Chapter XXVI: The Men in the Woods

Jack’s announcement filled Andy and Pepper with surprise. They had not dreamed that the two missing men could be anywhere in that vicinity.

“You didn’t make any mistake?” said Pepper.

“No, you can go and see for yourself. They have a regular camp located there.”

The other boys were curious, and followed the young major along the brook and to the campfire beyond. True enough, Shaff and Callax were there, taking it easy beside the campfire. They had built themselves a rude shelter of tree-boughs and brushwood, in front of which was a beautiful rug. In front of a tree hung a looking-glass and on a bench rested a washbowl and a shoe-blacking outfit.

“Lay low—we don’t want them to spot us,” whispered Jack.

“What are they talking about?” whispered Andy.

“Everything in general. They are certainly crazy.”

“We ought to let Mr. Strong know of this,” said Pepper.

The boys watched the two men for some time and saw that it was probable they would remain in the camp that night.

“I have an idea,” said Pepper. “Andy can ride to the school and tell Mr. Strong, while Jack and I watch the men. If they go away we can follow and see where they go to.”

So it was arranged, and a little later Andy rode off on Jack’s wheel. Jack and Pepper kept well out of sight, but made certain that Shaff and Callax should not slip them in the darkness which was now settling down upon all sides.

Andy took care that he should have no more accidents, and as a consequence it took him quite a while to reach Putnam Hall. Once there he asked at once for George Strong. The assistant teacher was in the library.

“I wish to see you in private, Mr. Strong,” said the cadet, and having walked outside with the instructor, the acrobatic youth told his tale.

“This is indeed news,” said George Strong. “We must capture them by all means. It is criminal to leave such dangerous characters at large.”

Captain Putnam was informed of the affair, and he told Peleg Snuggers and another man around the place to go with George Strong and Andy. The carryall was brought out, with a pair of good horses, and away they started on a good gait for the camp in the woods.

They had just reached the spot where the bicycles had been left when they heard a blood-curdling cry. Then came a shout in Jack’s voice.

“They have been discovered!” cried Andy, and leaped from the carryall, followed by George Strong and Peleg Snuggers.

“Look out, or they may shoot you!” said the general-utility man, taking good care to keep well to the rear.

Another shout, this time from Pepper, rang out, and then those who had just come up saw two men rush through the forest in the direction of the lake.

“There they go!” cried George Strong. “Stop, Paul! Stop, Bart!” he added.

“Let us alone!” said Callax. “Let us alone!”

“We don’t want anything to do with you!” put in Shaff.

They made rapid progress through the forest and soon George Strong lost track of them. But then Jack sighted them again.

“There they go—straight for the lake!” shouted the young major.

“I see them,” answered the teacher.

“They are getting into a boat,” said Pepper, and he was right.

By the time the party gained the lake shore the two crazy men were in a rowboat and pulling rapidly across the lake. The others looked around, but not another craft of any sort was in sight.

“We have lost them again!” said George Strong, with something like a groan. “Too bad!”

“How did they discover you?” asked Andy, after the darkness had hidden the fleeing men.

“In the oddest kind of a way,” explained Jack. “We were resting behind some bushes, when of a sudden the man named Callax leaped up and began to prance around the camp like a horse. He came straight for us, and landed within a few inches of my head. Then he let out a yell and that brought Shaff, and off they went like a pair of frightened rabbits.”

Curious to know what sort of a camp the crazy men had had, George Strong went back to the spot and stirred up the campfire. He found there a good supply of clothing and also many odds and ends which made the boys smile.

“Perhaps they will come back,” suggested Pepper.

“I will place a guard here,” answered the teacher. “They may come back later. I doubt if they do so right away.”

There was nothing to do but to return to Putnam Hall. The bicycles were strapped on the back of the carryall and all piled into the turnout. The lantern had already been lit; and thus they rode to the school, reaching the place a little after midnight.

