CHAPTER XIX
ABOUT A SET OF TEETH
"I am afraid we are in for it!" whispered the young major, as he saw therush of the Pornell students, each armed with all the snowballs he couldcarry.
"Shall we run away?" asked Andy. "I guess we can run as fast as theycan."
"Never!" replied Pepper. "I am going to the Hall and on this road."
"So am I!" added Jack.
"Then let us rush 'em?" suggested Andy. "We can't stand and fight nineof 'em--we'll be snowed under."
"Rush it is," returned the young major. "Wait till I give the signal."
On came the enemy, and soon the snowballs were flying at a lively rate.It was growing dark, but the aim of the Pornell students was good andthe chums were hit several times. They threw snowballs in return,hitting Bock in the breast and Grimes in the chin.
"Come on, throw 'em over!" roared Bock. "Roll 'em in the snow!"
"And stuff some snow down their backs!" added Grimes.
"Now then, all together!" cried Jack. "Keep as close as possible! One,two, three!"
Side by side the three chums bounded forward, straight for the line ofPornellites. They came on swiftly and took the enemy by surprise. Jackbumped into Bock, hurling him flat, and Pepper bowled over Grimes. Andybent low and caught another student by the legs, sending him over into afourth, and both went flat. Then the three cadets caught a fifth and ranhim along the road and into a hollow, where he went into snow up to hiswaist.
"Stop 'em! Stop 'em!" was the cry, but the Putnam Hall boys could not bestopped. Turning, they delivered a parting shower of snowballs, and thenran on, in the direction of the school.
"I guess the Pornell fellows will remember that for awhile," pantedPepper, when they felt safe.
"And just think of it--three to nine!" chuckled Andy.
"They thought they had us dead to rights," came from Jack. "Well, Iguess we showed them a trick or two they won't forget right away."
"Are they following us?" asked the acrobatic youth, looking back.
"I reckon not," replied Pepper, "Must have had enough," and he smiledbroadly.
The three cadets were tired out from their long walk and the contest onthe road, and when the school was reached all were glad enough to sitdown and rest previous to having supper. Andy looked around for ReffRitter, but that cadet kept himself out of sight.
"I'll see him after supper," said the acrobatic youth.
It was not until nearly bedtime that he got a chance to question thebully. He followed Ritter up to his dormitory, which chanced just thento be unoccupied.
"Reff, I want to talk to you," he said, when the bully was on the pointof closing the door in his face.
"What do you want, Andy Snow? I'm not feeling well to-night, and I amtired out from a walk I took to Cedarville."
"I won't keep you long, Reff. I want to ask you about the man you met inCedarville? What's his name?"
Reff Ritter stopped short and showed that the question took him bysurprise.
"Man I met?" he stammered.
"Yes, the man you met at the new buildings in Cedarville."
"Who said I met any one?"
"We saw you, I and Major Ruddy and Pep Ditmore."
"Huh! Been spying on me, eh?" And Reff Ritter's face took on its oldlook of sourness.
"It was an accident. But I want to know who that man was."
"What for?"
"I have my reasons."
"I don't see that I am called on to answer your questions, Andy Snow. IfI want to meet anybody I'll do it."
"Then you refuse to tell me who the man was?"
"Tell me why you want to know and maybe I'll tell you who he is,"answered the bully, after studying the acrobatic youth's face for amoment.
"Very well. Do you remember the time the horse ran away with me and leftme unconscious on the road?"
"I heard about it."
"Well, just before I was knocked unconscious I saw a man on the roadahead of me."
"Well?"
"I think it was the man you met this afternoon."
"That man?" cried the bully, and now he showed a sudden interest.
"Yes, and that is why I want to know his name, and where he comes from."
"You must be mistaken, Snow. That man doesn't belong around here."
"Where is he from?"
"I think he comes from Boston, but I am not sure."
"And his name?"
"Why do you ask these questions? Do you think he had something to dowith your being thrown from the horse?"
"No, not with being thrown from the horse, Reff. But, if you'llremember, when I came to my senses my watch was gone, also my stickpinand eight dollars in bills."
"And you think that man took them?" questioned Reff Ritter, in a voicethat sounded strained.
"I won't say that until I know more about the man. If you say he is agood, honest man, why then I'll be bound to believe I am mistaken."
