The Mystery at Putnam Hall

The Mystery at Putnam Hall

Project Gutenberg's The Mystery at Putnam Hall, by Arthur M. Winfield This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Mystery at Putnam Hall The School Chums' Strange Discovery
Author: Arthur M. Winfield
Release Date: January 29, 2006 [EBook #17636]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT PUTNAM HALL ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emmy, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Illustration: SOME CADETS CAME INTO VIEW, EACH CARRYING A BUCKET OF WATER.
The Mystery of Putnam Hall--Frontispiece. (Page 95)]

THE MYSTERY AT
PUTNAM HALL
Or
The School Chums' Strange Discovery
BY
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer)
AUTHOR OF THE FAMOUS "ROVER BOYS SERIES," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Made in the United States of America

BOOKS FOR BOYS
BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
(Edward Stratemeyer)
* * * * *
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated
* * * * *
THE PUTNAM HALL CADET SERIES
THE CADETS OF PUTNAM HALL THE RIVALS OF PUTNAM HALL THE CHAMPIONS OF PUTNAM HALL THE REBELLION AT PUTNAM HALL CAMPING OUT DAYS AT PUTNAM HALL THE MYSTERY AT PUTNAM HALL
* * * * *
THE FIRST ROVER BOYS SERIES
THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA THE ROVER BOYS ON THE RIVER THE ROVER BOYS ON THE PLAINS THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE THE ROVER BOYS AT COLLEGE THE ROVER BOYS DOWN EAST THE ROVER BOYS IN THE AIR THE ROVER BOYS IN NEW YORK THE ROVER BOYS IN ALASKA THE ROVER BOYS IN BUSINESS THE ROVER BOYS ON A TOUR
* * * * *
THE SECOND ROVER BOYS SERIES
THE ROVER BOYS AT COLBY HALL THE ROVER BOYS ON SNOWSHOE ISLAND THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS THE ROVER BOYS ON A HUNT
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, New York
COPYRIGHT, 1911, under the title of The Putnam Hall Mystery
GROSSET & DUNLAP

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. AN ENCOUNTER ON THE ROAD 1
II. THE CADETS OF PUTNAM HALL 11
III. SOMETHING ABOUT A RUNAWAY 19
IV. A FRUITLESS SEARCH 29
V. THE FIGHT IN THE GYMNASIUM 39
VI. CAPTAIN PUTNAM INVESTIGATES 49
VII. PEPPER MAKES A DISCOVERY 59
VIII. THE FOOTBALL ELEVEN 69
IX. THE FOOTBALL GAME 79
X. PUTTING OUT A LIVELY BLAZE 89
XI. A MYSTERIOUS HAPPENING 99
XII. AN INVITATION ACCEPTED 109
XIII. THE WORK OF THE ENEMY 119
XIV. AT THE FORD MANSION 129
XV. THE SNOWBALL BATTLE 139
XVI. IN WHICH MORE VALUABLES VANISH 149
XVII. THE TUG-OF-WAR 159
XVIII. A CURIOUS MEETING 169
XIX. ABOUT A SET OF TEETH 178
XX. PEPPER A PRISONER 187
XXI. A GRAVE ACCUSATION 196
XXII. THE MYSTERY GOES ON 205
XXIII. AN ELECTION OF OFFICERS 214
XXIV. ANDY SHOWS HIS COURAGE 223
XXV. THE MAN AT POINT VIEW LODGE 231
XXVI. WHAT THE CONSTABLE THOUGHT 239
XXVII. LOOKING FOR CLUES 247
XXVIII. TO THE RESCUE 255
XXIX. A REAL HERO 263
XXX. THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED--CONCLUSION 271

INTRODUCTION
MY DEAR BOYS:
This story is complete in itself, but forms the sixth volume in a line issued under the general title of "Putnam Hall Series."
As mentioned several times, this line was started because many young folks wanted to know what happened at Putnam Hall Military School previous to the arrival at that institution of the Rover boys, as already related in my "Rover Boys Series."
To gratify this curiosity I wrote the first volume of this series, called "The Putnam Hall Cadets," showing how Captain Putnam organized his famous school, and how it was Jack Ruddy and Pepper Ditmore came to be among his first pupils.
In the second book, entitled "The Putnam Hall Rivals," I gave the particulars of several contests on the field of sports, and also told about a thrilling balloon ride and of an odd discovery in the woods.
Following the second book came a third, "The Putnam Hall Champions," with more bitterly-contested games, in one of which young Major Ruddy's enemies played him a foul trick.
From the opening of the school there had been dissatisfaction with one of the teachers, and when another was engaged who proved to be a man of peculiar whims, the boys went into open revolt, as related in another volume, called "The Putnam Hall Rebellion." The cadets literally ran away, and did not return to the Hall until Captain Putnam came upon the scene to straighten matters out.
The rebellion was followed by a grand outing, as related in "The Putnam Hall Encampment." The cadets marched far away from the school, to the shore of a beautiful lake, and there our heroes managed to have a good time in spite of the mean work of several of their enemies.
In the