The Mercer Boys in the Ghost Patrol

  17 Breaking Up Hydes’ Party

  On the following morning Colonel Morrell had an early and unexpectedvisitor. He was a fairly good-looking young man, with a handsome smileand a confident air. Without introducing himself he asked the colonel ofthe cadet corps an astonishing question.

  “Well, what luck did you have with the ghost the other night?” the maninquired with a pleasant smile.

  There was a pause before the colonel answered him. “Unfortunately wemissed him after a considerable chase. Are you the one who—?”

  “Yes, I sent you the wigwag,” replied the young man. “I am a scoutmasterover in Rideway and that’s how I happen to know the signals. I’ve beenwanting to put this stupid ghost out of business and saw thisopportunity to do it.”

  “How did you come to find out that the ghost was going to walk, Mr.—?”began the colonel.

  “My name is Benson,” explained the other. “Between 1:00 A.M. and 8:00A.M. I am employed as a telephone operator on the local switchboard. Iwas suddenly taken ill the other day or I would have been up to see yousooner.”

  “Oh, so you’re the night operator. Some of our boys filled in for you inyour absence.”

  “Mr. Farnsworth has told me about that. It was very kind of you, sir.”

  “It is good training for our boys. It makes them realize theirresponsibility as citizens to help in any sort of emergency which mayarise, I believe. But tell me why you warned us of the ghost’sactivities.”

  “It was really an accident that I heard a conversation that morningwhich gave me the information. There was a long-distance telephone callmade to our local drugstore. I connected the line and rang. Then,forgetting to close my key more than anything else, I listened while thereceiver was picked up at the drugstore. I was pretty sleepy at thetime, but I was knocked wide awake by hearing the party on the far endof the wire say: ‘What are the latest activities, Rose? I know about thefailure to burn Hyde’s farm. Has the ghost walked since?’ That staggeredme and I listened closely to what followed.”

  Colonel Morrell leaned forward in his chair. The story of the youngscout leader was of great interest to him.

  Mr. Benson continued. “The voice at the other end was a low, cold sortof voice, and I was trying to catch a clue from it, hoping that theclerk would use a name, but he didn’t. He just kept using the title Sir.This voice at the other end said: ‘I know all about those cadetsinterfering with the activities of the ghost, and I will attend to thempersonally very soon. When I do, they won’t have so much as a tent leftto them or a single horse! But I don’t want the ghost to stay in justbecause of those soldiers. Tell him to get moving again, and make it hisbusiness not to get caught.’ It was that last statement which caused meto get word to you.”

  “And a good thing it was, too,” replied Colonel Morrell. He thenproceeded to tell Mr. Benson the facts that the boys had uncovered. Whenhe had finished he said, “Rest assured that we will get to the bottom ofthis unpleasant business. I will keep you informed of any furtherdevelopments, too.”

  As soon as he left, Colonel Morrell called the Mercers and Jordantogether for a conference.

  “It seems you are not the only person guilty of listening in ontelephone conversations, Jim,” he began. Then he told them of Mr.Benson’s visit. “Now I think the next step is to engage a good privatedetective and see if we can’t have this man Maul located in Crossland.If we merely arrest the paid ghost and don’t get the big man higher upwe will accomplish nothing.”

  At the evening meal in the mess tent the colonel addressed his corps.

  “Boys, some time ago we pledged ourselves to run down this ghostbusiness that is troubling the inhabitants of the Ridge and to date wehave made quite a bit of progress, even more than most of you know. Indue time full details will be related to you, but at present it seemsbest to keep things quiet. But this much I wish to tell you: we havelearned that this ‘ghost’ is a hired professional who is planning towipe out our camp. I do not know just how he proposes to do it, whetherby fire or mob violence, but it is planned, and according to theinformation secured the blow will come soon. I am therefore doubling thenumber of sentries beginning with tonight. Your orders are to alarm thecamp instantly if anything out of the ordinary is seen or heard. TheOfficers of the Guard will exercise unwavering care and conduct rigidinspection of posts.”

