He was much gratified to find that the boards of the ceiling were not
fastened down. With a great effort he managed to raise himself and
after a minute of hard work found himself in the tiny loft of the
cottage. Here the patter of the rain was strong and the water was
leaking in everywhere.

"I'll have to drop to the ground and run for it," he told himself, and
crawled to where there was a tiny window just large enough to admit the
passage of his body.

It was no easy matter to get down to the ground with one hand still
fastened behind him, and Dick made rather slow work of it. The rain
beat in at the window, and soon he was soaked to the skin.

Where to go next he did not know. To journey far in such a storm was
entirely out of the question.

Dick had hardly gotten to the edge of the woods when a blinding flash
of lightning and a ripping crash of thunder fairly lifted him from his
feet.

"Oh!" he gasped, and staggered to a tree for support. "My, but that was
close!"

It was not until a moment later that he realized what had occurred. The
lightning had struck the cottage, ripping off a corner of the roof and
descending into the room below. The structure was now a mass of flames.

"The cottage is on fire!" murmured the youth. "Wonder if the Baxters
have been struck?"

The wind quickly drove the fire in all directions until the cottage was
in flames almost from end to end.

Staggering from the effects of the shock, Dick drew closer to the
building and then tried the door, to find it locked.

"Help!" came faintly, in Arnold Baxter's voice. "Help!"

"Open the door," returned Dick, forgetting that it was an enemy who was
calling for assistance.

"I--I cannot. I--I am helpless!"

Again Dick tried the door, but without success. Then he leaped for the
window. Some of the glass was broken, and with his naked fist he drove
in the whole sash, and tore down the flapping curtain.

The sight which met his gaze filled him with horror. The room was on
fire in several places and in a corner, near the chimney piece, rested
Arnold Baxter, pinned down by a section of brick and stonework that had
fallen. He had been hit in the head, and from the wound the blood was
flowing.

"Rover, is that you?" he cried faintly. "Don't desert me!"

Without replying, Dick began to crawl in through the broken window. The
air was filled with smoke and he could scarcely see what he was doing.
The sparks, too, were flying in all directions and only the wetness of
his garments kept them from catching fire.

He was soon at Arnold Baxter's side, and with his one free hand hurled
the bricks and stones in all directions. As he worked the fire kept
coming closer, until his face was fairly blistered by the
conflagration.

At last the man was free. But he could not raise himself up, and when
Dick did it Arnold Baxter fell a limp form in his arm. He had fainted.

Mustering up all the strength that remained to him, Dick dragged the
unconscious man to the door. There was a bar to be flung aside and then
Dick threw the barrier wide open. It was none too soon, for now the
fire was swirling in all directions. Staggering beneath his burden the
youth hurried into the open and then fell flat, with Arnold Baxter
beside him.

"What a close call!" murmured Dick, when he was able to rise. He felt
weak in the knees, and his hands and face smarted from the blistering
received. He looked at Arnold Baxter. The man had not yet recovered and
looked to be more dead than alive.

Dick remembered having crossed a brook but a short distance away, and
to this he went and bathed his burns and brought some water back for
Arnold Baxter. His other hand had now become free, so he could work to
much better advantage.

"He has been seriously hurt, that is certain," thought the youth.
"Perhaps he breathed in some of the flames. If he did that he may never
get over it."

Left to itself the cottage burnt to the ground and then the falling
rain put out the hissing embers. In the meantime Dick did what he could
to restore Arnold Baxter to consciousness, and at last had the
satisfaction of seeing the man open his eyes.

"Oh!" murmured the man. "The fire--"

"You are out of it," answered Dick soothingly.

"Did you--did you haul me out?"

"Yes."

"It was good of you to do it, Rover," said Arnold Baxter, and then he
fainted once more.




CHAPTER XXX

TURNING A NEW LEAF--CONCLUSION


The night was a long one for Dick Rover and he was glad when the storm
cleared away and the first streaks of dawn began to show themselves in
the eastern sky.

Arnold Baxter had recovered consciousness, but was evidently in great
pain, for he moaned almost constantly. Dick was willing to aid the
sufferer, yet could do little or nothing.

"Tell me the way to our camp and I will get help," said Dick at last.
And Arnold Baxter gave him the directions as best he could.

"I must have a doctor," whispered the man hoarsely. "If not, I'll
surely die. And I don't want to die yet, Rover!"

As well as he was able, Dick set off for the lake shore and then began
to move in the direction of Bass Island.

He had not gone very far when he heard somebody calling his name.

"Rover! Dick Rover!" was the cry. "Dick Rover!"

