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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b50a7d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60894 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60894) diff --git a/old/60894-0.txt b/old/60894-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7b44595..0000000 --- a/old/60894-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7887 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Crofton Chums, by Ralph Henry Barbour - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Crofton Chums - -Author: Ralph Henry Barbour - -Illustrator: C. M. Relyea - -Release Date: December 10, 2019 [EBook #60894] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CROFTON CHUMS *** - - - - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Crofton Chums - - - - -[Illustration: Jim was off with a clear field ahead.] - - - - - Crofton Chums - - By - - Ralph Henry Barbour - - Author of “The Crimson Sweater,” “Captain Chub,” - “Team-Mates,” etc. - - With Illustrations - - By C. M. Relyea - - - [Illustration] - - - New York - The Century Co. - 1912 - - - - - Copyright, 1911, 1912, by - THE CENTURY CO. - - - _Published, September, 1912_ - - - - - To - G. R. O. - Who Helped - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I. BACK TO SCHOOL 3 - II. SUNNYWOOD COTTAGE 16 - III. GARY RECONSIDERS 36 - IV. MR. GORDON RECEIVES 52 - V. MR. HANKS RENTS A ROOM 69 - VI. PLATO SOCIETY 89 - VII. JIM MAKES A PROMISE 103 - VIII. POKE USES TACT 114 - IX. OUT FOR THE TEAM 129 - X. MR. HANKS ACCEPTS ADVICE 148 - XI. ON THE SECOND 162 - XII. GARY IS SURPRISED 172 - XIII. POKE ON CANOES 183 - XIV. UP THE RIVER 193 - XV. THE “MI-KA-NOO” 205 - XVI. MR. HANKS AS A NOVELIST 216 - XVII. THE GAME WITH ST. LUKE’S 227 - XVIII. GARY CHALLENGES 235 - XIX. POKE ADVERTISES 245 - XX. AN EARLY MORNING PRACTICE 256 - XXI. THE GREAT RACE 267 - XXII. THE SWORD FALLS! 284 - XXIII. FRIDAY AND ILL-LUCK 302 - XXIV. HAWTHORNE COMES TO CONQUER 316 - XXV. JIM PASSES AN EXAMINATION 332 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - Jim was off with a clear field ahead _Frontispiece_ - - “Well, what do you think of that!” ejaculated Poke 11 - - “This is Mrs. Hazard’s, isn’t it?” 27 - - “What is it, Jim? Is anything wrong?” inquired Mrs. - Hazard 37 - - “This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared Poke 61 - - “You a football man, Hazard?” Sargent asked 75 - - “I am looking for accommodations, a room and――er――yes, - board with it” 83 - - “Look here,” he demanded, “what did you tell Duncan - Sargent about me?” 125 - - “Ever see a football before?” he asked 141 - - They found Mr. Hanks at his desk 153 - - Gil and Poke assisted in the household duties 181 - - Hope, being a rather wise young lady, prepared a tray 295 - - “We thought you might send him a telegram,” said Gary, - boldly 309 - - Jim takes his examination on the football field 329 - - - - -CROFTON CHUMS - - - - -CHAPTER I - -BACK TO SCHOOL - - - “In the good old football time, - In the good old football time!” - -sang “Poke” Endicott, as he pulled a nice new pair of fawn-hued -football pants from his trunk and reverently strove to smooth the -creases from them. “Aren’t those some pants, Gil?” he demanded. - -His room-mate turned from the window as the “mole-skins” were held up -for inspection. - -“Rather! You must have spent a year’s allowance on those, Poke.” - -“Huh!” Poke folded them carefully and then tossed them in the general -direction of the closet. “I’d hate to tell you, Gil, what they stood -me. But they’re good for ten years; anyhow, that’s what the tailor man -said. Those trousers, Gil, will descend from generation to generation, -down through the ages, like――like――” - -“A mortgage,” suggested Gil Benton, helpfully, as he turned again to -the view of autumn landscape framed by the open casement. Just under -the window, beyond the graveled path, the smooth turf descended gently -to the rim of the little river which curved placidly along below the -school buildings barely a stone’s throw away. (Joe Cosgrove, baseball -captain, had once engaged, on a wager, to place a baseball across it -from the steps of Academy Hall, and had succeeded at the third attempt. -As Academy stands farthest from the stream of any of the buildings, -Joe’s throw was something of a feat, and many a perfectly good baseball -had been sacrificed since by ambitious youths set on duplicating his -performance.) The Academy side of the river was clear of vegetation, -but along the farther bank graceful weeping willows dipped their -trailing branches in the water and threw cool green shadows across the -surface. Beyond, the willows gave place to alders and swamp-oaks and -basswood, and then, as the ground rose to the rolling hills, maples, -already showing the first light frosts, clustered thick. Here and -there the white trunks of paper-birches showed against the hillside. - -Gil――his full name was Gilbert, but no one ever called him that――viewed -the familiar scene with eager pleasure and satisfaction. To-morrow -began his third year at Crofton Academy, and he had grown very fond of -the school; how fond he had scarcely realized until this minute. To the -left, a quarter of a mile away, the old covered bridge was in sight, -its central pier emerging from a wilderness of bush on Bridge Island. -To his right, a little distance down-stream, lay Biscuit Island, a tiny -round mound of moss-covered rock with here and there a patch of grass, -and, in the middle, a group of four white birches asway in the westerly -breeze. Opposite the island was the brown-stained boat-house and the -long float, the latter as yet empty of the canoes and skiffs and tubs -that would later gather there. By bending forward a little, Gil could -catch a glimpse of a corner of the athletic field and the roofed -portico of Apthorpe Gymnasium, the last of the buildings that formed a -crescent along the curve of the river. - -He smiled companionably at the blue and green world, sighed once――why, -he couldn’t have told you――and breathed in a lungful of the warm, -scented air. It was good to be back again; awfully good! He wondered―― - -Footsteps crunched the gravel beneath the window, and Gil leaned out. -Then he turned and called to his chum: - -“Say, Poke, come and see ‘Brownie.’ He’s got a suit of ‘ice-cream’ -clothes on, and a Panama hat! Me, oh, my! Who’d ever think Brownie -could be so frivolous?” - -Poke stumbled over a pile of clothing and hurried across to the -casement, leaning out beside Gil. Almost directly below was a tall man -of thirty-odd years, attired modishly in light home-spun. When, in -answer to Poke’s “Hello, Mr. Brown!” he looked up at the window, his -face was seen to carry a rich coating of tan from which his very light -blue eyes twinkled with startling effect. He waved his hand to them. - -“Hello, Endicott! Hello, Benton! You’re back early, it seems.” - -“Couldn’t stay away, sir,” replied Poke laughingly. “Missed Greek -awfully, sir!” - -“Not the first time you’ve missed it――awfully,” retorted the instructor -with a broad smile. The boys chuckled. “Don’t forget the meeting -to-morrow evening, fellows.” - -“No, sir; we’ll be there,” said Gil. - -“He’s a dandy chap,” he added heartily, as the instructor passed on -toward his room in the next dormitory. Poke nodded. - -“One of the best. That’s why Plato’s the best society in school. What -time is it?” - -“Nearly one,” replied Gil, with a yawn. - -“Don’t suppose we can get anything to eat here, eh?” - -“Not likely. We might try, but as we’re not supposed to come until -after dinner, I guess it would look pretty cheeky.” - -“Right-O! Besides, it will be more fun eating in the village. Aren’t -you going to unpack?” - -“Yes, but there’s no hurry. Let’s get dinner now, Poke. We’ll go to -Reddy’s; he has the best eats.” - -“Got you! But wait until I get some of this mess picked up. How’s -that for a swell suit of glad rags, Gil?” Poke held up the jacket for -inspection. It was perceptibly green in color and decidedly “loud” in -style. Gil grunted. - -“If you had a gray silk hat you could march in the minstrel parade with -that, Poke. Bet you sent your measurements by mail with a ten-dollar -bill.” - -Poke looked highly offended, and draped the garment over the back of a -chair. Then he drew away and admired it silently. - -“That,” he announced finally, “was made by one of the best tailors in -New York.” - -Gil grunted again. “We wouldn’t wear a thing like that in Providence,” -he said. - -Poke laughed rudely as he hung the coat up. “Providence! I believe you, -Gil! Providence never saw anything like that.” - -“That’s no joke,” replied the other. “Get a move on, Poke, I’m hungry.” - -“All right. Put that in the drawer for me, will you? No, the table -drawer, you idiot! Where’s my hat? Come on now. I could eat an ox!” - -They closed the door of Number 12 behind them, scuttled down a flight -of well-worn stairs, and emerged on the granite steps of Weston Hall. -They looked along the fronts of the buildings, but not a soul was in -sight. Gil chuckled. - -“Bet you we’re the first fellows back, Poke.” - -“Sure. They won’t begin to get here until that two-twenty train.” - -They turned to the right, passed between Weston and Rogers, traversed a -few rods of turf, and took a path leading downwards through a grove of -maples and beeches. The path turned and twisted to accommodate itself -to the descent. Gil walked ahead, hat in hand, since it was close and -warm here in the woods, and Poke lounged along behind, hands in pockets -and his merry, good-humored face alight with anticipation of the good -things awaiting him at Reddy’s lunch counter. Poke’s real name was -Perry Oldham Kirkland Endicott, and the nickname had been the natural -result of the first view of the initials on the end of his suitcase. -In age he was sixteen, one year his companion’s junior. He was well -set-up, with a good pair of shoulders and a depth of chest that told -of athletic training. He had brown hair and brown eyes, a good-looking -sunburned face, and a general air of care-free jollity. Like Gil -Benton, Poke was a member of the Upper Middle Class, and consequently -had two more years to spend at Crofton. - -Gilbert Benton, seventeen years old, was a good two inches taller than -his chum, and somewhat slimmer. But the slimness showed wiry muscles -and a healthy body. Gil’s hair was darker than Poke’s, and his eyes -were gray. His face spoke of determination and fearlessness. Seeing -the two boys, you would have said that Gil was the sort to lead bravely -a forlorn hope, and Poke the sort to shrug his shoulders, laugh――and -follow. Gil’s home was in Providence, Rhode Island, and Poke’s in New -York City. The latter had taken an early train and Gil had joined him -at Providence, and the two had reached the station at Crofton well -before noon. To arrive at school early and get settled before their -fellows arrived had struck them as something of a lark. - -The woods ceased and the path led them out onto Academy Road, where -Hill Street turned off and where the village residences began. -Hereabouts most of the trim white-walled structures were used as -boarding- and rooming-houses for the Crofton students who were unable -to secure accommodations in the school dormitories. At the corner was -Mrs. Hooper’s; across the road from it, Jones’s; farther up Academy -Road toward the school, Mrs. Sanger’s. To their left as they leaped -the tumble-down stone wall was a comfortable-looking residence whose -outbuildings nestled in the edge of the woods. - -[Illustration: “Well, what do you think of that!” ejaculated Poke.] - -“Wonder who has the Timberlake place this year,” said Gil. “I see it’s -rented.” - -“Why did she give it up?” asked Poke idly. - -“Went out West to live with her son, I believe. I don’t believe the old -lady ever made much money here.” - -“Well, what do you think of that!” ejaculated Poke, stopping in his -tracks and staring at the house in question. Perched on a short ladder -was a boy of about Poke’s age, nailing a sign over the front steps. A -girl in a white dress and with a long braid of yellow hair aglint in -the sunshine was steadying the ladder. As the boys stopped to look, the -last screw went home and the sign stood forth for all to see: - - SUNNYWOOD COTTAGE - -The boy descended from the ladder, and he and the girl stepped a little -distance down the short walk toward the gate to admire the result of -their labors. Gil and Poke went on, the latter chuckling. - -“‘Sunnywood Cottage,’” he murmured. “Guess there wasn’t anything very -sunny about the place when Mrs. Timberlake had it. I wonder who the -girl is?” - -“Miss Sunnywood,” replied Gil instantly. - -“Thanks,” said Poke, turning to steal another look at the young lady. -“You’re a veritable mine of information, Gil. The house is looking -rather nice, isn’t it? Must have painted it, I guess.” - -“Yes, and her hair is very pretty,” laughed Gil. - -“Oh, you run away,” Poke retorted. “Wonder who the chap is?” - -“You seem mighty interested in the family. Like to call there on the -way back?” - -“That’s not a bad idea! We might make believe we wanted to rent a room.” - -“We might,” Gil laughed. He, too, turned for a glance at the cottage. -“Guess a fellow could be pretty comfy at Sunnywood. Funny, isn’t it, -how some houses look homey and comfy and others sort of give you the -creeps. Look at Jones’s; wouldn’t live there for a hundred dollars a -month!” - -“I wonder if a fellow has more fun living in the village,” mused Poke. -“Of course it’s nice being in hall when you know there are loads of -chaps envying you your room, but, after all, we don’t have much chance -for larks, what with study hour, and being in at ten, and all that. I -believe I’d like to try a house next year, Gil.” - -“Sunnywood?” asked Gil slyly. - -Poke grinned and nodded. “I wouldn’t mind. That corner room in front on -this side ought to be pretty nice. You’d get lots of sun and light――and -that’s more than we get in Number 12.” - -“Well, never mind about sun and light now. Let’s hit it up, Poke. What -I need is food and drink. Thank goodness we’re nearly there! It’s -pretty hot for September, isn’t it?” - -“I don’t know how hot it is for September,” replied Poke with a grin, -as they turned into Main Street, “but it’s uncomfortably hot for Poke!” - - - - -CHAPTER II - -SUNNYWOOD COTTAGE - - -“It’s a perfectly jimmy sign!” declared the girl delightedly. - -The boy turned with an amused smile. “What’s a ‘jimmy’ sign, Hope? One -made by Jim?” - -“N-no, not exactly. Jimmy means awfully nice――something very――very -pleasing――quite _darling_! See?” - -“Of course,” answered her brother. “It’s as plain as the nose on your -face.” - -“My nose isn’t plain,” was the retort. “It’s a real Hazard nose, just -like yours and Lady’s.” - -“Sort of a jimmy nose,” laughed the boy. “Sis, if you keep on coining -words, you’ll have to publish a vocabulary or no one will be able -to understand you. What was it you called the back room upstairs -yesterday?” - -“Snudgy,” replied Hope Hazard gravely. “And that’s just what it is; -small and hot and――and _snudgy_! It’s the snudgiest room I ever saw, -Jim.” - -“Well, don’t let Jane hear you call it snudgy. She might leave. But, -say, that’s a pretty good-looking sign, isn’t it? I don’t believe any -one could tell it was home-made, eh?” - -“N-no, not unless they looked real close. I guess that Y is a little -bit wipsy, though, Jim.” - -Jim Hazard frowned intently for a moment at the letter in question. -“Well, maybe it is kind of out of plumb with the others,” he -acknowledged. “Just the same, I think I’m a pretty good sign painter, -sis. Now what’s to do?” - -“Curtains in the front room upstairs; the rented one,” replied Hope -promptly. - -“Oh, hang the curtains!” grumbled Jim. - -“That’s what I meant,” laughed Hope. “Never mind, they’re the last -ones. And we really must get them up because our star boarder may come -any moment.” - -“All right,” he answered resignedly, “but I’ve got to cool off first.” -He seated himself on the top step and Hope perched herself beside him. -Jim fanned himself with the screw-driver, and they both laughed. Then -the boy’s smile died away, and his forehead puckered itself into lines -of worry. - -“Hope, we’ve got to do better than this or Sunnywood will be vacant -again. Four rooms to rent and only one taken! Didn’t you think from -what Mr. Gordon said that we’d get all the fellows we wanted?” - -“Yes, but maybe they don’t look for rooms until they get here,” she -answered cheerfully. “And you know they don’t begin to come until this -afternoon.” - -“I don’t believe that,” he answered. “Fellows wouldn’t come and not -know where they were going to live. I don’t think Mr. Gordon has -treated us fairly, Hope. That lady over there――” - -“Mrs. Sanger.” - -“Took the sign out of her window this morning. I guess that means that -her rooms are all taken. I’ll bet Mr. Gordon has been sending the -fellows to the other houses and leaving us out of it.” - -“Oh, he wouldn’t do that,” Hope protested, “after all the nice things -he said to mama.” - -“You can’t tell. Besides, we don’t know just what nice things he did -say. You know very well that if a person doesn’t actually call Lady -names she thinks they’ve been as nice as pie to her. Wish I had her -gift of thinking the very best of everything and everybody. Well, if -something doesn’t happen pretty soon, I’m going to see Mr. Gordon -and tell him what I think about it. One thing we do know is that he -wrote Lady that if she took the house she wouldn’t have any trouble in -renting the rooms.” - -“Well, let’s hope for the best, Jim,” said his sister, laying a small -brown hand on his shoulder and giving him a reassuring pinch. - -“That’s you all over,” he muttered. “Guess they knew what they were -about when they named you Hope.” - -“Well, they didn’t name you Despair,” she laughed, “so don’t try and -play they did. It’s most time Lady was back, isn’t it?” - -Jim nodded and looked down the street toward the village a half-mile -away. “That’s her now, I guess; away down by the big elm; see?” - -“Yes, it is. Let’s go and meet her, Jim. She’s probably got a lot of -things to carry.” - -“All right!” Jim laid down the screw-driver and pushed the ladder -aside. “You’d better put a hat on, though.” - -“Nonsense! The sun won’t hurt me. Come on.” - -They went out of the gate together, and walked briskly down the -sidewalk. Jim was half a head taller than his sister, rather thin, a -bit raw-boned, in fact, but strong looking, and good looking, too, -in spite of a smudge of dirt across his forehead and a generally -begrimed appearance due to the fact that he had been sign-painting, -carpentering, and house-cleaning all the forenoon. Besides this, he -wore the very oldest clothes he owned, and that he managed to look -prepossessing in spite of these handicaps speaks rather well for him. -He had brown hair and brown eyes, but the hair was light, extremely -light in places, as though it had been faded by sun and weather, and -the eyes were very dark. Hope had told him once that he had perfectly -lovely eyes, they looked so much like sweet chocolate! For the rest, -Jim was tanned and hardy-looking, with more often than not a little -puckery frown on his forehead, for at sixteen years of age he had -already been head of the family for three years. - -Hope Hazard isn’t quite so easily described, and I’d flunk the task -if I might. She was fourteen, slender, golden-haired, gray-eyed, -light-hearted. As Jim had said, she had been well named, for -hopefulness was the key-note of her nature, and Jim, who was somewhat -prone to borrow trouble if he had none of his own, called her frivolous -in moments of exasperation. But Hope came honestly by her sunny -optimism, for her mother had always been the most hopeful, cheerful -soul in the world, and even Mr. Hazard’s death and the immediate -collapse of the family fortunes had failed to change her. - -Mother and daughter looked much alike. Mrs. Hazard was quite tall, -still young looking, and still pretty. She had gray eyes, like Hope’s, -and if they were a trifle more faded, they still twinkled brightly at -the slightest provocation. Jim was more like his father, a little more -serious, with something of New England granite showing in his face, a -heritage from a race of coast-dwelling Hazards. The Hazard nose, which -Hope fondly believed she had inherited, and which was a straight and -stern appendage, well shaped but uncompromising, was his, while Mrs. -Hazard’s nose was an undignified, even flippant affair that looked for -all the world as though, had it had proper encouragement at an early -stage, it would have become tip-tilted. Truth compels the admission -that in Hope’s case the Hazard nose was more a matter of anticipation -than realization, in spite of the fact that she religiously pulled -it and pinched it in the attempt to make it conform to Hazard -requirements. Perhaps it is a mean thing to say, but Hope’s nose was -more remarkable for the cluster of three big freckles on the end of it -than for beauty of contour. - -Mrs. Hazard yielded her packages to the children and gave an account of -her shopping expedition. “It’s lots of fun buying things in Crofton, my -dears; quite exciting. You never know when you ask for a thing what you -are going to get. I tried to buy some scrim to make curtains for Jane’s -room, and what do you suppose I got? Why, some muslin for a next summer -dress for Hope! It was really very sweet and pretty.” - -“And I suppose,” said Jim, with a smile, “that when Hope isn’t wearing -it, Jane can hang it up at her window.” - -“I think you’ll have to do the shopping, Jim,” continued Mrs. Hazard. -“They don’t take me seriously, I’m afraid. If I want a wash-board, they -smile at me humoringly and sell me a nutmeg grater! And two or three -things I meant to get, I forgot all about!” - -“Did you get the blankets, Lady?” asked Jim anxiously. - -“Oh, yes; and the toweling, and the mat for the front door. But I -forgot bluing and soap and meat for supper.” - -“Well, if we don’t rent some rooms we won’t be able to afford supper,” -replied Jim grimly. “I don’t think Mr. Gordon has been treating us -decently, Lady.” - -“Oh, I’m sure he has done all he could, dear. I can’t doubt that after -the nice way he talked.” - -“Talk’s cheap,” growled Jim. “Why doesn’t he send some boys here to -rent our rooms?” - -“He will, I’m sure. You wait and see.” - -“That woman over there has taken her sign down already.” - -“But she’s been here for years, Jim dear, while we are only starting. -It’s going to take time, of course. Meanwhile we have that Latham boy――” - -“And he’s a cripple,” interrupted Jim, “and I dare say no one else -would take him!” - -“I don’t think that at all,” protested his mother as they entered the -gate, “for Mr. Gordon said that he was sending him to me because he -wanted a place where the poor boy could be well looked after. Oh, how -nice your sign looks! I suppose it is perfectly all right to have a -sign, Jim, but I see none of the other houses have any.” - -“That’s the point,” replied Jim. “This is going to be different. -Fellows who come here are going to be at home; this isn’t going to -be just a plain boarding-house, Lady. Isn’t it most dinner time? I’m -pretty hungry.” - -“You shall have it right away. I’ll tell Jane I’m back.” She hurried -through to the kitchen, and Jim, with a sigh, picked up his step-ladder -and, followed by Hope, trudged upstairs to hang the curtains in the -corner room. - -“I wonder what sort of a cripple he is,” mused Hope, as she paired the -strips of flounced muslin. “I do hope he will be nice.” - -“I wish Mr. Gordon had sent his cripple somewhere else,” muttered her -brother as he worked the brass pole through the heading. “Anybody can -impose on Lady.” - -“Jim, you’re perfectly awful to-day! You’re just one long wail of -despair. I guess you want your dinner. Boys are always grumpy when -they’re hungry. Here’s a hole in this curtain. I’ll draw it together -after dinner.” - -“It’s good enough for him,” growled Jim, who was working himself -rapidly into a fit of ill-temper. “I dare say we’ll have to lug him up -and down stairs, too.” - -“Oh, I don’t believe he’s that kind of a cripple,” responded Hope. “And -he has a perfectly jimmy name, hasn’t he? Jeffrey Latham; it’s quite -a――a romantic sort of name, Jim.” - -“He’s probably a pasty-faced little milksop. There, that’s the last, -thank goodness! My, it’s no wonder I’m hungry!” he added, as he looked -at his nickel watch. “It’s half-past two and after!” - -“It can’t be!” - -“It is, though. Hello, what’s that?” He pushed the new curtains aside -at a front window and looked out. “It’s a carriage――with a trunk――and -bags! I’ll bet it’s the cripple, Hope! Run and tell Lady!” - -His sister hurried downstairs, and Jim, lugging his step-ladder with -him, followed more slowly, grumbling as he went. “It’s a wonder he -couldn’t stay away until the room was ready for him.” He put the ladder -out of the way and went out onto the porch in time to see the driver -of the carriage open the door and the rubber-tipped ends of a pair of -crutches appear. Still resentful, Jim went down the path and reached -the gate just as the occupant of the vehicle swung himself nimbly to -the sidewalk. - -“This is Mrs. Hazard’s, isn’t it?” he asked of Jim. - -“Yes. I suppose you’re Latham.” - -Jim’s tone was not very gracious and the newcomer looked a little -surprised. He was a slight, nice looking boy of fifteen, with big -wistful brown eyes set in a somewhat pale but cheerful face. He was -dressed extremely well, even expensively, and was quite immaculate