row with that man," he said. "I knowhim only too well. You can stay at my house if you will, and itshall not cost you a cent."
"Hullo, here is luck!" thought Tom, and thanked the farmer for hisoffer.
When they got back to the farmhouse Tom's story had to be told toGrace and Nellie, while Mr. Laning went off to prepare a room forthe youth.
"Oh, Josiah Crabtree!" cried Nelly. "Why, don't you know he istrying to court our Aunt Lucy?"
"Your Aunt Lucy? Who is she?"
"Dora Stanhope's mother. Dora's father is dead, you know."
"Great Caesar!" burst from Tom; "I hope Dora never gets him for astepfather!"
"So do all of us, Tom; but I'm afraid he has made quite animpression on Aunt Lucy. She is rich; and my own idea is thatJosiah Crabtree is after her money."
"He's none too good for it," was Tom's blunt comment.
The girls and the lad chatted together for half an hour, and thenall retired for the balance of the night.
"They're awfully sweet," thought the boy, "these two, and Doratoo."
He slept soundly, and did not arise until after seven. On comingbelow he found a hot breakfast awaiting him, to which it isperhaps needless to state he did full justice.
While he was talking to the girls, and finishing up at the sametime, Mr. Laning came in.
"Thought I would tell you that Captain Putnam just drove down theHall road on his way to the school," he announced.
"Then I'll get back at once," said Tom, and bade the variousmembers of the family good-by. "Hope we meet again soon," hewhispered to the girls, and this made both blush.
Mr. Laning would have driven the lad to the academy, but Tomdeclined the offer and set off on foot. It did not take him longto cover the distance, and he entered the grounds as unconcernedlyas though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Hullo!" cried several cadets as they noticed him. "Where did youcome from? Mr. Crabtree has been looking all over for you."
"I don't wish to see him. I wish to see Captain Putnam? Where ishe?"
"Gracious, but you're a cool one!" remarked one of the cadets."The captain is in his office, I think."
"Will you please show me to the place?"
"Certainly."
The office was a finely furnished apartment just off the mainclassroom. Tom knocked on the door.
"Come in," said a cheery voice, and the boy calmly entered to findhimself confronted not only by Captain Putnam, but likewise byJosiah Crabtree.
"Ah! Here is the young reprobate now!" cried Crabtree, as rushingup, he grasped Tom by the arm.
"You will kindly let go of my arm, Mr. Crabtree," said Tomsteadily.
"You shan't run away again!"
"That's true--now Captain Putnam is here."
"So this is Thomas Rover," said Captain Victor Putnam, withsomething like a twinkle in his clear eyes. "Rover, I have hearda rather serious report about you and your brother Richard."
"What kind of a report, if I may ask, sir?"
"Mr. Crabtree says you have been impudent to him, and that when helocked you in the guardroom for breaking the rules you attackedhim and knocked him down."
"He attacked me first. If anybody attacked you, wouldn't you beapt to knock him down if you could?"
"That would depend upon, circumstances, Rover. If a man attackedme on the street I would certainly endeavor to defend myself tothe best of my ability. But you must remember that you are apupil here, and Mr. Crabtree is one of your masters, appointed byme."
"I am not a pupil yet, sir--although I hope to be very soon."
"Why, what do you mean?" demanded Victor Putnam, and now his voicegrew stern. Many a boy would have flinched, but Tom haddetermined to say just what he thought of Crabtree, and he stoodhis ground.
"I mean just this, Captain Putnam. I came to Putnam Hall with thebest intention in the world of doing my duty as a pupil andbecoming a credit to your institution. I hadn't a thought ofbreaking a rule or being impudent. Before I entered your groundsI thought of a big fire cracker I had in my pocket, and just forthe fun of the thing set the cracker off, as a sort of farewell tothe outdoor life so soon to be left behind."
"Captain Putnam, are you going to listen to such tomfoolery?"interrupted Josiah Crabtree.
"I believe I have a right to tell my story," answered Tom."Unless that right is granted, I shall leave the Hall, go back tomy guardian, and tell him that I refuse to become a pupil here."
"You are a pupil already," snarled Crabtree.
"I am not--and that is just the point I am trying to make," wenton Tom to the owner of Putnam Hall. "As soon as the firecrackerwent off, this man rushed up and demanded an explanation. He wasgoing to lock up my brother first, but I said I had fired thecracker, and so he compelled me to go to the guardroom with him.I was locked in and treated to bread and milk for supper, and hewanted to steal the keys of my trunk and valise from me."
"Steal!" ejaculated Josiah Crabtree.
"That is what it amounted to, for the keys, and boxes are myproperty."
"Mr. Crabtree merely wanted to see that your baggage containednothing improper," put in Captain Putnam. "There are certainthings we do not allow boys to bring into the institution."
"Then he had a rig
ht to keep my baggage out until I was properlyenrolled as a pupil. I did not bring in the trunk and bagmyself."
At this Captain Putnam began to smile.
"I see the point you are trying to make, Rover. You are trying toprove that you were placed under arrest, so to speak, before youwere under our authority here."
"Exactly. I will leave it to you, Captain Putnam, if I was reallya pupil when Mr. Crabtree hauled me off to the guardroom."
At this plain question the face of the owner of the Hall became astudy.
"You make a very fine distinction, Rover," he answered slowly.
"Perhaps so, sir; and I do it because I want to begin right here.If I am to be handicapped at the start of my career, what is theuse of my trying to make a record for myself?" and Tom looked themaster of Putnam Hall full in the face.
Without a word Captain Putnam held out his hand. "Thomas, youhave considerable spirit, but I think your heart is in the rightplace, and I am willing to try you. Supposing you enroll as apupil now, and we let bygones be bygones?"
"With all my heart, sir!" cried Tom, glad to have the whole affairsettled so easily.
"Why, are you going to let the--the young rascal go?" demandedJosiah Crabtree, in amazement.
"I'm not a rascal, Mr. Crabtree."
"Yes, you are!"
"Mr. Crabtree, I have decided to drop the matter," put in CaptainPutnam, in a tone which admitted of no dispute, and the headassistant fell back abashed. "Rover says he wishes to make arecord for himself, and I am inclined to help him. He starts histerm free and clear of all charges against him--and his brotherwhom you have locked up shall do likewise. Kindly call Mr.Strong."
"It is a--a most unusual proceeding," growled the headassistant.
"Perhaps, but we will talk that matter over at another time."
Josiah Crabtree went out; and in a minute George Strong appeared,and Tom was turned over to him, to sign the roll of the academyand to join Sam, Fred, and the others in the class room over whichMr. Strong presided.
"Hullo, you're back," whispered Sam, but no more could be saiduntil recess, when Tom told his story in detail. In the meantimeDick was released.
"So you met the fellow who stole my watch!" cried the elderbrother. "I wish you had got the timepiece."
"So do I, Dick."
Dick had been captured by Josiah Crabtree just as he was vaultingthe iron fence around the guardroom window. The head assistanthad locked him up in the apartment Tom had occupied, and thereDick had remained all night.
"Oh, Crabtree is a terror!" said Dick later on. "I hope DoraStanhope's mother never marries him."
"I'll wager neither of you have heard the last of Crabtree, evenif we are not in his classes," remarked Sam. "He will watch for achance to get even, mark my words."
"I don't doubt it, Sam," answered Tom. "But let him come on. Iintend to do my duty as a cadet, and I am not afraid of him."