  The colonel resumed his seat and there was a buzz of excitement andindignation. The cadets welcomed the prospect for some actual anddangerous service, and the prospect of a mob fight was especiallyalluring. But the feeling was that any move made against them would bein the nature of a stealthy act, and all of the cadets determined tobrace themselves for the stern business at hand.

  “If any ghost tries to touch the horses I’ll shoot him on sight,”growled Thompson, who loved the animals.

  “All I hope is that they rush the camp with a gang,” Terry said.“Wouldn’t that be a swell scrap! Imagine the corps meeting a crowd ofroughnecks in a hand-to-hand battle. That would be something to writeabout!”

  “If you were able to write, Redhead,” said a cadet near by.

  “Gee, if the battalion couldn’t lick any bunch recruited around here weought to go back to the school and play tennis all the rest of ourlives,” snorted Terry, who was not good at the sport and therefore didnot like it.

  “I’m afraid that the attack won’t be an open one,” Don told them. “Morelikely to be something shady.”

  “You ought to know, Mercer,” said Motley. “Wish I had been on thatswitchboard the other night.”

  That night the number of guards was doubled and the greatest care wasexercised. The Officers of the Guard visited posts at frequent intervalsand checked up on the sentries. But the night went by without anythingout of the ordinary happening. In the morning Benson brought news.

  “That ghost showed up in South Plains last night,” he reported. “Somefarmers saw him over that way. That is some distance from here and theghost is following orders to the letter. I didn’t hear a thing lastnight, though I listened to every conversation. Tonight he may come backthis way. But I don’t know whether you will have to fear him or not, forif you’ll remember Maul promised to do the job himself.”

  “We’ll be on the lookout for both of them,” promised the colonel.

  That afternoon was a warm one and the boys went swimming. Terry haddeveloped a slight summer cold and so he did not go. He was sitting infront of the tent on a box whittling a piece of wood industriously. Thecamp was quiet and the shouts of the cadets in the swimming hole driftedto his ears.

  There was a voice near Terry and he looked up. The little Carson boy wasapproaching down the company street from the direction of the woods andTerry waved to him.

  “Hi, Jimmie,” greeted Terry. “How are you today?”

  “OK, Terry,” smiled the boy. “Why aren’t you in swimming?”

  “Got a little cold and the company doctor told me to stay out for awhile,” answered the whittler, gravely. “What’s on your mind today,anything in particular?”

  “I want to tell you something,” said Jimmie Carson, sitting down on theedge of the box as Terry made room for him. “You know that old man overin the cabin? The man named Vancouver?”

  “Yes, I know who he is. Why?”

  “Well, what do you think, Mr. Mackson? He isn’t lame at all!”

  Terry stopped his whittling abruptly and looked keenly at Jimmie. “Howdo you know that?” he demanded.

  “I heard the Hydes say so,” was the reply. “They are going over theretonight and kill him or something!”

  The whittling ceased for good. “The Hydes!” ejaculated Terry. “How didthey know?”

  “Listen, I was over at the Hydes with my father this morning,” said theboy, his eyes serious and grave. “While Pop was talking to old man HydeI heard the sons talking in the barn. They didn’t know that I was rightoutside on our wagon, and I heard them plainly. They said that one o
fthem had seen the man sneak into his cabin late last night, and theyfound out that he wasn’t any cripple. Seems that one of the Hydes wasdriving home from some place and he saw the ghost sneak into the cabin.Then he looked in under a window and saw the ghost get back into hischair, so they knew that old man was playing ghost. Can you imaginethat, Mr. Mackson?”

  “No, I can’t,” returned Terry gravely.

  “So they said they was going to go to the cabin tonight and just aboutkill that old man. I thought at first I’d tell Pa, but I was scared to,so I come up here to tell you fellows about it. I don’t think that oldman ought to be hit by those big bully Hydes, do you?”

