Chapter XIV: All About a Tiger

"Oh, it's awful, gents, really it is! As soon as I heard the news, it made my knees shake like they was made o' jelly! Whatever are we goin' to do, with sech a wild animal as thet roamin' the roads, I'd like to know?"

It was Peleg Snuggers who was speaking. He had just returned from an early morning trip to Cedarville with the monkey, and was addressing a little knot of cadets standing just outside of the parade ground.

"Better git in the school," he went on. "It won't be safe to go outdoor no more. Ain't it awful, though?" And he shook his head solemnly.

"What is the trouble, Snuggers?" questioned Captain Putnam, who chanced to come up and saw how disturbed his hired man was.

"It's about thet tagger as was at the circus, sir," said Snuggers. "Somehow or other, he broke loose last night--knocked some o' the bars out o' his cage. An' they ain't found him yet."

"A tiger broke loose?" queried the captain, and now he was intensely interested. "Who told you of this?"

"Mr. Chase, sir--an' some circus folks. Cedarville is wild with excitement, an' none o' the folks dare to go outdoors. They say he's a powerful tagger an' mighty ugly."

"He certainly was a big tiger," said Jack, who was in the crowd. "I shouldn't want to fall in with him."

"Maybe he is coming this way," suggested one of the smaller students, looking around nervously.

"Excuse me from meeting a tiger," said Mumps, and without another word he walked into the Hall and to his classroom.

The news spread with the rapidity of lightning, and to be on the safe side, Captain Putnam ordered all of the boys into the school and had all the lower windows and doors closed.

"This is certainly exciting enough," said Joe Nelson. "Supposing the tiger takes it into his head to camp out around here? None of us will want to go out any more."

"Oh, they are bound to either catch him or shoot him, sooner or later," answered Jack. "But just the same, I don't want to run afoul of that beast. He looked strong enough to kill half a dozen of us."

The excitement was intense, and nobody dared to venture far from the Hall. The cadets kept a constant watch; but nothing came of it.

"They must have news of the beast by this time," said Captain Putnam on the following morning. "I'll drive down to Cedarville and find out."

"Oh, dear captain don't do that!" shrieked Mrs. Green, the housekeeper. "If you meet him he'll eat you up!"

"I'll risk that," returned the master of the Hall, grimly. "I'll take my rifle with me, and also my seven-shooter. If I see the tiger I'll try to give him a warm reception."

"You--you--er--don't want me to drive you, do you?" asked Peleg Snuggers, in a trembling voice. "I--er--I ain't well this morning. I had a--er--a dreadful backache all night, an' a headache, an'----"

"You won't have to drive, Snuggers. I'll take the buggy and drive myself."

"It's flyin' in the face of Providence," came from Mrs. Green. "Better wait a day or two longer."

"No, I'm going now. Hitch up Black Bess, Snuggers. She is a steady mare, and won't run away even if the tiger does show himself."

The mare was hooked to the buggy, and Captain Putnam looked carefully to his rifle and his old army revolver. The excitement of the occasion was just to his liking. It put him in mind of his days in the wild west, and he half wished the escaped tiger would show itself so that he might get a shot.

"The captain certainly has grit," remarked Jack, as the master of the Hall drove away.

"I shouldn't mind going with him," came from Dale. "I like hunting."

"Well, this isn't ordinary hunting," put in Andy. "It's the wildest kind of game to bring down."

As soon as the captain was out of sight all began to wait anxiously for his return. The cadets could scarcely settle themselves to their studies, and more than one failed utterly in his lessons.

"This is wretched!" cried Josiah Crabtree, wrathfully. "I shall keep all of you in after regular hours!" He had not gotten over his adventure with the monkey, and was feeling more sour than ever.

"We can't forget the tiger," said Andy.

"The tiger is not here," snapped the crabbed teacher. "Attend to your lessons."

"Oh, what a teacher!" murmured Jack.

"I'll fix him," whispered Pepper. "Wait till he passes that open window again."

