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  THEY PACKED AWAY NEARLY EVERY TROPHY THE ROOM CONTAINED.--_Page 249._

_The Putnam Hall Champions._]




                            THE PUTNAM HALL
                               CHAMPIONS
                         _Or, Bound to Win Out_


                                   BY
                           ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
AUTHOR OF "THE PUTNAM HALL CADETS," "THE PUTNAM HALL RIVALS," "THE ROVER
                           BOYS SERIES," ETC.


                             _ILLUSTRATED_


                                NEW YORK
                            GROSSET & DUNLAP
                               PUBLISHERS

                          Copyright, 1908, by
                          EDWARD STRATEMEYER.




                               CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER                                                           PAGE
  I. A Race on the Lake                                                1
  II. What the Wind Did                                               11
  III. About a Gymnastic Contest                                      22
  IV. Shortcake and Lemonade                                          32
  V. The Interview in the Office                                      43
  VI. Andy Snow's Victory                                             54
  VII. At the Drug Store                                              64
  VIII. A Scare on the Road                                           75
  IX. The Inspection                                                  85
  X. What Happened to Jack                                            96
  XI. A Challenge from Pornell Academy                               106
  XII. The Bowling Match                                             116
  XIII. Fun with Peleg Snuggers                                      126
  XIV. The Mystery of a Bracelet                                     136
  XV. The Great Bicycle Race                                         146
  XVI. At the Chetwood Cottage                                       157
  XVII. An Interview with George Strong                              165
  XVIII. Searching the Woods                                         173
  XIX. The Bone and Blood Club                                       181
  XX. The End of the Search                                          189
  XXI. Surprises of a Night                                          197
  XXII. Prisoners on the Sloop                                       205
  XXIII. The Race of the Sloops                                      213
  XXIV. Fred Century Makes a Change                                  221
  XXV. A Cannon and a Flagstaff Disappear                            229
  XXVI. A Conference of Importance                                   237
  XXVII. In the Trophy Room                                          245
  XXVIII. An Unlooked-for Disappearance                              253
  XXIX. The Hill Climbing Contest                                    261
  XXX. A Capture--Conclusion                                          269




                              INTRODUCTION


My Dear Boys:

This tale is complete in itself, but forms volume three in a line issued
under the general title of "Putnam Hall Series."

This series was started at the request of many boys and girls who had
read some volumes of the "Rover Boys' Series," and who wanted to know
what had taken place at Putnam Hall previous to the arrival there of the
three Rover brothers. When the Rovers came on the scene Putnam Hall had
been flourishing for some time and was filled with bright, go-ahead
cadets, who had been mixed up in innumerable scrapes, and who had gone
through quite a few adventures. My young friends wanted to hear all
about these wideawake lads, and for their benefit I started this series.

In the first volume, called "The Putnam Hall Cadets," I told just how
the school came to be founded, and related many of the adventures of
Jack Ruddy, Pepper Ditmore, and their chums. In the second volume,
entitled "The Putnam Hall Rivals," the doings of these cadets were again
followed, and I also told the particulars of a queer balloon ride and of
a remarkable discovery in the woods.

In the present story I have endeavored to show something of what the
Putnam Hall boys could do when it came to contests on the lake, in the
gymnasium, and elsewhere. A large portion of the cadets' "off time" was
devoted to sports, and the rivalry, both in the academy and against
other schools, was of the keenest. Mixed in with the rivalry was a
generous share of fun, and what some of this hilarity led to I leave the
pages which follow to tell.

Once again I thank my young friends for the interest they have shown in
my stories. I trust the reading of this volume will please you all.

Affectionately and sincerely yours,

                                                     Arthur M. Winfield.




                       THE PUTNAM HALL CHAMPIONS




                               CHAPTER I
                           A RACE ON THE LAKE


"Talk about a life on the ocean wave, Pep; isn't this good enough for
anybody?"

"It certainly is, Jack," answered Pepper Ditmore. "And I think the
_Alice_ is going to prove a dandy."

"The _Alice_ a dandy?" came from a third youth aboard the sloop. "How
can you make that out? Girls aren't dandies."