from -the crown of his Panama hat to the tips of his smart tan shoes. As he -turned to speak to the driver he looked like any healthy, normal boy, -for he appeared well built, straight of back and limb, and it was only -when he crossed the sidewalk to the gate that any imperfection showed. -Then Jim saw that one foot, the left one, swung clear of the ground by -several inches. - -“If you’ll tell the man where my room is he will take my baggage up,” -said Jeffrey. - -Mrs. Hazard met him on the porch, while Hope, frankly curious, hovered -in the background. - -[Illustration: “This is Mrs. Hazard’s, isn’t it?”] - -“I’m so glad to see you,” said Jim’s mother as she shook hands with -Jeffrey. “I’ll show you your room, and then you must come down and -have some dinner with us. This is my daughter Hope, and my son you’ve -already met. And I am Mrs. Hazard. I almost forgot to introduce myself, -didn’t I?” - -Jeffrey bowed to Hope. “Thank you, ma’am,” he answered, “I’d like to go -to my room, but I’ve had my dinner. I stopped at the lunch room.” - -“Lunch room! Good gracious!” exclaimed Mrs. Hazard, “that’s no dinner -for a grown boy! Of course you’ll have something with us; although -we’re hardly settled yet, and our meals are still rather skimpy.” - -Jeffrey murmured thanks as he followed her upstairs, abandoning one -of his crutches and helping himself along by the banister. The driver -followed with his trunk, and Jim and Hope were left alone in the hall. - -“Isn’t it a perfect shame?” cried Hope indignantly, when the star -boarder was out of hearing. “He’s such a nice boy!” - -“Isn’t what a shame?” growled Jim. - -“Why, his being like that! Having to go about on crutches! We must be -awfully kind to him, Jim.” - -“Huh!” Jim picked up the boy’s bags and started upstairs. “Guess I’d be -willing to use crutches if I could wear clothes like his and buy bags -like these!” - -“Oh, Jim!” protested Hope. “That’s an awful thing to say! You shouldn’t -talk like that even――even in fun.” - -Jim grunted and went on. “Bet you,” he said to himself, “he will kick -about his room. The carpet’s worn out and there ought to be new paper -on the walls.” But if Jeffrey Latham observed these things, no one -would have suspected it. - -“What a bully room!” he was saying as Jim entered. “Isn’t it nice and -sunny? May I keep my trunk in here, Mrs. Hazard?” - -“Why, certainly. Between the window and the bureau would be a good -place, wouldn’t it? I’m so glad you like the room. It’s the pleasantest -in the house.” - -Jeffrey took out a pigskin purse and opened it, exhibiting what looked -to Jim like a good deal of money. “How much do I owe you?” he asked the -driver. - -“One dollar, sir. Fifty cents for you, sir, and the trunk and bags -extry.” - -“Nonsense!” said Jim sharply. “He’s trying to do you, Latham. -Seventy-five’s all it ought to be.” - -“With a heavy trunk and two bags like them!” demanded the driver -incredulously. Jeffrey laughed. - -“I dare say the trunk was heavy,” he said as he paid the amount asked. -“Thank you very much.” - -The driver, mollified, touched his hat and took his departure. Jim -looked his disgust at such a reckless waste of money. - -“The bathroom is just down the hall on the left,” explained Mrs. -Hazard. “Dinner is ready, but you needn’t hurry. Your name is Jeffrey, -isn’t it? You see, I must know what to call you.” - -“Yes’m, it’s Jeffrey, but I’m generally called Jeff. I’ll just wash a -bit and come right down, although I’m really not hungry.” - -Perhaps Hope was right in her theory that what Jim needed was food, -for after he had had his soup he forgot his peevishness. Mrs. Hazard -did most of the talking, although Hope showed unmistakable symptoms -of being quite willing to help out. Jeffrey answered questions -unreservedly. They learned that his home was in Poughkeepsie, New York; -that he was entered in the Lower Middle Class; that he had never been -away from his folks before, although he had evidently traveled about a -good deal; and that while others might pity him for his infirmity, he -wasted no pity on himself, but was quite cheerful and contented. - -“Yes’m, I like reading pretty well,” he said in answer to one of Mrs. -Hazard’s questions, “but I like to be out of doors better. There isn’t -much I can do myself, but I like to see other fellows have fun. I’m -crazy about football and baseball and things like that. At home I’m -always running around to the games.” - -“It must be very hard,” murmured Mrs. Hazard sympathetically, “not -to be able to――to take part in them. But I do think you get about -wonderfully on your crutches.” - -“I ought to,” laughed Jeffrey. “I’ve been practising all my life. I’ve -had this bum leg ever since I was born. Oh, you get used to it; used to -not being able to do things like other fellows, I mean. Besides, I’ve -seen chaps worse off than me. I _can_ row a little.” - -“Wish I could,” said Jim, making his second remark of the meal. - -“I guess you could if you tried,” answered Jeffrey. “It isn’t hard. I -suppose there are boats here?” - -“Lots,” said Jim. “They have crews, too, you know.” - -Jeffrey nodded. “Yes, that’s partly why I came here. I’ve always been -fond of boat racing. At Poughkeepsie, you know, we have a lot of it -every year. Are you――do you go to Crofton?” - -“Yes,” answered Jim, passing his plate for a second helping, “I begin -to-morrow. We’re in the same class, too.” - -“Really? And are there other fellows here?” - -“In the house? No, not yet. We’ve got three other rooms, but yours is -the only one taken.” - -“We hope to rent the others,” explained Mrs. Hazard. “This is our first -year here. We have always lived in Essexport; that’s on the coast, you -know; but when Jim decided that he’d rather go to Crofton than anywhere -else, we decided that we couldn’t do without him. So we rented our -house at home and took this. My husband died three years ago and since -then Jim has looked after us. Hope and I are awful babies, aren’t we, -Hope?” - -“Speak for yourself, Lady! Jim and I―― Listen! There’s somebody going -upstairs!” - -“I’ll see who it is.” Jim laid aside his napkin, pushed back his chair -and hurried out. In the hall he was just in time to see the end of a -bag disappear about the turn of the landing. He ran up the stairs, -wondering. At the open door of Jeffrey’s room stood, bag in hand, a big -thick-set boy of apparently seventeen years of age. He had a good deal -of color in his cheeks, very dark eyes and a mass of unruly black hair -under the funny little crimson cap perched on the back of his head. He -turned at the sound of Jim’s approach and scowled at him across the -banisters. - -“Hello,” he growled. - -“Hello,” replied Jim, taking at the instant a strong dislike to him. -“Do you want a room?” - -“No, I’m looking for four-leaved clovers,” he replied with a grin. “Who -are you?” - -“My name is Hazard,” answered Jim, beginning to lose his temper, “and I -happen to live here, if you don’t mind.” - -“Oh, I don’t mind,” laughed the other unpleasantly. “What I want to -know is why isn’t my room ready?” - -“Your room?” - -“Sure! Those your things in there? If they are, dump ’em out, -Bunker――or whatever your name is.” - -“If you want a room I’ll show you one,” said Jim, “but that room’s -taken.” - -“Taken? You bet it’s taken! I took it last year, and if you don’t dump -that trunk and those bags out I will.” - -“That room is rented to a fellow named Latham,” answered Jim warmly. -“Who the dickens are you, anyway?” - -“Who am I? I’m Brandon Gary, that’s who I am. And I engaged this room -from Mother Timberlake last June. And what’s more, I mean to have it!” - - - - -CHAPTER III - -GARY RECONSIDERS - - -The sound of the talking had brought the others from the table to -the hall below, and now Mrs. Hazard came up the stairs to inquire -anxiously: “What is it, Jim? Is anything wrong?” - -“This fellow says he engaged this room last spring and means to have -it,” replied Jim. - -“Engaged this room? But――but how could you?” Mrs. Hazard observed -Brandon Gary bewilderedly. “We only took the house last month!” - -The claimant had snatched off his crimson cap at Mrs. Hazard’s -appearance on the scene and when he replied his tone was much more -respectful. “I engaged it from the lady who had it last year, ma’am, -and it’s always been a rule here that when a house changes hands -the――the new landlady takes it――er――subject to――to――” - -[Illustration: “What is it, Jim? Is anything wrong?” inquired Mrs. -Hazard.] - -“I understand,” said Mrs. Hazard helpfully, smiling her sweetest, “but -I knew nothing about any reservations. You see, Mrs. Timberlake left -early in the summer and I took the house from an agent. And he said -nothing at all about any of the rooms being taken. I’m awfully sorry. -But there are three other very nice rooms for rent――” She paused and -looked at Jim with a look of comical despair. “Unless they are engaged -too!” - -“Don’t believe so,” said Gary. He had set his bag down, thrust his -hands into his pockets and dropped some of his aggressiveness, although -it was plain to be seen that he meant to have his rights. “You see, -ma’am, the fellows never liked Mother Timberlake much. I didn’t -either, but I’d always had my heart set on this room, and so, when -Kidder graduated last June, I made a streak over here and nabbed it. I -had a chance at living in hall, too, this year. I’m sorry you didn’t -know about it, but I guess you can’t expect me to give it up. This -chap”――nodding at Jim――“says you’ve rented the room to some one else. -Well, all he’s got to do is take one of the other rooms. That’s easy.” - -Gary picked up his bag, walked through the door and took formal -possession. Jim and Mrs. Hazard looked at each other at a loss. Jim -was angry clear through, and yet the newcomer seemed to have the law on -his side. “I suppose,” faltered Mrs. Hazard, “we might let Mr. Gordon -decide.” Jim frowned. Gary had set his bag on the table, opened it and -was now unpacking. “I’d like to chuck him out the window!” muttered Jim. - -“Perhaps Jeffrey would just as soon have one of the other rooms,” -suggested his mother weakly. “What do you think?” - -“I guess he’d take one and be decent about it,” answered Jim, eying the -intruder with strong distaste, “only I don’t think it’s fair to ask him -to. I don’t care what the――the custom is here; no one told us about -this room being engaged, and I don’t believe that fellow has any right -to it.” - -At the back of the house a bell pealed and Mrs. Hazard went and leaned -over the banisters. Jim followed slowly. - -“Have you any rooms left?” asked a voice at the doorway. - -“Yes,” replied Hope. “If you’ll wait a moment I will call my brother. -Will you come inside?” - -“Will you see them?” asked Mrs. Hazard. Jim nodded and went down. Hope -rejoined Jeffrey in the dining-room. Near the front door stood two boys -talking together softly. They had no bags with them, nor was there any -conveyance to be seen outside. - -“You wanted to look at a room?” asked Jim gloomily. - -“Please,” replied the taller of the two. - -“This way, then. There’s a back room on this floor to rent and one or -two upstairs.” Jim threw open the door of the chamber opposite the -dining-room and they looked in. It was not a very attractive apartment, -however, and they didn’t enter. - -“I think something upstairs would be nicer,” said one. He turned, -crossed the hall and looked into the dining-room. “Oh, I beg your -pardon,” he said, “that’s not a bedroom, is it?” But in spite of his -apology he seemed in no hurry to withdraw. - -“That’s the dining-room,” said Jim shortly. - -“I see.” The boy gave a final look at the room――and its occupants――and -followed toward the stairway. “Is the corner room on that side rented?” -he asked. - -“Yes,” replied Jim grimly. “Very much rented!” Then he stopped on the -landing and faced the two boys. “Say, you fellows aren’t new here, are -you?” - -“No,” replied the elder, “why?” - -“I want to know something. We rented a room to a fellow about a week -ago and he came to-day. That’s he in the dining-room. Now another chap -comes along and says he engaged the same room from the lady who had -the house last year. It’s the corner room you asked about. This new -chap says we’ve got to stand by what Mrs. Timberlake did. I don’t think -that’s sense. We never saw her and didn’t know anything about it. At -that rate she may have rented all the rooms, for all we know!” - -The two boys looked at each other doubtfully. - -“Well, the chap’s right in a way, I guess. It is customary. But if he’s -a new boy how does he know so much about it?” This from the taller of -the two. - -“He’s not new,” said Jim. “I guess he’s been here two years or so from -the looks of him. He said his name was――Gerry, or something like that.” - -“Gerry? You don’t mean Gary, do you?” - -“Yes, that’s it.” - -The two boys exchanged glances and began to chuckle. - -“‘Bull’ Gary! Sounds like him, doesn’t it? Is he here now?” - -“Yes, in the room,” answered Jim. - -“I think, then, you had better let us talk with him. Hold on, though. -Did you rent the house from Mrs. Timberlake?” - -“No. She left early in the summer. We rented from an agent, Mr. -Simpson.” - -“Ah, that simplifies the case, eh, Poke?” - -“Like anything,” was the cheerful response. “Lead us to him.” - -“Do you fellows know him?” asked Jim doubtfully. - -“Rather! We’re very dear friends of his. You leave it all to us.” - -They went on up, bowed to Mrs. Hazard, who still waited in the hall, -and made for the corner room. Jim dropped back. - -“Well, well, if it isn’t Bull!” - -Gary turned with a doubtful grin. - -“Hello, Poke! Hello, Gil! Where’d you fellows come from? Aren’t living -here, are you?” - -“No, we’re still at the old place,” answered Gil. “Whose room is this, -Bull?” - -“Mine, of course. Not bad, is it?” - -“No, it’s fine and dandy, but I understood that some one else had -taken this. Didn’t that chap downstairs tell us that, Poke?” - -“Sure he did. I guess Bull’s spoofing.” - -“I dare say he did tell you that,” said Gary. “But I engaged this room -last June from Mrs. Timberlake.” - -“Oh, I see!” Gil nodded his head. “Well, that explains it. Too bad, -too, for it’s a mighty pleasant room. Still, there’s one across the -hall that looks pretty decent and I dare say you’ll be just as happy -there, Bull.” - -“Me? I’m staying here,” said Gary uneasily. - -But Gil shook his head gently and firmly. So did Poke. - -“No, you can’t do that, you see,” said Gil. “This room belongs to the -other chap. You see, Bull, Mrs. Timberlake gave up the house. That -canceled everything. Then this Mrs.――――Mrs. Whatshername took it from -Simpson. Get me, Bull? Your case isn’t good, old scout.” - -“That makes no difference!” blustered Gary. “I engaged this room――” - -“Tut, tut! Don’t be dense, Bull. Have we got to explain it all over -again to you? Honest, Gil, he’s the prize dunce, isn’t he?” - -“Oh, he understands all right. He’s just trying to tease us. Let’s -have a look at the room opposite, Bull.” - -“I don’t want to see the room opposite,” Gary protested with vehemence. - -“Then why not have a look at the back rooms? Of course, they aren’t as -sunny as this, but I’ve no doubt they’re quite comfortable.” - -“I’ll stay just where I am,” growled Gary. But there was a tone of -uncertainty in his voice. Gil smiled indulgently. Poke flecked an -imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. - -“Strange how dense some folks are, Gil,” said the latter. Gary flushed, -and tried bluster. - -“You fellows think you can come here and bullyrag me into doing -anything you like. Well, you’re mightily mistaken. I know my rights and -I intend to stand up for them.” - -“Noble youth! But you haven’t any rights in this case, Bull. You’re -just making a silly ass of yourself and being disagreeable. Don’t let’s -have any bother about it, Bull.” This from Gil. - -“I rented this room――” - -“S-sh! Remember, please, that there’s a gentleman present,” remonstrated -Poke. “Be sensible, Bull. Honest, you’ve got your signals mixed.” - -Gary looked from one to the other for a moment, swallowed hard once -and yielded. “All right, but I don’t have to give this room up unless I -want to.” - -“You’re doing it, Bull,” responded Poke sweetly, “because you are the -soul of generosity. Ah, we know you, you rascal!” - -“We will examine the other apartments,” said Gil. - -“Not for me,” growled Gary. “If I can’t have this room I don’t want -to stay in this hole. I’ll go back to Sanger’s.” He began to pile his -things back in his bag. Gil and Poke eyed each other dubiously. - -“I――I don’t believe I’d do that,” said Gil finally. “This is a -perfectly good house, Bull, and the landlady hasn’t let many of her -rooms――” - -“I don’t care if she hasn’t! I hope she won’t! You can make me give up -this room, but you can’t make me stay here!” - -Gil and Poke recognized the truth of that. Gary slammed his bag shut, -seized his cap and strode wrathfully downstairs and out the door with -neither a glance nor word for Mrs. Hazard or Jim. - -“I’m afraid we’ve lost you a――a tenant,” said Gil to Mrs. Hazard. “We -didn’t mean for him to leave the house.” - -“That doesn’t matter. It was very kind of you to straighten it out -about the room. We’re so much obliged to you.” - -“I’m glad he’s gone,” declared Jim. “I don’t like him.” - -“Jim dear,” remonstrated his mother, “you mustn’t say that. He may be a -very nice boy for all we know. Has my son shown you the rooms we have -to let?” she added, turning to Gil. - -“Er――yes, thanks; that is, he was showing them when――” - -“This room over here is quite pleasant,” she said, leading the way to -the door across the hall. “It has only one bed in it, but we can set up -another one if necessary. Were you both thinking of coming?” - -Poke looked a trifle uneasy, but Gil came to the rescue. - -“We’ve been rooming in hall, ma’am, and were just sort of looking -around to see what there was. We’re not decided yet.” He looked at the -room. “I suppose this gets the afternoon sun until quite late.” - -“Yes, indeed,” replied Mrs. Hazard. “It’s quite a warm room in winter, -I’m told.” - -Poke looked in over Gil’s shoulder. It really was a very jolly-looking -room. It was big and square, with two broad windows on the front and a -bay on the side. The furnishings were neither new nor elaborate, but -there was a roomy bureau, a big library table that had seen better -days, two good easy chairs, two straight-backed ones and a washstand. -And of course there was a bed, a simple white-enameled iron bed that -looked both clean and comfortable. On the walls were hung several -pictures, the windows had neat dimity curtains and the floor was -covered with a cheerful red and gray carpet which, if it showed wear -in some places, was still quite presentable. There was a fireplace and -mantel, too, and the fireplace looked as though it could be used. - -“It’s a very nice room,” said Poke warmly. - -“Dandy,” said Gil. “I suppose we――I suppose whoever had it could have a -fire there.” - -“Oh, I should think so,” answered Mrs. Hazard. “But I hope that the -furnace will keep the house warm enough without having to use the -grates.” - -“How much would this room be?” asked Gil. - -“Well, I suppose――” Mrs. Hazard turned to Jim for assistance――“I -suppose for two it would be ten dollars a week.” - -“Eleven,” said Jim firmly. “But we don’t charge for board, of course, -when you are away. Then you just pay three dollars for the room.” - -“That seems reasonable,” declared Poke. - -“Quite,” agreed Gil. - -“I dare say if we wanted a fire any time we could have it by paying -something extra?” Poke asked. - -“Just pay for what you burn,” said Jim. - -“I see.” Gil turned to Poke. “What do you think?” - -“Why, we――we might think it over a little,” gasped Poke. - -“Better let us know pretty soon,” said Jim in businesslike tones. “We -couldn’t hold it for you, of course.” - -“N-no,” replied Gil, “I suppose not.” - -There was a silence. Gil and Poke stared fascinatedly at each other. -Finally: - -“I guess,” blurted Gil, “we’ll say we’ll take it!” - -“But, Gil!” cried Poke. “Don’t you think―― Hadn’t we better talk it -over a bit first?” - -“Well, maybe we had. We――we’ll let you know in――in an hour.” - -“Much obliged,” murmured Poke as they made their escape downstairs. - -Once out of sight of the house Gil pulled up and leaned against the -fence. “That――that was awful!” he gasped. “In another minute we’d have -rented the room!” - -“Sure thing,” agreed Poke solemnly. “How the dickens did we get -started?” - -“How did we get started?” exclaimed the other indignantly. “Why, you -insisted on going in there to look at rooms, you idiot!” - -“Well, you asked how much it was, didn’t you? It was all safe enough -until then.” - -“Now, hang it, Poke, I feel as though we’d ought to take it; as though -it was our duty! After all, you know, we drove Bull away.” - -“How can we take it, you simpleton? Haven’t we got a room already? -Honest, Gil, you oughtn’t to be trusted out alone! If it hadn’t been -for me we’d been saddled with two rooms now!” - -“Well, why didn’t you help me? You could see that I was――was -hypnotized!” - -“I guess I was too,” laughed Poke. “I never knew before how easy it is -to buy something you don’t want! Not that I wouldn’t like to have that -room, though. It’s a peach, isn’t it?” - -“Yes, it’s about twice the size of Number 12. I wonder what it would be -like to have all the light and sunshine you wanted.” - -“I’m crazy about the windows,” said Poke. “We could have a seat built -in that bay, Gil.” - -“Sure. And with our pictures and stuff to fix up with the room would -look dandy.” - -“Great!” sighed Poke. - -There was a silence. At last: - -“I don’t suppose J. G. would let us give up our room now,” observed Gil -thoughtfully. - -“We might find out,” answered Poke. They turned by common impulse and -stared at each other. Then Poke broke into a laugh. - -“Let’s do it!” he shouted. - -Gil grinned. “All right,” he answered. - -They shook hands on it. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -MR. GORDON RECEIVES - - -At a quarter before five that afternoon the expressman landed the last -of Gil’s and Poke’s belongings in the corner room at Sunnywood Cottage. -On his final trip upstairs the expressman carried a waste-basket filled -with books and a crimson sofa pillow embroidered with a gray C. Gil -paid him, closed the door behind him and then with a shout of triumph -seized the cushion and hurled it across the room at Poke. As Poke was -at that instant bent over a suit case, extracting a miscellaneous -assortment of books, balls, pens, shoes and so forth from it, and as -the cushion struck him square between his shoulders, the result was -interesting and spectacular. Poke’s head went into the suit case and -his feet flew out behind him. Gil, chortling gleefully, watched Poke -recover his equilibrium. Then, by deftly dropping to the floor at the -psychological moment, he escaped the rubber-soled shoe that sang -across the room and banged against the door. He picked up the missile -and tossed it back. Poke caught with one hand, swooped down and tagged -the suit case. Gil waved his hand. - -“Out at the plate!” he yelled. - -Then they looked at each other and grinned. - -“Get busy,” said Poke finally. “It’s most five o’clock. Say, you hate -to unpack, don’t you?” - -“Observe the trouble I saved myself at hall,” said Gil, pointing to his -trunk. “If I’d unpacked there, as you did, I’d have had it all to do -over again. See?” - -“Well, as we aren’t likely to move again to-day you’d better get busy. -Say, it was a great scheme of ours to get here early and be all settled -ahead of the others, wasn’t it?” - -“Marvelous,” agreed Gil ironically. “See us now!” - -Poke looked over the room and grinned. “Looks as though it had been -struck by a cyclone, doesn’t it? Say, this is a dandy big closet.” - -“Well, don’t hog it all. Seen my trunk key anywhere?” - -“Yes, I saw it on the window sill at hall.” - -“Oh, feathers! Well, I’m not going back for it to-night. Let’s try -yours, Poke.” - -“Won’t fit. You tried it last year. Get a hammer.” - -“Haven’t any.” - -“Put your fool head out in the hall and yell for one.” - -“All right. Say, Poke, weren’t you surprised when J. G. let us off on -our room?” - -“Rather! But I dare say there are plenty of fellows who’ll be glad of -it.” - -“Well, they can have it! I like this ten times better. Of course we’re -paying a little more――” - -“About fifty cents a week more,” said Poke scornfully, “and what’s -that? I’ll bet Mrs. Hazard will give us better things to eat than we -got at school. And anyway it will be more――more homelike.” - -“‘Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home,’” sang Gil as he -opened the door. Then, “Say, Poke, who shall I yell for?” - -“Yell for a hammer, of course.” - -“Hammer! Hammer!” cried Gil softly. “It doesn’t come, Poke! What’s the -chap’s name?” - -“Hazard.” - -“First name, I mean.” - -“I don’t know.” - -“Well, maybe he wouldn’t like to have me get familiar on so short an -acquaintance,” reflected Gil. “I guess I’ll go down and find some one.” - -“Don’t get lost,” advised Poke. - -Gil didn’t have to search far, for Jim was in the lower hall. Gil -explained his quandary. - -“I guess I can get it open for you without prying the hasp off,” said -Jim. “Wait a minute and I’ll get some keys.” - -Five minutes later Jim lifted the lid in triumph. “There you are,” he -said. “Say, you fellows have got a raft of truck, haven’t you? Going to -put all those pictures up?” - -“I guess so,” answered Gil, “if there’s room for them.” - -“Better let me help you, then,” said Jim. “Tell me where you want them -to go. I’ll get the step-ladder.” - -“He’s a good-hearted kid,” observed Poke as Jim hurried off. - -“Your friend came back again,” announced Jim as he returned with the -ladder, “just after you telephoned. Said he’d decided to take this -room. I told him we’d just rented it and he was as mad as a hornet. -You would have thought that we’d cheated him out of it.” - -“Oh, that’s like Bull Gary,” said Gil. “He has an overdeveloped sense -of importance.” - -“He’s got an ingrowing ego,” said Poke. - -“I don’t know what that is,” laughed Jim, “but it sounds bad.” - -“It’s awful,” Poke assured him solemnly. “Let’s put that one over the -bed, Hazard. Want help?” - -“No, you fellows go on and get your things unpacked. We have supper in -about an hour.” - -“That sounds reasonable,” said Gil. - -“I’d like to know how you managed that fellow the way you did,” said -Jim presently. - -“Who? Gary?” asked Gil. “Well, not to make a mystery of it, Hazard, we -all belong to the same society, Plato, and in Plato every fellow is -supposed to act decently. Bull wasn’t acting decently and he knew it.” - -“Oh, do you have societies here?” asked Jim. - -“Four,” was the reply. “There’s Plato, which is the best, and to which -Endicott and I belong――” - -“Also Bull Gary,” said Poke dryly. “But Bull was an accident.” - -“And Pindar, Homer and Hesiod,” continued Gil. - -“Are they secret societies? How does a fellow get into them?” - -“Yes, they’re secret. And a fellow doesn’t get into them; he’s taken -in. Each society has from thirty to forty members. New members are -taken in each year during Winter Term.” - -“I see,” said Jim, moving the ladder to a new location. “I thought -maybe you could be proposed and get in that way.” - -“Why?” asked Poke. “Are you at school?” - -“I’m starting to-morrow,” replied Jim. “I’m in the Lower Middle Class. -I suppose you fellows are beyond that, aren’t you?” - -“One year,” replied Gil. “I didn’t know you were one of us, Hazard. -What do you think of our seat of learning?” - -“I like it,” answered Jim warmly. “I’ve always wanted to come here.” - -“Know many fellows?” asked Poke. - -Jim shook his head. “Not a one.” - -“Wrong, Mr. Hazard,” said Gil; “you know two. Mr. Perry Oldham Kirkland -Endicott and Mr. Gilbert Benton, two of the Academy’s most prominent -and representative members. Bow, Poke.” - -“Happy to meet your inquaintance,” murmured Poke politely. - -“Well, I know you fellows a little,” laughed Jim, “and I know the chap -across the hall in the same way. But that’s all.” - -“That doesn’t matter. You’ll soon know plenty of fellows. Who is the -chap you spoke of?” - -“His name is Latham, Jeffrey Latham, and he comes from Poughkeepsie. -He’s a sort of a cripple. One leg’s shorter than the other. He says he -was born that way. He seems a nice sort of fellow, and I was mighty -glad that Gary didn’t get his room from him.” - -“Cripple, eh? That’s hard lines. What class is he in?” - -“Lower Middle, same as me.” - -“Then we’re all Middlers here. Is the young lady your sister, Hazard?” - -“Yes. Hope’s going to High School when it starts. It’s her first year.” - -“Is your father here?” asked Poke. - -“No, he’s dead,” answered Jim. “Died about three years ago. That’s why -we’re here doing this. Everything went smash when dad died.” - -“Too bad,” said Poke sympathetically. “Never mind the rest of those -pictures. You’ve done enough already. Besides, I’m going to knock off -work and get ready for supper.” - -“There aren’t many more to go up,” said Jim. “I’ll stick ’em under this -bed.” - -“Don’t forget that we must telegraph this evening, Poke,” said Gil. “We -can telephone to the office from here.” - -“That’s so,” answered Poke, adding in explanation to Jim, while a broad -smile enveloped his countenance. “You see, Hazard, we’ve got to get -permission from home to change our lodgings.” - -“But you’ve already done it!” exclaimed Jim. “Suppose――suppose your -folks won’t let you?” - -Visions of having the room back on his hands, empty again, gave him an -anxious moment. But Gil smiled reassuringly. - -“Oh, that’ll be all right,” he declared. “I shall wire, ‘Poke moving to -village. Am going with him. Wire permission.’” - -“And I,” said Poke, “shall say, ‘Gil moving to village. Am going with -him. Wire permission.’” He winked at Jim. “Easy, what?” - -“Well, I hope it works,” laughed Jim. “Supper will be ready in about -ten minutes. Guess I’ll go and wash up.” - -“Much obliged for helping us,” said Gil. “See you later.” - -Sunnywood Cottage may be said to have formally opened its season that -evening at supper. At one end of the table sat Mrs. Hazard, at the -other Jim. Hope sat at her mother’s right with Jeffrey Latham beside -her, and across from them were Gil and Poke. Jeffrey was a bit shy -at first, but by the time supper was half over Gil and Poke had made -friends with him and the meal was a very jolly one. - -“This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared Poke, accepting a second -dish of Mrs. Hazard’s preserves. - -“Well, rather!” Gil agreed. “We never had preserves like this, did we, -Poke?” - -“Nor cake like this, either,” added Poke, looking politely expectant at -Hope, in front of whom the cake dish was reposing. - -[Illustration: “This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared Poke.] - -“Do have another piece,” said Mrs. Hazard, smiling with pleasure. “I -shall tell Jane that you like it.” - -Poke accepted his third slice demurely. - -“Is Jane the cook, ma’am? She’s a dandy, all right!” - -“Jane made the cake,” answered Mrs. Hazard, “but I can’t trust her yet -with all the cooking. I think she is going to do very nicely after she -has had a little more experience.” - -“Yes’m, experience is what counts,” said Poke gravely. - -“Well, you’re getting plenty of experience with that cake,” said Gil -dryly. “I guess, Mrs. Hazard, I ought to warn you now that Poke is an -awful eater.” - -“Huh! I don’t begin to eat as much as you do. Have some more cake, -Latham? You don’t eat much, do you?” - -“Oh, yes, I do, but Mrs. Hazard made me take dinner after I came. And I -didn’t want to seem impolite and so I ate a whole lot.” - -“Come to think of it,” said Gil, “it’s a good idea to leave a little -room for J. G.’s ice cream and wafers.” - -“By Jove,” exclaimed Poke, “I forgot about that!” - -“To-night, do you mean?” asked Jim. “Do you get things to eat at the -reception?” - -“Sure thing! Ice cream and those sugar wafers that taste like blotting -paper. It’s a good plan to go early, though; last year the eats gave -out about nine o’clock.” - -“Are you expected to go to it?” asked Jim. - -“Yes,” replied Gil. “Of course you don’t have to, but it’s a pretty -good idea to do it, Hazard. You get a chance to meet fellows, you see. -Faculty too. ‘Boots’――that’s Thurston, you know; physics;――will tell -you about his trip to Europe, and ‘Kitty’ Clarke――he’s chemistry――will -talk fishing until your head spins. Besides, you’ll meet Mrs. Gordon, -and she’s a dandy, isn’t she, Poke?” - -“Yes. We’ll all start about eight. You’re going, Latham?” - -“Yes, but I’ll start a little ahead. I can’t get along quite as fast as -you fellows.” - -“Oh, we’re in no great rush. We’ll all go together. We’d better go by -the road, though; I guess you’d find it pretty hard through the woods. -Let’s telephone those messages to the telegraph office now, Gil, before -we forget it.” - -Half an hour later they were off, Gil and Poke ahead and Jim and -Jeffrey behind, all suiting their pace to Jeffrey’s. He managed to -swing himself along about as fast as an ordinary walk, and that was -fast enough for any of them this evening, for all had supped well and -it was still pretty warm, although the sun had been down for a good -half-hour and there was a little breeze from the west. It was not quite -dark as they followed the winding road, but when, presently, the school -buildings came into sight beyond the trees lights were agleam in most -of the rooms. - -“Seems funny not to be living up there,” reflected Poke. “I wonder -who’ll get our room.” - -“Homesick already?” laughed Gil. “Much I care who gets it. I believe -we’re going to have a dandy time at――what’s its name?” - -“Sunnywood Cottage,” replied Poke as they turned onto the drive that -led past the rear of Academy Hall to the Principal’s residence. “Say, I -like Mrs. Hazard, don’t you?” - -“You bet! She’s a lady.” - -“Yes, she’s――she’s sort of like a fellow’s own mother, isn’t she? And -she certainly has great preserves!” - -The house was brilliantly lighted and already fellows were arriving. -Gil and Poke waited at the steps for the others to come up. Then, -settling their collars and furtively slicking down their hair, they -followed the stream, deposited their caps in the hall and entered the -big library, already half full of guests. Mr. Gordon, the Principal, -or J. G. as the boys called him, was receiving with Mrs. Gordon, and -toward them the Sunnywood contingent made their way, Gil and Poke, -however, stopping at least a dozen times to greet friends. On several -occasions Jim and Jeffrey were introduced, but only one name stuck in -Jim’s memory afterwards, that of a big, good-looking, broad-shouldered -fellow of nineteen, who squeezed Jim’s hand like a vise and of whom Gil -whispered a moment later as they passed on: “That’s Duncan Sargent, -football captain; one of the best!” Then Jim was shaking hands with Mr. -Gordon and Mrs. Gordon and the Principal was saying: - -“This is James Hazard, my dear. His mother has taken the Timberlake -house, you know.” - -The Principal was a sturdily built man of fifty-odd, clean-shaven, -with a nice face and a voice that made you like him instantly. In -appearance he was more the business man than the scholar. Jim had met -Mr. Gordon several times already, but Mrs. Gordon he had never seen. -She asked kindly about Jim’s mother and how the house was prospering. -Then another boy claimed her attention and Jim stepped back out of the -way just as Jeffrey, who had found difficulty in getting through the -throng, reached Mr. Gordon. - -“How do you do?” greeted the Principal, shaking hands in his hearty -way. “And what is your name? We haven’t met before, have we? You must -set me right if I am wrong. I confess that I sometimes forget a face.” - -“My name is Latham, sir, Jeffrey Latham. I came to-day.” - -“To be sure! And so you’re Latham, eh? I believe――yes, I think I might -have known it, my boy, for there is certainly a strong resemblance to -your father. And how is the Senator? Well, I trust?” - -“Yes, sir, thank you.” - -“I’m pleased to hear it. A fine man, Latham. I have had the pleasure of -meeting him once or twice in a casual way. I hope you’ll find your stay -with us happy and profitable, Latham. You must come and take tea with -Mrs. Gordon and me some evening.” - -As Jeffrey shook hands with Mrs. Gordon and turned away Poke Endicott, -who had been next him in line, dragged him aside. - -“What did J. G. mean about the Senator, Latham? Is he your father?” - -“Yes,” replied Jeffrey. - -Poke whistled softly. - -“Don’t that beat all!” he ejaculated. “Why, man alive, Senator Latham -and my dad are regular old cronies. Haven’t you ever heard him speak of -Major Endicott?” - -“Lots of times!” cried Jeffrey. “Is that your father?” - -“That’s the dad! Why, say, Latham, you and I are pretty nearly -relatives, aren’t we?” He grinned and stretched out his hand. “Senator, -I’m pleased to meet you!” he cried. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -MR. HANKS RENTS A ROOM - - -With the ringing of chapel bell in the old stone turret of Academy Hall -the next morning Crofton began its forty-third year. Seven-fifteen -seemed to come extremely early, for none of the boys in Sunnywood -Cottage had gone to bed until very late the night before. There had -been lots to talk about after the reception and they had loitered on -the way home and afterwards had congregated in Jeffrey’s room for a -final gossip. Jim, for one, pulled himself out of bed with a sigh; it -seemed to him that he could have slept until noon to-day. Gil and Poke -were already downstairs when he arrived, and Jeffrey followed a minute -later. They chose the wood path, Jeffrey protesting his ability to -manage it. And manage it he did very well, swinging himself along the -winding path, over protruding roots with a remarkable dexterity. - -Chapel was held in the Meeting Room on the first floor of Academy -Hall. It was a large, square room, taking up the entire east end of -the building. There was a long platform at one side and facing it -were rows of yellow settees. The walls held many portraits of former -Principals, faculty members and noted graduates and the big windows -were set in deep embrasures adorned with plaster casts of Greek and -Roman immortals; the students called this array “The White Company.” - -The shrill-toned bell gave its expiring clang as Jim followed the other -three into the room. Most of the fellows were already in their seats -and his first impression was of a sea of faces confronting him. They -passed row after row of settees before Gil, who was leading, turned in. -Behind them a boy closed the big door and Mr. Gordon arose and stepped -to the reading desk on the platform. Whispers ceased as the big Bible -was opened. - -“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. - -“For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee. - -“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write -them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good -understanding in the sight of God and man.” - -The Principal’s deep, pleasant voice went on to the end of the chapter. -Then there was the rustling of many pages as the hymn-books were -opened and the scraping of feet as the boys arose. They sang without -accompaniment of any sort, and to Jim, accustomed to the wheezy droning -of the worn-out organ in the little church at home, the effect was very -beautiful. Then came a prayer, a simple, earnest appeal to the Almighty -for help and guidance throughout the year just beginning. - -“And, O Lord, bless the faculty and the students of this school: give -them strength and patience to do their work, understanding and clean -hearts to follow Thy laws.” - -Then came the Lord’s Prayer, repeated in unison; a moment of silence; -and then the scraping of feet, the creaking of settees and the moving -of bodies, signifying the end of the service; signifying too, perhaps, -a longing for breakfast. But Mr. Gordon was not yet through with them. -He said a few words appropriate to the opening of the school and then -announced the presence on the faculty of a new member. A tall, thin -gentleman of middle age arose and stepped to the front of the platform. -He wore spectacles and held his head forward in a near-sighted way. - -“Mr. Hanks, young gentlemen,” announced Mr. Gordon. Mr. Hanks bowed to -the right, to the left, to the center, hesitated nervously and returned -precipitately to his chair. The students clapped their hands, grinning -the while at the new instructor’s evident delight in reaching his seat -again. - -“Hanks, did he say?” whispered Poke to Jim. “It isn’t hard to guess -what his name will be?” - -Jim looked a question and Poke laughed softly. - -“Nancy,” he whispered. “Nancy Hanks; see?” - -Mr. Gordon dismissed them and there was a fairly dignified rush for -the door, Jim becoming separated from his companions in the exodus. He -discovered them again outside, however. Jeffrey, the subject of much -polite curiosity, was leaning on his crutches at the foot of the steps, -while, close by, Gil and Poke made part of a group of six or seven -fellows who were talking and laughing as fast as they knew how. Jim -joined Jeffrey, but a moment later Gil saw them and called them over. - -“Want you to meet some friends of mine, fellows,” he said. “Sargent you -met last night, I think. This is Cosgrove. Joe, shake hands with Hazard -and Latham. You too, Atherton. Likewise Sommers and Heath. Hazard’s a -Lower Middler. How about you, Latham; what’s your class?” - -“The same,” replied Jeffrey. - -“You fellows want to come over and see our new room,” said Poke. “It’s -a dandy. We’ve got hardwood ceilings, hot and cold elevator service, -continuous janitor, telephone in every room――” - -“Dry up, Poke,” laughed Joe Cosgrove. “Where is it? What did you leave -Weston for?” - -“Didn’t like the society there,” replied Poke gravely. “We’re at Mrs. -Hazard’s; this chap’s mother, you know. She’s taken the Timberlake -cottage. We’ve got a fine old room, honest. Come over soon, will you?” - -Jim became aware that Duncan Sargent was looking at him in a peculiarly -speculative way as though trying to guess his weight. He was -enlightened the next moment when Sargent asked: - -“You a football man, Hazard?” - -Jim shook his head. “Not much of one, I’m afraid. I’ve tried the game -but I never made a success at it.” - -“Well, but you’re coming out, aren’t you?” - -“Coming out?” repeated Jim at a loss. - -“Yes, to try for the team. This afternoon at four. We want all the new -material we can get this year and you look as though you might make -good.” - -“Why, thanks,” said Jim. “I――I’d like to, but I won’t have time. You -see, we’ve taken that house and there’s a good deal to do.” - -“Oh.” Sargent looked disappointed. “I wish you would, though. See if -you can’t give us an hour or so in the afternoon, Hazard. I’m going to -look for you, anyhow.” - -[Illustration: “You a football man, Hazard?” Sargent asked.] - -Jim murmured vaguely and politely, very much flattered by the football -captain’s interest in him, and the group broke up. The quartette -hurried back to Sunnywood Cottage as fast as Jeffrey could go, all -very anxious for breakfast. At nine the school bell rang again and Jim -and Jeffrey――with many another new boy――attended their first class. -But there wasn’t much real work done that opening day, and at three -o’clock they were free. Jim returned to the cottage alone. Most of the -other fellows were making for the athletic field to either don canvas -and get into the first day’s practice or to loll about the grand-stand -or on the warm turf and watch and comment. But Jim had plenty of work -awaiting him at the cottage, for in spite of the fact that they had -been at Crofton for almost a fortnight there still remained numerous -odds and ends to attend to. Hope, busily hemming dish-towels on the -porch, was eager to hear about his experiences, but she found her -brother a good deal of a disappointment. - -“Why, nothing much happened,” replied Jim, dumping his books in a -chair. “There was history and French. I have the new man, Mr. Hanks, in -history. He’s awfully funny; guess he was rattled a bit. Poke calls him -‘Nancy’; not bad, is it?” - -“I haven’t seen him, Jim.” - -“You don’t have to see him to appreciate that; Nancy Hanks; don’t you -see?” - -“Oh!” murmured Hope blankly. “But――but why does he call him Nancy?” - -“Don’t you know who Nancy Hanks was? My, you don’t know much United -States history, do you?” - -“I suppose not,” replied Hope humbly. - -“Was she a――a nurse or something in the Revolutionary War, Jim?” - -“Of course she wasn’t,” answered Jim disgustedly. “You’d better read -your history, sis. Where’s Lady?” - -“In there.” Hope nodded toward the door. “She wants you to go down town -for something.” - -“All right; I’ve got to go anyway; got to get some books and stationery. -What are you doing?” - -Hope held up the piece of blue-checked linen. “Dish-cloths.” - -“Oh. I suppose we haven’t rented any more rooms?” - -Hope shook her head. “No, there hasn’t been a soul here――except the -ice-man and a man who wanted to sell us a set of ‘The World’s Best -Literature.’” - -“Well, I don’t see how we’re going to get along with just those two -rooms rented,” said Jim gloomily. “Endicott said I might advertise in -the school paper, but Benton said it would be wasting money because -the fellows don’t change rooms after school begins.” - -“Lady and I were talking about it this afternoon,” said Hope, biting -a thread off with her teeth and then glancing apologetically at her -brother. - -“What have I told you――” began Jim sternly. But Hope hurried on. “Lady -said she thought we could manage to make expenses even if we don’t let -any more rooms. She says living isn’t very expensive here in Crofton. -And then, Jim, there’s the rent money from the house at home.” - -“Thirty-three dollars a month! Wait until we have to buy coal to heat -this place! It’s going to take a lot of fuel, the rooms are so big and -there are so many windows.” - -“Well, we may rent another one yet,” replied Hope cheerfully. “You -never can tell, Jim, and, anyway, it doesn’t do a bit of good to worry.” - -“Some one’s got to do a little worrying,” answered Jim shortly. “You -and Lady don’t seem to care whether we make this thing go or not!” - -“You’re perfectly horrid! We do care, Jim, but nobody ever did any good -to anybody by worrying. Besides, I don’t see that there is anything we -can do but just――just wait.” - -“Yes, wait,” said Jim disgustedly. “Sit here and wait for some one to -come along and insist on being taken in. A lot of rooms we will rent -that way!” - -“Well, those boys upstairs did that, didn’t they? They came along and -rented the room, Jim; nobody worried them into it, did they?” - -“Well, you sit here and wait,” growled her brother. “I’m going down -town.” He picked up his books and turned toward the door. “I’ll see -what Lady wants.” He was back in a few moments, stuffing a slip of -paper, Mrs. Hazard’s list, into his pocket. “Want to go along, Hope?” - -But Hope shook her head. “I must finish these, Jim. I’ve got five more -to do.” - -“Oh, all right.” He pulled his hat down over his eyes and started off. -Hope looked after him, sighed and shook her head. - -“Jim’s getting growlier and growlier every day,” she murmured. “I -suppose I ought to worry too; maybe he’d like it better if I did. The -trouble is I don’t seem to be able to. Every time I get started to be -unhappy I think of something nice and forget! I’m afraid”――she fixed -her gaze thoughtfully on the little round bed of scarlet sage, which -was all the garden the cottage could boast――“I’m afraid I’m dreadfully -fripish. Maybe I have a――a shallow nature.” Then she smiled, and, “Oh, -dear,” she sighed ruefully, “I can’t worry even about that! - -“Just the same,” she continued in thought as she sent her needle in and -out, “I really don’t see the use of worrying all the time. It seems to -me that if things go wrong you just ought to keep cheerful, and the -wronger they go the cheerfuller you ought to keep. You never know when -something nice is going to happen in this wonderful world. Why, I might -be sitting here just like this and somebody might come along and say, -‘Young lady, have you any rooms to rent?’ And I’d say――” - -“I――I beg your pardon.” - -Hope looked up with a start. At the end of the short walk, holding -the gate half open, stood a tall gentleman in rather ill-fitting -pepper-and-salt clothes. On his head, set at a rakish angle, was a -straw hat with a narrow up-rolled brim. It was very yellow as to straw -and very rusty as to ribbon. And it didn’t suit his lean, thoughtful -face the least bit. He wore spectacles and from behind the lenses a -pair of faded blue eyes peered near-sightedly. He carried a small book -in his right hand, one finger inserted between the pages to hold his -place. Hope wondered if he could be another book agent and dropped her -work and went to the steps. - -“I regret disturbing you, young lady,” said the gentleman, “but will -you kindly tell me whether this is――er――” He stopped perplexedly. Then, -“Dear, dear,” he said half to himself, “what was the name now?” - -“This is Mrs. Hazard’s house,” said Hope helpfully. - -“Ah, that was it; Mrs. Hazard!” he said with vast relief. He entered -and closed the gate carefully behind him, changing the book from right -hand to left as he did so but taking care to keep his place. “I――I am -looking for accommodations; lodgings; a room and――er――yes, board with -it. You give board here?” - -“Yes, indeed,” answered Hope. “If you will take a seat I will tell my -mother you are here.” - -[Illustration: “I am looking for accommodations, a room and――er――yes, -board with it.”] - -“Thank you.” He took a chair. “My name is Hanks. I am just beginning my -duties as instructor at the school. The Principal, Mister――Mister――well, -the name doesn’t matter――sent me here. I had a room――” He broke off -abruptly and exclaimed anxiously; “Your rooms have plenty of light?” - -“Yes, sir, they’re quite light and sunny.” Hope had reached the door -but politeness kept her there until the visitor had finished talking. - -“That is excellent. I had a room in one of the halls; I think it was -Roberts――or Rutgers; now was it that? Well, that’s of no consequence. -I was explaining that the room was extremely dark, even in midday -very little light penetrating the――er――the windows. As my eyes are -unfortunately quite weak I was obliged to inform Mister――Mister――” - -“Gordon,” prompted Hope gently. - -“Thank you. Yes, Mr. Gordon. I was obliged to inform him that the room -would not be satisfactory. I then learned that there was no other room -to be had at the school. Quite extraordinary, I would say.” - -He paused and seemed to be pondering the fact. Hope waited. After a -moment he looked up in his funny startled way. - -“I――I beg your pardon!” he said confusedly. “I――I fear I am detaining -you.” - -“Oh, no, sir. I’ll tell my mother that you are here.” - -“If you will be so kind.” He bowed gravely. - -But Mrs. Hazard was already on the way, having heard the voices on the -porch. As she came out Mr. Hanks arose from his chair and bowed. Then, -as an afterthought, he removed his faded straw hat. - -“Mama,” said Hope, “this is Mr. Nancy Hanks――I mean――” She faltered in -confusion. Mr. Hanks came to the rescue. - -“I fear you did not get the name quite correctly,” he said politely. -“Artemus Hanks is the name.” - -“He――he is looking for a room,” said Hope hurriedly, painfully aware -that she was blushing frantically. - -“I shall be very glad to show you what we have,” said Mrs. Hazard with -a smile. “Will you come in?” - -“Er――thank you.” Mr. Hanks placed his book, open and face down, on the -chair, put his hat carefully on top of it and followed. “I am not very -particular, Mrs.