The Mystery at Putnam Hall: The School Chums' Strange Discovery Page 8

  CHAPTER VI

  CAPTAIN PUTNAM INVESTIGATES

  "Reff Ritter has been knocked out!"

  "My, what blows they were!"

  "Well, he brought it on himself," said Pepper.

  "That's what," added Fred. "He struck Jack after Jack told him he didn'tbelieve in fighting."

  "He couldn't save himself because he was too close to the wooden horse,"came from Coulter, who felt bound to stick up for his crony. "It wasn'tfair to run him up against the horse."

  "Coulter, a poor excuse is worse than none," answered Dale.

  "Ritter was knocked out fair and square," came from Bart Connors.

  While the talking was going on, Paxton had rushed off for water. Now hereturned with a pailful and a sponge, and commenced to bathe the fallenone's face. Ritter soon opened his eyes and gave a groan.

  "Le--let me al--alone," he muttered.

  "Get up, Reff," said Paxton. "Go for him again."

  "I--I can't," mumbled the bully, and now it was seen that two of hisfront teeth were loose. He stared around in a helpless fashion. Paxtonput some more water on his face.

  "Has he had enough?" demanded Jack, stepping up.

  "You go away," answered Coulter, surlily.

  "You wouldn't hit him when he's down, would you?" snapped Paxton.

  "I asked you if he had enough. If he has, I'm going for a sail."

  "I'll--I'll finish this some other time," mumbled Ritter, as he glaredat the young major.

  "No, Ritter, you'll finish it now if you finish it at all," answeredJack, coldly. "You started this fight, and now you must take theconsequences. Get up, if you want to go at it again."

  "I don't want to fight--now."

  "Then you acknowledge yourself beaten?"

  "No, I don't."

  "Then get up. I don't want to wait here all afternoon for you."

  "He has all he wants," said Pepper. "He won't get up."

  "It's your fight, Ruddy," cried Joe Nelson.

  "So it is," put in half a dozen cadets.

  "Ritter is beaten and he knows it," added Harry Blossom, the firstlieutenant of Company A.

  "I--er--I won't fight any more now," mumbled the bully. He got up slowlyand then, staggering to a bench, sank down heavily upon it. Evidentlyhis punishment at Jack's hands had been heavy.

  "Boys! Boys! what is the meaning of this?"

  It was a loud and harsh voice from the doorway of the gymnasium thatstartled all of the assembled cadets. The next instant Josiah Crabtree,the head teacher, strode in.

  "Skip, Jack, here is old Crabtree!"

  "Run for it, Reff!"

  "I demand to know what is going on here?" went on Josiah Crabtree, inhis high-pitched voice. "Who is fighting?"

  There was no reply. The assembled cadets looked at each other. No onefelt like saying a word.

  "Ritter, have you been fighting?" went on the head teacher, noticing thebully's condition.

  "I was--er--that is, Ruddy attacked me, and I--er--I defended myself,"stammered the defeated one.

  "Ruddy? Do you mean Major Ruddy?" questioned Josiah Crabtree, inastonishment.

  "Yes, sir."

  "Mr. Crabtree, what Ritter says is untrue!" burst out Jack. "He hit mefirst."

  "But you have been fighting? You, the major of the school battalion!Disgraceful!"

  "Wouldn't you fight if somebody slapped you in the face?" demanded Jack,hotly.

  "You know the rules, Ruddy--and as major you ought to be the first toobey them."

  "I am willing to do that, sir. But I won't allow anybody to slap me inthe face."

  "I didn't slap him," put in Ritter.

  "Yes, you did," came from Pepper.

  "It is true--I saw it," added Fred.

  "So did I," added a cadet named Brown.

  "If you were struck, Major Ruddy, it was your duty to report theoccurrence at the office," said Josiah Crabtree, loftily. "Such actionsas these will most likely cost you your command."

  "Oh, what a shame!" burst out Pepper.

  "Ditmore, I want no words from you!" roared the head teacher, savagely.

  "But it wouldn't be fair to make Jack suffer for something like that,"went on Pepper, bound to stick up for his chum.

  "Ha! you dare to talk back to me, Ditmore! Go to your room at once, andstay there until to-morrow morning."

  "But, Mr. Crabtree----"

  "Not another word. Go to your room. And you, Ruddy and Ritter, report tome and to Captain Putnam at the private office at once."

  There was no help for it, and with an angry look on his face, Pepperleft the gymnasium and walked over to the school building.

  "I'll report as soon as I have washed up, Mr. Crabtree," said Ritter,sullenly.

  "So will I," added Jack.

  "I'll give you both ten minutes, no more!" snapped the teacher, and thenhe strode from the gymnasium as swiftly as he had entered it.

  As soon as Josiah Crabtree had departed a lively discussion commencedbetween the followers of the young major and of Reff Ritter. Only a fewhad seen the start of the quarrel and knew that it had been provokedentirely by the bully.

  "I'm afraid I am in for it," said Jack, dismally, to Fred. "Ritter willdo his best to make out that it was all my fault."