"But this girl is a boat," put in a fourth youth. "Say, has anybody got
an apple he doesn't want?" he went on, looking from one to another of
his companions.

"What, Stuffer, aren't you filled up yet?" demanded Jack Ruddy, who had
hold of the tiller of the craft that was speeding up the lake. "To my
certain knowledge you have eaten ten apples already."

"Ten?" snorted Paul Singleton, who was often called Stuffer because of
his love of eating. "Not a bit of it! I've only had four--and two were
very small."

"Here's another--my last," cried Pepper, and threw the apple to his chum.

"By the way, Jack, I want to ask a question," said Dale Blackmore. "Why
did you call the new sloop the _Alice_?"

"Name of his best girl," answered Pepper, promptly. "Why do you ask
foolish questions?"

"I haven't any best girl and you know it," retorted Jack Ruddy. "I named
the sloop after my cousin, Alice Smith. Her father, my uncle, gave me
the boat. He----"

"Hullo, here comes another sloop!" cried Paul Singleton, looking across
the lake. "Wonder what boat that is?"

"I see a big P on the mainsail," answered Dale Blackmore. "Must belong
to some of the Pornell Academy fellows."

"I know that boat--heard about her when I was in town yesterday," said
Pepper Ditmore. "She belongs to a fellow of Pornell named Fred Century."

"Gracious, Imp, is he a hundred years old?" queried Dale, with a
grimace.

"Hardly. He's only a little older than I am. The sloop is named the
_Ajax_, and Century claims she is the swiftest thing that was ever
launched here."

"She certainly looks as if she could make time," was Dale Blackmore's
critical comment, as he gazed at the approaching craft, with her snowy
spread of sails. "I don't think she is quite as wide as the _Alice_."

"She is every bit as long," came from Paul Singleton. "And her sails are
every bit as big."

"Sloop ahoy!" came a hail from the approaching craft.

"Ahoy, the _Ajax_!" answered Jack Ruddy.

"Is that the new boat from Putnam Hall?"

"Yes."

"We thought it might be," went on Fred Century, as he came closer. "This
is the new boat from Pornell Academy."

"Yes, we know that," answered Jack. "Fine-looking sloop, too," he added.

"Do you want to race?" asked another youth aboard the _Ajax_.

"Well, we didn't come out to race," answered the young owner of the
_Alice_. "We just came out for a quiet sail. We've got to be back to the
Hall by six o'clock."

"Oh, they are afraid to race you, Fred," said another boy aboard the
_Ajax_. "They know you can beat them out of their boots."

"Let us race them, Jack," whispered Pepper.

"No use of racing if the _Alice_ isn't in proper condition," interrupted
Dale.

"Oh, she's all right--but I like to go over everything before a race,"
said Jack, a bit doubtfully. "Some of the blocks work rather stiffly,
and I haven't quite got the swing of this tiller yet."

"Want to race or not?" cried a third boy aboard the _Ajax_.

"Of course, if you are afraid of being beaten----" began Fred Century.

"Did you come out just for the purpose of racing?" demanded Jack.

"Why, hardly," said the owner of the _Ajax_. "We just saw you, and
thought you'd like a little brush, that's all."

"How far do you want to race?"

"As far as you please."

"Very well, what do you say to Cat Point and from there to Borden's
Cove? The first sloop to reach the white rock at the cove is to be the
winner."

"Done!" answered Fred Century, promptly.

"We'll beat you by half a mile!" sang out one of the boys aboard the
Pornell boat, a lad named Will Carey.

"Better do your blowing after the race is over," answered Pepper.

"Oh, we'll beat you all right enough," said the owner of the Pornell
boat. "This sloop of mine is going to be the queen of this lake, and
don't you forget it."

A few words more were spoken--as to how the boats should round Cat
Point--and then the race was started. There was a favorable breeze, and
each craft let out its mainsail to the fullest and likewise the topsail
and the jib.

"We are carrying four passengers while they are only carrying three,"
said Dale, when the race was on in earnest. "We should have made them
take some extra ballast aboard."