――er――Mrs. Hazel; plenty of light is almost my sole -requirement. Unfortunately, my eyesight――” - -They passed out of hearing, leaving Hope divided between confusion and -laughter. How had she ever been so stupid as to call him Nancy? The -gate slammed and Jim came up the walk, laden with bundles and looking -very warm. - -“Oh, Jim,” she cried softly. “He came and I called him Mr. Nancy Hanks! -Wasn’t that simply awful?” - -“Who came? Mr. Hanks? Came here? What for?” - -“For a room. Just after you went. I was sitting here――” - -“Did he take it?” asked Jim eagerly. - -“I don’t know. He’s still up there. Isn’t he the funniest, foolishest -old dear of a man, Jim? He couldn’t remember Lady’s name, nor Mr. -Gordon’s――” - -“S-sh, they’re coming down,” warned Jim. The instructor, followed by -Mrs. Hazard, came out of the door. - -“I hope you will find it quite light enough, Professor.” - -“Not Professor, ma’am, merely instructor. I have no doubt the room will -be――er――quite satisfactory. I shall have my things removed directly.” -He caught sight of Jim and bowed. “How do you do,” he murmured. “Thank -you, ma’am.” He bowed to Mrs. Hazard, managing to include Hope in the -salutation, and started down the steps. Hope, stifling a giggle, seized -his hat and book and ran after him. - -“Eh?” he asked bewilderedly. “Oh, thank you, thank you. My hat――and -book; to be sure. I believe I would have forgotten them. Thank you, -thank you.” - -He set his hat on his head, where it immediately shifted to the same -rakish angle as before, closed the gate carefully behind him, opened -his book and paced slowly off toward school, reading as he went. Hope -subsided in a chair and gave way to laughter. Jim grinned in sympathy -and Mrs. Hazard said “S-sh!” warningly, but had to smile too. Then: - -“Well, Jim, another room rented,” she said cheerfully. - -“Fine, Lady! What’s he going to pay?” - -“Why――why”――a queer expression came over Mrs. Hazard’s face――“why, do -you know, Jim, I don’t think he――I――we spoke of the price at all!” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -PLATO SOCIETY - - -“Of course I’m glad you’ve rented your room,” said Poke with hesitancy, -“but――but it isn’t going to be much fun having a faculty in the house.” - -“We had two in hall,” said Gil. - -“Yes, but what’s two when there are forty fellows to look after? That’s -different. Here there are only four of us, and, besides, he’s right -next door. Not, of course,” he continued, assuming an air of conscious -virtue, “that I would think of doing anything――er――out of the way, but -I――one resents the――the espionage.” - -“Come again,” requested Gil. - -“I’m sorry,” said Jim. “I didn’t think about that.” - -They were talking it over on the porch before supper. Mr. Hanks was -already installed in the room behind Jeffrey’s, his luggage consisting -of four huge boxes of books, one small trunk and a battered valise, -having arrived simultaneously with Gil and Poke. - -“Piffle!” said Gil. “It doesn’t matter. I dare say Nancy isn’t the sort -to bother us much. He’s a queer old duffer.” - -“Old?” questioned Jim thoughtfully. “I don’t believe he’s so terribly -old, fellows.” - -“He looks as though he might be anything from twenty-five to forty,” -said Gil. “I dare say he’s really about thirty, eh?” - -“I dare say,” responded Poke. “Well, it doesn’t matter as long as he -behaves himself and leaves us alone to our innocent amusements. I’d -hate to have to report him to J. G., though. Here comes Latham. He -manages to get along pretty well on those sticks of his, doesn’t he?” - -“It’s too bad he’s that way,” said Gil. “He seems a good sort. Wonder -why he doesn’t wear a thick-soled shoe on that foot. Seems to me that -would be better than using crutches.” - -“It’s something about the muscles of that leg,” explained Jim. “Some -of them don’t work right; I think he said they were the――the extensive -muscles,” ended Jim doubtfully. - -“Extensor,” corrected Gil. “He’s mighty cheerful considering everything, -I think. Hello, Latham! Where have you been?” - -“Seeing the world,” replied Jeffrey. “Stumping all over the place. -I watched football practice awhile and went down along the river -afterwards. It’s awfully pretty, isn’t it?” He seated himself in a -chair, leaning his crutches against his knees. “I saw you two fellows -playing,” he added. - -“You saw us working like dogs,” replied Poke grimly. “Football for the -first month is a whole lot like hard work, Latham. By the way, Hazard, -what happened to you? Aren’t you going to try for the team? Dun asked -where you were to-day.” - -“I wouldn’t have time,” answered Jim. “Besides, I can’t play; I’ve -tried it.” - -“Can’t play? How do you know you can’t play? You let Johnny get at you -for a couple of weeks. Then if he says you can’t play I’ll believe it. -Johnny can make a football player out of a lump of wood!” - -“He did something more wonderful than that,” said Gil. “He made one out -of you, Poke.” - -“Your wit is very cheap, Mr. Benton.” - -“Who is Johnny?” asked Jim. - -“Johnny? Johnny is Mr. John Connell, the best little trainer in the -country. He’s a wonder! Why, half the big schools have been after -him for years, and last spring he had an offer from Dartmouth! You go -and let Johnny look you over. If he says there’s no hope for you, all -right.” - -“I’d like to play well enough,” said Jim, “but there’s too much to do -about the house.” - -“Why? What sort of things?” - -“Oh, chopping kindling, bringing up coal, running to the village, -cutting grass――” - -“Get your coal up in the morning, cut your kindling at night, telephone -to the village and forget the grass,” said Poke glibly. “It won’t do to -waste yourself on――on domestic duties, Hazard; you look to me just like -a chap who has the making of a good back in him. Say, now, you come out -to-morrow afternoon with us and we’ll hand you over to Johnny and see -what happens. Will you?” - -But Jim shook his head, with a smile. “I know what might happen,” he -said. “There might be no coal to cook supper with.” - -“Get a fireless cooker,” suggested Jeffrey with a laugh. - -“Joking aside, Hazard,” said Gil soberly, “they really need you on the -field this fall. We’re short of good men. See if you can’t fix your -chores so as to have the afternoons for football.” - -“Oh, I think they can do without me,” laughed Jim. “If they ever saw me -play they wouldn’t want me a minute. No, I guess I’ll get my exercise -right around here.” - -“Let me go as his substitute,” said Jeffrey with a smile. - -“At that you’d get around a heap quicker than some of the fellows -who try for the team,” replied Poke. “Well, let’s wash up, Gil. It’s -meeting night, you remember.” - -“What’s meeting night?” asked Jim. - -“Plato Society meets this evening. I’d ask you along, but it’s business -meeting to-night. Glad to have you some other time, though; you, too, -Latham, if you’d like.” - -At supper the household had increased to seven, for Mr. Hanks occupied -the seat of honor at Mrs. Hazard’s right. He was introduced to the -boys and shook hands with each, smiling in his absentminded way. At -first his presence at table rather dampened the spirits of the others, -excepting Mrs. Hazard who did her best to make conversation with the -newcomer. Her efforts, however, were not very successful. Mr. Hanks -replied politely but embarrassedly, showing that he was far more ill -at ease than the boys. On the whole, supper was a quiet meal, and -almost as soon as it was over Gil and Poke left the house for the -meeting. - -At Crofton the faculty keeps a gentle but firm hold on the societies -by assigning to each a Counsellor, one of the younger faculty members. -He is responsible to the Principal for the conduct of his society, -although his office is merely an advisory one. Plato’s Counsellor was -Mr. Brown, better known as “Brownie,” instructor in Greek and one of -the more popular of the faculty members. Plato, like the other three -societies, had a home of its own, a small cottage near the campus on -Academy Road in charge of an elderly man and his wife who received -the rear part of the house rent-free in return for their services as -housekeeper and gardener. There was a little yard in front, what Poke -called an “open-faced porch”――there being no railing on it――and four -downstairs rooms, of which two were used by the society. On the second -floor were four bedrooms, occupied principally by visiting friends. The -room on the right on the first floor was the Meeting Room, and it was -quite ample in size to accommodate the thirty boys who had congregated -there this evening. - -It was already well filled when Gil and Poke arrived, although the -meeting had not yet been called to order. Mr. Brown was the center of -a group of fellows which the two new arrivals joined. The instructor -had a handshake and a word of welcome for each. Then other friends -demanded recognition, and for the next five minutes the hum of talk and -laughter filled the square, old-fashioned room. The two windows on the -front of the house were wide open, for the flaring gas-jets in the big -chandelier were making the room uncomfortably warm. The side windows -were kept closed and curtained, for it was not beyond the possibilities -that prankish or curious members of a rival society might eavesdrop; -such a thing had occurred before now, and the heavy shrubbery outside -offered excellent concealment for the enemy. The room was papered with -plain gray cartridge paper above the white-painted paneling, and a -half-dozen good engravings decorated the walls. There was an oak desk -between the front windows with a few straight-backed chairs about it, -while some forty folding chairs filled the body of the room. There -was no carpet on the floor and the broad mantel was bare of adornment. -The apartment, save at commencement time, was used only for business -purposes. At commencement the chairs were moved against the wall and -visiting relatives and friends took possession and the floor was waxed -for dancing. - -Presently the president of the Society, Ben Atherton, who was also -captain of the crew, rapped on the desk with a little silver-mounted -gavel and the fellows took their places. What passed at the meeting we, -as outsiders, have no right to know. I do not believe, however, that -it was a very important affair, for it lasted less than half an hour. -Then the boys trooped into the room across the hall or emerged onto -the porch. Banjos, mandolins and guitars were taken from their cases. -“Punk” Gibbs seated himself at the piano――a long-suffering instrument -constantly in need of tuning――and wandered through some chords while -the other musicians, seated around or leaning about it, tuned up. - -The Social Room, as they called it, was well and comfortably furnished. -There were many brown oak chairs and settles upholstered in dull red -leather, some fairly good rugs on the polished floor, a broad couch, -filled with cushions――and, just now, with boys as well――in front of -the fireplace, a good-sized bookcase moderately well filled and many -pictures on the walls. The word picture here means all sorts of things -in frames, for there were originals of cover-designs for the school -weekly, _The Crow_, posters of all sorts, drawings and other trophies -and mementos, all crowded together in interesting confusion. Visitors -to Plato Society found the walls of the Social Room highly amusing. - -The room was soon noisy with talk and laughter, the jangle of the -piano and the _strum-strum_ of strings. Gil and Poke had found places -at one of the windows, which opened clear to the floor, where, seated -on cushions, they were in position to see and hear what went on both -inside and out. Mr. Brown was on the porch telling an interested group -about his summer walking trip through Switzerland. On the big couch in -front of the empty fireplace a very hilarious group were recounting -their own vacation experiences and, incidentally, “rubbing it into” one -youth on whom they apparently had a very good joke. He was grinning -in an embarrassed way and half-heartedly retaliating on his chief -tormentor with a cushion. Then Gibbs started up “Old Plato” and the -banjos and guitars and mandolins, six or seven in all, joined in as -best they could. Fingers were stiff, however, from lack of practice, -and the music was pretty wobbly at first. But by the time Gibbs had -reached the refrain the orchestra was doing fairly well, and when the -pianist started over again, first one voice and then another began the -words, and presently the whole assemblage was singing the Society Song. -It wasn’t an especially edifying production, but it went with a swing -and Platonians had sung it for years. - - Old Plato was a good old soul, - Old Plato, Old Plato! - He loved his pipe and he loved his bowl, - Old Plato! Old Plato! - But more than all he loved a scrap; - He’d argufy at the drop of the cap; - Oh, he was a fine old sporting chap, - Old Plato! Old Plato! - - Hurrah, hurrah for Plato, - Hurrah for our Patron Saint! - He was a hot potato - In the good old days that ain’t! - A very lucky man was he, - A lucky man as you’ll agree, - For “Greek ain’t never Greek to me,” - Said Plato, Old Plato! - - Old Plato dealt in philosoph-ee; - Old Plato! Old Plato! - And he founded this great Societ-ee; - Old Plato! Old Plato! - He wrote the Protagoras, too,―― - Which wasn’t a thoughtful thing to do―― - And made much trouble for me and you; - Old Plato! Old Plato! - - Old Plato lived in Ancient Greece; - Old Plato! Old Plato! - And when he died he died in peace; - Old Plato! Old Plato! - They buried him under a cypress tree, - And said, as they danced with joy and glee; - “No more of your fool philosoph-ee, - Old Plato! Old Plato!” - - Hurrah, hurrah for Plato, - Hurrah for our Patron Saint! - He was a hot potato - In the good old days that ain’t! - A very lucky man was he, - A lucky man as you’ll agree, - For “Greek ain’t never Greek to me,” - Said Plato, Old Plato! - -Afterwards they sang “Crow, Crow for Crofton!” and then “Follow the -River”: - - Follow the river up from the sea, - Through sun and shadowy tracery, - Over the shallows and past the green pools; - You’ll come at last to the School of Schools. - -Then came the old college songs, “Mother Yale,” “Fair Harvard,” “Old -Nassau,” and the football songs, “Boola,” “Veritas,” and many more. And -then it was bedtime――Mr. Brown was the first to discover the fact――and -instruments were put away, the lights extinguished and by twos and -threes and larger groups the Platonians dispersed. The Counsellor -lived in Browne Hall――most appropriately――and as Browne was the last -dormitory on the campus the instructor was accompanied homeward by -some dozen or more students. Gil and Poke were amongst the number, for -it was quite as near for them to walk to the school and then go home -through the woods as to follow the winding road. Besides, there was a -full moon to-night to light their way. - -They talked about the new students and speculated as to whom they -would draw into Plato when the elections came. This was a subject of -unfailing interest, although it was too early in the school year for -the interest to wax intense. The societies took their members from the -three upper classes in January and each sought to select fellows who -had in some way distinguished themselves. - -“There’s one thing,” said Mr. Brown, as they passed into the black -shadows of Academy Hall, “that we ought to keep in sight, fellows, and -that is that the men we want for Plato are the men who have not only -_done_ things but who _think_ things. Don’t let’s just make the Society -a group of athletes and First Honors men and commencement officers. -Let’s try and pick the fellows who are honorable and earnest and fine -and manly. Remember that Plato isn’t over with when you leave Crofton; -the Society goes right on, bringing other fellows together just as -it has brought us together. Let’s see that when we leave it we leave -it in shape to do the work it was designed to do, let’s see that we -leave a fine, big lot of chaps to carry on the work in our stead. It’s -character we want, fellows, and not merely athletic honors, nor social -honors, nor even merely scholastic honors. Let’s judge our members to -be as _men_ first; then consider the honors they’ve won. Remember the -motto, fellows: ‘For the Good of the School, and so for the Good of -Myself.’ Good night, everybody.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -JIM MAKES A PROMISE - - -“We’ve got the same lessons, Hazard,” said Jeffrey, after the others -had taken their departure, “so why don’t you bring your books into my -room and study?” - -“I’d like to,” answered Jim, “and I will as soon as I finish my chores.” - -Half an hour later the two were seated on opposite sides of the -table in Jeff’s room, their books spread out before them in a very -businesslike way. But there wasn’t much studying done that evening, -although each acknowledged the necessity of it. There were too many -things to talk about. Naturally the foremost topic was the school. -Jeffrey had to tell Jim what he thought about it, and Jim had to give -his opinion of the fellows they had met; and after that they discussed -the instructors and the course of study and many associated subjects. -And before the evening was over it was no longer Hazard and Latham, but -Jim and Jeff. - -And in another day or two proper names had quite disappeared from -Sunnywood. Every one called every one else by his first name; except -that Poke had dubbed Jeff “The Senator” and called him that about half -the time. For awhile Jim’s mother was “Mrs. Hazard,” but eventually she -became “Lady” to every one except Mr. Hanks. Mr. Hanks――or “Nancy,” as -the boys dubbed him――called Mrs. Hazard pretty nearly everything except -Mrs. Hazard. Sometimes it was Hazel, sometimes Hastings, sometimes -Hathaway; and once, to the amusement and bewilderment of the entire -table, he called her “Mrs. Venture.” Hope was “Miss Hope” to the boys -for awhile, but as friendship ripened the Miss was dropped. The boys -all liked Hope. They couldn’t have done anything else, I fancy, for -Hope was always happy and merry, eager for fun and firmly convinced -that Sunnywood Cottage held the four finest boys in Crofton Academy. - -But I am getting ahead of my story. - -Gil and Poke had in due time received the required parental sanction -to their change of quarters and had settled down very comfortably in -what Poke called the Royal Suite. With three of their rooms rented for -the school year Jim and his mother were much encouraged, for even if -the fourth room didn’t rent they could, they were certain, more than -pay expenses. Mr. Hanks, in spite of Poke’s forebodings, troubled no -one. If he found the house rather noisy at times, he made no complaint. -Except at meal times they saw very little of him. He was usually very -silent at the table, accepting what was placed before him or handed to -him and eating it in his funny absentminded way. At school, however, -Mr. Hanks was having his troubles. In the first place, he was a new -man, and there is an unwritten law at Crofton to the effect that new -instructors must be decently hazed. Hazing in Mr. Hanks’ case consisted -of taking advantage of his inexperience and diffidence until at the end -of his first week at school his Latin and history classes had lost all -semblance of order and discipline. The instructor’s worst trial was -Latin 2. In this class was Brandon Gary, and Gary knew more ways to -make the teacher’s life a burden to him than there were pages in the -Æneid. - -“Bull makes me very tired,” said Gil one day. “It’s all right to have -a little fun; and every faculty ought to stand a little joshing; but -Bull is keeping it up too long. First thing we know Nancy will get -discouraged and quit. If he only knew enough to sit on a few of those -Smart Alecks he wouldn’t have any more trouble.” - -“I think it’s just as mean as can be,” declared Hope. “Mr. Hanks is a -perfect dear.” - -“Oh, he’s all right,” agreed Poke. “Nancy isn’t a half bad sort. Only -thing is he hasn’t enough grit.” - -“And,” continued Hope, puzzledly, “I don’t see why you want to call him -Nancy. He doesn’t look a bit like a horse.” - -“A what?” demanded Jeff in surprise. - -“A horse. I asked Lady the other day who Nancy Hanks was and she said -he――I mean she――was a famous racehorse. And I don’t see――” - -But the boys were laughing so loudly that the rest of Hope’s remark was -drowned. She viewed them bewilderedly. - -“Wasn’t she a horse?” she asked doubtfully. - -“Well,” answered Jeff, who had recovered first, “I believe there used -to be a horse named that. But the original Nancy Hanks was Abraham -Lincoln’s mother. Have you never heard of her?” - -Hope shook her head. “I don’t believe so. What――what did she do?” - -Jeff looked at Gil and Gil looked at Jim and Jim shook his head. It was -Poke who came to the rescue. - -“Mrs. Hanks,” he observed thoughtfully, “was a very estimable lady. -Besides being the mother of the Martyr President she――er――she invented -the idea of winding yarn in hanks. Hence the name.” - -The others viewed him suspiciously, but were afraid to question his -statement for fear of confessing their ignorance. Jeff said “Hm” -noncommittingly and Jim became very busy over the lock he was trying to -repair. Hope accepted the information at face value and thanked Poke -very nicely. Poke, I think, was on the verge of a confession when Mr. -Hanks himself came into sight beyond the fence. He had an armful of -books as usual and his head seemed to have acquired to-day an added -droop. As he turned in through the gate his face looked pretty tired -and discouraged. Jim and Poke arose from their places on the steps to -let him by and it was only then that he saw the group. He lifted his -funny old straw hat rather sketchily and murmured, “Good evening.” The -others responded politely, but Hope, with a sudden rush of sympathy for -the instructor, said: “Won’t you sit down here and rest, Mr. Hanks? -You look very tired, and supper won’t be ready for a long time.” - -Mr. Hanks looked surprised and embarrassed, hesitated, dropped a -book――which Gil rescued――and finally stammered: “Er――thanks, but I have -much work to do. It――it has been a very nice day, hasn’t it?” - -They all agreed enthusiastically that it had, after which Mr. Hanks -hemmed and coughed once or twice, bowed jerkily and went on in. They -could hear him walking weariedly up the stairs to his room. - -“He looks perfectly floppy!” exclaimed Hope, indignantly. “It is too -mean for anything to treat him so!” - -“What’s floppy?” asked Gil, a little ashamed of his own small share in -the instructor’s unhappiness and willing to switch the conversation. - -“Why――why, _floppy_, of course; tired and――and miserable and unhappy!” - -“Ready to flop,” added Poke knowingly. “It is an excellent word, even -if Mr. Webster doesn’t countenance it. What’s the matter, Jim?” - -“I lost a screw somewhere. I guess it went down a crack when I got up.” - -“That lock will be a wonder when you get through with it,” laughed -Poke. “You’ve used up three screw-drivers and a perfectly good penknife -on it so far.” - -“The trouble,” responded Jim gravely, holding the offending article -under his nose and squinting knowingly into its intricacies, “is with -the tumblers.” - -“Nonsense!” said Poke. “The trouble’s in the carburetor. It needs -adjusting. How’s school going, Hope?” - -“Fine!