Chapter 8 THE BOATHOUSE FIRE

On the following evening Pepper was getting ready to go to bed when, on passing through the hallway, a folded sheet of paper dropped upon his head:

"Hullo, what's this?" he murmured and looked up to the floor above, but could see nobody. He unfolded the sheet and read the following:

"To Pepper Ditmore and Jack Ruddy: Go down to the old, disused boathouse at once if you want to hear something to your advantage.

"A Friend."

"This is certainly queer," said the Imp to himself. "I wonder who wrote it?"

He sought out the young major and showed him the communication. Jack read it with care. It was written in a loose and evidently a disguised hand.

"Maybe it is some sort of a trick-to get us to the old boathouse, Pep," said Jack, after a moment's thought.

"Don't you think it best to go?"

"Oh, yes, we can go. If it is one of Baxter's tricks I'll show him I am not afraid of him."

"Shall we take the others along?"

"This note is for you and me only. Are you afraid?"

"Not a bit."

"Then come on-we have just time enough," said the young major, glancing at a clock on the wall.

Slipping on their overcoats and donning their caps, they ran to a side door of the building. They were soon out into the night without anybody seeing them depart but the boy upstairs who had dropped the note. He chuckled to himself and then ran to a window at the end of the long hallway.

"Something will be doing pretty soon now," he said to himself, as he made a signal from the window.

All unconscious of the trap that had been set for them, Jack and Pepper hurried towards the old, disused boathouse. It was a dark night, with a suggestion of either rain or snow in the air.

"Go slow," whispered Jack, as they came close to the building. "We don't want to run into any trouble."

They soon found themselves at the side of the building. All was dark, so far as they could see.

"I don't see anybody," whispered Pepper.

"Let us go inside-just to show somebody that we are not afraid," suggested his chum.

They pushed open the door. A strong smell of cigarette smoke greeted them. Then Pepper stepped on an empty bottle and almost fell flat.

"That smoking and drinking crowd has been here again," said the fun-loving youth.

"Look! look!" ejaculated Jack, pointing to a corner of the boathouse.

Pepper gazed in the direction and gave a gasp. And well he might, for as if by magic there came a spurt of flame, and some dead leaves and dry wood caught on the instant.

"Hi! what does that mean?" called out Jack. "Take care, or you'll set this place on fire!"

No answer came back. The spurts of flame increased, and in a twinkling the old boathouse was on fire in half a dozen places!

"Jack, we must get out of here!" exclaimed Pepper. "I don't like this at all!"

"Neither do I. Come on!"

They turned, to find the door shut behind them. They tried it.

"Something is against it!" ejaculated the young major. "We are shut in!"

"Push!" was the answer, and both pushed with all of their might. The door gave way some, but not enough.

"Again!" said Jack, and now they shoved as never before. In the meantime the flames were increasing with marvelous rapidity.

"We must get out, or we'll be burnt up!" said Pepper, and a final attack was made on the door, and it went back, showing that a heavy timber had been placed against it.

"They are out!" they heard somebody cry, and then they saw three forms sneaking around to the back of the school building.

"Fire! fire! fire!" was the cry from Putnam Hall, and from the school poured some students and several teachers, including George Strong.

"It's the old boathouse," said George Strong. "I wonder how it caught?"

"Ha! here come Ruddy and Ditmore!" exclaimed Josiah Crabtree. "They have been down there!"

"Fire! fire!" yelled Pepper and Jack. "The old boathouse is burning up!"

The alarm was soon a general one, and it was not long before Captain Putnam appeared upon the scene.

"I am afraid the old building is doomed," said the master of Putnam Hall. He was the calmest man present. "The Hall hose will not reach to this spot. We can try our buckets, though."

Some weeks before the boys had formed a bucket brigade, as it is termed, and they had the drill down to perfection. At the word from Captain Putnam they ran for their buckets and formed a line from the barn to the burning building. At the barn there was a big tub of water, and this was kept filled by some, while others passed along the buckets. Thus an almost steady stream of water was poured on the growing fire.

"I say, let us use snowballs!" cried one cadet, who was not in the bucket line, and in a twinkling the snowballs began to fly.

