The Putnam Hall Encampment: or, The Secret of the Old Mill

CHAPTER XXI
AN ADVENTURE WITH SNAKES

“What’s the matter, Pepper?” questioned Jack, quickly.

“What did you see?” asked Andy.

“Why, I – er – I guess I was mistaken,” stammered Pepper, looking first at his chums and then at the girls.

“But what was it?” questioned Laura. “Why, you gave a regular jump!”

“Why I – er – that is – Oh, never mind,” answered Pepper. “Go on, I’ll be with you in a minute,” and he turned back on the rocks.

“Something is wrong,” muttered Dale to himself, and as Andy and Jack went on with the girls he sided up to The Imp. “What was it?” he asked in a low tone.

“I think I saw a big snake, Dale.”

“A snake!”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Back between the rocks we just crossed. It poked its head up and looked right at us.”

“Then why didn’t you say so?”

“I didn’t want to alarm the girls. If they thought a snake was near they’d have a fit.”

“I suppose that is so. Well, I hate snakes myself. Let us see if this one is still around.”

The boys walked back, but not for far. As they placed their feet on one of the rocks that joined the headland to the island proper they heard a vigorous hissing, and not one but three snakes of good size showed themselves.

The cadets were so startled that both let out a yell and tried to retreat. Their cries reached the others in the party, and all turned back.

“Oh, a snake! a snake!” screamed Flossie, as she caught sight of one of the reptiles. “Oh, what shall we do?”

“I see two of them!” said Laura, and gave a shudder. “Oh, dear me! And they are right between us and the island! However are we to get back to the picnic grounds?”

All of the young folks kept at a distance. Two of the snakes were still in sight, the third had disappeared.

“Maybe we had better stone ’em,” said Andy. “That’s what I’d do if I was alone.”

“If you do that they may come for us,” answered Flossie, almost tearfully.

“If we only had sticks!” sighed Dale, but there were no sticks or bushes on the headland, only grass and rocks.

The cadets talked the situation over and then, leaving the girls at the extreme end of the headland, the lads picked up a number of jagged stones and advanced with caution to where the snakes had been seen. Two were still in view and they aimed at these and hit each.

“That’s the way to do it!” cried Andy, as the snakes dropped back in a hollow and commenced to squirm around. “Give ’em some more stones!” The stones were forthcoming and one that was well-aimed took the larger of the two snakes in the head, killing it. But the other continued to whip around, and presently came out on the rocks and in the direction of the cadets.

“He’s coming this way!”

“Hit him with another stone!”

Jack was trying to get another stone when the snake made a sudden move and twined around the young major’s ankle. Jack took his free foot and tried to kick it off, but in vain.

It was now that Dale showed his nerve. Like a flash he pulled out his jackknife and opened the blade. Then he bent down and slashed away quickly at the snake, ripping open the reptile’s back. Then he struck the snake in the head.

“That’s it – give it to him!” gasped Jack, and Dale continued to use his knife. The girls screamed loudly and wrung their hands. Then the snake, cut in two, dropped down on the rocks. Andy kicked the severed parts into the water and they sank from sight. Pepper kicked the other snake into the water also.

“Oh, dear, this is terrible!” moaned Flossie.

“I wish we were back to papa and mamma,” sighed Laura. Both girls looked as if they were ready to faint.

“Don’t get scared,” said Pepper. “They are both dead.”

“But there may be others,” said Flossie. She turned to Jack. “Did the snake bite you?”

“No, he didn’t get a chance, thanks to Dale,” answered the young major, with a grateful glance at his chum.

“Shall we try to go back?” asked Laura.

“Wait until we make sure that the way is clear,” said Pepper, who had not forgotten about the third snake.

He went back with caution and made an inspection. The third snake was nowhere in sight, and what had become of it he could not tell.

“I think you girls had better let us carry you,” said Pepper. “Then the snakes won’t be able to get at you, even if they do appear.”

At first the girls demurred at being carried. But they hated to step where the snakes had shown themselves, and finally consented. Pepper took Flossie in his arms and Jack followed with Laura, and Andy and Dale, armed with stones and their jackknives, led the way. The girls might have giggled at being taken up like children, but they were too alarmed to do so.

Just as the headland was passed and Pepper and Jack had deposited their burdens on their feet, Mr. and Mrs. Ford appeared. The gentleman and his wife were greatly excited.

“Didn’t we hear the girls scream?” asked the lady anxiously.

