Chapter XVI: A Game of Baseball

“What’s the trouble now?”

“Did somebody get shot?”

“Say, this night is the worst yet! Why can’t they let a fellow sleep?”

“If it’s going to keep on like this we better go back to the Hall!”

So the talk ran on, as the cadets rushed out on the parade ground to learn the cause of the new disturbance.

Those to make first appearance beheld Nick Paxton and Billy Sabine running as if some demon was after them. Both were out of breath and shaking with terror.

“Save me!” screamed Billy Sabine, and ran to Captain Putnam and clutched him by the arm frantically.

“What is the trouble, Sabine?” asked the master of the school anxiously.

“It’s a ghost—a madman, a monster!” gasped Sabine. “Oh, don’t let him touch me, please!”

“A ghost?” queried Captain Putnam.

“Yes, sir.”

“It was worse than a ghost,” came from Paxton, when he was able to speak. “Oh, I hope it doesn’t come this way!” And he glanced over his shoulder apprehensively.

“This is nonsense, boys! There are no ghosts.”

“Who fired that shot?” asked George Strong, while a crowd of cadets gathered around to learn what the new alarm meant.

“I did,” said a guard named Leeks. “I called on those fellows to halt, but they didn’t, so I fired to arouse the corporal of the guard.”

“Which was quite right, Leeks,” returned the master of the school. He turned again to Paxton and Sabine. “Now, give me your stories. Where have you been? You had no permission to leave the grounds. We missed you an hour or more ago.”

At these words Paxton and Sabine hung their heads. Sabine looked thoroughly miserable. As my old readers know, he was not naturally bad but was a lad easily led into wrongdoing.

“Cannot you answer me?” demanded the master of the school, after a painful pause.

“Paxton got me to go to a hotel down the lake shore, sir,” said Sabine in a low tone. “I am very sorry I went, sir, and I hope you’ll forgive me, sir. I won’t do it again.” And he gazed pleadingly at Captain Putnam.

“How about this, Paxton?”

“I—er—I went to the hotel because I thought some of my friends were stopping there,” was the lame reply. “As soon as I—er—found my friends weren’t there I came back.”

“Do you usually make calls after midnight?” demanded the master of the school, with fine sarcasm.

“I—er—I didn’t know it was so late, sir. But we would have been back long ago if it wasn’t for that—er—ghost, or worse!” continued Paxton.

“What did you see? Now no fooling, Paxton, or it will go hard with you,” and Captain Putnam’s voice grew extra stern.

“We saw a ghost, or demon, or something, sir. It was horrible!”

“The most frightful thing one could possibly imagine,” broke in Sabine, and his voice commenced to tremble again. “Oh, Captain Putnam, you may not believe it, but it was awful, sir, awful!”

“But what was it?” persisted the master of the school, seeing how much in earnest both cadets were.

“It was like a half-man and a half-beast,” answered Paxton. “It was very large and had a terrible voice. It chased us with a stick that was full of flashes of fire, and both of us thought we were going to be killed.”

“Maybe a trick of some of the cadets,” suggested George Strong.

At this suggestion Paxton and Sabine looked up quickly.

“Oh, could it have been some of the cadets?” questioned Sabine. “But no, it couldn’t be—it was too awful!” And he shook his head positively. Evidently he had been almost frightened out of his senses.

“The cadets have all been accounted for,” said Captain Putnam. “I don’t think any of them are responsible for this.”

“Where did this happen, over in yonder woods?” questioned George Strong.

“Back of the woods, sir.”

“Back of the woods?”

“Yes, sir, near the falls. There is an old mill up there. We were coming along the mill road when all of a sudden the Thing, whatever it was, rushed at us. We ran and it came after us! Oh, I thought my last moment on earth had come!” gasped Sabine, shaking afresh over the recollection of what had occurred.

“This is strange, to say the least,” mused the master of the school. “How did it look to you, Paxton?”

“I can’t tell you any more than I have, sir,” was the reply. “It was ghostlike and half-man and half-beast, and it had a loud voice and that stick of fire. It came at us so—so ferociously that we had to run for fear of being killed on the spot!”

This was all either Paxton or Sabine could tell. They stuck to their tale so persistently that Captain Putnam felt compelled to believe them.

“I’ll investigate in the morning,” said he. “It is probably some trick.”

“Maybe it was played by some of the Pornell students,” suggested Bart Conners.

“Possibly. Now go to bed, all of you, and let me hear no more alarms.”

Once again the cadets retired. Pepper walked off with Jack and Andy.

“Jack, what do you make of this?” asked Pepper.

“Oh, it was some trick,” answered the young major.

“But did you hear what they said—that it happened near that old mill, the Robertson mill?”

“That’s so,” mused Jack. “The place that Bert Field was asking about, and the spot some claim is haunted.”