The course mapped out was about two miles in one direction and two miles
in another. At the start of the race the _Alice_ had a little the better
of it, but before half a mile had been covered the _Ajax_ came crawling
up and then passed the Putnam Hall boat.

"Here is where we leave you behind!" sang out Fred Century.

"We'll show you a clean pair of heels over the whole course," added Will
Carey.

"As soon as you are ready to give up the race, blow your fog-horn," said
Bat Sedley, the third member of the party aboard the _Ajax_.

"You'll hear no fog-horn to-day," answered Paul.

"Good-bye!" shouted Fred Century, and then his sloop took an extra spurt
and went ahead a distance of a hundred yards or more.

"Oh, Jack, we've got to beat them!" murmured Pepper. "If we don't----"

"They'll never get done crowing," finished Paul.

"We'll do our best," answered the youthful owner of the _Alice_. "This
race has only started." And then he moved the tiller a trifle, to bring
his boat on a more direct course for Cat Point.

To those who have read the previous volumes in this "Putnam Hall Series"
the boys aboard the _Alice_ need no special introduction. For the
benefit of those who now meet them for the first time I would state that
they were all pupils at Putnam Hall military academy, a fine institution
of learning, located on the shore of Cayuga Lake, in New York State. Of
the lads Jack Ruddy was a little the oldest. He was a well-built and
handsome boy, and had been chosen as major of the school battalion.

Jack's bosom companion was Pepper Ditmore, often called Imp, because he
loved to play pranks. Pepper was such a wideawake, jolly youth you could
not help but love him, and he had a host of friends.

Putnam Hall had been built by Captain Victor Putnam, a retired officer
of the United States Army, who had seen strenuous service for Uncle Sam
in the far West. The captain had had considerable money left to him, and
with this he had purchased ten acres of land on the shore of the lake
and erected his school, a handsome structure of brick and stone,
containing many class-rooms, a large number of dormitories, and likewise
a library, mess-room, or dining hall, an office, and other necessary
apartments. There was a beautiful campus in front of the building and a
parade ground to one side. Towards the rear were a gymnasium and several
barns, and also a boathouse, fronting the lake. Beyond, around a curve
of the shore, were fields cultivated for the benefit of the Hall, and
further away were several patches of woods.

As was but natural in the case of an old army officer, Captain Putnam
had organized his school upon military lines, and his students made up a
battalion of two companies, as related in details in the first volume of
this series, called "The Putnam Hall Cadets." The students had voted for
their own officers, and after a contest that was more or less spirited,
Jack Ruddy was elected major of the battalion, and a youth named Henry
Lee became captain of Company A, and Bart Conners captain of Company B.
Some of the boys wanted Pepper to try for an officer's position, but he
declined, stating he would just as lief remain "a high private in the
rear rank."

At the school there was a big youth named Dan Baxter, who was a good
deal of a bully. He had wanted to be an officer, and it made him very
sore to see himself defeated. Together with a crony named Nick Paxton
and a boy called Mumps he plotted to break up a picnic of Jack and his
friends. This plot proved a boomerang, and after that Baxter and his
cohorts did all they could to get Jack and his chums into trouble.

The first assistant teacher at the Hall was Josiah Crabtree, a man of
good education, but one who was decidedly sour in his make-up and who
never knew how to take fun. With him the cadets were continually in "hot
water," and more than once the boys wished Crabtree would leave Putnam
Hall never to return.

The second assistant teacher was George Strong, and he was as much
beloved as the first assistant was despised. George Strong had not
forgotten the time when he was a boy himself, and he often came out on
the lake or the athletic field, or in the gymnasium, to take part in
their sports and pastimes. Pepper voted him "the prince of good
teachers," and Jack and the others endorsed this sentiment.

During the first session of Putnam Hall, George Strong had mysteriously
disappeared. Two strange men had been seen around the school, and it was
learned that the strangers had something to do with the missing
instructor. A hunt was instituted by Captain Putnam, and in this he was
joined by Jack, Pepper, Dale, and an acrobatic pupil named Andy Snow.
George Strong was found to be a prisoner in a hut in the woods, and it
was learned that his captors were the two strange men. These men were
related distantly to the teacher and both were insane--their minds having
been affected by the loss of their fortunes.