  “No, sir,” said Terry, with emphasis. “Jimmie boy, I’m glad you told methis. Come along to the colonel; we must tell him.”

  The colonel was keenly interested in the news. “Thank you for telling usthis, my boy,” he smiled down at the rugged lad. “This old man is awicked fellow to go around scaring people out of their wits, but just asyou say he shouldn’t be hit by those Hydes. Mr. Mackson, pass the wordto the special patrol to be ready to go with me to the cabin as soon asdarkness comes tonight.”

  “Very well, Colonel,” said Terry. “I’m glad you are going along, becauseI feel that this is likely to be a fairly tough situation.”

  They left the tent and Terry went to hunt up the other boys, firstswearing little Jimmie to secrecy. “Don’t breath a word of it,” he toldthe boy. “We want to save this old man from a severe beating and we alsowant to capture him for his part in the business that has been going onaround here. So it will be the best thing if you keep very quiet aboutit.”

  “I will, Terry,” promised the lad.

  The others soon knew what was expected of them. Just before they startedout they met in the tent of the colonel.

  “Mr. Vench and Mr. Douglas, I want you to start right away for Ridewayand get the sheriff,” ordered the colonel. “We can’t arrest this manourselves, but he must do it. It may be that we shall have trouble withthe Hydes, and anyway, the sheriff is always saying that we interferewith his affairs on the Ridge. You may have trouble with the sheriff,but if you do just tell him that your colonel requests him to come tothe cabin.”

  “Very well, sir,” Douglas responded, and he and Vench went out.

  “We will take side arms with us,” said the colonel, buckling on arevolver belt. “We won’t have to use them, I trust, but at least we’llbe prepared.”

  When the others of the Ghost Patrol had equipped themselves they set outwith the colonel for the cabin over the hill. Those in the camp saw themgo and much speculation went around as to the purpose of the expedition.The camp itself was in order for any emergency, with double guardsposted and the major in charge.

  Vench and Douglas had obtained a good start and they felt it would notbe long before they returned with the sheriff, if he could be persuadedto come. The others swung on toward the little cabin at a rapid pace,topping the rise and bearing down on it.

  “Somebody’s at home,” Don said, as they came in sight. “There are lightsin the windows.”

  “Yes, but look! There are the Hydes!” cried Terry, pointing.

  Into the patch of light from one of the small windows a burly figurestepped and another joined it. A third figure proclaimed the father.There was a word of planning between them and then one of the sonsraised his foot and kicked the window deliberately out. With that actionhe jumped right through the opening and landed in the room. A moment ofsilence followed and then the front door was opened. Promptly the fatherand the other son walked in and the door was shut.

  “Just in time,” proclaimed the colonel, grimly. “Let us hustle, boys.”

  They ran down the rest of the slope, the doughty colonel in front, andcame to the cabin in a short time. The colonel threw himself against thedoor, which had not been very well secured, and it opened under hisimpact. Followed by Don, Terry, Jim and Jordan, the colonel shot intothe room.

  In one corner crouched the supposed invalid, his face pale and his handsgrasping a stout stick. Facing him, with brutal expressions on theirsurly faces, stood the Hydes. The oldest son held a heavy horsewhip inhis hands, and it was evident that he was just going to use it when thecadet party burst in.

  At sight of the cadets the expressions on their faces changed. Surprisegave way to eager gladness on the face of the old man and spiteful angeron the faces of the Hydes. As yet no blow had fallen and the reliefparty was in the nick of time.

  “What do you want here?” the father said, a snarl in his voice.

  “We want that man, for playing the part of a ghost and stampeding ourhorses,” said the colonel evenly. “And we want to see to it that youdon’t touch that man with your whip.”

  “You do, heh?” grunted the son with the whip. “You all can have this oldman if you want him, but you can’t stop us from whipping the daylightsout of him. This is the dog that burned our barn down.”