"It must be a searching party," he thought, and he was right. The party
contained Tom and Sam, and Mr. Strong, and they said that two other
parties were out, one headed by Captain Putnam and the other by an
assistant.

"Where in the world have you been?" asked Tom. "We have been scared
almost to death over your absence."

"It's a long story," answered Dick. "What I want just now is a doctor
and a lot of salve. Just look at me, will you?"

"Blisters!" ejaculated Sam. "Where did you get those?"

"In a fire that nearly burnt Arnold Baxter to death. I want the doctor
for him."

And then Dick had to tell the particulars of how he had run across the
cottage in the woods and of what had followed.

"And Dan Baxter is here!" ejaculated Tom. "It doesn't seem possible."

"He ought to be locked up," put in Sam.

It was decided by Mr. Strong that Arnold Baxter should be removed to
the camp on a stretcher, and four boys, including Sam and Tom,
volunteered for the service. In the meantime Dick went to camp, to
attend to his hurts, and a cadet was sent to Oakville for a doctor.

"Hullo, here comes Rover!" whispered Lew Flapp to Pender, as Dick
appeared. "Wonder what sort of a story he will have to tell?"

"One thing is certain, we made a mess of our plans," muttered Pender.

"Perhaps Rover won't give us away," put in Rockley hopefully.

On returning to camp word had been sent to Captain Putnam that Dick
Rover was at the den in a condition not fit to be seen.

Mr. Strong and another teacher had gone to the place mentioned in the
anonymous communication only to find the den empty.

A general alarm was sent out, and the search for the missing captain of
Company A was begun as recorded. Captain Putnam also began to
investigate on his private account, with results that were as
surprising as they were dismaying. He learned the several cadets had
left camp early in the night and among them Ben Hurdy, Lew Flapp,
Pender, and Jackson. Without delay he summoned Ben Hurdy to his private
tent and made the young cadet undergo a strict cross-examination.

At first Hurdy would not talk, but soon he became frightened and broke
down utterly. He told of the plot against Dick, and of how Flapp and
the others had carried it out.

"I didn't want to go into it," he whined. "But Flapp said he would
thrash me if I didn't do my share. They wanted to get square with
Captain Rover because he had won at the athletic contests and at the
drill."

"I see," said Captain Putnam grimly, and then he ordered Ben Hurdy to
keep absolutely silent until called on to speak. "If you say a word now
I'll dismiss you at once," he concluded.

When Dick arrived Captain Putnam saw to it that his blisters were
dressed with care, and then he asked the eldest Rover to tell his whole
story.

"I do not know as I can do that, Captain Putnam," said the young
captain, blushing. "I don't care to become a tale-bearer."

"Did you leave camp of your own free will, Rover?"

"I did not, sir."

"You were carried away to be hazed, then?"

"Yes, sir; but I would prefer not to speak of that part of my
adventures."

"Those who carried you off drugged you."

"How do you know that?" asked Dick, in surprise.

"Never mind that now, Rover. Did they drug you or not?"

"No, sir."

"What!"

"They tried to drug me, but I threw the liquor over my shoulder when
they weren't looking."

"Oh, I see," and Captain Putnam smiled. "They tried to trick you and
you ended by tricking them, is that it?"

"That's about the size of it, sir. They thought I was in a stupor when
they left me, but as soon as they were gone I began to shift for
myself. But I don't understand how you know about this, Captain
Putnam."

"One of the party to this outrage has confessed, so I know all about
it, Rover. The leader, I believe, was Lew Flapp, and his main
supporters were Pender, Rockley, and Jackson."

To this Dick did not say a word.

"I know you would speak if I were accusing anybody wrongly, Rover. In
one way I can appreciate your silence. But this affair was carried too
far. It was not an ordinary hazing. The plot was one to blast your
honest name and bring you into disgrace. Such things cannot be
permitted at any school of which I am the head. I will hear the rest of
your strange tale."

In as few words as possible Dick told how he had wandered around until
he had reached the cottage, and what had happened afterward.

"It was assuredly a remarkable adventure," said Captain Putnam. "I
thought I had about seen the last of Daniel Baxter."

"Perhaps Dan Baxter will keep shady when he finds out what has
happened."

"Perhaps. And you think Arnold Baxter is in a bad way?"

"Yes, sir. He came pretty close to being burnt up."

"We will do our best for him, and notify the authorities without
delay."

An hour later the disabled man was brought into camp and the doctor
came to attend him.

Under the physician's directions Arnold Baxter was made fairly
comfortable in one of the tents of the camp.

"He is in a bad way," said the doctor. "He will probably recover, but
it will take weeks and perhaps months."

Arnold Baxter asked for Dick and the eldest Rover went in to see him.