After the insane men were cared for George Strong told the cadets about
a pot of gold which his ancestors had buried during the Revolutionary
War. One day some of the cadets took a balloon ride, as related in
detail in the second volume of this series, entitled "The Putnam Hall
Rivals," and this ride brought them to a strange part of the woods near
the lake. Here they came on some landmarks which had been mentioned to
them, and to their joy unearthed the pot of gold coins. For this find
the cadets were rewarded by George Strong, and the teacher became a
closer friend to the boys than ever.

Dan Baxter had been called away from Putnam Hall by his father. He had
had a fierce fight with Pepper and gotten the worst of it, and he was,
consequently, glad enough to disappear for the time being. But he left
behind him many of his cronies, and three of these, Reff Ritter, Gus
Coulter, and Nick Paxton, vowed they would "square accounts" with the
Imp and also with his chums.

"I've got a plan to make Pep Ditmore eat humble pie," said Reff Ritter,
one day. And then he related some of the details to Coulter and Paxton.

"Just the thing!" cried Coulter. "But don't leave out Jack Ruddy. I'd
rather get square with Ruddy than anybody. He has been down on me ever
since I came to the Hall. I hate him like poison." And Gus Coulter's
face took on a dark look.

"Yes, we'll include Ruddy," answered Reff Ritter. "I hate him, too. I'd
give most anything if we could drive 'em both from the school."

"Maybe we can--if we watch our chances," answered Gus Coulter.




                               CHAPTER II
                           WHAT THE WIND DID


Pornell Academy was a rival institution of learning, located several
miles from Putnam Hall. It was presided over by Doctor Pornell, who had
not fancied Captain Putnam's coming to that locality. The students of
Pornell were for the most part sons of wealthy parents, and a large
number of them thought themselves superior to the Putnam Hall cadets.

On one occasion the lads of the two institutions had had quite a lively
row, but this had been patched up, and several contests on the lake and
on the athletic field had come off. Sometimes the Putnam Hall cadets
were defeated, but more times they were victorious, which pleased them
not a little.

Fred Century had come to Pornell Academy several months before this
story opens. He was from Portland, Maine, and belonged to a boat club
that usually sailed its craft on Casco Bay. Immediately on his arrival
at Cayuga Lake he took up boating and then had his father purchase for
him the _Ajax_, certainly a craft of which any young man might well be
proud. Then he heard that Jack had a new boat, the _Alice_, and he
watched for his opportunity to race. That opportunity had now presented
itself; and the race was on.

It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly and the breeze
strong enough to make the sails of the sloops fill well. The Putnam Hall
cadets had left the school with no idea of a contest of any sort, but
now that the race was in progress they were keenly interested.

"I've heard about this Fred Century," remarked Dale, as the _Alice_ sped
on her course. "They tell me his father is next door to being a
millionaire."

"One thing is certain--he has a good opinion of his boat," added Pepper.

"Well, I've got a good opinion of my boat, too," answered the young
major. "I want her to win."

"Oh, she must win!" cried Stuffer. "Why, don't you know that those
Pornell fellows are just aching for a chance to crow over us?"

The race had now been noted by a number of people out in pleasure boats.
Many knew that the two sloops were new boats and they were curious to
learn which might prove to be the better. Some waved their hands and
handkerchiefs, and others shouted words of encouragement to one group of
lads or the other.

"It looks to me as if the Pornell boat was going to win," said one
gentleman, who was out in his pleasure yacht.

"Oh, papa, how can you say that?" cried his daughter, who was an admirer
of the Putnam Hall cadets.

"Because their boat is ahead," was the answer.

It was not long before Cat Point was reached. The _Ajax_ rounded the
rocks in fine style, for Fred Century was really a skillful skipper and
knew how to handle his craft to perfection.

"Good-bye to you!" he called out, as his craft stood for a moment close
to the _Alice_.

"We'll tell everybody you're coming sooner or later," added Bat Sedley.
"Don't be too long--folks may get tired of waiting."

"I rather think they'll get tired of your blowing," retorted Paul.

