Produced by David E. Brown and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) [Illustration: PAT MURPHY’S TRAP] The Village Champion By W. O. STODDARD _Author of “Boys of Bunker Academy,” “On the Old Frontier,” “The Sword Maker’s Son,” etc._ [Illustration] PHILADELPHIA GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO. PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1903, by GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY _Published, September, 1903_ Contents I. BARNABY LEARNS HIS NAME 7 II. AN UNEXPECTED DUCKING 17 III. MEETING OLD ASSOCIATES 31 IV. THREE CONFERENCES AND THEIR RESULTS 43 V. ZEB’S OPINION OF APPLE SPROUTS 56 VI. BARNABY CALLS ON THE DOCTOR 65 VII. HUNTING THE COWS 78 VIII. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING 98 IX. ZEB’S FAME PRECEDES HIM 114 X. THE PUZZLED PROFESSOR 124 XI. WILLING HANDS 134 XII. NEWLY FOUND FRIENDS 146 XIII. THE HAUNTED HOUSE 160 XIV. A SHARPER OUTWITTED 172 XV. THE MYSTERY OF THE DUN HEIFER 187 XVI. A MESS OF FISH 199 XVII. SKANIGO LAKE 206 XVIII. MAJOR MONTAGUE’S PLANS THWARTED 218 XIX. A NOCTURNAL ESCAPADE 231 XX. THE BOXING MATCH 242 XXI. GEORGE BRAYTON’S DRIVE 254 XXII. GHOSTS IN THE ACADEMY BELFRY 265 XXIII. THE BELL MYSTERY REMAINS UNSOLVED 281 XXIV. MAJOR MONTAGUE HAS A VISITOR 288 XXV. MR. ASHBEL NORTON 301 XXVI. A FEW SURPRISING DISCLOSURES 313 XXVII. THE FISHING PARTY 327 XXVIII. TWO IMPORTANT TELEGRAMS 342 XXIX. THE BLACK VALISE IS OPENED 350 XXX. THE ACADEMY “GHOST” DISCOVERED 359 XXXI. GOOD NEWS FOR BAR 369 XXXII. HOME AGAIN 379 Illustrations Pat Murphy’s Trap _Frontispiece_ Zeb’s Fight with the Rodney Boys _Facing Page_ 94 “How did Zeb Fuller get that heifer into the Academy?” “ “ 196 “He’d ha’ found it out, if it hadn’t been for me” “ “ 282 “Because he forgot to ask me” “ “ 348 The Village Champion CHAPTER I BARNABY LEARNS HIS NAME