"I--I want to thank you for what you did, Rover," said the criminal in a
low voice. "It--it was noble, very noble. I shan't forget it."

"Mr. Baxter, why don't you try to turn over a new leaf?" questioned
Dick. "Haven't you found out that it doesn't pay to be bad?"

"Yes, I have found it out, and the lesson has been dearly bought," said
Arnold Baxter with a sigh. "In the future I shall try to--to do better.
Here, I want you to give these to your father, and tell him I--I am
sorry that I visited your house some time ago," went on the disabled
man.

He gave Dick an envelope containing some pawn tickets which called for
the things stolen from the Rover homestead, and also a pocketbook with
some money in it.

"That is all I have left of the cash," he said. "I'm sorry I haven't
every cent of it. Tell him he can do as he pleases about me. I deserve
no pity."

"I think he'd like to see you turn over a new leaf, too. He hates to
see people on the downward path, Mr. Baxter."

"You are a good boy, Dick Rover. I am sorry that my son Dan isn't like
you. Has he been caught yet?"

"I believe not."

"If he is caught, let me know," concluded Arnold Baxter, and there the
talk ended.

"I imagine he really intends to turn over a new leaf," said Dick to Tom
and Sam, a little later.

"Hope he does," replied Tom.

"So do I," added Sam.



Let me add a few words more and then bring this story of life in camp
to a conclusion.

On the day following Dick's return to camp Captain Putnam summoned Lew
Flapp, Pender, Rockley, and Jackson before him.

"I presume you know why I have sent for you," said the captain briefly.
"Since the disappearance of Captain Rover I have been making an
investigation. Rover himself would not talk, but others have spoken,
and Rover has not denied the truth. All of you have been guilty of such
serious misconduct that to overlook it would be almost criminal on my
part."

"What have I done?" asked Lew Flapp brazenly.

"You have earned your dismissal from Putnam Hall, Flapp, and you leave
this camp as soon as arrangements can be made."

"Going to fire me out, eh?"

"You are dismissed. I will not allow such a boy as you to mingle longer
with the rest of my pupils."

"What are you going to do with the others? I wasn't to blame alone."

"Pender, Rockley, and Jackson shall go, too. The others, including
Hurdy, shall have another chance, for I believe they were dragged into
the affair unwillingly by you and your particular cronies."

"If we have got to go, don't let's listen to any more gas," growled
Rockley, and stalked away with a very white face, followed by Flapp.
Pender and Jackson pleaded for another chance, but Captain Putnam would
not listen, and in the end the evil-minded cadets had to leave the
school, never to return.

"Putnam Hall is well rid of that crowd," said Songbird Powell, and the
majority of the students agreed with him.

Munro Staton, the local constable, was much chagrined to think that he
had not had a hand in finding Arnold Baxter, and he at once set out to
locate Dan. But Dan Baxter knew enough to leave the vicinity, and that
was the last heard of him for some time.

Through the pawn tickets given to Dick, Mr. Anderson Rover recovered
the spoons, napkin rings and other things taken from the homestead by
Arnold Baxter. Mr. Rover visited Baxter before the latter was returned
to the hospital from which he had escaped.

"I believe the man really intends to reform," said Anderson Rover
afterwards. "But he is in a bad condition physically and may die before
his term of imprisonment is at an end."

"I hope he lives," said Sam. "I'd like to see him lead an upright,
honest life."

"I don't think we'll be bothered much with Dan Baxter after this," said
Tom, but he was mistaken, Dan Baxter bothered them a great deal, and so
did Lew Flapp, and how will be told in the next volume of this series,
to be entitled, "The Rover Boys on the River; Or, The Search for the
Missing Houseboat," in which we shall meet our old friends in a series
of adventures as interesting as those already related.

As was the custom at Putnam Hall the encampment came to an end on the
Fourth of July. This was a gala day for the cadets and they were
allowed to invite both friends and relatives to the affair.

The Rover boys had the Statons over and also had their father and their
Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha participate.

"Never saw such a time in my life!" declared Aunt Martha. "Music and
marching, and such fireworks! And such a spread out under the trees! No
wonder our boys like to go to Putnam Hall."

"It's a good place for them," came from the father of the boys. "It is
making good men of them."

After the fireworks big bonfires were lit, and the cadets were allowed
to do pretty much as they pleased. As they gathered around the largest
of the fires all joined hands in a big circle, and it was Tom who
started the Putnam Hall cheer:

"Zip, boom, bang! Ding, dong! Ding, dong! Boom, bang, bang! Hurrah for
Putnam Hall!"

"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" came from all sides; and here let us say
good-by.