"Don't get uppish!" cried the Pornell Academy boy, angrily, and then the
two sloops passed out of speaking distance of each other.

"I wish the wind would freshen," said Jack, with something like a sigh.

"What good will that do?" demanded Dale.

"If it got too fresh it would make them take in some sail. The _Alice_
is broader than the _Ajax_, consequently we can risk a little more than
they can."

"Well, I think the breeze is freshening," said Pepper. "Just look down
the lake."

They did as directed and saw that he was right, for the water was
beginning to show numerous whitecaps and ripples. The _Alice_ rounded
Cat Point, the mainsail was thrown over, and they started for Borden's
Cove with the rival sloop more than a quarter of a mile in the lead.

"I don't believe we can catch up to that boat even if the wind does
freshen," remarked Dale, soberly. "She's got too much of a lead."

"Here comes the breeze!" shouted Pepper, and he was right, the wind had
freshened as if by magic, and at once the sloop bounded forward at an
increased speed, cutting the water like a thing of life and sending a
shower of spray over all those on board.

"Hi! I didn't come out for a shower-bath!" yelled Pepper.

"Got to stand for it, though," answered Jack, with a grin. "All for the
glory of the cause, you know."

The breeze kept increasing, and this caused the _Alice_ to heel well
over on her side. This made Paul a little bit anxious.

"Hadn't we better take in some sail?" he ventured. "We don't want to be
dumped into the lake."

"Not yet," answered Jack. "It will have to blow harder than this to send
the _Alice_ over. There is a whole lot of lead in her keel."

With the increase in the wind the _Alice_ kept gaining slowly but surely
on the _Ajax_, and this gladdened the heart of the youthful owner. He
looked ahead and saw that Fred Century was gazing back anxiously on the
rival that was coming nearer.

"I guess he is wondering when we'll take in some sail," said Jack.
"Well, he can keep on wondering."

"He is taking in his topsail!" cried Pepper, a moment later, and the
announcement proved correct. In the meantime the wind came stronger than
ever, until it fairly whistled through the ropes aboard the _Alice_.
Under ordinary circumstances Jack would have lowered not only his
topsail but also his mainsail--or at least taken a reef in the latter--but
now he was determined to win the race if taking a small risk would do
it. By this time the other boats on the lake were making for various
harbors.

But if Jack was willing to take a risk, so was Fred Century, and against
the wishes of his two companions the lad from Pornell Academy kept all
his sails flying. As a consequence the _Ajax_ suddenly careened and took
aboard enough water to literally wash the deck and flood the
standing-room.

"Hi, look out, or we'll all be drowned!" yelled Will Carey. He was not
much of a sailor or a swimmer.

"Oh, you mustn't mind a dip like that," said Fred Century, reassuringly,
yet even as he spoke he looked anxiously at the sky and at the
wind-clouds scurrying past. He knew that if the wind increased much more
he would have to take in his topsail and his mainsail and perhaps his
jib.

"That other sloop is coming up fast," announced Bat Sedley, not a great
while later. And he spoke the truth, the _Alice_ was approaching by what
looked to be leaps and bounds, making the best possible use of the
stiffening breeze as Jack hung to the tiller and eased her off, this way
or that. The young major had issued orders to his chums, and they stood
ready to lower both mainsail and topsail at the word of command.

The _Alice_ was still a good half-mile from Borden's Cove when her bow
overlapped the stern of the _Ajax_. At this Pepper set up a yell of
pleasure and all with him joined in. They waved their hands to those on
the other craft, but received no answer. Then they forged ahead, the
ever-increasing wind driving them along faster and faster.

"Lower the topsail as soon as we are far enough ahead," ordered Jack.
"No use of running the risk of breaking our mast now."

A strange whistling of the wind followed, and down came the topsail in a
jiffy. Then several reefs were taken in the mainsail. The bosom of the
lake was now a mass of whitecaps, while the sun went under a heavy
cloud.

"It's a wind squall, and a corker!" cried Jack.

"Why don't they take in some sail on the _Ajax_?" asked Dale, as he
clung to a guard rail, to keep from being swept overboard.