“Keeping early hours, I see,” remarked Dale, when Pepper came into the dormitory.

“Tell you about it in the morning,” answered the Imp, and lost no time in getting to bed and to sleep.

“Those fellows will be the terror of this neighborhood if they keep on,” said Dale, when he heard of what had occurred.

“Mr. Strong is going to set a sharper watch than ever,” answered Jack. “Those men will be caught sooner or later.”

Many of the cadets had heard of the soldiers’ reunion at Datport, on the following Saturday, and also of the proposed balloon ascension, and they begged Captain Putnam for permission to visit the town and see what was going on.

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” said the master of the school at last. “Every student who gets an average of eighty per cent. this week can go, if he wishes.”

This put the students on their mettle, and never did cadets study harder than during that week. As a consequence about forty passed, and it was decided that they should visit Datport in the Hall carryall and the two Cedarville stages. The start was to be made at half-past six in the morning.

“Hurrah, we are to go!” shouted Andy. “Aren’t you glad, Pep?”

“To be sure I am.”

“It’s Reff Ritter an’ Coulter who are mad, so they are,” came from Emerald.

“Didn’t they pass?” asked Stuffer.

“They did not.”

“I had a tight squeeze, with old Crabtree,” came from Bart Conners. “He came close to cutting me out of the fun.”

“The same here,” said Henry Lee. “Oh, but I do wish we could get rid of him.”

“Your wish is to be gratified—at least for awhile,” said Joe Nelson. “I just got the news. Mr. Crabtree is going to Boston on business and may not come back for the balance of this term.”

“Hurrah!” shouted several students in unison.

“I thought you would like to get up a petition, asking him to remain,” went on Joe, with a wink.

“Great hambones!” gasped Pepper. “Remain? Not for a thousand plates of ice cream!”

“He can stay away and he never will be missed,” added Andy.

The boys were on hand promptly on Saturday morning, and after an early breakfast they piled into the carryall and the stages, and with shouts and cheers set off for Datport. Not one of them dreamed of the strange adventures and odd discovery ahead of them.

The way to Datport was level for the most part and the three turnouts made good time, the boys singing and cheering as they passed through villages and by prosperous farms. Many cheered and waved their hands in return. They were beginning to be known far and wide as “those Putnam Hall soldier boys.”

“I see some of the old soldiers now!” cried Jack, as the turnouts approached the town where the reunion was to occur. And soon they reached a green where many old veterans were assembled. The cadets, in their neat uniforms, were given a warm welcome and soon made themselves at home.

“This is all right,” said Pepper, as a fine band struck up a patriotic air. “I am glad I came.”

“I want to see that balloon ascension,” returned Andy.

“Wouldn’t you like to go up, Andy?” asked Jack, by way of a joke.

“Sure I would,” was the quick answer.

“Do you really mean it, Andy?” asked Dale.

“I certainly do—I shouldn’t like anything better.”

“I’d be afraid to go up,” said Hogan. “I’ll take my balloon trips on the ground, so I will!”

The balloon ascension was advertised for two o’clock in the afternoon, and after listening to an address by an old army general, and getting some lunch, the cadets walked to the field where the balloon was located.

“Hullo! How are you?” said a man to Jack, and the young major recognized him as one of the pair who had come out in the farm-wagon after the balloon when the battalion had been on the march.

“First-rate,” answered Jack. “Found your balloon, eh?”

“Oh, yes, and all right, too. Much obliged.”

“Say, doesn’t the professor want somebody to go up with him?” asked Andy, brushing forward.

“I guess not!” said another man, standing by. “Not a greenhorn, anyway.”

“Where is the professor?”

“In his tent yonder, getting ready for the exhibition.”

The balloon was in a small roped-off enclosure and some men were at work filling it with hot air. Beside the balloon rested a big basket. It had been advertised that the professor would take somebody up with him provided that person would remain in the balloon after the aëronaut cut loose with his parachute, but so far nobody had come forward to take up the offer.