The Rover Boys in the Jungle; Or, Stirring Adventures in Africa Read online

  CHAPTER II

  NEWCOMERS AT THE ACADEMY

  "Dan Baxter has escaped!" repeated Dick. "That is news indeed.Does your father give my particulars?"

  "He says it is reported that the jailer was sick and unable tostop Dan."

  "Humph! Then they must have had some sort of a row," put in Tom."Well, it does beat the nation how the Baxters do it. Don't youremember how Arnold Baxter escaped from the hospital authoritieslast year?"

  "Those Baxters are as slick as you can make them," said Frank."I've been thinking if Dan would dare to show himself aroundPutnam Hall."

  "Not he!" cried Larry. "He'll travel as far can and as fast as hecan."

  "Perhaps not," mused Dick. "I rather he will hang around and try tohelp his father out of prison."

  "That won't help him, for the authorities will be on strict guardnow. You know the stable door is always locked after the horse isstolen."

  At this there was a general laugh, and when it ended a loud rollof a drum made the young cadets hurry to the front of the paradeground.

  "Fall in, Companies A and B!" came the command from the major ofthe battalion, and the boys fell in. Dick was now a firstlieutenant, while Tom and Sam were first and second sergeantsrespectively.

  As soon as the companies were formed they were marched around theHall and to the messroom. Here they were kept standing in a longfine while George Strong came to the front with half a dozen newpupils.

  "Young gentlemen, I will introduce to you several who will joinyour ranks for this season," said the head assistant. Then hebegan to name the half dozen. Among others they included around-faced German youth named Hans Mueller, and a tall, lank,red-haired boy, of Irish descent who rejoiced in the name of JimCaven.

  "I'll wager the Dutch boy is full of fun," whispered Sam to Tom."You can see it in his eyes."

  "I don't like the looks of that Jim Caven," returned Tom. "Helooks like a worse sneak than Mumps ever was."

  "I agree there. Perhaps we had better keep, our eyes open forhim."

  Despite this talk, however, the newcomers were welcomed cordially,and to the credit of the students be it said that each old cadetdid all in his power to make the new boys feel perfectly at home.

  "Mine fadder vos von soldier py der Cherman army," said HansMueller. "Dot's vy he sent me py a military academy ven we comepy dis country."

  "Glad to know you intend to help us fight the Indians," answeredTom innocently.

  "Me fight der Indians? Vot you means py dot?" demanded Hans, hislight-blue eyes wide open with interest.

  "Why, don't you know that we are here to learn how to fightIndians?" went on Tom, with a side wink at those around him.

  "No; I dink me dis vos von school only."

  "So it is--a school to learn how to shoot and scalp."

  "Schalp! Vot's dot?"

  "Cut an Indian's top-knot off with a knife, this way," and Tommade an imaginary slash at Hans' golden locks.

  "Ton't do dot!" stammered the German boy, falling back. "No, Iton't vant to learn to schalp, noputty."

  "But you are willing to fight the Indians, are you not?" put inSam. "We are all going to do that, you know."

  "I ton't like dem Indians," sighed Hans. "I see me some of demvonde by a show in Chermany, und I vos afraid."

  At this a laugh went up. How much further the joke would havebeen carried it is impossible to say, but just then a bell rangand the boys had to go into the classroom. But Tom rememberedabout the Indians, as the others found out about a week later.

  As the majority of the scholars had been to the Hall before, itdid not take long for matters to become settled, and in a few daysall of the boys felt thoroughly at home, that is, all but JimCaven, who went around with that same sneaking look on his facethat Tom had first noticed. He made but few friends, and thoseonly among the smaller boys who had plenty of pocket money tospend. Caven rarely showed any money of his own.

  With the coming of spring the cadets formed, as of old, severalfootball teams, and played several notches, including one withtheir old rivals, the pupils of Pornell Academy. This game theylost, by a score of four to five, which made the Pornellites feelmuch better, they having lost every game in the past. (For thedoings of the Putnam Hall students previous to the arrival at thatinstitution of the Rover boys see, "The Putnam Hall Series," thefirst volume of which is entitled, "The Putnam Hall Cadets."--Publisher)

  "Well, we can't expect to beat always," said Tom, who playedquarterback on the Putnam team. "We gave them a close brush."

  "Yes, and we might have won if Larry hadn't slipped and sprainedhis ankle," put in Sam. "Well, never mind; better luck next time.We'll play them again next fall." Sam was right so far as a gamebetween the rival academies was concerned, but none of the Roverboys were on hand to take part in the contest--for reasons whichthe chapter to follow will disclose.