"They are taking in the topsail," announced Jack. "But that isn't
enough. If they don't----"

The rest of his words was lost in the piping of the gale that came extra
strong just then. The sloop seemed to be fairly lifted from the lake,
then she sank into a hollow and the water dashed over her stern. Then
she bobbed up like a cork and shot forward as before. Pepper, holding
tight with might and main, glanced back.

"The _Ajax_ has gone over!" he screamed, in alarm.

Only Jack understood his words, but the others saw the look in his face
and saw him nod to a spot behind them on the bosom of the angry lake.
True enough, carrying the mainsail had proved too much for the Pornell
craft, and she was now drifting along on her side, her mast
half-submerged in the lashing and foaming waves.

The Putnam Hall cadets were greatly alarmed, and with good reason. They
had no desire to see any of their rivals drowned, and they felt it was
more than likely one or another had gone overboard. Indeed, as they
looked back, they saw one youth struggling in the water near the
toppled-over mast, while another was trailing behind, clutching some
broken cordage. The third lad was nowhere to be seen.

"What shall we do?" yelled Paul, to make himself heard above the wind.

"I'll try to bring the sloop around," answered Jack. "Stand ready to
throw them some ropes and those life-preservers."

As well as the squall would permit, the young major sent the _Alice_
around. Even with only the jib set this was a dangerous operation, and
he would not have undertaken it had he not thought it a case of life or
death. As the sloop came broadside to the squall a wave struck her and
broke over the deck. The full force of this landed on Pepper, carrying
him off his feet in a twinkling. As he slid around Paul made a clutch
for him and held fast.

"Goo--good for you, Stuffer!" gasped Pepper, when he could speak. "Say,
but that was something awful!" And he took a better hold than before.

"I am afraid some of those fellows will go down before we can reach
them," answered Paul. "My, what a blow this is! And it looked to be a
perfect afternoon when we started out!"

The sloop boasted of two life-preservers, with lines attached, and as
well as they were able the cadets got these in readiness for use. In the
meanwhile Jack, having brought the craft up in the wind, was now
"jockeying" to get close to the overturned craft without crashing into
the wreck or running anybody down. This was a delicate task, and would
have been practically impossible had not the breeze just then died down
a little.

"Save us! Save us!" came from the water, as the _Alice_ drew closer.

"We'll do it!" yelled back the boys from Putnam Hall.

"Here, catch the life-preserver!" called out Paul, and flung the
preserver in question toward Bat Sedley, who was floundering around near
the half-submerged mast. The Pornell Academy lad saw it coming and made
a dive for it, catching it with one hand. Pepper threw the second
life-preserver to Fred Century, who was trying to pull himself toward
his wrecked craft by some loose ropes.

"Where is the third boy?" was asked, but for the moment nobody could
answer that question. Bat Sedley had seen him hanging fast to some ropes
as the _Ajax_ went over, but had not seen him since.

"He must have gone down----" began Pepper, when Jack set up a shout.

"There he is, under the edge of that sail," and he pointed to where the
broad mainsail of the _Ajax_ rose and fell on the waves. True enough,
Will Carey was there, one arm and one leg caught fast in the sheeting
and some ropes. He had been struggling, but now he fell back and went
under, out of sight.

"We have got to save him!" cried Jack. "Here, Pepper, take the tiller."

"What are you going to do?"

"Go overboard after him."

As he spoke the youthful owner of the _Alice_ pulled off his cadet coat
and cap. The next instant he was at the side of the sloop. He poised
himself for a dive, and then cut the water like a knife and disappeared
from view.




                              CHAPTER III
                       ABOUT A GYMNASTIC CONTEST


Major Jack Ruddy was a good swimmer, and felt perfectly at home in the
water. He did not go down deep, but he made a long "fetch," and when he
came up he was close beside Will Carey. He caught that youth by the arm
and dragged him clear of the sail.

"Sa--save m--me!" sputtered the Pornell Academy youth, after blowing some
water from his mouth.

"I will," answered Jack. "But keep quiet."

"M--my foot is--is fast!"

"So I see."

A piece of rope had become entwined