"I don't know much about him, but I don't think he is a thief," answeredthe bully, slowly. "His name is Smith, Cameron Smith, and he is acommercial traveler. I only met him twice, once about two weeks ago andto-day. He knows my--er--my uncle, and is doing some business for him,and he wanted to see me about it, that's all. But I am sure you aremistaken about his robbing you."
"I didn't say he robbed me,--in fact, I am not positive he was the man Isaw on the road."
"I don't think he was near Cedarville at the time. He spends most of histime around Boston. Is that all you want to know? If it is, I'm going tolie down and try to get some sleep," went on Reff Ritter, passing hishand over his forehead.
"Yes, that's all," answered Andy, shortly. "Much obliged." And he leftthe dormitory.
He was not at all satisfied with the way Reff Ritter had acted.Evidently the bully was much put out over the fact that his meeting withCameron Smith was known.
"He didn't say much about what business he had with the man," musedAndy. "It all sounds rather fishy to me. Wish I had some way of findingout more about this Cameron Smith. Guess I'll write to some of myfriends in Boston and see if they can find out anything about him." AndAndy sent a letter the very next morning.
On this same day Pepper had a sharp wrangle with Josiah Crabtree. Thedictatorial teacher accused Pepper of copying an example in algebra fromanother cadet, and a bitter altercation followed.
"I didn't do it, and I don't want you to say so!" flared up Pepper, hischeeks aflame.
"Ditmore, be silent!" roared Josiah Crabtree. "Not another word, or I'llsend you to Captain Putnam!"
"I don't care--I didn't copy!" muttered Pepper. "It's a shame to say Idid!"
"You'll stay in after school," commanded Crabtree, majestically.
The accusation, and the fact that he had to stay in when the others wereallowed to go out and have their fun, did not suit The Imp at all. Whilehe sat in the classroom all alone, he thought again of something thathad come into his mind before.
"I'll do it!" he said firmly. "I'll do it to-night! I'll show him thathe can't accuse me for nothing."
Since the fall term at Putnam Hall had opened Josiah Crabtree had beenmaking frequent trips to Ithaca, to a well-known dentist located in thatcity. Although many of the cadets did not know it, a few, and among themPepper, were aware that the teacher was having a new set of false teethmade. Now the teeth were finished, and Josiah Crabtree was wearing themwith great satisfaction and not a little pride. He fancied that the newteeth added not a little to his personal appearance.
It was Pepper's plan to get hold of these teeth and hide them. How thetrick was to be accomplished he did not yet know, but he resolved towatch his chances.
That evening, as luck would have it, Josiah Crabtree retired early. Aswas his custom, he placed his false teeth in a glass of water on a standin his room. Watching through a keyhole, Pepper saw him do this, andthen calmly waited for the teacher to go bed and fall asleep.
The door was locked, but The Imp was equal to the emergency. The roomnex
t to that occupied by Crabtree was vacant, and he entered this andthrew open the window. The window of the teacher's apartment was lessthan three feet away, and the sash was pulled down a few inches to letin fresh air.
Pepper was not such an acrobat as Andy, but he quickly raised the nextwindow and moved into the teacher's apartment. In a trice he had securedthe new set of teeth, and then he retired as quickly as he had come,leaving both windows as he had found them.
"Now what shall I do with the teeth?" the cadet asked himself. He wasstrongly tempted to tell Jack and Andy of the trick, but decided to keepthe matter to himself.
At last another idea came into The Imp's head and after everybody hadapparently gone to bed he stole downstairs and entered the assembly roomof the school. He had previously tied the set of teeth to a bit offishing line having a sinker at the other end. He now took aim at thecentral chandelier and by good luck sent the sinker and line whirlingaround one of the pendants, leaving the set of teeth dangling below afoot or more.
"Won't there be a surprise when they see 'em up there!" he muttered."And won't Crabtree have a job getting them down!"
"Oh, my, what a thing to do!" came a voice from out of the darkness.Pepper whirled around quickly, but the speaker had vanished, banging adoor after him.
"Who was that?" was the question Pepper asked himself. He could notplace the voice, and was much disturbed. Would the intruder, who hadseen his actions, expose him?
"I'll have to chance it," he told himself rather dubiously. "I can't getthe teeth down anyway. Too bad! I thought I was alone!" And then hehurried off to bed in anything but a comfortable frame of mind.
THIS WAS A SIGNAL FOR THE DISCHARGE OF ALL SORTS OFTHINGS AT THE DANGLING OBJECT.
_The Mystery of Putnam Hall._ (Page 192)]