“Humph! You are sure of this?” demanded Captain Putnam.
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me all the particulars.”
Thereupon Akers told his story in detail, to which the master of the Hall listened with close attention. Then several other boys came in, among them Andy and Pepper.
“I want to speak to you about the time Major Jack Ruddy fell from the flying rings and came pretty close to being dangerously hurt,” said Andy. “I guess you remember that, sir.”
“Indeed I do—since he was very sick at the time,” answered Captain Putnam.
“We know just how he got sick.”
“What was the cause, Snow?”
“Reff Ritter put some French headache powders in his drinking water. The powders made him dizzy, and that is how he came to fall from the rings.”
“Can this be true?” And the captain’s face grew very stern.