Chapter 10 FROM CELLAR TO ATTIC

For the moment after Josiah Crabtree made this declaration Jack and Pepper were so amazed that they could not speak. They stared at the teacher as if they had not heard aright.

"Do you mean to say you found such things in our trunks and lockers?" asked the young major, at last.

"I certainly do, Ruddy."

"It's a-a trick!" burst out Pepper. "A mean, rascally trick!"

"No, there was no trick about it," answered Josiah Crabtree.

"But, Mr. Crabtree, there must be some mistake," faltered Jack. "I do not drink or smoke or play cards, and neither does Pepper. Surely you have made a mistake."

"No mistake about it, I tell you. I found the things as plain as day, and Captain Putnam saw them too. You had the things hidden pretty well, but our search was thorough. After the fire I suspected you at once, for I saw the evidence of smoking and drinking around the burnt building. You may as well confess. It will do no good to put on an innocent front."

"Mr. Crabtree, will you listen to me?" asked Pepper, half desperately.

"If you wish to confess, yes."

"I have nothing to confess."

"Then I do not care to listen. You are a pair of bad boys, and in the absence of Captain Putnam I am bound to make an example of you."

"If Captain Putnam was here he would listen to us," said Jack.

"I am capable of taking charge of this affair," answered the teacher, coldly. A little brief authority always made him strong-headed.

"I repeat, I am guilty of no wrongdoing," said Jack, simply. "There is some mistake somewhere."

"And I am innocent, too," added Pepper.

"After this, I want you two boys to behave yourselves," resumed Josiah Crabtree. "If you don't--"

"What then?" asked Jack.

"I'll make you."

"We don't want to stay here," said Pepper. "It's a beastly place and we'll catch our death of cold."

"You shall stay here."

"I protest!" cried Jack.

"Ruddy, it will do no good, I tell you. And let me tell you something more. Your conduct is unworthy of an officer. After this, you shall be a private, nothing more."

"You are going to take my majorship away from me!" gasped Jack.

"Yes."

The boy's heart sank within him. This was the unkindest cut of all.

"It's dirt mean!" cried Pepper. "Jack, for two pins I'd write home about this."

"Yes, and leave Putnam Hall," added the deposed major.

"You two boys will behave yourselves!" roared Josiah Crabtree. "If you make any more trouble I'll show you a thing or two!"

With this the teacher went out, banging and locking the door behind him.

Jack and Pepper felt hurt and angry. They had done nothing wrong, and did not consider that they were being treated fairly.

The forenoon dragged by slowly and both boys were chilled. Growing desperate, Pepper began to hammer on the door again and his chum followed suit.

For fully quarter of an hour nobody paid attention to the noise, and they were on the point of stopping the racket when Josiah Crabtree again appeared, followed by Peleg Snuggers and another man, who did occasional jobs around Putnam Hall.

"Hold out your hands," said the teacher, grimly; and almost before they knew it, Jack and Pepper were handcuffed. Then the teacher slipped the key of the handcuffs into his pocket.

"This, is a high-handed proceeding," said Jack.

"I believe you objected to the cold," said the teacher, ignoring the remark.

"We did-I am half frozen," answered Pepper.

"Then come, and I'll provide you with a warmer place," was the answer.

It would have been useless to resist in the presence of the three men, and so the boys marched out of the storeroom and along the hallway. Soon they came to a cellar door.

"Are you going to put us down in the cellar?" cried Jack.

"March, and do not ask any more questions," said Josiah Crabtree.

The boys tried to argue, but the assistant teacher would not listen. Down into the cellar went the party and walked along until they came to a square stone room that was built close to one of the big heaters.

"You won't freeze here," said the teacher, and shoved them inside. "Now, if you make any more noise, you shall not have a mouthful of dinner."

Again the door was closed and locked on the two unfortunates. They heard the others hurry away, and faced each other in the gloom.

"This is the worst yet," said Pepper. "It's a regular dungeon cell!"

"It is an outrage and I shall not stand for it," was his chum's comment. "Phew! how hot it is! That furnace is a regular bake-oven!"

"First he freezes us and then he bakes us," muttered Pepper. "Oh, but he is a hard-hearted wretch!"

"Here is something to make you feel better," said Jack, when he felt certain nobody was watching them. "Hold out your hands, Pep."

The Imp did so and Jack commenced to feel of the lock of the handcuffs. Soon Pepper was at liberty.

"However did you do it, Jack?" he questioned.

"I watched my chance and took the key from old Crabby's pocket."

"Good for you!"

"Now unfasten my bracelets, will you?"

"Certainly."

