The Mystery at Putnam Hall: The School Chums' Strange Discovery Page 5

  CHAPTER III

  SOMETHING ABOUT A RUNAWAY

  While Dale and Andy ran off to get the water, the other boys gatheredaround Jack. The young major still lay with his eyes closed, breathingfaintly.

  "He got a bad crack on the head," remarked Fred Century.

  "He certainly did," whispered another cadet. "If he doesn't come aroundwhat shall we do?"

  "How did the team happen to run away?" questioned Amos Darrison.

  "Some fellows from Pornell Academy threw things at us," explainedPepper. "We'll have an account to settle with 'em for this," he addedgrimly.

  "Wonder how poor Snuggers made out?"

  "Here he comes now," was the answer, and looking back toward thehighway, the cadets saw the driver of the carryall approaching on aswift limp.

  "Did ye stop 'em?" he gasped. "Oh, dear, what a bust-up! But it wasn'tmy fault--you boys can prove that, can't ye?"

  "We can, Peleg," answered Pepper. "Much hurt?"

  "I got a nasty twist to my back when I tumbled. Say, what's the matterwith Major Ruddy?" And the general utility man forgot his own pains ashe gazed at the motionless form of Jack.

  The cadets told him, and in the midst of the explanation Dale and Andycame back with a bucket of water and a tin dipper. The major's face wasbathed, and a little water was put into his mouth, and with a gulp heopened his eyes and stared around him.

  "Oh, my head!" he murmured. "Who hit me?"

  "You were in the carryall smash-up, Jack," answered Pepper. "You got abad one on the head."

  "Oh, yes, I remember now." Jack sat up and placed his hand to hisforehead. "Bloody, eh? Say, that was a crack, all right!"

  "It's lucky you weren't killed," said Andy.

  "Better take it easy for a while," advised Dale. "Maybe we had betterget a doctor."

  "Oh, I guess I'll be all right after a bit, Dale," answered the youngmajor, who had a horror of being placed on the sick list. "The knockingaround stunned me, that's all."

  "Let me tie a handkerchief over that cut," said Pepper.

  "Here, I've got some court-plaster," said Fred, producing a littlepackage. "Let us bind it up with that."

  This was done, and after he had had a drink of water, Jack said he feltmuch better. But when he got up on his feet he was rather shaky in theknees.

  "I--I don't think I can walk to the Hall," he said, with a faint smile.

  "We'll get a carriage," answered Pepper. "Maybe Mr. Darrison will let ushave one. We'll pay for it, of course," he went on, knowing that the oldfarmer was a close person.

  "I'll let you have my three-seated carriage and a team, if you wantthem," answered Amos Darrison. "But it will cost you two dollars. Ican't afford to let you have 'em for nothing, because I'm a poor man,and taxes are heavy, and so many things wanted on the farm, and my wifewants----"

  "Never mind, we'll pay the two dollars," interrupted Pepper. "Everybodywho rides can chip in," he added to the surrounding cadets.

  While the lads were waiting for the farmer to hook up his horses, someof them and Peleg Snuggers examined the carryall. A wheel had come off,and the glass had been broken, but otherwise the turnout had sufferedbut little.

  "I am glad it is no worse," said Andy. "I'd hate to see that oldcarryall put out of business. I've had so many nice rides in it."

  "The axle will have to be mended before we can use it again," announcedPeleg Snuggers. "We'll have to leave it here until the wheelwright cancome fer it. I'll take the hosses back to the school."

  "Look out that they don't run away with you," warned Pepper.

  "Let me ride one of them!" cried the acrobatic Andy. "Give me the newone. I'll wager he won't get away from me."

  "You'll break your neck!" answered the carryall driver.

  "Not at all. Peleg, let me do it. I'm used to horses!" pleaded Andy.

  Now, if the truth must be told, Peleg Snuggers did not relish taking therunaway team back to the school alone. He was a little afraid of the newhorse, remembering how he had been kicked in the morning.

  "Well, if you want to go, I'll let ye!" he said at last. "But, remember,'tain't my fault if ye come back killed."

  "Don't you worry; no horse will ever get the best of me," answeredAndy.

  A little later Amos Darrison brought out his three-seated carriage andall of the cadets but Andy got in. The baggage was left behind, thefarmer promising to deliver it by wagon.

  "See you later," cried Pepper to Andy. "Be careful!"

  "Don't worry; we'll get there before you do," answered Andy.

  Two blankets were arranged as saddles on the runaway team's backs and afew minutes later Andy and Peleg Snuggers started after the carriage.

  "Let us catch up to them," cried the acrobatic youth, and urged hissteed forward on a gallop.

  "Be careful, I tell you!" cried the general utility man. "Be careful!He'll run away with you!"

  But Andy was too light-hearted to pay heed to the warning, and soon hewas well in advance of his companion. Then he sighted the carriage inthe distance, and urged his horse to greater efforts.

  "Whoop-la! Here we come!" he yelled, and set up a great shouting.

  "It's Andy!" cried Pepper. "My, but he is riding some!"

  "He always was a good one on horseback," said Fred.