――I just love the teacher in our room.” - -“Hm; wait until you’ve been there another week. Teachers all look good -at first. They’re very――very deceptive.” Poke shook his head sadly. -“I’ve had a great deal of experience with teachers.” - -“I guess they’ve had a good deal of experience with you,” laughed Hope. -Poke grinned. - -“Well, I don’t deny that I have aided in the education of a few. -Including our estimable Nancy,” he added rashly. - -Hope sobered. “I shan’t like you, Poke,” she said gravely, “if you’re -mean to Mr. Hanks.” - -“Who? Me? Honest, now, I haven’t done a thing, have I, Gil?” - -“Not much,” answered Gil. “No more than I have. We’ve all had a go at -him. I think, though, it’s about time we let up. I guess we’ll have to -squelch Bull Gary, Poke.” - -Poke nodded. “I guess so. Bull lacks a――a sense of sufficiency.” - -“What’s that?” inquired Jeff. - -“That is a polite way of saying that he doesn’t know when he’s had -enough. By the way, Jim, did we tell you that Gary has taken a room at -Jones’s? He says it’s fine, but that’s poppycock. Jones’s is the worst -hole in the village. I guess he’s still peeved with you for not renting -a room to him.” - -“I don’t see how I could,” said Jim, laying aside the lock with a sigh -of relief. “I wasn’t going to put Jeff out; or you fellows either. -Besides, I don’t like him.” - -“Well, Bull isn’t terribly popular,” said Gil, “but he’s really not so -awfully bad. All he needs is some one to beat a little sense into him. -He’s a lot better than when he first came. I dare say that some day -Gary will be a useful member of society.” - -“In the sweet by and by,” said Poke skeptically. “And, say, Gil, what’s -the matter with Bull’s playing this year? He’s way off his game. Johnny -gave him a fierce ragging this afternoon. Did you hear him? Told Bull -that if he didn’t do better than he’d been doing he’d be wearing a nice -warm blanket on the side-line. I guess Bull has a swelled head after -last year.” - -“Does he play well?” asked Jim. - -“He _can_ play well. He’s one of the best guards we’ve had for years. -And in the Hawthorne game last fall――which, as you probably know, Mr. -Locksmith, is our big game――he put up a grand old exhibition. Didn’t -he, Gil?” - -“You bet! And that’s what I say. You can’t altogether dislike a chap -who can play football the way he can――when he wants to.” - -“Well, he will have to want to pretty soon, I guess,” said Poke. -“Johnny’s getting out of patience. When are you coming down to the -field with me, Jim, to have a try?” - -“About Christmas time, I think.” - -“You don’t say? Well, let me tell you something, son. I’m going to -get Dun Sargent after you. I’m not going to see a good football player -wasted in a locksmith.” - -“Good football player!” scoffed Jim. “I never played enough to be -good――or even real bad, for that matter. I don’t know enough about the -rules to――to――” - -“That’s all right,” said Gil. “They’ll teach the rules to you. Just you -come and have a try. You’re missing a lot of fun.” - -“And a lot of hard work, too,” sighed Poke. - -“I wish you would play,” said Hope. “Won’t you, Jim?” - -“How can I?” asked Jim a trifle irritably. “I’d like to――in a way――I -guess, but who’d do the work here?” - -“Listen,” said Poke impressively, “if you’ll try for the squad and if -you make it we’ll all help with your silly chores. Won’t we, fellows?” - -“Right-O!” agreed Gil. - -“Surely,” said Jeff. - -“Besides,” Poke continued, “what do you have to do, anyway? Lug up a -little coal, split some kindling, sift some ashes――” - -“Beat some carpets, run some errands, fix some locks, study some -lessons,” added Jim with a laugh. - -“Oh, well, that’s nothing,” said Poke airily. “I’m a wonderful carpet -beater; better than one of those vacuum things, Jim. Now that’s a fair -offer. What do you say?” - -Jim laughed. - -“Will you report to-morrow?” Poke persisted. - -“No, but maybe I’ll go down and look on for awhile.” - -“All right! That’s a promise. You go down with Gil and me after school -to-morrow. Don’t forget. Jeff, you’re a witness; you too, Hope. After -he’s looked on awhile he will want to play. Jim, you’re a gone coon!” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -POKE USES TACT - - -Jim kept his promise; in fact, he was given no choice in the matter, -for Poke was waiting for him on the steps of Academy Hall when he -emerged from his algebra recitation the next afternoon. Jeffrey had -agreed to accompany them to the field, but as he didn’t show up they -started along without him. It was Jim’s first visit to the field, -although he had often viewed it from afar. Their way took them past -the front of Memorial Hall, a small building of Grecian architecture -presented to the school by graduates in honor of four Croftonians who -had lost their lives in the war with Spain. Crofton was proud of those -men and the bronze tablet beside the doorway was one of the first -objects exhibited to visitors. The building held the dining-hall and -kitchen, and if some humorists alluded to it as Prunorial Hall no -disrespect was intended. - -The river, a few rods away, was alive with craft this afternoon, for -this early October day was warm and still, with just enough hint of -autumn in the air to make the blood course quickly and put the joy of -adventure in the heart. Half way between Memorial and the gymnasium the -two boys turned at the sound of a hail from the river. In a canoe sat -Jeffrey and Gil, the latter snuggled comfortably in the bow and the -former dexterously dipping the paddle in the stern. Gil waved his hand -nonchalantly. - -“Where are you going?” cried Poke enviously. “Do you know what time it -is?” - -“I am the Queen of Sheba,” replied Gil, “and this is my royal barge. We -are on the way to the gym.” - -“Well, of all the lazy Its!” exclaimed Poke. “Say, Senator, take me -back after practice?” - -Gil howled derisively. “Get out! I’ve engaged Jeff for the rest of the -day. Proceed, slave!” - -Jeffrey, smiling broadly, dipped his paddle again and the canoe went on -along the stream to the swimming float. The others walked down to meet -them. - -“We’ve had a dandy ride,” said Gil as he stretched the kinks out of -his legs. “Jeff took me all the way up to Birch Island and back. He’s -a fine little canoedler.” Jeff, once more with his crutches under his -arms, fell in beside Jim. - -“I think I’ll get a canoe of my own,” he said. “They say there’s a -fellow up the river a couple of miles who makes dandy ones. And I’m -sort of daffy about being on the water.” - -“Is it hard to learn to paddle one of those things?” Jim asked. “I -tried it once and the silly thing just went around in a circle and made -me dizzy.” - -“It’s the easiest thing there is,” laughed Jeffrey. “You come out with -me some day and I’ll show you the trick in a minute.” - -Gil and Poke disappeared in the gym to don their football clothes and -the others sauntered slowly toward the field. Already the big expanse -of yellowing turf was scattered with players. Beyond the gridiron with -its new white lines a baseball game had begun. Nearer at hand the -tennis courts were all occupied. And on the grand-stand and along the -sides of the field on the warm grass fellows less inclined to bodily -exertion sat or sprawled in groups and waited to be entertained. Half -a dozen pigskins were arching back and forth across the gridiron or -bounding erratically into the spectators. Jim and Jeff found a place -near the twenty-five-yard line and settled themselves, Jeff laying his -crutches down with a sigh of relief. - -“This is fine,” he murmured as he lay back with his hands beneath his -head and blinked at the sunlight. “I read somewhere once, Jim, that -every one has the――the characteristics of some animal. I guess I’m like -a cat, I’m so fond of sunlight and warmth. I could almost purr this -minute.” - -“Go ahead,” Jim laughed. “I don’t mind as long as you don’t scratch. -There comes What’s-his-name, the coach.” - -“Connell,” murmured Jeffrey. “They say he’s a dandy.” - -“He isn’t very big,” replied Jim doubtfully. “He doesn’t look much -taller than I. Guess he’s the sort to make you stand around, though; -don’t believe he’d take much nonsense. There’s Gil and Duncan Sargent. -And there’s that chap Gary, the fellow who wanted your room. He’s -pretty hefty, isn’t he?” - -“Yes.” Jeffrey rolled over and observed the scene, supported on one -elbow. “I heard a fellow say Gary had a grouch against Connell and -isn’t half playing.” - -“Johnny” shouted to the candidates and they came from all quarters of -the field and flocked about him. There seemed to be some fifty or sixty -of them altogether. - -“A lot of show I’d have,” said Jim, “in that bunch. Some of those chaps -must be nineteen years old.” - -“I dare say,” Jeffrey replied. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean much. -You are going to try, aren’t you?” - -Jim shrugged his shoulders. “I’d sort of like to,” he acknowledged, -“but I’d just make a show of myself, I guess.” - -The coach had finished his instructions and now the candidates were -forming in groups about the field. For the beginners football was still -drudgery; passing, falling on the ball, starting and tackling. But the -veterans were learning signals and getting ready for the first game -now only three days distant. The first and second squads were soon -scampering up and down the field in short rushes under the directions -of shrill-voiced quarter-backs. In Squad A a substitute had Duncan -Sargent’s place at left guard and the captain, draped in a faded red -blanket that trailed behind him and tried to trip him up in moments of -excitement, followed the play. Now and then Jim could hear him calling -a halt and laying down the law. - -“Hold on! Let’s try that again. And don’t go to sleep, Smith, this -time. They’d have got you about three yards behind your line then. Take -your time from quarter. This is a delayed pass, but not a misplaced -one. And now try again. Same signals, Arnold.” - -On this first squad Gil was at left end, Poke at right half-back and -Gary at right guard. To Jim’s surprise the fellows were not very -heavy in weight, while as to age the squad would have averaged about -seventeen. The quarter, Harry Arnold, was a mere youngster, and with -the exception of Captain Sargent himself there was no member over -eighteen. LaGrange, a big good-natured youth who played center, was but -sixteen, in spite of his size. - -Jim and Jeffrey looked on with interest. Jeffrey, who had made other -trips to the field, knew many of the more prominent players by name -and pointed them out to his companion. At the end of half an hour the -signal work ceased, the linemen were taken to the upper end of the -field for special instruction and the backs and ends were put to work -getting down under kicks. As it happened Poke took up his position at -a little distance from Jim and Jeffrey, and, turning to run back for a -long catch, caught sight of them. - -“Hello!” he shouted. “Seen Sargent, Jim?” - -Jim shook his head. Poke curled the ball against his arm and hurled it -back across the field. - -“Well, he’s looking for you. I told him you wanted to come out for the -team. Told him you were a wonderful footballist, Jim, and he’s hot on -your trail.” - -“You told him that?” cried Jim in dismay. “Why, you――you――” - -“Say it,” said Poke, keeping a watchful eye across the field at where -a substitute center was poising the ball between his legs. Jim grinned -ruefully and threw a pebble at him. - -“But you didn’t tell him any such yarn as that, did you, Poke?” he -asked. - -“I told him you were thinking of coming out, Jim, and that you’d played -the game some. Said you looked good to me. When he asks you just keep -your mouth shut tight and it will be all right.” - -With that Poke sprinted for the arching pigskin, caught it deftly -without slackening his speed and dodged the opposing end. - -“Do you suppose he did tell Sargent all that?” Jim said. - -“I dare say,” replied Jeffrey with a smile. “Poke is likely to say most -anything he thinks of. I guess you’ll soon know, though, for there’s -Sargent now.” - -The captain, having discarded his blanket, was striding across the -field toward Poke. They exchanged a few words and Poke nodded his head -toward Jim and Jeffrey. In a moment Duncan Sargent had reached them. - -“How are you, Hazard?” he began. “Endicott tells me you’ve decided to -help us out, and I’m mighty glad to hear it. We really want fellows who -know something about the game and are willing to buckle down to it. -Wish you might have come out to-day. To-morrow sure, though, eh?” - -Jim, who had climbed to his feet, looked somewhat embarrassed. - -“Why――er――I only told Endicott that I might like to try――” - -“Of course! That’s the spirit! You’ve played a good bit, haven’t you?” - -“No, not much,” answered Jim modestly. “I really don’t――” - -“In the line, I suppose?” - -“Well, yes, when I played, but I never――” - -“Fine! We need linemen, Hazard. You report to me to-morrow and I’ll put -you to work. There’s going to be a cut in a day or two and then we’ll -have some of these dubs out of the way. Don’t forget! Three-thirty!” - -And away hurried Sargent, leaving Jim flushed and uncomfortable and -Jeffrey visibly amused. - -“Now what shall I do?” asked Jim ruefully. “He evidently thinks I’m a -regular Hogan of a lineman. I wonder what Poke _did_ tell him! Why, -hang it, Jeff, I don’t even know this year’s rules!” - -“Oh, they aren’t much different from last year,” replied Jeffrey -consolingly. - -“Yes, they are; they’re different every season. Every time any one -thinks of a new wrinkle he writes to the Rules Committee about it and -they stick it in. Well, you won’t see me around here to-morrow! It’s me -for the tall timber!” - -“Oh, shucks, Jim, see it through. You can tell Sargent you aren’t a -star――” - -“Tell him! Why, didn’t I try to tell him?” exclaimed Jim irritably. “He -wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise.” - -“He was afraid you would try to beg off,” laughed Jeffrey. - -“He didn’t give me a chance,” replied Jim ruefully. “Guess I’ll just -have to hike out to the woods or he will get me sure.” - -“I don’t think I’d do that. See it through. You’ll like it after you -get started. Why, the first game’s on Saturday. Maybe Sargent will put -you in in his place, Jim!” - -“Dry up. They’re going to scrimmage. Let’s get nearer the middle of the -field.” - -The scrimmage wasn’t very encouraging that day. There was a good deal -more fumbling than there should have been and it was plain to be seen -that neither first nor second team had thoroughly learned its signals. -When it was over Jim and Jeff cut across the field and took the road -back to Sunnywood. - -“I wonder,” mused Jim as they passed the little white house where Plato -Society held its meetings, “if being on the football team would help a -fellow to make a society.” - -“Well,” answered Jeffrey, “I suppose a fellow who is well known and -has done something for the school like playing football or baseball or -rowing in the boat naturally stands a better show than some chap who is -unknown.” - -He shot a glance at Jim’s thoughtful face and smiled to himself. A -hundred yards further on Jim spoke again. - -“I wonder,” he said, “if Gil or Poke has a book of rules.” - -When Poke came back he sought Jim and found him in the cellar swinging -the ax. - -“Hello,” he said, “what are you doing?” - -“Kindlings,” replied Jim as he dodged a piece of wood. Then he buried -the ax in the block and faced Poke. - -“Look here,” he demanded, “what did you tell Duncan Sargent about me?” - -Poke laughed. “Why?” he asked. - -“Because he evidently thinks I’m a football player and he wouldn’t give -me a chance to say anything at all; just rattled on and on and fixed it -all up that I’m to report for practice to-morrow.” - -“Did he? Well, I told you you’d be a gone coon if you once got out on -the field.” - -[Illustration: “Look here,” he demanded, “what did you tell Duncan -Sargent about me?”] - -“What did you tell him?” Jim insisted sternly. - -“Oh, just that you’d played the game and that I had an idea you’d be -a big addition to the team. It wasn’t what I really said so much as -the――the impression I managed to convey, Jim. One thing I rather dwelt -on,” he continued with a chuckle, “was that you were terribly modest -and that you were almost certain to refuse to come out for the team if -he gave you a chance.” - -“I see. Well”――Jim shrugged his shoulders――“he will be considerably -surprised to-morrow.” - -“Pshaw, that will be all right. You’ll pick it up quick enough, and -before the season’s over you’ll be thanking me on your knees for -my――er――diplomacy.” - -“Your fibs, you mean! Look here, Poke, I don’t even know what the rules -are this year.” - -“No more does any one――except Johnny; and I sometimes think he’s just -bluffing. You come up to the room after supper and Gil and I will -tell you all you need to know. Between us I dare say we’ve got a fair -inkling of the rules.” - -“All right,” Jim agreed. “But I’m going to see Sargent to-morrow before -practice and tell him the facts. I’m not going to start out under false -colors.” - -“Hm.” Poke considered that a moment. “Oh, all right. The main thing is -to come out. Got any togs?” - -“Yes, some old ones. I guess they’ll do. Guess they’ll have to. I can’t -afford to buy new ones.” - -“Good stuff! Get ’em out and we’ll look ’em over. Here, I’ll take that -up for you. You bring the coal. You know we all agreed to help out with -the chores if you went in for the team.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -OUT FOR THE TEAM - - -Hope was delighted. - -“I just know you’re going to be a real football hero, Jim,” she -declared earnestly. “And I shall be too proud of you for words! And -to-morrow I shall go and see you play.” - -“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” responded Jim shortly. “If I’ve got to -make a fool of myself I don’t intend to have the whole family watching -me.” - -Hope’s face fell. “But I may see you some day, mayn’t I? And I shall -bring some of the girls from school with me. There’s one, Grace -Andrews, whose brother plays on the High School team and she’s too -sticky about it for anything. We play the High School Saturday, don’t -we?” - -“Yes.” - -“Oh, I do hope they’ll let you play then, Jim! I’d love to have Grace -Andrews see you.” - -“Well, she won’t,” replied Jim grimly. “I’ll be on the awkward squad -for weeks, I suppose, and it’s a fair bet I never leave it. Besides, it -seems to me your sympathy ought to be with your own school, sis.” - -Hope considered that a moment. Then, “Well,” she sighed, “it’s a very -difficult position I’m in. Of course I’m very fond of High School, Jim, -but――but I think I’d rather have Crofton win; especially if you play. -Wouldn’t that be just perfectly jimmy?” - -“Fine! And maybe Duncan Sargent will retire and make me captain in his -place,” added Jim ironically as he started upstairs to get ready for -supper. “But, somehow, I don’t look for him to do it!” - -After supper study was delayed in Sunnywood while Gil and Poke went -over the football rules with Jim and did their best to elucidate them. -Jeffrey was on hand too, and if it had not been for him I think Jim -would have known less after the lesson than before, for Gil and Poke -proved quite at variance as to the interpretation of half the rules and -Jim was getting more and more confused when Jeffrey came to the rescue. -Gil and Poke were hotly contradicting each other as to what invalidated -a forward pass. - -“I’ll leave it to Jeff if I’m not right,” declared Poke. - -“Whereupon Jeffrey very quietly and understandingly explained Rule XIX -in all its phases, while the others listened in respectful and admiring -silence. - -“I say,” exclaimed Poke when Jeffrey had finished, “you certainly know -the rules, Senator. I’ll bet you you wrote them yourself!” - -Jeffrey smilingly denied this but acknowledged that he always studied -them very carefully each year, adding, “You see, I like to watch -football mighty well, even if I can’t play it, and unless you know the -rules of the game well enough to know just what’s being done all the -time, and why, you don’t thoroughly enjoy it.” - -“Well,” said Gil, “I guess you know them better than most of the -fellows who play. I believe I’ll get a rule book and study up a little -myself.” - -“You wouldn’t understand them,” said Poke. “It takes a chap with a -whole lot of brains to make head or tails of that stuff. Why, bless -you, fellows, I was looking through a book of rules before I left home. -Give you my word I tried the hardest I knew how to make out what it -was all about, and could I? I could――_not_! So I pitched the silly book -in the waste-basket. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that -the ashman found it and has gone crazy.” - -“Well, that’s about all you need to know at first, Jim,” said Gil. -“You’ll pick it up quick enough. The main thing is to know how to hold -a ball so it won’t bite you, to kick a little, throw a little――” - -“Won’t need to know that if he plays in the line,” said Poke. “If he -can block and break through and help the runner――” - -“Well, I guess I’ve had enough for to-night,” said Jim. “I guess I’d -better pay a little attention to my lessons. Looked at your Latin yet, -Jeff?” - -“Yes, I’ve been over it once; it looks pretty easy.” - -“For you perhaps,” replied Jim. “It won’t be for me, though.” - -“Speaking of Latin,” said Gil, “something’s due to happen to Nancy -Hanks pretty soon if he doesn’t brace up. They say J. G. is getting -very much peeved at him. There was a peach of a rough house in history -this morning, wasn’t there, Poke?” - -“Lovely! But I’m sorry for Nancy, just the same. Bull Gary makes me -tired. He’s got half a dozen of the fellows trained now so that every -time he starts something they all drop into line and poor Nancy’s life -is a positive burden to him.” - -“He shows it, too,” observed Jeffrey. “He’s getting to look as worried -and nervous as――as a wet hen.” - -“That’s so,” said Jim. “We’ve sort of let up on him in our classes. The -fun wore off after awhile.” - -“Because you haven’t any one in your bunch with the inventive genius of -Mr. Gary,” said Poke. “Bull lies awake nights, I guess, thinking up new -mischief. Somebody will just have to sit on him, Gil, and sit hard.” - -“Yes, maybe. Still, perhaps, after all, Crofton isn’t just the place -for Nancy. And if it isn’t he might as well make the discovery now as -later. I guess he knows an awful lot, but I don’t believe he can teach -it. And as for discipline, why, he doesn’t know the meaning of the -word.” - -“Oh, he knows what it means all right,” corrected Poke, “but he doesn’t -know how to go to work to enforce it. I’ll bet you he never taught -before in his life.” - -“Then what’s he been doing all these years?” asked Jim. - -“I think,” replied Jeffrey, “that he writes.” - -“Writes? Writes what?” asked Poke. - -“Books. The other day I passed his room when he happened to have left -the door open――which doesn’t very often happen, as you know――and I saw -a whole pile of paper on his desk and he was writing away like sixty -with those tortoise-shell spectacles of his on.” - -“Pshaw! Correcting papers, likely,” said Poke. - -“They weren’t papers; they were sheets all written on just alike. I -could see that easily.” - -“Wonder what sort of books he writes,” murmured Jim. - -“Oh, about Latin and history, probably,” said Poke. “Maybe they’re -text-books. He doesn’t look quite such a criminal as that, either.” - -“Well, whatever he writes,” remarked Gil, “it’s a safe bet he won’t be -doing it here much longer.” - -“Couldn’t we do something?” asked Jeffrey. “You see, after all, even -if he is a member of the faculty, he――he’s one of us, you know, a -Sunnywooder.” - -“That’s so,” agreed Poke, “and we ought to stick together. I guess -we’ll just have to read the riot act to Bull, Gil.” - -Gil half-heartedly replied that he guessed something like that would -have to be done and the conclave broke up, Jeffrey and Jim retiring -across the hall to the former’s room in which Jim had formed the custom -of studying. - -The next afternoon he accompanied Gil and Poke to the gymnasium, rented -a locker and struggled into his football togs which had grown strangely -tight in the last year. Then, in the wake of half a hundred other -fellows, they trotted down to the field and Jim sought Duncan Sargent. -He found him conferring with Johnny and waited a few steps away until -they finished talking. As it happened captain and coach were not -telling secrets and so made no effort to talk quietly, and before Jim -realized it he heard Sargent say: - -“By the way, Johnny, I’ve got a new lineman coming out this afternoon; -fellow named Hazard; big and rangy and looks good. Poke Endicott knows -him and says he’s an all right player. I’ll hand him over to you and -you give him a try with the second squad in scrimmage, will you? Let me -know how he shapes up.” - -“That’s good,” replied Johnny with enthusiasm. “We surely need better -line material than we’ve got. There isn’t a promising substitute tackle -in sight. Send him along to me and I’ll see what he can do.” - -They strolled slowly away, still talking, leaving Jim a prey to -varied emotions. He wanted to punch Poke for getting him into such -a scrape. How could he go to Sargent now and say that it was all a -mistake, that he really knew very little about the game and had only -played as a sort of third or fourth substitute on his grammar school -eleven? Why, it couldn’t be done! Rather than do that he would sneak -back to the gymnasium, get his togs off and go home. He thought hard -for a minute, while he followed the captain and trainer across the -field. After all, he reflected presently, perhaps he could play fairly -well if he had a chance. Why not accept the reputation that had been -imposed upon him without his connivance and carry things off as best -he could? After all, it wasn’t his fault, and if he disappointed them, -why, he could get out. The situation required nerve and Jim had plenty -of it when necessary. He smiled and made up his mind. They thought -him an experienced player. Well, he would do his best to keep up the -delusion. Let them find out for themselves that he was little more than -a tyro, a one-hundred-and-thirty-pound bluff in a suit that threatened -to rip at the seams every time he stretched his muscles! - -He quickened his gait and overtook Duncan Sargent. - -“What shall I do, Captain?” he asked quietly. - -“Eh? Hello, Hazard.” Sargent was so pleased that he shook hands -and Jim’s conscience smote him for an instant. Sargent was such a -dandy chap that it seemed a shame to impose on him. “Hi, Johnny! -Here a minute, please.” And as the trainer came swinging up, Sargent -continued: “This is Hazard. You know I spoke to you about him. Take him -in hand, will you, Johnny?” - -Johnny said he was glad to meet Mr. Hazard and shook hands with a grip -that made Jim wince. - -“Play in the line, don’t you?” he asked. “That’s good; we need linemen. -This is your first practice?” - -Jim agreed that it was. - -“Then I guess we’ll go easy with you. Suppose you go over there and -report to Gary; tell him