With their hands at liberty, the boys felt a trifle better. But the semi-darkness and the heat did not suit them at all. Besides this, the hot stone room was full of a dry dust that set them to coughing.

"I'd like to put old Crabtree in this place," muttered Jack.

"I wonder if we can't get out, Jack?"

"What good will it do?"

"A lot of good. We can remain out of Crabtree's reach until Captain Putnam gets back. Then we can demand a hearing."

"I don't see how you are going to get out."

"Have you got a match?"

"Nary a one."

"Let us explore in the dark then. Start at the door. I'll go to the right and you can go to the left."

This was done, and they went over the stone walls with care. Nothing in the way of an opening presented itself.

"Now let us try the flooring above," said Pepper.

"How can we reach it?"

There was a bench in the room, and they turned this up on one end. Then Pepper boosted his chum to the top. Jack felt around with care.

"Here's a crack in the floor," said he, presently. "Hullo!"

"What's up now?" queried the Imp.

"I saw a streak of light and then it suddenly disappeared. I think-- There it is again!"

Jack turned his eye upward, and now Pepper saw the light also. It lasted about half a minute and then disappeared, and the boys heard the slamming of a door.

"I know what it is now," said Jack. "The flooring above is that of some storeroom or closet. Somebody opened the door, letting in some light. Then the door was closed again."

"Maybe we can get up into the room or closet. Are any of the boards loose?"

"I'll try them and find out."

Jack began to press upward and soon found a board that was loose at one end. He worked at it and soon had an opening large enough to admit the passage of his body.

"Give me your hand," he whispered to Pepper. "Don't make any noise."

Soon the Imp was standing beside his chum on the upturned end of the bench. Then both crawled through the opening above. As Pepper followed Jack the bench fell over with a crash.

"Quick, put the board down! Somebody may come!" ejaculated Jack, and they replaced the flooring of the closet in which they now found themselves. It was partly filled with clothing for outdoor wear, and also held rubbers, rubber boots, and umbrellas.

The cadets waited, and as nobody came they gradually breathed more freely. They tried the door to the closet, to find it unlocked.

"Well, what's the next move?" asked Pepper, after a pause.

"We'll have to get out of this, that's certain," answered Jack.

They tiptoed their way out of the closet and found themselves in the main hallway of the academy. Then they ran up the front stairs and into their dormitory.

"I wish I knew when Captain Putnam will get back," observed Jack, after they had looked around, to find the sleeping quarters empty.

Below they could hear the students returning to their classrooms, having had their midday meal.

"We've lost our dinners, that's certain," said Pepper, with a sigh. "If only we had some of Dan Baxter's stuff here now, it wouldn't go half bad, eh?"

"Do you know what I think, Pep?"

"Well?"

"I think Dan Baxter put up a job on us."

"About that liquor, cigarettes, and cards?"

"Yes."

"Would he be mean enough to do it?"

"I think so. Remember, he was terribly angry over that feast affair."

"Oh, I know that. If he put up a job on us I'd like to prove it."

"That may be a hard thing to do. No doubt he covered up his tracks well."

The boys remained in the dormitory for some time and then stole to the rear of the Hall and down a back stairs. This brought them close to the kitchen.

"If we could only get into the pantry," whispered Pepper. "I am going to try it!" he added, with sudden determination.

"I am with you," answered his chum.

Watching their chance, they crossed the kitchen and entered the pantry, on the shelves of which rested a variety of good things. There was a basket handy, and into it they put such things as they desired. Some maids came into the kitchen, but then went back to the mess-hall, in one corner of which they were now having their own dinner.

"Now is our chance!" cried Jack, softly, and once more they crossed the kitchen and made for the stairs. In a few minutes they were on the upper floor, and there they almost ran straight into Dale Blackmore.

"Hullo!" cried Dale, staring as if he saw two ghosts. "I thought you were prisoners."

"We were, but we escaped," explained Jack. "You won't tell on us, will you, Dale?"

"Me tell on you?" said the other cadet, reproachfully. "Not by a jugful!"

"Do you know when Captain Putnam is coming back?"

"Not until to-morrow morning, so I heard."

Pepper and Jack looked at each other.

"What shall we do next?" asked Pepper.

"Let us stay in hiding until the captain gets back."

So it was decided, and Dale told them of a vacant room on the top floor where they might make themselves comfortable in the meantime.

"It's got a bed in it and all," said he. "You can lock yourselves in and I'll keep you posted."

They talked the matter over a few minutes and then went to the room. It contained no heater, but the main chimney of the Hall was at one end, making it fairly comfortable. From a window they could get a view of the road leading to Cedarville.

"Make yourselves at home," said Dale, on departing. "I'll try to keep you posted."