  "He wants to be careful; that horse is an ugly one," came from Jack. "Iheard a man at the dock say he wouldn't own the beast at any price."

  Soon Andy ranged up beside the carriage.

  "You're too slow for me!" he sang out merrily. "I'll have to go aheadand tell Captain Putnam you are coming."

  He slapped the horse on the neck. Hardly had he done so when up came theanimal's hind hoofs, almost unseating him. Then the horse made a madleap forward and started down the highway at top speed.

  "My, see him go!"

  "He is running away!"

  "Andy, look out for yourself!"

  "If he throws you he'll kill you!"

  So the cries rang out from the carriage as horse and rider sped over thehighway leading to Putnam Hall.

  Andy paid no attention to what was said. Of a sudden he had his handsfull trying to keep on the horse's back. The steed was galloping alongwith a peculiar motion.

  "Whoa! whoa, Jim!" yelled Andy, but Jim paid no attention. He was offfor a run and did not care what happened.

  The blanket had not been securely fastened and before long it commencedto slip towards the horse's tail. Andy tried to haul it back. Hisefforts were but partly successful, and with an end of the blankettrailing around one of his hind legs, the steed became more unmanageablethan ever.

  On and on went horse and rider, until, in the distance, Putnam Hallloomed up. On one side of the highway were the woods lining the lakeshore; on the other the broad campus leading to the school and otherbuildings.

  "He'll slow up now," thought Andy. "Unless he bolts right into hisstable. If he tries that I'll have to jump for it."

  In front of the school building the roadway widened out into severalcurves. Andy thought Jim would take to one of the curves, but he wasmistaken. On kept the steed, directly past the institution of learning.

  On the campus were a score or more of cadets, who stared in amazement atthe sight of the runaway horse with the boy clinging desperately to hisback.

  "It's Andy Snow!" cried Henry Lee, the captain of Company A.

  "So it is," responded Bob Grenwood, the quartermaster of the schoolbattalion. "How in the world did he get on that horse?"

  "It's the one that was hitched to the carryall," put in Billy Sabine,another cadet. "Something is wrong."

  "Let's tell Captain Putnam," said another.

  "Whoa! whoa!" yelled Andy, frantically, when he realized that the horsewas not going to pass into the grounds. "Whoa, I say! You've gone farenough!"

  The only effect his words had was to make Jim travel a little faster.Away they went, past the gymnasium and the stables and then along thecountry road leading to the farms back of the lake.

  "Well, i
f you won't stop, go on," said Andy, presently. "You'll gettired sooner or later, old man. But, remember, you've got to bring meback, no matter how tired you are."

  A good half-mile was covered, and then horse and rider reached a sharpturn in the highway. Here the trees were thick and some of the brancheshung low.

  THE YOUNG MAJOR STILL LAY WITH HIS EYES CLOSED

  _The Mystery of Putnam Hall._ (Page 19)]

  Andy bent down that he might avoid the branches. But he did not getquite low enough. He looked ahead, saw a man standing on one side of theroadway staring in astonishment at him, and the next instant he foundhimself caught by the throat in a tree-limb and carried off the horse.Then Jim bounded on riderless, and poor Andy, kicking and thrashingwildly, sprang free of the tree-limb and landed on his shoulder inthe roadway.

  The man who had seen him coming leaped to one side, and just in the nickof time, for the runaway horse passed within a foot of him. The mangasped in astonishment, and for several seconds did not know apparentlywhat to do.

  "Looks like he was killed," the man muttered to himself, as he took afew steps forward. Andy had rolled over on his back and lay stretchedout, with his eyes closed, very much as poor Jack had been stretched outonly a short while before.

  The man looked up and down the roadway and saw that nobody else was insight, that part of the highway being but little traveled. Then he camecloser to the unconscious boy and bent over him.

  "Only stunned, I reckon!" he muttered to himself. "Wonder if he belongsaround here?"

  As the man bent over Andy he saw the lad's watch dangling from itschain, fastened to a buttonhole of the youth's vest. Then hisferret-like eyes caught sight of a fine ruby pin in Andy's necktie.

  "He could easily lose that watch on the road, riding like that, and thepin, too," he muttered to himself. "It's a fine chance to make a littlehaul!"

  He straightened up and took another look around. Not a soul was insight. With dexterous fingers he unfastened the watch and chain andtransferred them to his pocket. The stickpin followed. Then he slippedhis hand into a vest-pocket and brought out a five-dollar bill and threeone-dollar bills.

  "Eight dollars!" he muttered. "Not so bad but what it might be worse. Ireckon the watch, chain and pin will bring me another twenty or thirty.Sparrow, you are in luck to-day."

  He lingered, wondering if Andy had anything more of value about him. Theyouth wore a ring with a cameo in it, but it looked tight and hard toget off.

  "Might try his other pockets," mused the thief. Then a distant shoutingcame to his ears.

  "Somebody is after him," he muttered. "I reckon it's time I cleared out.It won't do for me to be seen in this neighborhood."

  He looked around for an instant. Then he walked to the roadside, ran inamong the trees and bushes, and disappeared from view.