  “I know all about that,” nodded the colonel. “But you won’t horsewhiphim. You can turn him over to the proper authorities; in fact, I havealready sent for the sheriff and he will be here any minute now. But youcan’t take the law into your own hands, not while we are here,certainly.”

  “Look here, you soldier captain, or whatever you are!” bellowed thesenior Hyde. “You mind your own business. Putting this fellow in jailwon’t do us any good, and we’re going to beat the hide off him. You keepout. Josh, go ahead and wallop him.”

  The Hyde boy raised his whip but the colonel reached up, jerked it fromhis hand and threw it into a far corner. The Hydes grew red and clenchedtheir fists.

  “Let’s give them a good beating, Pa,” said the younger son, and headvanced. But the colonel drew his revolver and covered the three ofthem. The other cadets dropped their hands to the butts of their guns.

  “Come a step nearer me and I’ll shoot you right through the leg,”promised the colonel, simply.

  The threat stopped them in their tracks. Sullenly they fell back, hatredshowing in their faces. The old man whooped faintly.

  “That’s handling them,” he said, stirring eagerly. The colonel looked athim.

  “You stay where you are, too, Mr. Vancouver,” he said. “We’ll have toturn you over to the law for punishment.”

  “I ain’t the only one in this game,” blustered the old man.

  “We know all about Mr. Maul,” said the colonel. The Hydes snapped toattention.

  “Maul!” cried the father, harshly. “Old Maul is dead!”

  “Old Maul is very much alive,” retorted the colonel. “He is the one whois directing this whole campaign. Did you think this old man was doingit for fun? He has been paid by Maul to keep this thing going, and heplanned to burn you out of your house pretty shortly.”

  “Then you ought to let us whip this sneaking skunk!” shouted the elderHyde.

  “Brutality won’t do any good,” returned the headmaster.

  “Here comes the sheriff,” announced Jordan, as a heavy step was heardoutside the door.

  The door opened to admit the sheriff, followed by Vench and Douglas. Thetwo cadets looked grave and a trifle angry and the sheriff was his usualblustering self.

  “What’s going on here?” he roared, looking around. His angry eyesfastened themselves on the colonel. “I hear that you requested me tocome up here. Requested me! Who are you, sir? I never saw you in mylife!”

  “I never saw you either,” retorted the unmoved colonel.

  “What is the trouble here, anyway?” sneered the sheriff.

  The trouble was explained by the colonel, but the sheriff shrugged hisshoulders. “I think you would have done well to have minded your ownbusiness, sir,” said the officious man. “This man needs a soundhorsewhipping. If it had been your house he burned you would be thefirst one to whip him. What am I supposed to do?”

  “You will arrest the old man and put him where he will be safe,” saidthe colonel. “As for the Hydes, you can’t do anything but send themhome.”

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p; “Look here, colonel, are you giving me orders!” bellowed the loudsheriff, his face a dull red. “If you are, I won’t even listen to them.Where you get the nerve to order me around is more than I can see. I’vegot half a mind to run you in for pointing a revolver at the Hydes.”

  “Sheriff,” said the colonel, hotly. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to dowith you. I’m going to let the world know how a ghost terrorized theRidge here for years, right under your nose, and you never found out whoit was. I’m going to relate how my boys discovered the whole thing, andif you ever get another job with responsibility to it, I don’t know whatthe people of this county are thinking of!”

  There was a total silence in the room while the colonel and the sheriffglared at each other. The whole frame of the sheriff shook withsuppressed rage and his breath came fast. Calmly the colonel looked himstraight in the eye. But the sheriff was beaten and he knew it.

  Instead he vented his fury upon the Hydes. “Get out of here and gethome,” he snarled. “Don’t ever let me catch you in any trouble again aslong as I’m sheriff on this Ridge! You, Peter Vancouver, come here whileI put the handcuffs on you.”