Chapter XXVI: After the Stolen Camp Outfit

“Hi, fellows, get up! Something has happened!”

It was Pepper who aroused the others, and he made such a noise that the cadets who were asleep sprang up without delay.

“What’s wrong?”

“Have the enemy discovered us?”

“Are we going back to the Hall?”

These and a number of other cries rang out, and nearly all the runaways surrounded The Imp. For answer Pepper pointed to where the horse and wagon had been.

“Gone!”

“Who took them?”

“Don’t ask me,” was the answer. “I missed them a minute ago and tried to find out what had become of them. But they are teetotally gone, and that is all there is to it.”

“Where are the guards?” demanded Jack. “Brightwood, did you see anything of the horse and wagon?”

“I did not,” answered one of the cadets who had been on guard duty. Then some of the others were questioned, but all shook their heads.

“Fred Century was on guard near the wagon,” said Andy, suddenly. “Where is he?”

All looked around, but in vain.

“Maybe he drove off with the horse and wagon,” suggested Hogan. “But I don’t know where he’d go, so I don’t.”

“Perhaps he got afraid and went back to the Hall,” suggested another.

“Fred Century wasn’t the sort to get afraid,” answered the young major. “But I must confess I don’t understand this.”

“Do you think Reff Ritter and his crowd would play this trick?” demanded Pepper.

“He might, Pep, but what of Fred?”

“Maybe Century joined the Ritter gang,” vouchsafed Brightwood.

“No, Fred didn’t like Ritter at all,” answered Andy.

“We’ll have to make a search for the horse and wagon,” said the young major. “And the sooner the better. We can’t afford to lose all those stores.”

“Oh, I say, can’t we get breakfast first?” asked Stuffer, reproachfully.

“No, we’ll hunt first and eat afterwards,” said Jack, decidedly.

The cadets scattered in all directions, and less than three minutes later Dale set up a call that brought the others running to him. He had found poor Fred, gagged, and bound to a tree. The captive was glad to be released and to have his power of speech restored. His story was a short one.

“There must have been four or five who attacked me from behind,” he said, “and they gave me no chance to cry out. I heard them talking about taking the horse and wagon and some other things, but I couldn’t do a thing to warn any of you. They must have gotten off very quietly, not to have attracted the attention of the other guards.”

“Were they the Ritter crowd?” asked Andy.

“I am not sure. I thought perhaps they might be those tramps Andy and Stuffer discovered in a hangout in this neighborhood.”

“The tramps!” ejaculated Andy. “That’s so! Why didn’t I think of them! If they rob the farmers around here, they wouldn’t hesitate to rob us.”

“Fred, who was on guard next to you?” asked the young major.

“Caller was on one side and Beck on the other.”

“Well, Caller is a little deaf, he wouldn’t be apt to hear them,” said Pepper. He looked around. “Where is Beck?”

Beck was not in sight, and then the various cadets stated they had not seen him since he had gone on guard duty.

“He must be tied up too,” said Jack. “Let us continue the hunt, fellows.”

This was done, and the search lasted fully an hour. But not a trace of the missing cadet could be discovered.

“I’ll tell you what I think,” said Pepper, when they met around the campfire. “I think the Ritter crowd ran off with the horse and wagon and I think Beck went with them. If you’ll remember, he and Coulter and Paxton are quite chummy, and Coulter wanted him to come with them when they left our crowd. I think, if we can find out where the Ritter crowd is staying, we can get back our things—and not before.”

“Then we’ll find them,” cried Andy.

It was soon learned that not only were the things left in the wagon gone, but also some of the cooking utensils and the fresh meat purchased from the butcher in Cedarville. This discovery made the cadets more angry than ever, and all vowed to “square up” with the Ritter crowd if they were really guilty and if it could possibly be done.

“We gave them their share and they had no right to come here and take more,” was the way Joe Nelson expressed himself.

Breakfast was had, and then Jack divided his force into three parties. Of these one party was to remain in camp and watch such of the outfit as was left. The other parties were to go on a hunt for the horse and wagon, one going to the north and the other to the west. The boys tried to follow the wagon tracks through the woods, but this was impossible, for many spots were hard and stony, and here the tracks were not distinguishable.

Jack and Pepper were in the party which moved to the westward, and they were accompanied by four other cadets, including Dale. They spread out in a line, about twenty feet apart, so that they might cover that portion of the woods as well as possible.

“This may prove to be nothing but a wild goose chase,” observed the young major as they moved along. “But it is better than sitting still and doing nothing.”

They soon crossed a clearing, and then came to a wagon road leading up a small hill. Here they saw freshly-made tracks and this gave them some encouragement.

“I don’t know of any farm up here,” said Pepper. “And if there isn’t any farm what would a wagon be doing here this time of year?” For the road was one for hauling wood.

“Better not make any noise,” cautioned Dale, as one of the cadets commenced to whistle. “We may be nearer that wagon than you suspect.”

They moved onward for about an eighth of a mile further, and then Jack called a halt.

“I see something moving over yonder,” he said, pointing with his hand. “I think we had better investigate.”

With increased caution, for they wished if possible to surprise the enemy, they went forward, keeping as much as possible behind the bushes lining the wood road. Then they made a turn, and off in a little glade to the left they saw the horse and wagon, the animal being tied to a tree. At the edge of the glade were several tents, and in front of them the remains of a campfire.

“Do you see anybody?” questioned Pepper, in a whisper.

“Yes, I see Ritter and Coulter, back of the tents,” answered Jack. “I see some of the fellows in the tents,” announced Dale. “They are fast asleep.”

“Most likely tired out, because of last night’s work,” said another cadet. He looked at Jack. “What do you want us to do, Major?”

“You fellows look in the wagon and see if our stuff is there,” was the reply. “Come, Pep, let us walk behind those bushes and see if we can discover anything more. If Ritter and Coulter are hatching out more mischief we want to know it.”

“I am with you,” answered The Imp.

“If the stuff is in the wagon, shall we drive off with it?” questioned Dale.

“Yes, but don’t go too far, Dale,” answered Jack. “We may want you and the other fellows here.”

“All right—if you want us, give the signal.”

Then, while Dale and the others hurried toward the horse and wagon, Jack and Pepper stole behind the tents to where Ritter and Coulter were talking earnestly. Little did the young major dream of what he was to hear or of the discovery he was to make.