The Hilltop Boys A Story of School Life   By: Cyril Burleigh

THE HILLTOP BOYS

A STORY OF SCHOOL LIFE

BY

CYRIL BURLEIGH

[Illustration]

THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO. CLEVELAND MADE IN U. S. A.

COPYRIGHT 1917

PRESS OF THE COMMERCIAL BOOKBINDING CO. CLEVELAND

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I THE BEGINNING OF THE TERM 13

II A HITCH IN JACK'S WELCOME 21

III SOME OF THE BOYS AND THEIR WAYS 29

IV ANOTHER ATTEMPTED HAZING 36

V THE HAZERS ARE HAZED 45

VI BILLY'S LITTLE JOKE 54

VII A TOUCH OF EXCITEMENT 63

VIII WHAT JACK FOUND IN THE RAVINE 71

IX ANOTHER OF JACK'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS 79

X AN INTERVIEW IN THE WOODS 88

XI A BIT OF SIGNAL WORK 94

XII THE TROUBLES OF AN EDITOR 102

XIII TRYING TO FIX THE BLAME 111

XIV "SUSPICION IS NOT PROOF" 117

XV FUN AND EXCITEMENT 125

XVI AN ANONYMOUS ACCUSATION 132

XVII THE MATTER SETTLED 138

XVIII AN EXPLORING TRIP THROUGH THE WOODS 144

XIX MORE THAN ONE WAY OUT 153

XX WHAT BILLY'S CAMERA REVEALED 160

XXI A PUZZLING AFFAIR 169

XXII LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT 175

XXIII ON THE WAY HOME 181

XXIV HOW IT ALL CAME OUT 185

THE HILLTOP BOYS

CHAPTER I

THE BEGINNING OF THE TERM

"I say, Art, let's take a run down to the train. There will be sure to be some of the old fellows on it and perhaps some new ones."

"Yes, for I heard the doctor tell Buck to have the coach and horses ready, as he expected several of the young gentlemen to come on the afternoon train. Why can't we go down with Buck instead of going alone?"

"Because Mr. Bucephalus, called Buck for short, objects to doing any more work than he is obliged to. We can ride back with him. That is vastly preferable to pedaling up the hill."

"So it is, Harry, but I don't mind coasting down. Come on, there is the train now, just leaving the station below."

Two bright looking boys of about fifteen, dressed in a half military fashion, stood on a terrace in front of a rambling, two story building overlooking the surrounding country, the Hudson River being seen in the distance at the foot of a mountain of considerable height, everything being most distinct in the clear Autumn air, the steamboats on the river, the roof of the little railroad station and the puff of smoke from the engine as it pulled out being seen very clearly.

The rambling, two story building on the top of the hill was the Academy and the boys were two of the pupils who were here a little in advance of the rest to begin the new term, were, in fact, some of the Hilltop Boys as they were called by the people of the town on the river where the train on the branch road was now going at a fair speed, the incline increasing with the distance from the station.

Arthur Warren and Harry Dickson hurried off to the stables where the wheels of the boys were kept, selected their own, mounted quickly and set out along the Academy drive to the road leading to the station, this being a mile or more distant, although in a straight line it was much less.