I sent you. Pass the ball awhile and warm -up.” He took out a little tattered memorandum book and entered Jim, -name, age and address. “Come to me after practice, Hazard, and I’ll put -you on the scales. About a hundred and thirty, aren’t you?” - -“I haven’t weighed very recently,” replied Jim, “but I guess that’s -pretty near it.” - -“All right. By the way, ever play tackle?” - -“Yes, for awhile; and guard. And I was at full-back once or twice.” - -“You don’t look very quick on your feet,” commented Johnny, “but we’ll -get you gingered up after awhile. Don’t be afraid of sweating a little; -it will do you good.” - -Jim obediently made his way down the field to the squad indicated, and -Johnny and Sargent looked after him critically. - -“He’s well set-up,” mused Johnny, “but somehow he doesn’t handle -himself like a player. Looks slow to me, eh?” - -“Y-yes,” agreed Sargent, “but I have Endicott’s word for it that he’s a -good man, and you know Endicott’s a good judge, Johnny.” - -Jim didn’t exactly relish putting himself under Brandon Gary’s charge, -but there was evidently no help for it. Gary, looking very well in his -football togs, was looking after, with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, -some twelve or fourteen members of the third squad who stood about in a -circle and passed the ball to each other. Jim observed that they threw -the ball by clasping it with the fingers at one end and sending it -away with a round-arm sweep that caused the pigskin to revolve on its -shorter axis; also that in catching it the fellows received it between -elbow and thigh, pulling up the right leg slightly to cradle it. When -they missed the catch they fell on the ball, snuggling it under them. -He made his way to Gary just as that youth, with an impatient glance -toward Sargent, was receiving the ball. - -“The captain told me to report to you,” said Jim. - -Gary turned and viewed him carelessly. “All right, find a place -somewhere,” he answered. Then recognition dawned and he accorded Jim -a scowl. “Here, stand over there,” he said curtly. And then, before -Jim was well in place, Gary launched the ball at him swiftly. As the -pigskin had only some eight feet to travel before it reached Jim, the -latter was quite unready for it, and although he made a desperate -attempt to capture it the ball struck his chest and bounded crazily -away across the grass. Jim trotted after it and was in the act of -picking it up when Gary bellowed: - -“Fall on it, you idiot! None of that here!” - -Jim fell. Unfortunately, confusion made him miss the ball entirely and -he had to scramble on elbows and knees for a full yard before he could -seize the exasperating oval and snuggle it under him. From behind him -came audible, if good-natured, laughter from the others. Gary alone -seemed unamused. - -“Ever see a football before?” he asked as Jim went back to his place. -Jim made no reply and the pigskin went on around the circle, _thump -thump_, with an occasional break in the monotony of the proceedings -when some one missed and had to launch himself to the turf. As the -ball went around, Jim looked over his companions. He saw none that he -recognized. All were apparently of Jim’s age or younger, and it was -plain to be seen that they constituted the awkward squad. Whenever -the ball reached Gary he tried his best to make Jim fumble it again, -now throwing it high and now low, but always as hard as he could. But -Jim, watching the others closely, emulated their way of catching and -only once dropped the ball. Then he fell on it from where he stood and -captured it very nicely. But Gary declined to let the incident pass -without a reprimand. - -[Illustration: “Ever see a football before?” he asked.] - -“Keep your eyes open, you fellow! You’re not running a boarding-house -now; this is football!” - -The allusion to the boarding-house caused other members of the squad to -observe Jim curiously, but Jim kept his temper and his tongue. A minute -afterwards the coach called them and the squad broke up. Jim walked -over to the bench and picked up a blanket, but before he had wrapped it -around his shoulders Johnny was after them. - -“Over to the dummy now! And hurry up!” - -About thirty panting youths gathered at the side of the newly spaded -pit and one by one launched themselves at the swinging canvas dummy. -Johnny himself operated the pully that sent the headless imitation of a -man swinging across the soft loam. - -“Pretty good, but tackle lower next time.” - -“Perfectly rotten, Curtis. Try it again and get off your feet. That’s -better but not good enough.” - -“All right! Next man! Wrong side. Get in front of the runner always.” - -“Too low, Page! Aim higher.” - -“Pretty fair, Hazard, but put some jump into it. Remember you’re not -patting him on the back; you’re trying to stop him――and stop him short. -Try again now.” - -Jim had never hurled himself at a tackling dummy before but he had -tackled players in a game and he strove to create the illusion that -the canvas-covered figure was real. The pully creaked, the dummy slid -across the pit, wobbling and turning, and Jim ran and dived with -outstretched arms. _Thump! Rattle!_ His nose was buried in the cold -loam and his arms were tightly wrapped about the stuffed canvas legs. -He scrambled to his feet and cast an inquiring look at the coach. -Johnny nodded noncommittally and Jim took up his place at the end of -the line again. And so it went on for twenty minutes longer. Jim’s -next try brought slight commendation with the criticism and the third -attempt went off handsomely. - -“That’s the stuff, Hazard! Just as though you meant it. Some of you -fellows go at that dummy as though you were afraid you’d hurt it. -That’ll do for to-day. Back to the bench! On the trot!” - -By now Jim was tuckered and aching, with one side of his face smeared -with dirt and his right elbow sticking forth from the faded blue -jersey he wore. But football was in his blood now and so he was highly -disappointed when Johnny called to him and ordered him once around the -field at a jog and back to the gym. - -“But I’m not tired, sir,” he ventured. Johnny scowled. - -“I didn’t ask you if you were tired,” he said shortly. “Do as I tell -you. Get on the scales after your shower and let me know your weight. -Maybe you’d better come back here after you’re dressed and watch -scrimmage. I may want to use you to-morrow.” - -So Jim jogged around the field, his eyes on the others as he went, and -wished heartily that he had come out for the team at the beginning of -the term. Had he done that, he reflected, he might now be one of the -fortunate number running through signals. Well, he reflected, he hadn’t -done so badly for the first time. He doubted if Johnny even suspected -what a green candidate he was. And he meant to learn. They thought he -could play good football and he meant to prove them right! - -Half way down the backstretch of the running track he passed near Poke -who was going through signals with the first squad. Poke waved to him -and grinned. - -“How’d you get on?” he called. - -“Pretty fair,” replied Jim. “And I hope you choke!” - -But he really didn’t. He had quite forgiven Poke by now, for without -Poke’s conspiracy he would probably not be where he was. Completing -the circuit of the field, he trotted off to the gymnasium, had his -shower, found that he tipped the scales at one hundred and thirty-one -and a half, dressed and hurried back to the gridiron just in time to -see Sargent kick off the ball for the scrimmage with the second team. -Afterwards he waited for Gil and Poke and walked home with them through -the early dusk, rather lame and tired but supremely happy. - -At the supper table football was the one subject and Mrs. Hazard alone -failed to show enthusiasm over Jim’s conversion. She was very glad, -she said, that they were going to let Jim play if he really wanted to, -but she did wish that football wasn’t quite so dangerous. Whereupon -Poke deluged her with a mass of impromptu statistics proving beyond -the shadow of a doubt that, with the possible exception of croquet, -football was the safest amusement extant. Mrs. Hazard smiled and -sighed, but remained unconvinced. Mr. Hanks did not appear at the -beginning of the meal, nor had he come down when the cake and preserves -began to circulate, and Hope was despatched to his room to summon him. -She returned alone to report that the instructor wished no supper. - -“No supper!” exclaimed Mrs. Hazard. “But he must have something, Hope. -You shall take some toast and tea up to him. I’ll set a tray when we’ve -finished. I do wish he would eat more, Jim; I’m getting real worried -about him.” - -After supper the boys returned to the porch, still talking football, -while Mrs. Hazard fixed up a tray for Mr. Hanks and Hope bore it -upstairs. Poke was narrating humorously the tale of what he called -Jim’s deception against Duncan Sargent and Johnny when Hope appeared at -the hall door, breathless and dismayed. - -“Oh, boys!” she cried. “What do you think has happened?” - -Four pairs of startled eyes questioned her. - -“Mr. Hanks is going to leave!” - - - - -CHAPTER X - -MR. HANKS ACCEPTS ADVICE - - -There was a moment of silence, broken at length by Gil. - -“Going to leave!” he exclaimed. “You’re not fooling, Hope?” - -“No. I took his tray up and he was writing at his desk. I told him he -just must eat some supper and he said we were very kind and he would -drink some tea. And then――then he was afraid he’d been a great deal of -trouble to us and that he wouldn’t be that much longer as he was going -to leave the school. And I said, ‘Oh, Mr. Hanks!’――just like that――and -he said he was sorry to leave and――and he thanked me for bringing the -tray and――and I ran out of the room because――because――” Hope’s eyes -were “because” enough. The boys looked away while she dashed a wisp of -a handkerchief across them. Poke whistled between his teeth, much out -of tune. “I――I think it’s just――just too horrid for anything!” ended -Hope tremulously. - -Jim stirred his feet uneasily and Gil cleared his throat as if to speak -and then evidently thought better of it. Hope subsided on the arm of a -porch rocker. It was Jeffrey who spoke first. - -“I’m awfully sorry,” he said. “I suppose we’re all to blame to some -extent.” - -“If he had any grit――” began Poke. - -“I’d like to punch that fellow’s head,” Jim growled. - -“What fellow? Bull Gary?” asked Gil. - -Jim nodded. - -“What are we going to do?” demanded Hope anxiously. - -“I don’t see that there’s anything we can do,” answered Gil. “I’m sorry -he’s going, for he really isn’t a bad sort. But he’d never get on -here because the fellows have found out that they can do just as they -please with him. If he’d put his foot down hard the first day and made -Bull and a few of the others walk the plank he wouldn’t have had any -trouble. As it is now I guess he’s wise to quit.” - -“That’s all well enough for you,” demurred Jim, “but we can’t afford -to lose a lodger. So, by hooky, something’s just got to be done!” - -“If we went up and asked him to stay don’t you think perhaps he would?” -asked Hope. - -“Sure! He’d do anything to oblige us,” replied Poke ironically. - -“You needn’t be sarcastic,” murmured Hope aggrievedly. “I don’t think -you’ve been very nice about it anyway, Poke.” - -There was a silence after this that lasted until Jeffrey, who had been -staring thoughtfully into the dusk, said: - -“Look here, if some one can induce Nancy to turn over a new leaf now -and――er――buck up, you know, he won’t have much trouble, will he? It -isn’t too late, is it?” - -“I’m afraid so,” said Gil. - -“I’m not,” said Poke. “But he wouldn’t do it; he doesn’t know how.” - -“Do you think he’d mind if we suggested something of the sort to him?” -pursued Jeffrey. The rest looked doubtful, but Hope broke out eagerly -with: - -“Of course he wouldn’t! He’s just as nice and――and good-natured as he -can be. Let’s do it!” - -But Poke hung back. “He’d probably tell us to mind our own miserable -business,” he objected. - -“There’d be no harm in trying it,” said Jim. “Let’s all go up and -tell him we’ve heard that he’s going to leave and that we’re sorry -and――and――” - -“And then what?” asked Poke. “Tell him he doesn’t know his business and -that he’s made a mess of things?” - -“Why not?” asked Jeffrey quietly. “It’s so, isn’t it?” - -“If you’ll do the talking,” suggested Jim, “it’ll be all right, Jeff. -What do you say, Gil?” - -“Oh, I’ll go.” - -“Will you, Poke?” - -“Not by a long shot!” - -“Oh, Poke, I think you might!” wailed Hope. “It’s partly your fault, -and you know it is, and I think you might do what you can to――to help.” - -“Gee, you talk as though I was to blame for everything,” Poke growled. -“Anybody would think――” - -“Oh, cut out the grouch,” said Gil. “Nobody’s asking you to do anything -except go up there and hear Jeff talk.” - -“I think you’d better do the talking,” objected Jeffrey. “You’re the -oldest, Gil.” - -“You can do it better. If you need help the rest of us will come to -your assistance. Ready now? Know what you’re going to say?” - -“Not exactly,” laughed Jeffrey, “but I guess I can stumble through with -it.” - -“Good!” said Jim eagerly. “Let’s go before we lose courage.” - -So, Gil and Jeffrey leading and Poke ambling along behind with his -hands in his pockets and a general expression of disapprobation about -him, the five mounted the stairs and knocked at the door of the -instructor’s room. Bidden to enter, they found Mr. Hanks at his desk, -pen in hand and a pile of manuscript at his elbow. He had taken his -tea, Hope observed, but nothing else on the tray had been touched. As -the embassy filed into the room Mr. Hanks arose from his chair with a -look of surprise and embarrassment. - -“Good evening, sir,” began Jeffrey. “May we come in for a minute if -you’re not too busy?” - -[Illustration: They found Mr. Hanks at his desk.] - -“Er――certainly! How do you do? Won’t you――won’t you be seated?” Mr. -Hanks glanced around nervously in search of accommodations. Gil and -Poke simplified matters by seating themselves on the edge of the -bed, leaving the chairs for the others. Mr. Hanks laid aside the -tortoise-shell spectacles he was wearing, pushed his manuscript aside, -drew it back again, smiled doubtfully and subsided in his chair. - -“You――er――you wanted to see me?” he asked, clearing his throat -nervously. - -“Yes, sir,” replied Jeffrey. “Hope has just told us, sir, that you are -thinking of leaving Crofton.” - -“Yes.” Mr. Hanks glanced down at his papers. “Yes, I have decided -to resign,” he replied, in tones which he strove to make sound -businesslike and matter-of-fact. - -“We’re awfully sorry to hear it, Mr. Hanks,” said Jeffrey earnestly. - -“Terribly sorry,” said Hope. - -“Very,” said Gil. - -“You bet,” said Jim. - -Poke growled something inarticulate. - -Mr. Hanks glanced around in surprise and embarrassment. - -“Why――er――that’s very good of you all, very kind of you, I’m sure,” he -murmured. “I――I regret the necessity of leaving, myself. I was getting -very fond of the school, quite attached. And this place――” he looked -about the room――“suits me very well. The light is excellent, you see, -and owing to the fact that my eyes are not what they used to be I have -to be very particular about――er――about light.” - -“Yes, sir,” said Jeffrey. “Mr. Hanks, maybe we’re sort of intruding -on your affairs, sir, but when we heard about your leaving we got to -talking it over and we decided that we’d come up here and ask you -to――to reconsider.” Mr. Hanks opened his mouth to speak, but Jeffrey -hurried on. “We may be wrong, sir, but our idea is that you’re leaving -because some of us haven’t been acting very well in class.” - -“I think I have no complaint to make about any of you young gentlemen,” -replied Mr. Hanks, looking from one to the other and allowing his eyes -to rest on Poke, for what the youth thought was an unnecessary length -of time. “But I won’t attempt to deny that your――your assumption is -correct, Latham. The fact is that I am, I find, quite unsuited to the -work here. The position I have tried to fill requires a man with more -experience than I have had.” - -“May we talk right out plain, Mr. Hanks?” asked Jeffrey. - -“Why, I think so,” replied the instructor, a trifle bewildered. - -“Then what we came up here to say, sir, is just this. There isn’t any -reason why you should leave us on account of what’s been going on in -class. Of course we fellows haven’t any right to act the way we’ve been -acting, but I guess it’s more than half your fault, Mr. Hanks. You see, -sir, if you’d started right with us we’d have behaved ourselves, but -you didn’t understand, I guess. If you’d sent a couple of fellows up to -Mr. Gordon the first time there was trouble the whole thing would have -stopped right there, but you didn’t and the fellows think now they can -do as they please. That’s where the trouble is.” - -“Er――yes――I dare say. Yes, I realize now that I should have -acted――er――differently, that I should have been――er――stern.” (Gil tried -not to grin at the thought of Mr. Hanks being stern.) “Doubtless, -I have, as you say, followed a mistaken course with the classes. I -see that now. But the damage is done, Latham, and so――so I think the -best thing to do is to retire in favor of some man who can――er――who -understands you young gentlemen better than I do.” Poke thought he -detected a faint emphasis on the word gentlemen. He hadn’t meant to -open his mouth, but he suddenly found himself speaking. - -“What’s the use, sir?” he asked. “Why don’t you stick it out and start -over, sir? Kick a few fellows out of class, send a few up to J. G. and -sock some extra work onto a few more? That’ll fix ’em in the shake of a -lamb’s tail! It isn’t too late, Mr. Hanks.” - -Mr. Hanks shook his head, however. “I’m afraid it is,” he said. -“Anything I might do now would be quite futile. They have――er――taken my -measure, so to speak.” - -“I don’t agree with you, sir,” said Gil. “I think Poke is right. I -think if you’ll start in to-morrow and sit down hard on the first -fellow who starts anything you’ll have things in shape in no time at -all. Of course, you’ll have to keep it up for awhile, sir, but it won’t -be long before the fellows will find out that you’re not to be monkeyed -with. You see, sir, the fact is none of us have anything against you; I -guess we all like you pretty well; anyhow, this bunch here does; it’s -just that here at Crofton every new faculty has to be hazed a little. -Usually they stand about so much of it and then something drops and -it’s all over. You didn’t quite understand, sir, and you let things run -along. Why not do as Poke says, Mr. Hanks? Why not stay where you are -and hit out from the shoulder once or twice?” - -“Hit out from――You don’t mean _strike_ any one?” gasped the instructor. - -“No, sir,” Gil laughed, “not actually. I mean punish some one good and -hard; set an example for the whole class.” - -“Oh!” Mr. Hanks was visibly relieved. “You――you think that -would――er――accomplish something?” - -“I’m certain of it,” replied Gil decidedly. - -“Sure to,” said Poke. - -Mr. Hanks played with his pen for a minute. Then he looked up with a -helpless smile at Gil. - -“What――what could I do?” he asked. - -“Why, sir, the first time any fellow does anything in class he -shouldn’t, call him down.” - -“Call him down?” questioned Mr. Hanks, at a loss. - -“Reprimand him, I mean. Then if he doesn’t behave send him to Mr. -Gordon. Mr. Gordon will stand back of you, sir; he always does. Take -Gary for instance, sir. If you did that just once with him he’d come -back as meek as a kitten.” - -“And what would Mr. Gordon do to him?” - -Gil shrugged his shoulders. “He might do most anything, sir. It would -depend on what Gary had done. He might put him on probation, he might -send him home for the rest of the term, he might expel him for keeps.” - -“But I shouldn’t want anything like that to happen to the boy,” said -Mr. Hanks in alarm. “He has been very trying to me; in fact, I have -sometimes suspected that in a way he has been at the bottom of most of -my troubles, what I might call a ringleader, Benton.” - -“Yes, sir, that might be,” replied Gil gravely. - -“Yes. But even so I should very much dislike to be the cause of his -being sent from school even temporarily.” - -“He wouldn’t be if you told J. G. to be easy with him,” said Poke. -“That’s what Gary needs, though, Mr. Hanks, a good scare. You throw one -into him and see what a difference it will make.” - -“I do wish you’d try it, please, sir,” said Hope. - -Mr. Hanks was silent a moment. Once he sighed deeply. Once he smiled -slightly at the pen he was rolling between his long fingers. Finally he -looked up. - -“This has been very kind of you,” he said quietly. “I appreciate -your――your interest. I thank you――all.” - -“And you’ll try it?” cried Hope eagerly. - -Mr. Hanks smiled and shook his head. “I must consider it,” he answered. -“The plan is――is revolutionary. I have great doubts of my ability in -the rôle you have assigned me. But――I will think it over.” - -“And meanwhile you’ll stay, won’t you, sir?” asked Jim anxiously. - -“Yes, I shall――er――postpone any action in regard to my resignation -for the present. I――I have no wish to leave here. My room is very -comfortable and the light is――er――excellent.” - -“Well, we don’t want you to leave,” said Poke gruffly. “And I guess you -won’t need to if you take our advice, sir. Good night, sir.” - -“Good night,” responded Mr. Hanks, rising, “good night. I thank you all -very much.” - -“Shall I take your tray away?” asked Hope. - -“Eh? Why――er――no. I rather think I’ll eat a little of the――er――whatever -it is. I really feel a bit hungry.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -ON THE SECOND - - -Whether Mr. Hanks meant to profit by the advice so frankly given -him remained a question for several days. On Friday his classes in -Latin and history presented the usual disordered appearance and the -instructor’s attitude remained the same. It seemed to Gil, however, -that Mr. Hanks was a little quieter and a little less nervous than -usual; that he was silently studying the situation. But Gil may only -have imagined that. There were no actual outbreaks of disorder on -Friday, although Brandon Gary and his crowd indulged to their hearts’ -content in minor annoyances. Saturday Mr. Hanks had only classes in -Latin and for almost the first time since his appearance at Crofton -recitations went off quietly and in order, due to the fact that the -first football game of the season was to be played that afternoon and -every fellow in school was much too absorbed in that to have either -time or inclination for mischief. - -On Friday Jim had weathered another day of practice without results -damaging to his reputation for skill and experience. He had signal -practice with the third squad and by dint of maintaining an appearance -of ease and doing what the others did as best he could he had managed -to deceive even Johnny Connell. Johnny was puzzled however. He confided -as much to Duncan Sargent. - -“I don’t understand how he can handle himself as awkwardly as he does, -Cap,” said Johnny. “He seems to know what to do all right, but he makes -all sorts of false moves while he’s doing it.” - -“He can play, though, can’t he?” asked Sargent, his mind only half on -the subject. - -“Yes, it looks so,” answered Johnny. - -“Well, let’s see what we can do with him. If we take Curtis from the -second squad we’ll need some one in his place who can put up a fight -against Cosgrove. Think Hazard would fit in?” - -“I guess so. He’s got the build and he’s strong as a colt――and just -about as awkward. Of course, that may be because he hasn’t had much -practice.” - -“I shouldn’t wonder,” murmured the captain. “What time is it? Can we -start the scrimmage?” - -On Saturday all Sunnywood went to the game, Gil and Poke to play, Jim -to sit on the substitutes’ bench, Jeffrey, with Mrs. Hazard and Hope -as his guests, to follow the play with the keenest enjoyment and to -elucidate to his companions what everything meant. Crofton High School -was not a dangerous opponent, although in the matter of practice she -was a whole fortnight ahead of Crofton. Her work showed a finish that -was quite absent from that of the home eleven and only the fact that -her team was lighter and her plays old fashioned allowed Crofton -to win the contest. At the end of the second period Crofton had a -touchdown and a safety to her credit and High School had only once been -dangerous. Then a try at goal from the twenty-five yards had gone badly -astray. In the third period four substitutes went in for Crofton and -there was no scoring by either team. The fourth period began for the -Crimson-and-Gray with what was practically an entirely new eleven, only -Tearney at right end and Poke at right half remaining in. The periods -were ten minutes long and when only six minutes of the game remained -Crofton High began to make headway through the Academy’s line and at -last secured a second try at goal from the field. This time her kicker -was successful from the thirty-two-yard line and High School chalked -three points to her credit. It was after that feat, while the teams -were resuming their places for the kick-off, that Johnny beckoned to -Jim, who, sandwiched in between big Andy LaGrange, the first string -center, and “Punk” Gibbs of the second, had been comfortably watching -the progress of the conflict with no thought of participating. Jim -stared unbelievingly until Johnny called him impatiently and Gibbs dug -an unkind elbow against his ribs. Then Jim squirmed from the bench and -struggled with his sweater. - -“Go in for Curtis at left tackle,” said Johnny. “You know the signals, -don’t you?” - -Jim nodded, trying hard to recall one single thing about them! - -“All right. Hurry up. Show me what you can do. And play low, Hazard!” - -Jim sped out on to the gridiron, searching wildly for the referee, his -heart thumping alarmingly as he realized that he was to take part in -an actual contest. He found the official, sent Curtis off grumbling -and took his place. Perhaps luckily for Jim he was not called on for -any special feats of prowess during the short time that remained, for -he was decidedly nervous. To his credit, however, it may be said that -he broke through well and, on the defense, held his adversary fairly. -There was no more scoring and just as Jim had regained his confidence -and was beginning to enjoy the fray the final whistle was blown and it -was all over, the score 7 to 3 in favor of the Academy. - -In the gymnasium later Jim ran into Duncan Sargent. Sargent, his -powerful body, scantily draped with a bath towel, glowing from the -effects of a shower, stopped him. - -“Good work, Hazard,” he said cordially. “I watched you to-day. Keep it -up and we’ll find a place for you before the season’s done. There’s -just one thing, though, old man, and that is: _Play low!