IN A TWINKLING THE SNOWBALLS BEGAN TO FLY

"We are going to get the best of that fire yet," said Dale, passing the buckets to George Strong, who was throwing the water on the conflagration.

"It looks so," answered the teacher.

It soon began to snow. The flakes were thick and wet, and this put an additional damper on the fire. Presently the flames died down and ten minutes later the last spark was extinguished; and the excitement came practically to an end.

Everybody wanted to know how the fire had started. It soon became noised around that Jack and Pepper had been seen coming from the burning building.

"What have you to say to this, Major Ruddy?" asked Captain Putnam, in rather a stern voice.

Jack knew not what to say. He looked at Pepper.

"Come, answer me," went on the master of the academy.

"We-er-we went out to see if we could find some other boys," said Jack.

"We got a note," put in Pepper. He placed his hand in his pocket and drew out the folded sheet of paper. "We-well, I declare!"

"What is it, Ditmore?"

Pepper did not answer, for he was staring at the sheet. It was almost blank, only a few traces of letters remaining on it!

"Ditmore, answer me!" came from Captain Putnam, and now his voice was more stern than ever.

"Why, I-er-look at that!" and he held out the sheet.

The captain glanced at the paper.

"I see nothing but paper."

"Yes, but it-er-it had something written on it awhile ago," stammered Pepper.

"Maybe you've got the wrong paper," suggested Jack.

"I don't think so." The Imp began to search his pockets. "No, this is the right one."

"Then it was written in evaporating ink," said the young major. "It's a trick," he murmured to his chum.

"Faded out, and so soon," murmured Pepper. "That stumps me!"

"Why do not you two boys explain?" went on Captain Putnam.

"I do not believe they can explain," put in Josiah Crabtree, who stood near. "They have been up to mischief. More than likely they set the boathouse on fire."

"It isn't so!" cried Jack.

"We didn't even have a light."

"Mr. Crabtree, let the boys explain," said the captain, stiffly.

"Captain Putnam, I think I can explain," retorted the teacher. "To-day I made a discovery."

"Well?"

"Some of the students have been in the habit of going down to the old boathouse to smoke and to drink."

"To smoke and to drink!" cried the master of the Hall, "You are sure of this?"

"I am, sir."

"Why did you not report to me at once?"

"I did not find it out until this afternoon. I was on my way to speak to you about it when the alarm of fire rang out."

"Ahem! And you think, Mr. Crabtree--?" The captain paused suggestively.

"I think Ruddy and Ditmore are guilty. They were smoking and they set the building on fire, perhaps by accident."

"Mr. Crabtree, there isn't a word of truth in that!" cried Jack, his temper rising.

"Ha! don't contradict me!" cried Josiah Crabtree.

"But we shall contradict you," said Pepper. "We have not been smoking, neither have we been drinking."

"But you were down to the old boathouse," put in Captain Putnam.

"We admit that," said Jack. "We went down there for a certain purpose."

"What was that purpose?"

"I can't tell you, exactly."

"We were looking for some other students," said Pepper. "Some fellows who are enemies of ours."

"Did you find them?"

"No."

"Was the building on fire when you got there?"

"We didn't see any fire."

"Hum!" The master of the Hall mused for a moment. "How did the fire start?"

"It sprang up all at once," said Pepper. "We got scared and started to run away. Then we found the door closed, and we had a big job getting out of the place."

"That is a fine story to tell," sneered Josiah Crabtree. "Captain Putnam, if I were you, I'd place them in a room by themselves, while we make an investigation."

"But, Mr. Crabtree--"

"I am certain we shall learn a good deal," went on the assistant teacher. And then he whispered something into the ear of the master of the Hall.

"If you think best," said Captain Putnam. "Come with me, boys," he added, to Jack and Pepper, and led the way to the school, and then to his private office.

"Captain Putnam--" began Jack.

"I will listen to what you have to say later, Major Ruddy," said the master of the Hall. "For the present both of you must remain here."

Then Captain Putnam walked out, locking the door after him, and leaving Jack and Pepper in a decidedly unsettled state of mind.