“I guess you did, mamma,” answered Laura.

“We ran into a nest of snakes!” said Flossie. “The boys killed two of them! Oh, it was awful!” And Flossie ran to her mother and caught her by the arm.

“Snakes!” exclaimed Rossmore Ford. “Where?”

The boys pointed out the spot and told what had been done. Mr. and Mrs. Ford were much concerned.

“You had better not climb over any more of the rocks,” said the lady. “It is too dangerous.”

“I don’t think the snakes are poisonous,” said her husband. “Still, I think we had all better try to keep out of their way after this. I did not think there were any on the island.”

“The folks who hold picnics here ought to know about them,” said Jack.

“Well, snakes are to be found almost anywhere where there are rocks,” answered Rossmore Ford. “Come, let us go back to where we left our things. My wife and I were just dozing away with our backs to a tree when we heard the screams. We could not locate them at first and were much worried.”

Knowing that the girls would not care to climb the rocks after such a scare, the cadets walked back to the camping place with the Fords.

“I am glad you knifed that snake, Dale,” said Jack on the way. “It was a brave thing to do.”

“Oh, it wasn’t much,” was the modest reply. “I was once in a camp in the mountains and saw an old hunter do it.”

The party had hardly reached the spot where the campfire had been built when the man who ran the launch appeared.

“Where did you go?” he asked hurriedly of Mr. Ford. “I have been looking all over for you.”

“What do you want, Mr. Fales?”

“I came to see you about the launch. She is gone!”

“Gone!” echoed Rossmore Ford, while the cadets listened with interest.

“Yes, sir – disappeared while I was having dinner. I thought she might have drifted around the shore, but I can’t find her anywhere.”

“Did you tie her fast?” asked Pepper.

“Certainly, I always tie up when I come ashore,” answered Able Fales.

“Let us go down to the shore and take a look around,” suggested Jack.

Wondering over what had become of the boat, the entire party left the picnic grounds and hurried down to the lake front. Here was a small cove where they had landed, and Able Fales pointed out an overhanging tree to which he had secured his craft.

“Even if she got loose I don’t think she’d drift out of the cove,” said the boatman. “There is no current here to carry her out.”

“Well, she is gone, sure,” remarked Andy. He turned to his chums. “What do you make of this.”

“I’d hate to say,” said Dale.

“Then you think it is a trick?” questioned Jack.

“Doesn’t it look like it? Remember the hornets’ nest.”

“Yes, and look there!” exclaimed Andy. “If that isn’t the limit! Yes, it’s a trick all right!”

The acrobatic youth pointed to the tree to which the launch had been fastened. From a cord on the tree hung the hornets’ nest, now empty. Pinned to the nest was a bit of paper. The boys secured the sheet and read the following:

“Use this nest if you have to stay out all night.”

CHAPTER XXII
THE MISSING LAUNCH

As the cadets read the words on the sheet of paper their faces showed their deep chagrin and mortification. Had they been alone they would have considered the affair a trick on them and nothing more, but with the Fords along it was an entirely different matter.

“What is that? Let me see it,” said Laura, and took the paper from Andy’s hand. She read the words aloud.

“I must say I do not understand this,” said Mrs. Ford. “What has this empty hornets’ nest to do with the launch?”

“It means that a trick has been played on us,” said Jack, his face growing red. “I think it’s a shame to involve you in it – and I’ll tell those other fellows so, when I get the chance!” he added, half savagely.

“But what is it about?” asked Rossmore Ford.

“We may as well make a clean breast of it,” said Pepper to his chums, and then he related the particulars of the hornets’ nest and how it had been used during the Ritter feast. The girls laughed outright and Mr. and Mrs. Ford smiled.

“Now here is where the Ritter crowd pay us back,” went on Pepper. “I don’t know how they got here, but they did – and they have either hidden the launch or made off with it. I am awfully sorry – on your account,” and he looked anxiously at the Fords.

“Well, you are in the same boat as ourselves,” said Mr. Ford.

“I guess you mean we are both out of the boat,” returned Andy, with a sickly grin. He turned to Able Fales. “Have you looked all along the shore for the launch?” he asked.

“Pretty much,” was the answer. “But I can take another look. So it was some friends of yours took the boat, eh?”

“Hardly friends,” answered Dale dryly. “They belong to our military school.”

“I know you fellers are full of tricks. Took the bell clapper of the church once,” went on the boatman.