“I don’t think the Pornell fellows would play that trick,” said Andy. “They wouldn’t dare—so close on their other doings.”

“I’d like to investigate this on my own account,” continued Pepper. “I am very curious to visit that haunted mill, and I am curious to know why Bert Field is interested in it.”

“Well, you may get a chance some day,” answered Jack; and there the talk had to come to an end.

In the morning the majority of the cadets were sleepy and inclined to lay around after inspection and breakfast and take it easy. Paxton and Sabine were again questioned, and Captain Putnam departed on horseback, to investigate their story.

“Looks as if it was going to rain,” said Andy, and he was right, and soon the drops commenced to fall. It was a steady downpour, lasting until the middle of the afternoon and the boys were glad enough to keep under shelter, only the guards being out, wearing their rubber coats.

In the midst of the storm Captain Putnam came back. He held a long talk with George Strong and then called in Paxton and Sabine.

“I do not know what scared you,” said the master of the school. “I rode around the old mill and found it locked and nailed up and nobody in sight. As you were badly frightened I will not punish you for leaving the camp without permission. But do not do it again, or I will punish you severely.” And there the matter rested.

The rain put a damper on the enthusiasm of the cadets and a few wished they were back at the Hall. But by nightfall it cleared off, and great campfires were kindled, so that things might be dried out, and then everybody felt better.

On Saturday it had been arranged that a game of baseball should come off, between nines of Company A and Company B. The rivalry between the nines was intense and much interest was manifested as a consequence.

Company A had for its pitcher Reff Ritter. Ritter had not been chosen for his popularity but because he knew how to pitch and had lately been doing good work in the box. For a catcher Ritter had Coulter, and two of his other cronies were in the field.

Dale was the pitcher for Company B, and Stuffer was catcher. On this nine, Andy was shortstop and Pepper covered second. These were not the positions the lads had previously filled, but Captain Putnam insisted that some changes be made, so that other lads might have a chance.

To make matters more interesting it was announced that visitors would be welcome to the camp during the game and afterwards, and Jack, who did not play, quickly invited the Fords to attend. A little stand was erected, so that the visitors might have seats.

Mr. Rossmore Ford came up the lake road in a big tallyho, bringing with him his wife, his two daughters, and half a dozen other people. Others arrived in carriages, on bicycles and on foot, until the visitors numbered fully a hundred.

“Oh, I hope Pepper and Andy’s side win!” cried Laura Ford, enthusiastically, after she had looked over the players.

“So do I,” added Flossie.

“Well, I think Company B has as good a show as Company A,” answered Jack, with a smile.

A professional ball player who chanced to be stopping at one of the lake hotels had consented to be umpire, and promptly at three o’clock he called out “Play!”

Company A was first at the bat, with their best men heading the list, and when they retired they had scored two runs. This made their supporters enthusiastic and they were loudly applauded.

“Now show ’em what you can do!” cried a cadet, as Company B came up to the home plate.

“Ritter will strike ’em out!” said another.

The first man up was struck out and the second followed. Then came a pop fly, which was easily gathered in, and Company B retired with the score 2 to 0 against them.

“This looks bad,” said Jack. “But the game is young yet.”

In the second inning Company A managed to get one more run and in the third they brought their score up to seven runs. Company B scored three times.

“Take a brace, boys!” cried Jack, to Pepper and Andy.

“My arm was a little stiff at the start, from getting wet during the storm,” said Dale. “But it is limbering up now.” And this proved to be true, and in the next inning he struck out three men in succession, amid great applause.

When Company B came to the bat Pepper knocked a home run and Andy a three-bagger. But that ended the run getting for the time being.

The beginning of the eighth inning found the score 11 to 7 in favor of Company A. Ritter and his followers were in high feather, thinking they were sure of winning.

“And maybe we won’t celebrate to-night,” chuckled the bully.

“Rub the defeat in good while you are at it,” said Paxton, who was on the substitute bench.

“You bet we will!” answered Ritter boastfully.

Ritter was to the bat and managed to line out a safety. He was followed by a player who went out on a foul, but the next man knocked a two-bagger and Ritter managed to slide home, amid well-deserved applause. When Company A retired they had 14 runs to their credit.

Dale was now to the bat and managed to get to second in safety. Pepper got to first and a wild throw over the baseman’s head gave Dale third and Pepper second. Then came a streak of good batting and the end of the eighth inning found Company B with 11 runs.

“We must hold ’em down!” said Pepper, as Company A came up for the ninth time to the bat. “Dale, do your best!”

The pitcher tried to steady himself and struck out the first man up. The second went to first on balls and the next batter hit a safety.

“Steady, Dale, steady!” cried Jack. And Dale settled down to even work once more, and Company A retired with only its 14 runs.

“Our last chance to win!” cried Pepper, as his side came in.

“Right you are,” answered the young major, anxiously. “Three runs to tie the score and four to win!”