A moment later Josiah Crabtree walked by the window in question. His back was toward it, and on the instant Pepper arose and pointed at the opening.

"Hi! Is that the tiger?" he cried, shrilly.

At the words Josiah Crabtree sprang a foot into the air and dodged into a corner. All of the cadets leaped to their feet.

"Did--did you--see the tiger?" questioned the teacher, faintly.

"Where's the tiger?" roared several boys.

"Must be trying to come into the window," shouted Andy, catching the spirit of the joke.

"Ke--ke--keep him ou--ou--out!" spluttered Josiah Crabtree. "Do--don't let him get in here!"

"It is gone now," said Pepper. "Must have been something else!" And he winked broadly at his friends, so that none of them might be alarmed.

"Are you--you sure, Ditmore?"

"Yes, sir."

"This is awful!" murmured Josiah Crabtree, wiping the cold perspiration from his forehead.

"Oh, we can study anyway," murmured Pepper.

"Eh?"

"It won't hurt our studying, Mr. Crabtree. You can watch for the tiger while we do our sums."

"Silence!" roared the crabbed teacher, but after that he said little about the poor lessons.

By noon Captain Putnam came back, and the cadets at once surrounded him to learn what he might have to tell.

"I saw nothing of the tiger," said the master of the Hall. "A number of parties went out after him yesterday, and one crowd discovered the beast near the lake. They fired on him and he started to swim away. They think he must have been drowned, although they have not yet located the body."

"Hope he was drowned," said Pepper.

The matter was talked over for the balance of that day, and also the next. Then came in news that the circus people were also certain the tiger had gone to the bottom of Cayuga Lake, and everybody breathed easier. The circus moved southward, and soon the excitement died down completely.

Our young friends had not forgotten the Fords, and having received another invitation to call at the mansion at Point View Lodge, they set off one afternoon as soon as they could get away.

"I hope we don't have another encounter with those Pornell Academy fellows," said Jack, as they drove along in the buggy the captain had let them have. "One such mix-up was enough."

"I guess they haven't forgotten how they fared on that occasion," returned Andy. "They promised to call it off, if you'll remember."

"So they did, but I shouldn't take their word for it," put in Pepper.

They arrived at the Ford mansion without mishap, having met absolutely nobody on the road. Laura and Flossie were there, and also Mrs. Ford and a niece from Rochester, and all did what they could to make the time pass pleasantly for the boys. They played croquet and lawn tennis, and went out for a short row.

"You boys can certainly handle the oars," said Laura, with a sunny smile. "I wish I could row half as well."

"It's practice that does it," answered Jack. "Now, all of you girls can play croquet better than we can."

The party of girls and cadets was just returning to the house when they heard a loud scream coming from the direction of the road running to Point View Lodge.

"Hullo, what does that mean?" cried Jack, stopping short.

"Somebody is in trouble!" came from Andy.

"Help! save me!" was the cry. "Save me! I'll be eaten up alive!"

"Something is wrong, fellows. Come on!" ejaculated Jack, and ran forward, catching up an oar as he spoke. The others followed, one with another oar, and Andy with a boathook. They were just in time to see a colored woman, who was the cook at the mansion, flying into a side door.

"I see what's up!" exclaimed Jack, pointing down the road. "It's the tiger!"

"The tiger!" echoed Pepper, and all of the girls set up a scream.

"Yes, there he is--crouching by the side of yonder tree."

"I see him!"

"So do I," put in Andy. "Quick, girls, get into the house before he comes this way!"

"Come in! Come in!" roared the colored cook. "He'll eat you all up!"

As fast as they could the girls ran for the mansion, entering by a back door. The cadets followed. Looking back they saw the tiger moving slowly from the vicinity of the tree to a clump of bushes on the lawn.

"He is certainly coming this way," called out Jack.

"He is moving for the house, too!" put in Pepper. "There he goes around to the kitchen door!"

Pepper spoke the truth. The tiger had reached the back door. Now he bounded up the small stoop, and a second later entered the kitchen of the mansion.