Another search was made by the boatman and the boys and Mr. Ford joined in the hunt. But not a trace of the missing craft could be found. Jack looked at his watch and saw that it was nearly five o’clock.

“If this isn’t the worst yet!” he murmured. “Pepper, what do you think we had best do?”

“I don’t know. If they don’t bring the boat back we may have to remain on the island all night.”

“That would be a hardship on Mrs. Ford and the girls. They are not used to roughing it, and there is nothing but a shed here, and that isn’t very clean.”

“Well, what do you propose?”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“If we had a canoe, or even a raft, we might get to the mainland and hire another boat,” said Dale. “Can’t we build a raft of some kind?”

“We might, but it would take time.”

While this conversation was going on Andy had walked to some high rocks overlooking the lower end of the lake. Now, of a sudden, he set up a shout:

“Boat ahoy! Hello! Come in here, we want you!”

“Andy has sighted a boat!” ejaculated Pepper, and ran to join the acrobatic youth, and his chums followed.

All saw a launch moving up the lake. It contained a young lady of about twenty and a boy of sixteen.

“What do you want?” asked the boy, as the launch came to a standstill out in the lake.

“We want help!” called back Andy. “Will you please come ashore?”

“What is wrong?” questioned the girl, as she set the motor of the boat in motion once more and steered for the shore of Butterfly Island.

“Our boat is gone,” answered Andy.

“Why, that is Belle Penwick!” cried Laura, as she caught sight of the girl in the launch. “And her brother Roger! How fortunate!”

“Then you know them?” said Jack.

“Oh, yes, we are old friends, and they are stopping at the same hotel with us. That is Belle’s boat, but her brother Roger aids her in running it.”

The Spray, for that was the name of the craft, soon came close to the shore, and then the engine was stopped once more. The boys were introduced to the newcomers, and the latter were told about the missing Emma.

“Why, we saw that boat about an hour ago!” cried Roger Penwick. “Some cadets dressed like you fellows had her in tow and were taking her towards Hull Island.”

“Did they leave her there?” questioned Jack

“I don’t know.”

“Were the cadets in a rowboat?”

“Yes.”

“I suppose they couldn’t run the launch because of the dismantled motor,” said Pepper. “Most likely they hid her in the bushes on the shore of Hull Island.”

The matter was talked over, and the Penwicks said they would take some of the party over to Hull Island if they wished to go. It was arranged that Jack, Andy and Able Fales should make the trip.

“If the launch is there I’ll fix her up as soon as I can and run her back here,” said the old boatman.

The Spray was soon on the way. She was a light-built craft and cut the bosom of the lake like a thing of life.

“I like my sloop, but I declare I’d like a motor boat too,” said Jack. “They certainly can travel!”

“And they don’t have to wait for the wind,” added Pepper.

“It’s fine – if the motor doesn’t get out of order,” said Roger Penwick. “But sister and I have to do a lot of tinkering, I can tell you! Yesterday we spent about an hour sailing around and two hours fixing the engine.”

“Well, my spark wasn’t just right, that was all,” responded Belle. “You can’t make a boat run well without a good electric spark,” she explained.

The run to Hull Island, a small patch of land close to the upper end of Lake Caboy, did not take long, and then the island was slowly circled, while the boys and the old boatman scanned the shore with care.

“There she is, there’s the Emma!” cried Abel Fales, presently, and pointed out his craft, shoved in under some overhanging bushes. “Pretty well hidden, I must say! I would have had a hard job finding her if you hadn’t seen her being taken here,” he added to the Penwicks.

The Ritter crowd had done nothing to the launch but tow her off, and soon Able Fales was at work fixing his engine. With the cylinder repaired the machinery worked very well, and both craft started back to Butterfly Island, arriving there a little later.

“Some of you can come in my boat if you wish, it will make your run easier,” said Belle Penwick, and then it was arranged that Andy and Dale and Flossie should go with her. This divided up the weight of passengers pretty evenly, and when the two boats left the island they kept close beside each other.

“I’ve got a plan to scare the Ritter crowd,” said Jack, on the way home, and then he explained what it was.

The Fords were willing to let him carry out his idea, Rossmore Ford being especially anxious to make the boys who had taken the Emma suffer for the trick. Jack and his chums were landed at a distance up the lake shore from the encampment, and the Emma took care to keep out of sight as she swung down the lake.