  "Well, I can testify that Ritter hit you first, and Pepper and Brown cando so, too," answered Fred.

  "Reff will get Coulter and Paxton to back him up."

  "But they weren't on hand when the quarrel started."

  "That is true--but they'll stick up for Reff, see if they don't."

  "I sincerely trust that Captain Putnam doesn't take away your majorship,Jack."

  "If he does that, I'll--well, never mind what I'll do."

  "If he did it to me, I'd feel like leaving."

  "I was going to say that. But I'll not do anything hastily," answeredthe young major, and heaved a deep sigh.

  "Want me to go along?"

  "No, since Crabtree didn't ask any one. But I wish you'd hang around, soI can call on you."

  "I'll go to the library."

  "All right--and take Brown, if he'll go."

  Jack washed up and brushed his uniform, and then made his way to CaptainPutnam's private office. He found that Reff Ritter had hurried andgotten ahead of him, and was telling his story, both to the head of theschool and to the first assistant teacher. Ritter's mouth, nose and oneeye were swollen, and he looked anything but happy.

  "You may remain in the hallway until I call you, Major Ruddy," saidCaptain Putnam, when Jack appeared, and the young major had to gooutside, closing the door after him.

  The telling of Reff Ritter's story took some time, and he was askedseveral questions by Captain Putnam and Josiah Crabtree. He said that hehad just been getting ready to take some gymnastic exercise when Jackand some of his chums had come in and begun to talk about his father,saying that they had heard he was dishonest.

  "Ruddy said he knew my father was dishonest," went on Reff Ritter. "Thatmade me mad and I ran out of the dressing-room and told him he ought tobe ashamed of himself, that my father was as honest as anybody. Then hegot on his high-horse and told me to shut up or he would knock me down.I told him it was a shame for him to speak so of my father. Then he gotmad and all of a sudden he jumped at me and hit me in the mouth and theeye and then in the nose. Then I went for him, and we had it hot andheavy, until we bumped into one of the wooden horses and I went down. Hetried to hit me after I was down, but Coulter and Paxton hauled himback. Then Mr. Crabtree came in."

  "A most disgraceful proceeding!" cried Josiah Crabtree. "And evidentlyMajor Ruddy's fault entirely."

  "You are quite sure Ruddy started the quarrel?" questioned CaptainPutnam, gravely.

  "Yes, sir."

  "And he told the other cadets that your father was dishonest?"

  "Yes, sir. That is what made me so mad. But I didn't hit him until heattacked me," added Ritter, hastily.

  "Who was present at the time?"

  "Pepper Ditmore and Fred Cen
tury were with Ruddy, and Gus Coulter andNick Paxton were With me."

  "Anybody else?"

  "I didn't see anybody."

  "You got the worst of the fight."

  "Yes, sir. You see, he took me unawares. I guess I could whip him if wewere to meet on equal terms," added Ritter.

  "You may retire to the next room, Ritter, while I question Major Ruddy."

  "Don't you believe me?" cried the bully, in alarm.

  "One side of a story is only one side," answered Captain Putnam,non-committally.

  "I believe Ritter tells the truth," put in Josiah Crabtree. "When Iappeared Ruddy was very insolent and so was Ditmore. I sent Ditmore tohis room as a punishment."

  "You may call Ruddy in," answered the head of the school, briefly. Heunderstood Josiah Crabtree's dictatorial manner perfectly, and he onlyretained the man because of his unusual ability as a teacher.

  Jack came in and was told to sit down in the chair Ritter had justvacated. Then Captain Putnam asked him to tell his story, and he relatedeverything just as it had occurred.

  "Are you quite sure that you have told the plain truth, Major Ruddy?"asked Captain Putnam, after he had finished.

  "Yes, sir," answered Jack, and looked the head of the school fairly andsquarely in the face.

  "Your story does not agree with that told by Ritter."

  "I believe Ritter," broke in Josiah Crabtree. "It was an outrage to dragin the boy's father simply because he has made some--er--unfortunatespeculations. If I were you, Captain Putnam----"

  "Wait a moment, Mr. Crabtree," interrupted the owner of the Hall. "I amconducting this investigation. Now that we have heard the stories of theprincipals we'll hear what the witnesses have to say."

  "Fred Century was there, and he is in the library now," said Jack."Pepper Ditmore was there, too, but Mr. Crabtree sent him to his room."

  "I will question Century and Ditmore, and also Coulter and Paxton,"answered Captain Putnam. "You may retire to Classroom Three, MajorRuddy, until called."

  Jack bowed and withdrew and walked to the classroom named. It was emptyand he threw himself down on a seat and gave himself up to hisreflections.

  Fred was next called, and he was followed by Pepper. Both toldpractically the story related by Jack. In the meantime George Strong,the second assistant teacher, was sent off to summon Coulter and Paxton.He was gone the best part of a quarter of an hour, and when he came backhis face was a study.

  "Captain Putnam, I have just made a discovery," he said. "I would liketo speak to you alone."

  "Alone?" queried the head of the school, somewhat astonished.

  "Yes, sir, alone."

  "Very well, then, come into the next room," answered Captain Putnam.