Chapter XXX: A Lucky Escape--Conclusion

"Those men must be crazy!" cried Jack.

"I believe both of them are as mad as March hares," returned Captain Putnam.

He tried the door, to find it locked. Putting his shoulder to the barrier he burst it open, and the whole party stormed into the shanty.

"Oh, Captain Putnam!" cried George Strong, joyfully. "I am very glad that you have come."

"Put down that pistol!" ordered the master of the Hall, sternly, and looking the man named Bart straight in the eyes. "Put it down, I say!"

The man hesitated an instant, and then allowed the weapon to drop at his side.

"I wasn't going to shoot anybody," he said, humbly.

"You had better give me the weapon," went on Captain Putnam, and wrenched it from the man's grasp.

"Ha! they are attacking us!" shouted the other man. "Bart, we must fight for it!" And with a wild spring he leaped upon Jack, and caught the young major by the throat.

"Le--let up!" gasped Jack, and then he could say no more, for his wind was completely cut off. Then the other man began to fight, so that the captain and the blacksmith had their hands full trying to subdue him.

Seeing Jack's predicament, Pepper, Andy, and Dale rushed at the fellow called Paul and dragged him backward. But he would not let go his hold upon the young major, and Pepper hit him over the wrist with the stick. Then the man's hand dropped, and Jack staggered back.

"We must make him a prisoner!" cried Andy, and they caught the man and held him, while Jack got a rope from the sleigh. Soon the other man was also bound. George Strong had had his hands tied behind him, and he was quickly released.

"You do not know how thankful I am that you came," said the assistant, warmly. "I--I imagine things were getting black for me."

"Let me go!" thundered the man called Bart. "I want my million dollars!" And he glared wildly at George Strong and at the others.

"Do you know these men at all?" questioned Captain Putnam.

"I do, sir. I am sorry to say they are distant relatives of mine--third cousins. Both of them used to be rich, but they went into an oil speculation, and it failed, and they lost almost all of their money. That seemed to turn their heads, and somehow they got a notion that I was holding back a family treasure from them, a treasure they said was worth one or two million dollars."

"Is there such a treasure?" asked Jack, curiously.

"I don't think so, although the story is told in our family that one of my ancestors, during the Revolution, buried a pot of gold to keep the English soldiers from getting it. But the amount could not have been anything like a million."

"Those men were around the Hall a number of times," said Jack. "They were the mysterious fellows I mentioned a long time ago."

"Yes, they came to see me on the sly if they could. I believe, had they gotten the chance, they would have carried me off in their sloop."

"They ought to be put in an asylum," said Captain Putnam. "It is not safe to allow them their liberty."

"With your permission. I'll turn them over to some of my relatives in the West," answered George Strong. "I know they can manage them."

"As you please--but keep them away from the Hall in the future."

At first the two prisoners were furious, but when their fury subsided they became very humble, and both began to cry.

"We wanted only our rights," whined one. "If I had a million dollars, I could take an air-ship to the North Pole or the moon, or anywhere."

"He is certainly mad," said Andy. "What a dreadful condition to be in."

Late in the day the prisoners were taken to Cedarville, and George Strong telegraphed for a relative to come at once and take charge of them.

"They may be crazy, but they told me something which I think may be true," said the assistant teacher to the boys. "They said they were watching around the school at the time you had the big snow house, and they saw three cadets run up on top and cave it in. I questioned them, and I am almost certain Coulter was one of the boys and Baxter another."

"It would be just like that crowd," exclaimed Pepper, bitterly. "If Baxter and Coulter were in it the other fellow must have been Paxton or Mumps,--I mean Fenwick, sir."

"They said they were all big boys."

"Then it must have been Paxton. That crowd always hangs together for mischief."

As soon as they arrived at the Hall, Pepper tried to locate the bully and his chums. The only cadet he could find of the crowd was Coulter.

"So, Coulter, it was you who helped to cave in that snow house, eh?" he said, catching the cadet by the arm.

"Who--er--told you," stammered Coulter.

"Oh, don't deny it."

"I'm not denying it," was the bold reply. "What are you going to do about it?"

"That!" cried Pepper, and hit Coulter a stinging blow in the mouth, which loosened two front teeth. Then a regular fight ensued, and Coulter was badly whipped. Paxton also received a thrashing at the hands of Andy, while Baxter only escaped punishment by keeping out of sight excepting during school hours.

"Now, maybe, they'll keep their distance for a while," said Pepper. But he was mistaken, the bully of the Hall and his cronies were not subdued, and what they did in retaliation will be told in another volume, to be called "The Putnam Hall Rivals; or, Fun and Sport Afloat and Ashore." In this book we will meet all of our friends once more, in games and adventures as exciting as any of the past.

George Strong felt much relieved when a relative from the West came to take the two crazy men away.

"I never want to see them again," said the assistant teacher. But he did see them, and they did their best to cause him no end of trouble.

A week after the rescue of George Strong some of the cadets learned that Captain Putnam's birthday was at hand. They asked the master of the Hall if they could celebrate, and he gave the desired permission. Money was raised among the cadets to present the captain with a fine set of encyclopedias, and of this gift Captain Putnam was justly proud.

"All things considered, you are doing very well," said the master to his pupils. "I am proud of you, and happy to think that Putnam Hall is earning such a good reputation for itself."

"I shouldn't want to go to a better school," said Jack. "It just suits me exactly."

"So say I," came from Pepper. "Of course we might do without Baxter and that crowd----"

"Every school seems to have its bully," put in Andy. "All we can do is to make him keep his place."

"Don't bother with Baxter!" broke in Dale. "Let us enjoy ourselves."

Just then Stuffer burst into the dormitory, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Come to the mess-hall!" he called out. "Such a spread! I'm going to eat the meal of my life!"

"That settles it," laughed Jack. "Hurry up, all of you. If Stuffer gets there first, there will be nothing left!"

And they rushed down the stairs pell-mell; and here let us leave them and say good-bye.

THE END

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Transcriber's note:

Obvious typographical errors were corrected without note.