“Tell ’em I’ll have ’em locked up if they don’t return my boat by to-morrow morning!” cried Able Fales, who, now that he had his boat back, entered into the spirit of the fun that was afloat.

Jack and his chums watched their opportunity and stole into camp without being noticed by anybody but one of the guards. They slipped to their tents and donned their regular uniforms, and the young major buckled on his sword.

As the cadets came out on the parade ground they saw Ritter, Coulter and Paxton directly ahead of them. They hurried on, and soon caught up to the trio, who were conversing earnestly.

“They won’t get away until morning, and I know it,” Ritter was saying.

“I’ll bet they were mad when they saw the hornets’ nest,” came from Coulter.

“If they ate up everything they carried for dinner they will have to go without supper and breakfast,” added Paxton.

“How are you, Ritter!” cried Jack, pleasantly.

The entire crowd ahead wheeled around and a look of blank astonishment came into their faces.

“Why – er – where did you come from?” stammered Ritter. He did not know what to say.

“From Butterfly Island,” answered Jack. Then he lowered his voice and added: “Ritter, you and your cronies have got yourselves in a nice mess. You stole Mr. Fales’s boat, and he says if you don’t return it to him by to-morrow morning he’ll have you all locked up!”

CHAPTER XXIII
A WILD GOOSE CHASE

The announcement that Jack made filled the Ritter crowd with alarm, and they showed it.

“Have us arrested?” cried the bully, and he grew somewhat pale.

“That is just what he said,” broke in Pepper. “Fun is fun, but to steal a launch is another story.”

“We didn’t steal the boat,” came from Coulter. “We – er – What do you know about it anyway?” he demanded suddenly.

“We know all we wish to know,” said Andy. “You took Mr. Fales’s boat and did not return it. You can well imagine how angry he is. He looked all around Butterfly Island for it, but with no success.”

“We didn’t leave it at Butterfly Island,” said Paxton. We left it – ” He stopped short and looked at his cronies questioningly.

“How did you get away from the island?” asked Ritter.

“A party came along in another launch, the Spray,” said Jack, and did not attempt to explain further.

“We – er – we hid the Emma on the shore of another island,” said Coulter. “We didn’t hurt the boat in the least.”

“Well, you better return her before morning, or Mr. Fales may get out warrants for your whole crowd,” said Andy. “After we found the hornets’ nest he wanted to know who you were.”

“Humph! I suppose you told him too,” sneered Ritter.

“Why not? You put us in a hole. But you’d better get the boat. Don’t you know that there are some thieves on this lake? They wouldn’t hesitate to take that launch if they found it, and paint it over and change the name – and then you’d never find the craft.”

“Yes, you’ll get into serious trouble if you don’t return that boat by morning,” said the young major, and then he motioned to his chums and all walked away. Looking back they saw the Ritter crowd get together and commence an earnest conversation.

“I’ll wager they go out after the launch,” said Andy, with a broad grin.

“Won’t they be surprised when they find the boat missing from Hull Island!” came from The Imp. “They’ll think she drifted away or was stolen!”

“If they go out they may get wet,” said Jack. “It certainly looks like rain.”

The chums joined the other cadets, and pretended to pay no further attention to the Ritter faction. But on the sly Dale watched them and after taps saw Ritter, Coulter, Paxton and Sabine steal away in the direction of the lake. They took one of the rowboats with two pairs of oars and rowed away in the darkness.

“There is a wild goose chase for you!” cried Jack, and he and his chums laughed heartily over the matter. The young major was right – it was indeed a wild goose chase. The row to Hull Island was a hard one, and when the spot was reached the search for the launch in the darkness was difficult. To add to the discomfort of the crowd it commenced to rain, and as they had no covering each of the cadets got wet to the skin. They all spent over an hour looking for the Emma, but all in vain.

“She must have drifted away, or else she was stolen!” groaned Billy Sabine. “Oh, if we don’t find her, will they really lock us up?”

“She couldn’t drift away, for she was tied up,” said Ritter. “I tied her myself, and I did it good, too.”

“Nobody was around here when we brought the launch in,” came from Paxton. “I looked around good. And I don’t know how any thieves could locate her.”

“Do you know what I am beginning to think?” cried Ritter. “I think they played a trick on us.”

“How?”

“They got the boat back, but made up a plot to get us out on the hunt.”

“We might row down the lake to where they usually keep the launch and find out,” said Paxton. “We better do it. I wouldn’t sleep a wink if I thought I was going to be arrested in the morning.”

