"Thirty-two pupils," he mused. "I'll have the whole, school in
this before I finish."
He looked at Sam curiously. The youth wondered what was coming
next, when there was a sudden knock on the door. "Come in," said
Captain Putnam, and one of the little boys entered with a letter
in his hand.
"Mr. Strong sent me with this," said the young cadet. "He just
found it on the desk in the main recitation room."
"All right, Powers; thank you," answered the captain, and took the
letter. "You can go," and Powers retired again.
The letter was encased in a dirty, envelope on which was printed
in a big hand, in lead pencil:
"CAPT. VICTOR PUTNAM.
Very Important. Deliver at Once."
Taking up a steel blade, the master of the Hall cut open the
envelope and took out the slip of paper it contained. As he read
the communication he started. Then he crushed the paper in his
hand and looked sharply at Sam.
"Samuel, was the party you saw in the hall-way tall and slim?"
"Rather tall, yes, sir."
"And slim?"
"Well, he wasn't fat."
"Did you see his face?"
"No; it was too dark for that, and, besides, he had that shawl, or
whatever it was, pretty well up around him."
"Did you notice how he walked?"
"He moved on tiptoes."
"And you cannot imagine who it was?"
"No, sir."
"By the way, you of course know Alexander Pop, our colored
waiter."
"Why, to be sure! Everybody knows Aleck, and we have had lots of
fun with him, at one time or another.
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