  With the football came kite-flying, and wonderful indeed were someof the kites which the boys manufactured.

  "I can tell you, if a fellow had time he could reduce kite-flyingto a regular science," said Dick.

  "Oh, Dick, don't give us any more science!" cried Sam. "We getenough of science from, Uncle Randolph, with his scientificfarming, fowl-raising, and the like. I would just as lief fly anold-fashioned kite as anything."

  "Dick is right, though," put in Fred Garrison. "Now you have abig flat-kite there, three times larger than mine. Yet I'll wagermy little box kite will fly higher than your kite."

  "Done!" cried Sam. "What shall the wager be?"

  "Ice cream for the boys of our dormitory," answered Fred.

  "All right, but how is a fellow to get the cream if he loses?"

  "That's for him to find out, Sam. If I lose I'll sneak off toCedarville, as Dick did once, and buy what I need."

  "Ice cream for our room it is," said. Frank.

  "And mum's the word about the wager, or Captain Putnam will spoilthe whole affair if he gets wind of it."

  "Make me stakeholder," grinned Tom. "I'd just like to lay hands onabout two quarts of chocolate cream."

  "There won't be any stakeholder," said Dick.

  "But when is this kite-flying contest to come off?"

  The matter was talked over, and it was decided to wait until thenext Saturday, which would be, as usual, a half-holiday. In themeantime some of the other boys heard there was going to be acontest, although they knew nothing of the wager made, and half adozen other matches were arranged.

  Saturday proved to be cool and clear with a stiff breeze blowingdirectly from the west. This being so, it was decided, in orderto get clear of the woods in front of the Hall, to hold thecontests on Baker's Plain, a level patch of ground some distanceto the westward.

  The cadets were soon on the way, shouting and laughing merrilyover the sport promised. Only a few remained behind, includingJim Caven, who gave as his excuse that he had a headache.

  "I'm glad he is not with us," said Dick. "I declare, for somereason, I can't bear to have him around."

  "Nor I," returned Frank. "It's queer, but he gives me the shiverswhenever he comes near me."

  "It's a wonder he came here at all. He doesn't belong in ourstyle of a crowd."

  To reach Baker's Plain the cadets had to make a detour around ahigh cliff which overlooked a rocky watercourse which flowed intoCayuga Lake. They moved slowly, as nobody wished to damage hiskite, and it was after two o'clock before all hands were ready forthe first trial at kite-flying.

  "Gracious, but it is blowing!" cried Tom.

  "Sam, have you a good strong cord on your kite?"

  "The strongest I could get," answered the youngest Rover. "Iguess it is stronger than what Fred has."

  "My kite won't pull like yours," said Fred Garrison. "All ready?"

  "Yes."

  "Then up they go--and may the best kite win!"

  Soon a dozen kites of various kinds were soaring in the air, somequite steadily and others darting angrily from side to side. Onewent
up with a swoop, to come down with a bang on the rocks, thusknocking itself into a hundred pieces.

  "Mine cracious, look at dot!" burst out Hans Mueller. "MineGretchen kite vos busted up--und I spent me feefteen cents onhim alreety!" and a roar went up.

  "Never mind, Hans," said Dick. "You can help sail the Katydid.She will pull strong enough for two, I am sure."

  The Katydid was a wonderful affair of silver and gold which Dickhad constructed on ideas entirely his own. It went up slowly butsurely and proved to be as good a kite as the majority.

  A number of girls living in the neighborhood, bad heard of thekite-flying contests, and now they came up, Dora Stanhope with therest, accompanied by her two cousins, Grace and Nellie Laning. Asmy old readers may guess, Dick was very attentive to Dora, and hisbrothers were scarcely less so to the two Laning sisters.

  "And how is your mother?" Dick asked of Dora, during the course oftheir conversation.

  "She is much better," replied Dora, "although she is still weakfrom her sickness."

  "Does she ever mention Josiah Crabtree?"

  "She mentioned him once. She said that she had dreamed of him andof you, Nick."

  "Me? And what was the dream?"

  "Oh--it was only a silly affair, Dick, not worth mentioning."

  "But I would like to know what it was."

  "Well, then, she dreamed that both of you were in a big forest andhe was about to attack you with a gun or a club, she couldn't tellwhich. She awoke screaming and I ran to her side, and that is howshe told me of the dream."