“Nor I,” added Sabine, with a shiver. “Let’s have a look.”

“It’s over three miles from here,” grumbled Ritter. Nevertheless, he was as much disturbed as anyone, and in the end the four took up the oars and commenced the tedious task of rowing down the lake in the rain. It was an hour before they reached the dock where the launch was usually kept. They came in rather awkwardly and bumped loudly against the stringpiece.

“Here she is!” cried Ritter, as he made out the Emma tied securely to the dock. “She’s all right, too.”

“Then that Ruddy crowd played a trick on us – getting us to look for her in this rain!” grumbled Coulter.

“Hi! hi! what does this mean? Who are you?” came a call from the darkness.

“Shove off! We don’t want to meet anybody!” said Ritter in a low voice.

The rowboat had drifted in and was now between the launch and the dock, and it was hard work to shove the craft out into the lake. They heard footsteps and a man showed himself.

“Stop!” he called loudly. “Stop, or I’ll fire!” And now he pointed a pistol at the cadets.

“Don’t shoot!” screamed Sabine. “Don’t shoot! We haven’t done anything, mister!”

“Then stop,” called the man. He was a watchman, employed by Able Fales and a number of others, to look after the various craft in that vicinity.

“It’s all right,” Ritter endeavored to assure the watchman. “We only stopped in here to see if a certain boat was safe.”

“Fine time to do it, I must say!” returned the watchman. “It’s half-past one o’clock! What boat were you looking for?”

“The – er – the Emma,” stammered Coulter, as Ritter paused before replying.

“Oh, I know now!” said the watchman, and his face took on a grin. He sprang aboard the Emma and so got closer to the quartet of cadets. “You are from that military school, ain’t you? You run off with the boat, and Able sent word he’d have you locked up if you didn’t return her! Ha! ha! Able got the boat all right, and you’ve had a fine time looking for her! It’s a nice night for a long row! No dust, nor nuthin’ like that!” And the watchman laughed again.

“Aw, you dry up!” said Ritter, in deep disgust, “Come on back to camp,” he added to his cronies.

“Don’t you dare to touch any of these boats ag’in!” shouted the watchman. “If you do you’ll git shot!” And then the rowboat started up the lake for the encampment. Ritter and his cronies were wet through and through and thoroughly tired out when they got back, and a more disgusted crowd it would be hard to imagine.

On the following Monday came a tug-of-war between two teams composed of ten cadets each. Dale, Hogan and Andy were on one team, and their side won, after a tug that lasted sixteen minutes. The tug-of-war was followed by a game of hare and hounds, or, as some boys called it, a paper chase. In the paper chase Andy and Pepper were the “hares” and Dale the leader of the “hounds,” which numbered about thirty cadets. The “hares” carried big bags of paper cut into fine pieces which they scattered on the ground as a trail, so the “hounds” could follow them.

“The hares will have just ten minutes start,” announced Jack, who had been chosen umpire and referee. “Now then, Andy and Pepper, are you ready?”

The two cadets looked to their shoe laces, their belts, and their bags of paper, and then announced that they were.

“Then go!” shouted the young major, and off Andy and Pepper bounded, across the camp and into the woods. They took to a road leading westward, but presently came to a trail running southward and switched off to that.

“We ought to get a good start in ten minutes,” remarked Pepper, as they moved along on a dog trot, dropping the fine bits of paper on the way.

“Well, don’t forget that those other fellows can run too,” returned the acrobatic youth. “Say, but it’s a fine day, isn’t it!” he added, and then, coming to a cleared space, his spirits arose and he turned several hand-springs in quick succession.

“Hi, stop that!” called Pepper. “Save your wind for running, Andy.”

“Oh, I couldn’t help it,” was the reply. “I’ve got to do a stunt once in a while or I’ll bust!”

The two cadets presently came to a hill and climbed this and then dropped from a cliff to the gully below. They left paper everywhere, so the trail would be plain.

“They’ll have to get down the cliff one at a time,” said Andy. “That will retard them a little – if they want to keep in a bunch.”

Presently they came to another road and followed this for over a mile. Then they left the road and took to another trail through the woods.

“Here is a river!” cried Andy, presently. “Hark how the water roars!”

“I know this stream,” said Pepper. “It is the Caboy River, and what you hear are the Falls. This is the place where that haunted mill is located.”