Chapter XXVII: The Punishment of a Bully

"Look here, what do you intend to do with me?" asked Dan Baxter, as soon as he could speak.

"Punish you!" came from all of the masked boys.

"What for?"

"For many things."

"I don't know what I have done."

"You have tried to bully us," said one.

"You greased the stage at our entertainment," answered another.

"You are always quarreling with us," put in a third.

"You want to run things to suit yourself," came from a fourth.

"You get Mumps to play the sneak," added a fifth.

"I--I--don't!" cried the bully, and began to turn pale. "I want you to let me go. It's cold here!"

"You'll feel warm enough before we get through with you," answered one of the masked cadets, meaningly.

"If you--you hurt me, I'll--I'll----"

"Don't threaten us, Baxter. If you do, we'll treat you so much worse."

"It's a mean shame!"

"Stay where you are," said the leader of the masked cadets--it was Jack. "If you move, it will be at the peril of your life!"

After that the crowd withdrew to a corner, leaving Baxter alone. The bully wanted to escape, but he was afraid to try it. The masked cadets held a consultation lasting several minutes.

"Just the thing!" was the cry. "Just the thing!"

"Now what do they intend to do?" asked the bully of himself. "Something awful, I'm sure!"

"Baxter, we have decided on your fate," said one of the masked boys. It was Pepper, but he disguised his voice well.

"What are you going to do?"

"We are going to brand you first and then march you out into the country, so that you can't find your way back to Putnam Hall."

"Brand me! March me away! Don't you dare to do it!"

"Blindfold him first, fellows!" came from Andy, and the bully's eyes were quickly bound tight with a handkerchief.

"Now heat up that iron," came loudly from one of the masked cadets. "I think that a B on his forehead will look beautiful."

"What are you going to--to--put a B on me for?" asked Baxter, with a shiver.

"B stands for Bully, and that is what you are, Dan Baxter. Hurry up with that iron, boys."

"No! No!"

"The iron is getting hot!" came from Dale. He had stepped to one of the windows and brought in a sharp-pointed icicle.

"Nos. 3, 4, 6, and 7 will hold him, while Nos. 1 and 2 perform the operation. No. 5 can remain on guard."

"If you brand me, I'll--I'll----" began the bully.

"Silence! If you dare to cry out, we'll brand you on the cheeks as well as the forehead."

"I won't stand it!" roared the bully and started to get from the gymnasium, bound as he was. But they tripped him up with ease, and as he went headlong, one cadet sat on his breast and another on his legs, rendering him helpless.

"Now then, the iron!" called out Stuffer. "Brand him well."

The icicle was brought forward, and at the same time one of the boys cut a little lock of hair from his head and lit a match. Then the icicle was run over Baxter's forehead in the form of the letter B. At the same time the lock of hair was lit and the smell of the burning hair was allowed to reach the bully's nose.

"Oh! Oh!" yelled Baxter, squirming greatly. "Let up! Don't burn me! Oh, I'll be marked for life! Oh, this is outrageous! Don't, I beg of you! Please let me go! I'll--I'll do anything if you'll only let up on me!"

"Let up now," whispered Jack. "He may get a fit! He is almost scared out of his life!"

"Now then, the blanket and the old boots," came from Andy, and the victim of the hazing was provided with a big pair of old rubber boots and a heavy horse blanket.

"What's this for?" asked the bully.

"For your long tramp into the country," was the answer.

"I don't want to go out into the country this cold night! Let me go, please do!"

"It's too late to beg, Baxter. You have been a bad boy, and you must take your medicine."

"I'll have the law on you!"

In a minute more the gymnasium door was opened and the victim was marched outside. He was well blindfolded, so that he could not see where he was going. The masked cadets led him into the woods, around the boathouse, and then made half a dozen turns, so that Baxter was completely bewildered.

"Here's the old shanty," said Jack, in a loud voice, when they came to a halt. "Put him into the garret and leave him." And then Baxter was marched into the carriage house of Putnam Hall and made to mount the ladder to the loft. Here he was tied to a post, but in such a loose fashion that he could get free with ease.

"Now, Baxter, listen," said Jack, still in an assumed voice. "You are probably four miles from Putnam Hall. Don't try to get away, or you may get into more trouble. To-morrow night we'll come back and finish our job."

"I--I can't stay here so long. It's cold and I--I ain't got anything to eat."

"Well, make the best of it," was the cry, and then the masked cadets scampered off, and a few minutes later were safe in their dormitories in the Hall.

With a sinking heart Dan Baxter listened to them depart, and then gave a deep groan.

"I--I can't stand this!" he muttered to himself. "It's dreadful! And to think they branded me, too. What will Paxton and the others say!"

The loft was not a particularly cold place, for the windows were tightly closed. Waiting to make sure that the crowd had gone, he pulled himself free from his bonds.

When he placed his hand to his forehead he could scarcely believe the evidence of his senses. He could feel nothing of the branding--his forehead was not sore--it did not hurt! What could it mean?

"They must have tricked me!" he told himself. "What a fool I was to raise such a howl! How they'll laugh at me for it! But it did feel just as if I was being burnt!"

All was pitch-dark around him, for the masked cadets had taken the lantern with them. He stepped forward and ran into a low beam, giving his forehead a severe bump.

"Ouch! Nothing fake about that!" he muttered, dancing around. "I'll have to be careful, or I'll break my neck. Wonder how far I am from the Hall and what sort of a place this can be?" He felt around and grasped some old spider webs. "Some half tumbled down shanty, I suppose. Perhaps I'd better make myself at home until morning," and he crouched down and hid himself in the old horse blanket. He remained awake half the night, finally falling off into a troubled doze.

When Baxter awoke it was early morning and still dark. He felt cold from head to feet and gave a shiver.

"I'd give five dollars to be back at the Hall," he muttered to himself. "Wonder if I can walk the distance before it gets too light? If any person sees me on the road with the rubber boots and this horse blanket they'll take me for a lunatic." He gave a deep sigh. "I suppose I must be two miles away, at least. They said four, but maybe they piled it on."

Several times the bully thought of starting out but gave it up, thinking he might lose his way; but when it became lighter he took a look around the loft and presently descended the ladder to the ground floor of the carriage house.

"Hi, you tramp! Wot be you a-doin' up there, tell me that?" cried a voice from the other end of the building.

"I'm no tramp, sir," answered Baxter. "I am--Peleg Snuggers!"

"If it ain't Master Baxter!" ejaculated the general utility man, who had just started in on his morning work. "Well, I never! How did you git here?"

"What place is this, Peleg?"

"Wot place? Why, the carriage house, o' course."

"What!" yelled Dan Baxter; and at that instant he was by far the maddest boy the school ever contained.

"Sure. Wot did you think it was, eh?"

"Never mind. Is the back door to the Hall open?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm going in," answered the bully, and ran off without another word.