The Putnam Hall Rivals

fellows,

Jack, my skate

o fix it, Pep. Remember, we have only

e, as he fixed the skate strap. "And such good skating, too

e Blackmore. "I declare, I almost love ska

Jack Ruddy, a moment later. "I

g cry, and six boys lined up

th Jack at their side, down the lake, which the keen wind

nt occasion. Coming out on the ice but a few minutes before, a race had been quickly arranged, the win

Ruddy was the leader in more ways than one. He was a well-built fellow, with bright, ea

in Victor Putnam, who had received his own military training at West Point, that grand government institution of ours, and who had also seen strenuous service

Lake, in New York State, and there he built Putnam Hall, a handsome structure of brick and stone, shaped like the le

e direction of Cedarville, the nearest village on the lake. To the rear of the school the grounds ran down to the lake, and here were the barns an

t-class preparatory school. Captain Putnam was at the head of the school, and his first assistant was Josiah Crabtree, and his second assistant George Strong. The majority of the boys liked the capta

whole-souled fellow and it was small wonder that, at the first election for officers, the cadets chose him as the major of the school battalion. Pepper was full of fun, an

r, and also Henry Lee, who was captain of Company A, Bart Conners, who was captain of Company B, Paul Singleton, generally called Stuffer because of his fondness for eating, Andy Snow, an acr

an Baxter, the bully of the school. The bully at this time had two cronies almost as bad as himself

that honor, but without avail. From that hour on the bully did all he could to get Jack and his chum into trouble. This at last led to a fight between the bully and Jack, and th

ance of the assistant teacher. A hunt was instituted by Captain Putnam, in which he was joined by Jack, Pepper, Andy Snow, and Dale Blackmore. The missing instructor was found a prisoner in a cabin in the woods, his captors being the two mysterious men, who proved to be relati

tudies. The insane relatives had imagined that the teacher had hidden away a fortune belonging to the family. The teacher told the boys

latives believed," had been George Strong's statement to Jack and P

y sum," Jack

are r

s," Pepper had put in. "Mr. Strong, have you any

y fain

he place is close by,-we

as resting at the foot of the tree with the stone in its roots, twenty paces nor

ere?" Jack had quest

arm belonging to my great-grandfather

Indians were he

Indian blood in his veins and was a frontiersma

er hunted for t

likely the old well mentioned has fallen in and the tree rotted away, so the

an end, but the boys had not