"Yes, sir," answered Jack, and looked the head of the school fairly and squarely 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 drag in the boy's father simply because he has made some--er--unfortunate speculations. If I were you, Captain Putnam----"

"Wait a moment, Mr. Crabtree," interrupted the owner of the Hall. "I am conducting this investigation. Now that we have heard the stories of the princ.i.p.als 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 Cla.s.sroom Three, Major Ruddy, until called."

Jack bowed and withdrew and walked to the cla.s.sroom named. It was empty and he threw himself down on a seat and gave himself up to his reflections.

Fred was next called, and he was followed by Pepper. Both told practically the story related by Jack. In the meantime George Strong, the second a.s.sistant 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 back his face was a study.

"Captain Putnam, I have just made a discovery," he said. "I would like to 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.

CHAPTER VII

PEPPER MAKES A DISCOVERY

"You do not--er--wish me present?" came rather awkwardly from Josiah Crabtree.

"Oh, that won't matter, Mr. Crabtree," answered George Strong. "I did not desire any of the cadets present, that was all."

"I do not care to intrude----" commenced the dictatorial teacher.

"As you please," answered Mr. Strong, with a shrug of his shoulders.

At first Josiah Crabtree was inclined to stand on his dignity and walk off, but his curiosity got the better of him and he followed Captain Putnam and George Strong into another office.

"I went after Coulter and Paxton, as you directed me," said the second a.s.sistant teacher, when they were alone, and the door had been closed.

"At first I could not find them, but at last I located Paxton and then Coulter. Where do you suppose they were?"

"I have no idea," answered Captain Putnam.

"Paxton was under the window of the office, listening to all that was going on. He was partly hidden behind a bush, so that n.o.body might see him."

"Indeed! That is not to his credit. And Coulter?"

"Coulter was at another window, talking to Ritter. Ritter was giving him some instructions, and as I came up unnoticed I heard Ritter say, 'Now, don't make a mess of it. Tell the story just as I told it, and be sure to stick to it that Ruddy hit me first, and tell Nick to stick to that, too.' Those were his very words."

"Is it possible! And what did Coulter say?"

"He promised to tell the story as Ritter wanted it, and said he would tell Paxton also to say that Ruddy struck the first blow."

"Then he virtually admitted that he struck the first blow himself."

"I should judge so, from his talk."

"Major Ruddy said he did."

"But Ruddy insulted him by talking of Mr. Ritter's losses----" began Josiah Crabtree.

"We'll look into that, Mr. Crabtree. Is that all, Mr. Strong?"

"No, I waited until Coulter joined Paxton. The two walked out on the campus, so I didn't catch what they said. I told them to follow me, and they are now out in the hall."

"I will listen to what each of them has to say--and then I will examine Century and Ditmore again."

Coulter was called into the main office and asked a great number of questions. Captain Putnam was very stern, and soon had the cadet badly twisted in his statements. Then Paxton was told to come in, and on being questioned he became more confused even than Coulter. Then both were confronted by George Strong, and at last they virtually admitted that Ritter had struck the first blow, and that they knew nothing of the quarrel previous to that time.

"You may go," said Captain Putnam, at length. "Your efforts to shield Ritter do you no credit." And Coulter and Paxton slunk out of the office silently and much worried over the thought of what punishment they might receive for trying to deceive the master of the Hall.

After that Pepper and Fred were again interviewed and cross-questioned.

But they stuck to their original story, and as that was the story told by Jack, Captain Putnam felt that it must be true.

"You may go," said the captain, presently.

"Have I got to go back to the dormitory?" queried Pepper.

"No, you may join the other cadets," answered the head of the school.

"But, sir----" commenced Josiah Crabtree.

"I do not see as he merits punishment, Mr. Crabtree," said the captain, coldly. "We will let it pa.s.s." And he spoke so firmly that the dictatorial teacher said no more on the subject.

When Jack was again called into the presence of the teachers it must be admitted that he was a good deal worried. There was a strict rule at Putnam Hall against fighting, and that rule had been violated by him.

Yet he felt he had been justified.

"Major Ruddy, I have examined several witnesses to this affair and I find that your story of the occurrence is substantially correct," began the head of the school. "Ritter struck the first blow."

"He did. He slapped me in the face. That angered me so greatly that I pitched into him without thinking twice. It was all done in a few seconds. But I guess I'd do it again," added Jack. "I wouldn't let anybody slap me without getting back at him. I guess if I did that I'd make a mighty poor soldier."

At these words Captain Putnam's face became a study. He had been on the point of reading Jack a stern lecture on the disgrace of breaking the school rules, but now he paused. When at West Point a certain upper cla.s.sman had once pulled his nose and, regardless of consequences, he had knocked the fellow down and dragged him by the heels through the dirt of the road. He had considered himself justified in his actions, and his whole cla.s.s has stood by him. That being so, he did not have it in his heart to punish Jack, or even to find fault with him. Yet the discipline of the school must be maintained.