Dick Hamilton's Cadet Days/Chapter 10
CHAPTER X
DICK HAS A FIGHT
But it was too late. The door of Dick's room was pushed open, and, in the light of the incandescent that burned in the hall, the two cadets could see Captain Hayden and several of the instructors looking in.
"Hamilton—Drew—are you here?" asked Captain Hayden sharply.
"Yes, sir," replied Dick, but an instant later the light revealed him fully dressed, whereas he should have been in bed at taps.
"Ha!" exclaimed the head master. "This will bear investigation. Why aren't you in bed, Hamilton?"
"I went down to get my algebra, which I left under the elms."
"Did you have anything to do with firing the saluting gun?"
"No, sir."
"I will have to investigate. Report in my room in ten minutes."
Captain Hayden marched on, and the two cadets could hear distant sounds that indicated a general inspection of quarters.
"I guess you're in for it, Dick," said Paul.
"I can prove what I went out for."
"Maybe. But I wonder who fired that gun?"
"I don't know. Some of the older cadets likely. Well, I s'pose I've got to go to Captain Hayden's room."
Dick found several other students gathered in the reception apartment of the head master. They were lads who had been found still up when their rooms were hurriedly entered after the blowing of taps, and the firing of the gun.
"Who was captain of the guard?" asked Captain Hayden, when he came in and faced a rather frightened lot of cadets.
"I was, sir," replied John Stiver.
"What did you see?"
"I was on duty, sir, near the main entrance of the south barracks, and the first I knew I saw the flash of the gun, and heard it go off."
"What else did you see?"
"I saw a cadet run from the campus into the barracks. He would not halt when I called to him."
"Who was it?"
"I don't like to say, sir."
"Very likely not, but you must."
"It was—it was Hamilton, sir."
"Ha!" exclaimed the head master.
"I went to the three elms to get my algebra which I had forgotten," said Dick.
"After taps?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then you broke one of the rules."
"Yes, sir, but I thought that if it rained, and my book got wet, I'd get a demerit for that, so I decided I would take a chance on going after taps. I started before the bugle sounded."
"Ha! I will look into that afterward. You are sure you were not near the gun?"
"Yes, sir."
"I might add," went on Stiver, "that, after I called to Hamilton to halt, and he would not, I saw his dog running after him, and the animal seemed to have something tied to its tail."
"To it's tail?"
"Yes, sir."
"What was it?"
"It seemed like a piece of string."
"A piece of string. That may explain it. Hamilton, what do you know of this?"
"Nothing, Captain Hayden. Grit was not with me. I left him in his kennel, in the stable, chained up."
"We must look into this. Lieutenant Stiver, tell Sander to bring the bulldog here."
"Perhaps I had better go along," suggested Dick. "Grit might make a fuss."
"If he goes, you had better make sure he doesn't slip the string off the dog's tail," put in Dutton, with a sneer.
Dick started, and looked angrily at his enemy.
"That will do, Dutton," said Captain Hayden quietly. "You may accompany Sander, Hamilton."
Toots, who was on hand, started for the stables, followed by Dick.
"Are you going to get into trouble?" asked the odd man, who had taken quite a fancy to our hero.
"I hope not. If Grit had anything to do with firing the gun, by means of a string tied to his tail, some one who had a grudge against me is responsible for it."
"I'm sure of it, Mr. Hamilton," and Toots marched on, whistling "Dixie Land," ending up with a series of bugle calls.
They found Grit cowering in his kennel, as if much frightened. Dick and Toots looked him over. Sure enough there was a stout piece of cord tied to his stump of a tail.
"It looks bad," commented Toots.
"I'm not worried," declared Dick.
Captain Hayden looked grave, when Toots handed him the bit of cord. He sent Sander to the saluting gun, and Toots returned presently with some cord, which matched that taken from Grit's tail.
"Was this on the gun?" asked the head master.
"Attached to a primer, that had been fired," replied Toots.
"Hamilton," began Captain Hayden, I don't like to accuse you on such circumstantial evidence, but it looks—"
"I had nothing to do with firing the gun," said Dick quickly. "If my dog did it, some one else tied the string to his tail."
"Whom do you suspect?"
"I don't know."
"If you please, sir," spoke up Graham, "I don't think Hamilton had anything to do with firing the gun."
"Why not?"
"Because my window is right opposite it. I was looking out, just before it went off, and I saw a crowd of students near it. They had a dog, for I could hear him growl, and I heard some one say 'look out or the brute will put his teeth in you.' Then some one else said, 'I guess I can manage him.' If Hamilton had been there I don't believe Grit would have growled."
"He certainly would not," said Dick, noticing that Dutton was scowling at Graham.
"Ha! Hum." mused the head master. "I believe you are right, Graham. Hamilton, you are practically exonerated, but this matter will not be allowed to drop. Firing the gun was a serious infraction of the rules, and dangerous in the bargain. Whoever fired it must have stolen into the ammunition house, which is a risky thing to do, especially in the dark."
"I am glad you don't think I did it, sir," said Dick to Captain Hayden.
"I am glad, also, but I shall have to mark you five off for being out after taps. When I find out who fired the gun I shall punish them severely. It seems as though it was done to throw suspicion on you."
"That is what I think," said Dick quickly.
"Whom do you suspect?"
"I had rather not say, sir."
"Of course not, no, I wouldn't want you to on mere suspicion. You young gentlemen may retire to your rooms, now. I will look into this matter further."
The cadets filed out, all of them breathing easier. As Dutton passed Dick in the hall, he said:
"Did you refer to me when you said you suspected some one?"
"Not particularly."
"You looked at me," said the cadet captain angrily.
"Well, a cat may look at a king, I suppose."
"None of your impertinence."
"I'm not impertinent, but I don't propose to have you dictate to me."
"You'll have to, as long as you're a freshman. I say you intimated that I fired that gun and tried to throw the blame on you."
"I can't help what you say."
"Do you believe I did it?"
"I refuse to answer."
"Then I'll make you! Take that!" and before Dick could step back Dutton had hit him a blow in the face. "You know what that means, I suppose," said Button with a sneer.
"A fight?" asked Dick quietly.
"Of course. I'll send a friend to you tomorrow and we'll see if you'll back up your words."
"Don't worry. I'll be on hand," replied Dick, as he went to his room.
He told Paul of what had happened, and the latter consented to act as second to him in the fight. The matter was quietly arranged, and, the next afternoon Dick, and the few chums he had, slipped off after the evening parade to a secluded spot, where all the fistic battles of the academy took place. Dutton and a large throng of his supporters were on hand, and the preliminaries were soon settled.
"Time!" called Lieutenant Stiver, who acted as Dutton's second.
The two youths faced each other, but dispensed with the ceremony of shaking hands. The next moment Dutton aimed a blow at Dick's face, but our hero cleverly dodged and sent a stiff right hander to the cadet captain's jaw.