_ Try to -remember that, will you?” And the captain passed on with a smile and a -nod, leaving Jim very pleased and a little remorseful. - -Perhaps no one was more delighted with the events of the afternoon -than Hope. She made heroes of Gil and Poke and Jim, and especially Jim. -“You played perfectly jimmy!” she declared. “And I saw Grace Andrews -there and I was just as proud and sticky as――as anything! Wasn’t it too -funny, Jim, you should have played against her brother?” - -“Was that who he was?” asked Jim. “I didn’t know his name. He’s pretty -light for a tackle.” - -(Jim, you see, was already talking like an expert.) - -“Well, anyhow, you played all around him. Jeff said so. And we beat -them, didn’t we?” - -“We ought to. We were pounds heavier, sis.” - -“I wish you could have seen Lady when Jeff told her that you were going -to play. She covered up her face with her hands and then looked through -her fingers every minute!” - -That was Jim’s baptism by fire and those few minutes of play gave him -new courage to go on with his rôle. On Monday practice was lengthened -and the work became a good deal like drudgery. One had to have a real -passion for football in order to really get any enjoyment out of the -proceedings. For the first part of the week scrimmaging was abandoned -entirely, and Johnny, who had detected a lack of fundamental knowledge -in the players, took them back to first principles, and even Duncan -Sargent himself was put to tackling the dummy and handling the ball. On -Thursday the one scrimmage of the week was held and Jim fought through -ten minutes on the second team at left tackle and had his hands very -full in keeping Cosgrove and Shepard, who opposed him, from making him -look like the inexperienced player he was. But Jim kept his wits about -him, worked hard, bluffed harder, and pulled through creditably. And -every day now he was gaining knowledge and knack and football sense. -And every day the awkwardness which had puzzled the trainer was wearing -off. Jim had strength of body and plenty of sound sense, and he was -developing both every day. And so, by the end of that week, the school -was taking notice of him and fellows were discussing his chance of -ousting Curtis from the second team. In short, he had made good. And -Poke was as pleased as might be. - -“What did I tell you, Jimmy, my boy?” he asked that Friday night. -“Didn’t I tell you I’d make a real player out of you? Didn’t I tell -you you’d be down on your knees thanking me for my efforts in your -behalf, you ungrateful pup?” - -“Well, I’m not going down on my knees,” laughed Jim. “They’re much too -lame.” - -“Look here, Jim,” broke in Jeffrey excitedly, “if you can manage to get -on the first team before the season’s through think what it would mean! -Why, out of eleven men there’d be three from Sunnywood!” - -“Rah for Sunnywood!” cried Poke. “Don’t you worry, Senator; Jim will -make the first yet. I’ve got it all doped out. Listen, my children: -Marshall won’t last long. He’s a good player, but he had whooping cough -or something――” - -“Measles,” corrected Gil. - -“Well, measles, then, in the summer, and he can’t stand the pace. -Johnny sees that already. That’s why Curtis has been playing at left -tackle in practice. But Curtis is too slow. He may stay first choice, -but it’s pounds to pennies that if Jim keeps on coming he will find -himself first sub when the Hawthorne game comes along. Now you fellows -mark my words!” - -“You’re a wonderful little prophet, Poke,” said Gil. “Still, I -shouldn’t be surprised if things turned out something like that. Keep -it up, Jim. You’re doing fine!” - -“Think I’ll get in to-morrow?” asked Jim anxiously. - -“Sure to for a while,” replied Poke. “Why, Dun Sargent’s tickled to -death with you. He’s thanked me half a dozen times for getting you out. -And now he thinks I’m the one best bet as a football scout. Wants me -to keep my eyes open and find him a good left end in Gil’s place.” And -Poke scampered before Gil could reach him. - -Jim did get into the next day’s game, just as Poke had predicted, and -although he had one bad fumble to his discredit he played a good game -through one whole period and more than atoned for his fault. And Jim -was not the only one to fumble the pigskin that day. Even Gil lost the -chance of a clean touchdown by letting the ball roll out of his arms -when tackled on the five-yard line, while Arnold, the quarter-back, -twice offended. But in spite of these misadventures Crofton had no -trouble in rolling up seventeen points against her adversary. - -Meanwhile Mr. Hanks had given no sign. There was less trouble in his -classes nowadays, possibly because the whole school was so much -interested in football, and it began to look as though the instructor’s -troubles were over. But on the following Tuesday, Brandon Gary, -realizing possibly, that he had neglected his duties as a cut-up, gave -his attention again to Mr. Hanks. That was at five minutes past ten. - -At a quarter past ten Gary was sitting in Mr. Gordon’s office. - -At twelve o’clock it was known all over school that Bull Gary was on -probation. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -GARY IS SURPRISED - - -Let Gil and Poke tell about Gary’s surprise party, for they were -eye-witnesses. - -“You could have knocked me over with a feather,” declared Poke――the -four Sunnywood boys were on their way back to the cottage at noon――“and -I never thought Nancy Hanks had it in him! Here’s the way it was. Most -of the class were in their seats and Mort Nichols――he’s monitor, you -know――was calling the roll. When he got to the G’s he skipped Bull’s -name because he could see that Bull wasn’t there. Mort’s rather a -chum of Bull’s, you know. But Nancy was on to him. ‘You’ve left out a -name, Nichols,’ says he. ‘Go back, please.’ So Mort gets sort of red -and calls, ‘Gary.’ And Bull, who had just come loafing in at the door -says, ‘Dead on the field of battle,’ and the fellows began to laugh. It -really was funny, wasn’t it, Gil?” - -“Rather.” - -“Pshaw! You laughed, too. I saw you. Well, Nancy never turned a hair――” - -“The funny thing,” interrupted Gil, “was the way Mr. Hanks was looking. -He was sort of white and frightened and he had his mouth set in a -straight line like――like this.” And Gil illustrated. “I never saw him -look that way before.” - -“And he had a funny little sparkle in his eyes,” said Poke. “Did you -notice that, Gil?” - -“Yes. He really looked kind of dangerous and I was mighty glad I wasn’t -Bull Gary just then.” - -“Well, get on with your story,” said Jim. “Then what happened?” - -“Then,” replied Gil, “Mr. Hanks said, ‘Are we to understand by that -cryptic remark, Gary, that you desire to be marked as present?’ And -Bull was so flabbergasted that all he could do was stammer, ‘Y-yes, -sir.’ ‘Mark Gary present,’ said Mr. Hanks. So Mort went on with the -roll and we began the recitation, all the fellows looking at each other -and wondering what had happened to Mr. Hanks. Marshall was reciting -when there was a crash at the back of the room. It seems that Bull -had reached out with his foot and poked over a pile of books on Punk -Gibbs’ desk. Mr. Hanks held up a hand and Marshall stopped. ‘Whose -books are those?’ he asked. ‘Mine, sir,’ replied Punk very, very -meekly. ‘Pick them up, please.’ So Punk picked them up and put them -back and the room was very quiet. Every one was grinning, but no one -made a sound. Marshall started off again when――_bang!_ went the pile of -books once more. Mr. Hanks lifted his hand. ‘Whose books are those?’ -he asked again. ‘Mine,’ said Punk, looking sort of scared. ‘Pick them -up, please.’ ‘I didn’t knock them off,’ grumbled Punk. ‘Who did?’ asked -Mr. Hanks. But Punk wouldn’t tell. Then Mr. Hanks said, ‘The student -who pushed those books onto the floor will kindly pick them up.’ No -one moved for a minute. ‘We will wait,’ said Mr. Hanks, and sat down -again in his chair. Finally Punk grumbled something and started to pick -them up, when Mr. Hanks said: ‘Let them alone, Gibbs!’ And Punk sat -up as though he was shot. Another minute or so passed. Some one began -to snigger nervously at the back of the room. ‘Who’s that laughing?’ -asked Mr. Hanks. After that there wasn’t a sound. Finally Mr. Hanks -looked at the clock. ‘I’ve given you plenty of time,’ he said, ‘but you -may have thirty seconds more in which to replace those books,’ and he -looked straight at Bull. Bull grinned, but didn’t move.” - -“Just the same,” broke in Poke, “he was getting pretty nervous.” - -“We all were,” said Gil. “Finally Mr. Hanks said, ‘Time’s up, Gary. -You’re delaying the recitation.’ ‘I didn’t knock them off,’ said Bull -in his ugliest tones. ‘You didn’t?’ asked Mr. Hanks very quietly. -‘Think well, Gary, before you answer.’ Bull looked around and grinned. -‘No, I didn’t,’ said he. And then Mr. Hanks, our quiet little Nancy -Hanks, exploded a bombshell. ‘Report to Mr. Gordon, Gary,’ said he -sternly. Bull sat and looked at him with his mouth wide open, too -surprised to speak, and the rest of us just gasped. Finally Bull said, -‘What for, sir?’ in that bullying way of his, and Mr. Hanks came back -at him like a flash. ‘For disturbance in class and lying!’ he said!” - -“And that,” murmured Poke, “was the way the battle was fit.” - -“Gee!” said Jim. “Gary must have been surprised.” - -“Did he go right away?” asked Jeffrey. - -“Like a lamb,” answered Gil. “And then, ‘Please continue, Marshall,’ -said Mr. Hanks. And there wasn’t a better-behaved class in school than -we were!” - -“Just what we told him would happen,” declared Poke. “He ought to be -mighty grateful to us for giving him the tip.” - -“He will probably send up a set of engraved resolutions, thanking us,” -said Jim dryly. - -“What I want to know is,” remarked Jeffrey as they passed through the -cottage gate, “what the team’s going to do without Gary at right guard.” - -“I wonder myself,” mused Gil as they took their places on the porch. -“Probably they’ll bring Parker over from the second. But it’s going to -weaken the team like anything.” - -“How long will J. G. keep him on pro?” asked Poke. - -“Search me. Maybe he will let him back in time for the big game. That’s -not much more than a month away now.” - -“I hope he will,” said Jeffrey. “We certainly need him in the line.” - -“But think of Nancy rearing up and being saucy like that!” marveled -Poke. “I could hardly believe my own little eyes, fellows!” - -“It’s a case of the worm will turn,” observed Jeffrey. - -“And here comes the worm,” whispered Jim. - -Mr. Hanks came along the road with a bundle of blue books under his -arm. He had discarded his straw hat for a faded black Fedora that was -perhaps two sizes too large for him and that settled down over his -forehead in a desperate and rakish manner. To-day it seemed to the boys -on the porch that the instructor held his head more erect and stepped -out more briskly. When he came up the steps they were all on their feet -and unconsciously there was a new respect in the way in which they -stood at attention and took off their caps. Mr. Hanks bowed his jerky -bow and passed them silently. When he was heard mounting the stairs Jim -observed thoughtfully: - -“‘Nancy’ doesn’t seem to fit him so well to-day, fellows.” - -Naturally enough Mr. Hanks’ astounding change from the meek and lowly -victim to the high-handed martinet was a nine days’ wonder. During -that nine days three other members of his classes were punished in -various ways and from that time on recitations in Latin and history -were conducted with a decorum that soon became the envy of other -instructors. Mr. Hanks never spoke to Gil or Poke, Jim or Jeffrey about -the matter, nor did he ever show them any special consideration in -class, but in some way they all understood that he was grateful, and -with their new respect for him was a stronger liking. - -In the meanwhile football affairs were at sixes and sevens for the -better part of a week, for Gary’s probation prohibited him from taking -part in athletics and when he left the team the team lost one of its -strongest units. Parker was tried, but found wanting. Springer, left -guard on the second, was brought across to the first but fared badly in -the first game played. Finally Cosgrove, right tackle on the first, was -moved to Gary’s vacant place, and Curtis, of the second, was promoted -to right tackle on the first. Whereupon, presto!――Mr. James Hazard -found himself with disconcerted suddenness playing left tackle on the -second team! And the season was half over and already the Hawthorne -game loomed large and impending on the horizon. - -To say that Jim was pleased is putting it but mildly. To say that he -was secretly alarmed is no more than the truth. It is one thing to -serve as a substitute and be put in for five or ten minutes when the -game is safe and quite another to be a first string man. On defense -Jim found himself opposed to Tearney, right end on the first, and that -was not so bad, but on the attack he had Cosgrove in front of him and -Cosgrove was an old and experienced player with a most irritating trick -of coaxing Jim off-side, for which, for the first week or so, Jim was -forever being censured by coach and captain and quarter-back. Of course -playing on the second team is not as momentous an affair as being on -the ’varsity, but it’s the next biggest thing, and if any one thinks -that a second team doesn’t take itself very seriously they should have -watched proceedings at Crofton that fall. The second, captained by -Page, the tiny quarter-back, went into every tussle as though the fair -honor of Crofton was in their keeping. The second regretted the loss of -Curtis, but speedily made Jim welcome to their ranks. He soon got close -to several fellows well worth knowing and within a fortnight was “Jim” -to every member of the team. - -At Sunnywood, true to their promise, Gil and Poke assisted in the -household duties every morning and evening. Mrs. Hazard had instead of -one majordomo three cheerfully willing assistants. Chilly weather had -come and the furnace had begun its duty, and in the morning the three -boys descended to the cellar and put it in shape, raking out ashes -and sifting them, shoveling coal, picking over cinders and splitting -kindling for the kitchen. Jeffrey, although barred from taking an -active part in the chores, made himself useful whenever possible. In -the evening a somewhat similar program was carried out, and at ten -o’clock Poke, who had evolved certain theories for the scientific -management of furnaces, went down and fixed the fire for the night. In -this way Jim had plenty of time to pursue the gentle art of football. - -[Illustration: Gil and Poke assisted in the household duties.] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -POKE ON CANOES - - -It was shortly after Mr. Hanks’ disconcerting assumption of the rôle of -despot that Jeffrey crossed the hall to Gil and Poke’s room one Friday -evening. - -“Are you fellows still grinding?” he asked. - -“We are still studying,” responded Poke. “Please try to abstain from -slang, Mr. Latham. I don’t care so much about myself, but it sets a bad -example for my friend across the table. I have to be very careful about -him. His parents have placed him in my charge, you see. Well, what’s on -your mind, old top?” - -“I’ve been thinking,” said Jeffrey gravely. - -“I know.” Poke nodded sympathetically. “It does make you feel sort of -queer, doesn’t it? Have a glass of water?” - -“That might give him water on the brain,” observed Gil, looking up from -his book. - -Poke observed him sorrowfully. “Your humor, Gil, is heavy, very heavy. -Go on with your Latin, my poor fellow.” - -“How the dickens can I, when you two chaps are talking?” asked Gil -mildly, pushing his book away. - -“I thought you’d be through,” said Jeffrey. “I’ll come in again later.” - -“Sit still, Jeff. I am through. I was just taking a fall out of -Monday’s stuff. Where’s Jim?” - -“Over there; studying math.” Jeffrey indicated his room with a jerk of -his head. “I’ve been thinking――” - -“You said that before,” interrupted Poke sweetly. - -“Shut up, Poke! Let him think if he wants to. Just because you never do -it――” - -“Let him tell it, Gil, can’t you? Always interrupting and annoying -folks with your beastly chatter. Go ahead, Jeff; don’t mind him; you’ve -been thinking; now what’s the rest? Bet you I know the answer!” - -Jeff aimed a blow at Poke’s shins with the end of a crutch and Poke -kicked his feet up just in time. “He’s getting crutchity, Gil,” he said -sadly. - -Gil threatened him with a book from the table and Poke retired to the -other side of the room. - -“You see,” said Jeff, taking advantage of Poke’s retreat to state his -errand, “you see, fellows, I’ve been thinking――” - -There was a chuckle from the window seat which turned quickly into a -cough as Gil swung around in that direction, the book still in his -hand. Jeffrey smiled. - -“Thinking,” he went on, “about getting a canoe.” - -“Gee, but I’m glad you aren’t thinking about getting a steam yacht!” -ejaculated Poke. “You’d have brain fever by this time!” - -“They say there’s a man named Sandford up the river who makes corkers.” - -“There is; at Riverbend. There are two or three up there who make -canoes,” replied Gil. - -“Well, I’ve always heard that Sandford’s were the best. I think――” - -“He’s at it again!” groaned Poke, who had fortified himself with half a -dozen cushions. “He’s at it again!” - -“I think I’ll buy one. Oughtn’t I get a pretty good one for thirty -dollars, Gil?” - -“I really don’t know, Jeff. Never bought a canoe in my life. I would -think so, though. How about it, Poke?” - -“Oh, am I to be allowed to speak?” asked Poke in a muffled voice from -behind his breastworks. “Had to come to old Poke when you wanted to -know something, didn’t you?” - -“Oh, shut up, you idiot!” laughed Gil. “How much do canoes cost?” - -Poke emerged in a shower of cushions. “Canoes?” he asked. “Well now, -what kind of canoes? There are canvas canoes, wooden canoes, paper -canoes, birch-bark canoes, steel canoes, dug-outs――” - -“Dug-outs, of course,” replied Gil sarcastically. “Those are what -Sandford makes, I suppose?” - -“Irony doesn’t become you,” responded Poke critically. “Irony, Gil, -should be indulged in only by those having an iron constitution. -Returning to the subject of canoes and the cost thereof――” - -“Thirty dollars will probably buy you a first-class one, Jeff,” Gil -interrupted. “When are you going to――” - -“Thirty dollars will buy a very fair one only,” Poke corrected. “Allow -me, if you please, to speak on this subject. I suppose there is no -one in Crofton who has more knowledge of canoes than I, Jeff. Canoes -are――are an open book to me. I can tell you where to buy them, how -to buy them, when to buy them――and when not to! Also, I have full -knowledge of what to feed them and how to bring them up. I suppose I’ve -brought up more canoes――” - -“Honestly, Poke, you’re silly,” said Gil disgustedly. “We’re talking -seriously, so shut up or get out, will you?” - -“I can be just as serious as you can, you old Mr. Grouch!” Poke -returned to his chair at the table, wearing an expression of intense -dignity. “Sandford’s eighteen-foot canoe, Jeff, costs forty-two -dollars, but you can get a dandy sixteen-footer for thirty-five. It -isn’t finished quite as nicely, I believe. Sometimes you can pick up a -good second-hand one up there. Perky Wright has one he only paid about -fifteen for. I don’t think it came from Sandford, though. What’s that -other fellow’s name up there, Gil?” - -“I don’t know. There are two or three others, aren’t there? Was Perky’s -second-hand when he got it, Poke?” - -“Yes, and he had the fellow paint it all up as good as new. You’d -never have known it had been used before he got it, Jeff.” - -“I think I’d rather have a brand-new one,” said Jeff doubtfully. “And I -wouldn’t want an eighteen-footer; sixteen is long enough. Couldn’t you -fellows go up there with me in the morning and help me buy it?” - -“I guess so,” Gil answered. “We’d have to go early, though; dinner’s at -twelve to-morrow on account of the game.” - -“We can go up on the train,” said Poke. “Take the eight-something and -be there in five minutes.” - -“I thought we might paddle up,” suggested Jeff. “It wouldn’t take very -long.” - -“Hm, and who would do the paddling?” asked Poke with elaborate -carelessness. - -“I’d do most of it,” Jeffrey replied, “if some one would take a hand in -the bow.” - -“That’s Gil, then. He’s tried it and I never have. How many can we get -in a canoe? Is Jim going along?” - -“No, he says he can’t. But I thought we might take Hope if she’d like -to go.” - -“Four of us in one frail bark?” demurred Poke. - -“Of course; easy as pie.” - -“I’ve seen six fellows in some of our canoes here,” said Gil. “But I’m -afraid you and I’ll be a bit tired by the time we reach Riverbend, -Jeff. However, we can come back with the current.” - -“Gee,” exclaimed Poke, “I wish we didn’t have a game to-morrow. We -could take some grub with us and have a picnic.” - -“Fine! Couldn’t we do it anyway?” Jeff asked eagerly. - -“Why not, Poke? Johnny will let us off,” said Gil. “We’ll get Lady to -put us up a nice big basket of grub and we’ll find a place along the -river and have a fine old time! Why can’t Jim come along?” - -“He says he has to attend to some things around the house in the -morning,” answered Jeff. - -“Shucks! Where is he? I’ll attend to him!” And Poke disappeared across -the hall. - -“We’ll have to make sure and be back by one-thirty,” said Gil. “Game’s -at two-thirty to-morrow, you know. We’ll put on our old things so we -can fall overboard if we want to. By the way, Jeff, what would happen -to you if the old thing did upset?” - -“I’d swim ashore, I hope,” laughed Jeff. - -“Really? Can you swim with――with those?” Gil was looking at the -crutches. - -“No, I usually leave these behind when I go in swimming,” replied -Jeffrey with a smile. “Swim is one thing I can do fairly well, Gil. -Funny, though, isn’t it? I suppose I do most of it with my good leg, -although I seem to get some push with the other, too. If we upset, you -look after yourself; don’t worry about me; I dare say I’d be ashore as -soon as you.” - -“Here he is!” cried Poke in the doorway. He had Jim by the coat -collar. “Now apologize to Mr. Latham for so rudely refusing his kind -invitation!” - -“I apologize,” laughed Jim. - -“Then you’ll go with us?” cried Jeffrey. - -Jim hesitated. “I oughtn’t to,” he began. - -“Oh, feathers!” said Poke, giving him a shake. “Of course you’ll come. -What have you got to do here, I’d like to know?” - -“Lots of things; lay a carpet, for one.” - -“Lay it after you get back,” suggested Jeffrey. - -“I want to see the game, thank you. Maybe, though, I can do it -to-morrow evening.” - -“Of course you can; carpets lay better in the evening, anyhow.” And -Poke released his prisoner. - -“Will Hope come along?” asked Jeffrey. - -“I guess so,” Jim replied. “Want me to find out?” - -“Yes, and say, Jim, while you’re about it see if Lady will get up some -sandwiches and things for us, will you?” - -“Of course she will.” Jim went out to seek his mother and sister, and -Poke began to chuckle. - -“What are you crying about?” asked Gil. - -“Oh, nothing much, thank you. I was just wondering which of us, if -Hope comes, is to swim. For I’ll be switched if I want to go five in a -canoe.” - -“That’s so,” said Jeff. “I hadn’t thought of that. Couldn’t we take two -canoes, Gil?” - -“If we can get them, but some one will have to get to the boat-house -pretty early or they’ll be taken; that is, if it’s a decent day. And -who will paddle the second one?” - -“Jim,” replied Jeffrey. “He can paddle very well now. I’ve been showing -him how.” - -“And who will take the bow paddle?” asked Poke uneasily. - -“You, you lazy dub,” responded Gil promptly. “If you can’t paddle a -canoe it’s time you learned how. You and Jeff can go in one canoe, with -Hope, and Jim and I will take the other.” - -“All right, but don’t blame me if something awful happens. I am subject -to cramps, and if I have a cramp I can’t paddle, and if I can’t paddle -we’ll upset, and if we upset――” - -“You’ll get wet,” ended Jeffrey. “So I guess we’ll let you and Jim take -care of the luncheon, Gil.” - -“I won’t go if you’re going to put the luncheon in his care,” declared -Poke. “Why, there wouldn’t be a smutch of it left by the time we got to -Riverbend. I insist on staying close to the grub!” - -“As close as you want, but in another boat, sweet youth,” replied Gil. -“Here’s Jim. What did she say, Jim?” - -“Which she? Lady says she will give us all the lunch we want and Hope -says she would like to go very much indeed. To be quite exact, fellows, -she said it would be ‘perfectly jimmy!’” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -UP THE RIVER - - -They were off at nine o’clock the next morning, Jeffrey and Poke in -one canoe and Jim and Gil and Hope in another. The basket of luncheon -reposed between Jeffrey and Poke, the latter declaring that it was -needed as ballast. Their canoe was not a very good one and was the -smaller of the two, and Poke had only secured it, from two juniors who -were in possession of it when he arrived at the boat-house, by his -moving eloquence. It was a fine autumn morning, warm and sunny, and it -seemed that the whole school had elected to spend the forenoon on the -river. For the first quarter of a mile the stream was alive with canoes -and skiffs. Then the throng dwindled and soon the voyagers had the -river to themselves. - -Poke was making hard work of paddling, although all that Jeffrey -required of him was “push,” as he put it. “Just stick your blade in, -Poke, and push it back. I’ll look after the steering.” - -“That’s all very well,” answered Poke, “but I keep skinning my knuckles -on the side of the canoe.” - -“Then put your left hand higher up on the paddle,” Jeffrey laughed. -“And when you get tired, change over to the other side.” - -“I’m not comfortable,” Poke grumbled presently. “This thing you call a -seat is as hard as a rock. Why don’t they have cushions in canoes?” - -“Some do,” Jeffrey replied. “When I get mine I’ll have a cushion -especially for you, Poke, with your initials on it.” - -“Just as long as you don’t ask me to sit on it, all right. I say, Gil, -how are you getting on?” - -“Pretty well, thank you. How are you?” - -“Oh, fine! I guess I’m doing most of the work from the feeling of my -arms. Say, wouldn’t it be great if the silly old river would run the -other way for awhile?” - -“I wish there was another paddle,” said Hope disconsolately. “I could -help if there were.” - -“You’d upset the canoe if you tried to paddle from the middle,” said -Jim. “How much further is it, Gil?” - -“About a mile, I guess. Getting tired?” - -“N-no; a little. It surely gets your muscles, doesn’t it?” - -“It surely does!” agreed Gil. “It’s getting muscles I didn’t know I -had!” - -“Keep farther away,” warned Poke. “I need lots of room when I paddle, -and you make me nervous when you come so close. Get out or I’ll splash -you, Gil!” - -“Don’t you try it, son! And for goodness’ sake don’t wriggle around so -in your seat. If you upset we’ll lose the luncheon. I knew we oughtn’t -to have let you take it.” - -“Isn’t it most time for luncheon now?” asked Poke. “We might just rest -a while and have a sandwich, eh?” - -“Get out! It isn’t ten o’clock yet,” Gil jeered. - -“Isn’t it?” asked his chum pathetically. “My arms feel as though it was -twelve!” - -“Rest awhile,” said Jeffrey from the stern. “I can work it alone here. -The current isn’t so hard now.” - -“No, I’ll keep at it until I fall in a swoon,” answered Poke. “One -arm’s numb clear to the elbow now and doesn’t hurt so much. I dare say -I’ll soon be beyond all pain.” - -“Let’s paddle in to the bank,” Jim suggested, “and take a rest. I’m -just about all in, fellows.” - -So they turned the canoes to where the branches of the trees overhung -a little stretch of pebbly beach and ran the bows of the craft ashore. -Poke laid his dripping paddle across his knees, murmured “Good night!” -and apparently sank into slumber. They were all, excepting Jeffrey and -Hope, glad of the respite, for paddling against the current, even for -those accustomed to it, is no light task. Hope wanted to get out and -“explore,” but her brother hard-heartedly commanded her to sit still -and not overturn the canoe. - -“Isn’t the river perfectly beautiful!” she exclaimed. - -There was a deep sigh from Poke. “It is indeed paradise,” he murmured. -Presently he raised his head and looked about him, passing a hand -across his damp forehead. “Where am I?” he asked dazedly. “Ah, I -remember all! I thought ’twas but a dream!” - -“Well, suppose we dream some more,” laughed Jeffrey. “After we get to -Riverbend we can rest as long as we want to. You fellows ready?” - -“Yes, come on,” answered Jim. “Push her off, Gil.” - -“Aren’t we going to have our luncheon now?” asked Poke in injured -surprise. “Only the thought of food has kept me alive thus far. Let’s -every one have a sandwich, fellows, just one miserable little sandwich.” - -“Oh, come on, Poke,” said Gil. “Get a move on. Jeff wants to buy his -canoe some time to-day.” - -“Well, just a half a sandwich,” pleaded Poke. “Honest to goodness, -fellows, I’m faint with hunger and fatigue.” - -“Shall I give him one?” asked Jeffrey laughingly. - -“Not a bite!” replied Gil. “He wouldn’t do another stroke of work if -you fed him now. All he wants to do after he has eaten is lie down and -go to sleep.” - -“Gee, I want to do that now!” ejaculated Poke, raising his paddle -wearily and pushing the bow of the canoe from the sand. “When I fall in -a dead faint in the bottom of the canoe you fellows will be sorry you -treated me so meanly. Jeff, will you push the basket this way a little -farther, please? I just want a smell of it to encourage me!” - -A half-mile farther up the stream they began to encounter other -crafts. Riverbend was a veritable canoeing center and on fair days, -and especially on Saturdays and holidays, hundreds of persons were -to be found on the river thereabouts. As early as it was, the stream -was pretty well populated as they drew near their destination. There -were red canoes and blue canoes and white canoes and green canoes, and -canoes of half a dozen other colors or tints. Many of them were really -luxurious, with mahogany seats and embroidered cushions, while one -craft that they passed, occupied by a man and a woman, was floating -lazily down the stream with a graphophone playing in the bow. That was -too much for Poke. He stopped paddling and stared at it most impolitely -with open mouth. Finally he shook his head. - -“It’s no use,” he said discouragedly. “I can’t do any more. My mind is -wandering. I’m seeing things and hearing music!” - -“Well, we’re just about there, I guess,” laughed Jeffrey. “There’s a -boat-house ahead of us now, although I don’t know that it’s the one we -want.” - -“I will essay a few more faltering strokes then,” replied Poke. “Shall -you have one of those music affairs in your canoe, Jeff, or are you -going to have a church organ?” - -“A music box, I guess. There’s our place, Poke; see the sign?” - -Poke shook his head. “I see nothing clearly,” he muttered. “All is a -blur before me.” - -“There’s Sandford’s,” called Gil from the other canoe which had drawn -ahead. “Shall we go over there now?” - -“Yes, let’s look at his canoes first. Then we’ll have something to eat, -eh?” - -“Eat!” shouted Poke. “Who said eat? Do my ears deceive me?” - -“Back water!” commanded Jeffrey. “That was a narrow squeak, Poke.” A -pea-green canoe crossed their bow, while the single occupant of it -asked them scathingly if they were blind. It required some care to -cross the river, which here widened into a very respectable basin, -without scraping somebody’s paint, but it was at last accomplished and -the two canoes sidled up to a long sloping float which presented a -very busy scene. Canoes were being brought from their racks in the big -shed and placed in the water, and dozens of persons were embarking or -awaiting their turns. Paddles and cushions and lunch-boxes littered the -float. Through the open doors of the boat-house canoe after canoe could -be seen housed on racks in the dim interior. - -“Great Scott!” exclaimed Jim. “I didn’t know there were so many canoes -in the world!” - -They pulled their own craft onto the float and looked about them. -Across the basin was another boat-house bearing the name of a rival -maker. Near at hand a high bridge spanned the river. Beyond it the -stream turned to the left and still more boat-houses showed through the -leafless trees that lined the banks. - -“It’s just too――too jimmy for words!” cried Hope. “It must be perfectly -stunning up here in summer, mustn’t it? Jim, will you bring me up here -sometime and paddle me around?” - -“We’ll all come up and make a day of it next spring,” said Gil. “It’s -really very jolly in warm weather, when the leaves are out, you know, -and the birds are singing――” - -“Listen to him!” hooted Poke. “Listen to old Gil rhapsodizing! ‘Trees -and birds’! Say, Gil, what you need is a bite to eat.” - -“Let’s get busy, then,” said Jeffrey. “I wonder where the office is.” - -“At the other end,” said Poke. “I’ll show you. Only――” He stopped and -viewed the luncheon basket thoughtfully. “Only,” he went on, “I don’t -want to take any chances about losing that grub. Shall we take it with -us?” - -“Oh, come ahead; no one’s going to steal it,” said Gil. “Besides, if -they do we can buy luncheon here. There are two or three places up -there towards the station.” - -“That’s so,” responded Poke in relieved tones. “Come on, then.” - -Buying a canoe was not as easy as it had seemed. Not that there was any -scarcity of the articles, however. That was just where the difficulty -lay. There were so many of them, new and second hand, of all colors -and sizes, that it took a lot of deciding. Poke had been very nearly -right as to prices. In the end, after fully a half hour of viewing -and discussing, Jeffrey made his decision. The canoe he selected was -sixteen feet long, with a white cedar body and red cedar trim. It was -painted crimson and the varnish shone until the boys could almost see -their faces in it. It had been difficult at the last to choose between -crimson and blue in the matter of color, for the blue was a most -enticing shade. But Gil reminded Jeffrey that crimson and gray were -the school colors and patriotism cast the deciding vote. Then came the -extras; paddles, seat-backs and cushions. Jeffrey tried a half-dozen -paddles at the edge of the float before he decided on the model he -liked best and ordered two. One seat-back was all he wanted, and that -was only in case Hope should honor the canoe with her presence. Three -cork cushions completed his purchases and almost exhausted the fifty -dollars that he had brought with him. (The canoe was thirty-seven -dollars and a half.) Then came the subject of having a name printed on -the bow, and Jeffrey was nonplussed. - -“I think that would be nice, don’t you?” he asked the others. They -agreed that it would and immediately suggested names. But none of them -seemed to please Jeffrey and finally he told the man that they would -think it over and let him know about it in an hour or so. - -“I suppose, though,” he said with a trace of disappointment in his -voice, “I’d have to wait for it if you painted the name on.” - -The man replied that it would require several days to perform the work -and dry the paint. - -“That means that I’ll have to come up again and get it, then.” - -“Oh, no, sir. We’ll deliver it for you at the school. Just take it down -with our launch.” - -“Well, then I guess I’ll have a name on it,” replied Jeffrey. “And I’ll -let you know in about an hour.” - -So they left matters that way and went back to their canoes for -the luncheon basket. With this in hand they started out to find a -suitable place to eat and at last succeeded, discovering a sunny nook -a little way down the river where a row of willows shut them off from -the observation of the people in the passing canoes. Mrs. Hazard had -provided liberally. There were sandwiches galore, tongue, ham and -lettuce; a thermos bottle filled with coffee that was as hot when Hope -poured it into the drinking cups as when it had been put into the -bottle; another thermos filled with milk; a dozen hard-boiled eggs; -much cake and some bananas. Poke heaved a sigh of contentment as Hope -and Jim spread the contents of the basket out on two napkins. - -“Great!” he said. “There’s as much as I can eat there. I wonder, -though, what the rest of you are going to do.” - -“We’ll show you in a minute,” said Gil. “All gather around, ladies and -gentlemen. Who wants milk and who wants coffee?” - -“I,” said Poke promptly. - -“Well, which?” - -“Both, please.” - -“You’ll not get both. Which do you want, Hope?” - -“Milk, please. Have a sandwich, Poke?” - -“_A_ sandwich?” murmured Poke, helping himself liberally after -determining the kind he wanted. “Why put the ‘a’ in?” - -“Now,” said Jeffrey presently, when the first pangs of hunger had been -assuaged, “let’s talk about a name for the canoe, fellows.” - -“Mayn’t I help too?” asked Hope. - -“Why, of course; I want you to!” - -“You said ‘fellows,’ and I didn’t know.” - -“Excuse me,” Jeffrey laughed, “I should have said ‘Lady and fellows.’ I -tell you how we’ll do it. We’ll start and go around the circle in turn. -You’re first, Jim. What do you say?” - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE “MI-KA-NOO” - - -“Let some one else start it,” said Jim. “I’m not much good at names.” - -“All right. You’re next, Gil.” - -“Well, how would ‘Crofton’ do?” - -“Punk!” said Poke promptly. “What you want to call it, Jeff, is -something――” - -“Kindly await your turn, Mr. Endicott,” said Jeff. “What do you say, -Hope?” - -“I think something like――like ‘Dragon Fly’ would be pretty.” - -“That’s not bad,” said Gil. - -“Now, Poke.” - -“‘Tippy,’” replied Poke promptly. - -“It isn’t tippy,” denied Jeff. - -“All canoes are tippy. Call this one ‘Tippi-canoe,’ only call it -‘Tippy’ for short. Get me?” - -There was a groan of disapproval and Jeffrey looked at Jim. - -“I don’t know,” said Jim. “I think what Hope suggested is pretty good. -Or you might call it ‘Kingfisher.’” - -“Yes,” said Jeffrey, “or ‘Lotus.’” - -“Yes, or ‘Pink Carnation,’” jeered Poke. “Or ‘Canary Bird.’ Why don’t -you think of something appropriate? Now, ‘Tippy’――” - -“Is idiotic,” interrupted Gil. “I think you need a short name, Jeff; -something with ‘go’ to it――” - -“That’s it!” exclaimed Jim, almost upsetting his coffee cup. - -“What’s it?” they asked. - -“‘Go To It’!” - -“Really, that’s not bad,” commented Poke. - -The others agreed, all save Hope. Hope said she thought it was a bit -slangy. - -“But that’s the kind of name you want,” insisted Gil. “Something -snappy, Jeff.” - -“Why not call it ‘Poke’?” asked that youth. - -“Yes, ‘Slow Poke,’” amended Jim. “But I don’t call that snappy. What’s -the matter with something Indian?” - -“That’s the ticket!” cried Poke. “Jimmy, old boy, you’re coming on. -Let’s call it ‘Laughing Water.’” - -“Or ‘Minnehaha.’” - -“Or ‘Silver Heels.’” - -“‘Rain-in-the-Face!’” - -“Oh, cut it out, Poke! Be sensible.” This from Gil. “I guess all the -Indian names have been used up, Jeff. Why not call it ‘Hope’?” - -Hope laughed merrily at that, and Poke grinned. “I wish you would,” he -said eagerly. “You certainly would get your share of joshing, Senator.” - -“Well, it’s getting on, fellows, and we don’t seem to have found -anything very good yet. Can’t any one think of anything?” - -There was a depressed silence until Jim said feebly: “Call it -‘Noname.’” This met with the reception it deserved. Hope knitted her -brows and forgot, in her absorption, to finish the slice of cake she -held. Finally Poke broke the stillness. “Who’s got a pencil?” he asked. - -“Give it back?” inquired Jeffrey. - -“I certainly will,” replied Poke, viewing it in disgust. “Now who’s got -a piece of paper?” - -“Any other little thing you’d like?” asked Gil, tossing him a box-lid. -“A twenty-dollar gold piece or a silk hat?” - -“Yes, I’d like silence,” said Poke severely. He began to write on -the lid and the others, glad of a respite from thinking, watched him -curiously. For a minute Poke scribbled and erased and frowned, but -finally a satisfied smile dawned over his countenance. - -“I’ve got it,” he announced. “Gil said all the Indian names had been -used, my friends, but Gil, as usual, was wrong. Here, Jeff, is the name -of your canoe.” - -He tossed the box-lid to Jeffrey. On it he had printed in big letters: - - MI-KA-NOO. - -“What’s that mean?” asked Jeffrey. Then it dawned on him and he burst -into a laugh and handed the inscription on to Jim. “That’s bully, Poke! -It really does look like Indian at first, too!” - -“My Canoe,” Jim translated as he passed it on. “How did you think of -it, Poke?” - -Poke waved his hand airily, signifying that the thing was too trivial -to be worth attention. - -“The only thing,” said Gil, with a grin, “is that you’re pretty sure to -call it ‘Mike’ for short.” - -“Great!” laughed Jim. “You wanted something short and snappy and there -it is; Mike. You can’t beat it.” - -Hope was less enthusiastic about the name than the others, and said she -thought it would be a shame to call anything as pretty as the crimson -canoe, “Mike,” but Jeffrey was delighted with the suggestion. “It will -look bully when it’s painted on,” he declared. “I suppose they’ll do it -in gold, won’t they, Gil?” - -“If you tell them to they will, I guess. Let’s get a move on, or we -won’t get home before the game begins. Toss me another banana, Poke.” - -“How many have you had already?” asked his chum severely. - -“Only one; honest.” - -“All right; catch. Who wants some more cake? There are three bananas -left, too. Have one, Jim? Any one else in the audience like a banana? -Shove the basket over, Hope, and I’ll dump these things in. What time -is it?” - -“After twelve,” replied Gil. “We’ll have to hurry a bit.” - -“It won’t take us twenty minutes to get back after we’re started,” said -Jeffrey. “We’ve got the current with us, you know.” - -“That is indeed painful news,” grunted Poke. “I hoped to be able to -paddle back.” - -“Jeff,” asked Hope as they retraced their steps, “will you teach me to -paddle sometime? I’d love to know how. It isn’t hard, is it? It doesn’t -look hard, anyway.” - -“No, it isn’t hard, except when you’re going against the stream or the -wind,” Jeffrey answered. “I’ll show you how any day you like after I -get ‘Mike.’” - -Hope made a face. “I think that’s a perfectly――perfectly suggy name, -Jeff.” - -“Suggy? What’s suggy?” - -“Horrid, of course.” - -“I see; the antonym of jimmy.” - -“I guess so,” replied Hope. “I don’t believe I know what an-an-anto――what -that is, though.” - -They returned to the float, and while Jeffrey and Gil went on to -the office to see about having the name put on the canoe, Jim and -Poke launched the craft and made ready for the return trip. Then, as -the others had not come back, Poke excused himself with the vague -explanation that he thought he’d just look around a minute, and -disappeared up the hill. Jeffrey and Gil returned presently and after -they had waited several minutes for Poke that young gentleman sauntered -into sight with a huge bag of peanuts from which he was industriously -eating. - -“Pig!” shouted Gil scathingly. - -“For that,” remarked Poke tranquilly, “you get none, my friend. Who -wants some peanuts?” - -It seemed that they all did, for Gil and Jim captured the bag by main -force and made an equal distribution of its contents. As Jim remarked -a few minutes later, it was a lucky thing that they did not have to -paddle going back, for paddling would have interfered seriously with -eating the peanuts. As it was, they left a floating trail of shells all -the way from Riverbend to the boat-house at Crofton. - -Jeffrey and Hope returned to Sunnywood, but the others remained at -school to await the time for the game with St. Luke’s Academy. Poke -declared that Jeffrey was going home to get more dinner, and showed a -strong disposition to accompany him. Gil and Jim, however, restrained -him by force of arms. - -“Oh, I don’t want anything myself,” he said, “but some one ought to go -along and see that those two don’t get any more. My――my motive, Gil, -was quite disinterested.” - -“You’re coming back to see the game, aren’t you, Jeff?” called Jim. - -“Yes, indeed. So is Hope. And we’re going to bring Lady if she will -come,” answered Jeffrey. - -The three seated themselves on the steps of the gymnasium and watched -Jeffrey go swinging along with the aid of his crutches, Hope beside him -suiting her steps to his. - -“He gets along mighty well, doesn’t he?” observed Gil. “Gee, if I was -in his shoes, fellows, I’d have a grouch all the time. Think of knowing -that you’ve got to go through life like that! Br-r-r!” - -“Think of not being able to play football or tennis or any of the -things we do,” said Poke soberly. “That’s what would get me, I guess.” - -“He certainly can handle a canoe, though,” said Jim. - -“And he told me last night that he could swim,” Gil added. “In fact he -seemed to think he could do that about as well as I can.” - -“I should hope so!” exclaimed Poke. “You’re a punk swimmer.” - -“Am I? I noticed that I had no trouble swimming all around you last -summer, Pokey.” - -“Shucks! I wasn’t well that day. You know I’d eaten too much breakfast.” - -“You usually do,” replied Gil sweetly. “I suppose you can swim like a -fish, Jim?” - -“N-no, I can’t swim much; I mean I can’t do many fancy tricks like -fellows I’ve seen. I can keep it up a long time, though. I swam six -miles one day last summer.” - -“Six miles!” Poke whistled expressively. “What for?” - -“Nothing; just to see if I could.” - -“Weren’t you dead when you got through?” - -“A little tired; not much. I swam out to the island first; that’s -nearly a mile; and then I went to the breakwater, which is a good two -miles, and then back the same way. It makes a good swim.” - -“Oh, yes,” said Poke carelessly, “but a trifle short; what? Did you -rest any?” - -“No, not to speak of. I stayed in the water all the time, but I rested -a couple of minutes at the island and about as long as that at the end -of the breakwater. I didn’t stop at all coming back.” - -“Where’s this place you live?” asked Gil. “Near here, isn’t it?” - -“Yes, just over there.” Jim nodded in the general direction of the -coast. “Only about thirty miles. Essexport, you know.” - -“I’ve heard of it. Folks go there in summer, don’t they?” - -“Some, but it isn’t a fashionable summer resort at all. A good many -artists go there. You stumble over them all the time on the wharves and -around the harbor. They sit under white umbrellas and paint any old -thing they can find. They’re rather nice folks, artists.” - -“I should think it would be fun,” said Poke vaguely. “Are you going -home in the summer?” - -Jim shook his head. “I don’t know. You see, we’ve rented our house. We -might go back for a little while, I suppose. I dare say it’s pretty hot -here in summer.” - -“I’ll bet it is!” said Gil. “It was so hot last spring at commencement -that we nearly died. Had to dress up in our best togs, you know, and -make a hit with our relatives.” - -“And other fellows’ relatives,” growled Poke. “I nearly danced my poor -little heart out that night, Gil. It was my fatal fascination, Jim. The -girls simply _had_ to have a dance with me!” - -“Dance!” scoffed Gil. “You don’t call what you do dancing, do you?” - -“I certainly do,” replied Poke with dignity. “It is the poetry of -motion. Gil is envious,” he explained, turning to Jim. “He dances like -a trained bear on the end of a chain. Ever see one? Like this.” And -Poke began to revolve around and around on the landing in ludicrous -imitation of a bear. Even Gil had to laugh at the performance. Then -Poke declared that he had to have a drink of water and they sauntered -over to Memorial, meeting a few late diners on the way. After that it -was almost time to think of dressing for the game, and they returned to -the gymnasium, loitered awhile on the steps and then descended to the -locker-room and leisurely got into their togs. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -MR. HANKS AS A NOVELIST - - -Jeffrey and Hope failed in their plan to entice Mrs. Hazard to the game -that afternoon. When they reached Sunnywood dinner was just over and -Mrs. Hazard and Mr. Hanks were coming from the dining-room. - -“Did you have a nice time, dear?” asked Hope’s mother. - -“Oh, just scrumptious!” Hope answered. “And Jeff bought the darlingest, -jimmiest canoe you ever saw! And its name is ‘Mi-Ka-Noo.’ And Jeff is -going to teach me to paddle, aren’t you, Jeff?” - -“If Lady doesn’t mind,” replied Jeff. “Do you like canoeing, sir?” he -asked, turning to Mr. Hanks, who, during the conversation had been -surreptitiously striving to edge his way past the group and reach the -stairway. - -“I――I have never tried it, Latham. But isn’t it――er――a bit unsafe? I’ve -always understood that canoes were――er――very unstable boats.” - -“Well, you have to be careful in them,” Jeffrey allowed. “But they’re -not quite as bad as folks try to make out. As long as you can swim -there’s no danger, sir.” - -“I suppose not; no, not so long as you can――er――swim. I regret to say -that swimming is an accomplishment I have never mastered.” - -“I don’t know about this canoeing,” said Mrs. Hazard doubtfully. “Hope -can swim a little, but――” - -“Why, Lady, you know I can swim beautifully! I swam seventy-five -strokes last summer!” - -“Well, that would be enough to take you ashore anywhere on this river,” -laughed Jeffrey. “I don’t think you need be alarmed, Lady. I’ll be very -careful of her.” - -“But――but can you swim all right yourself, Latham?” asked Mr. Hanks. - -“Oh, yes, sir, I get along better in the water than I do on land.” - -“Well, I suppose you can go, then, if you want to very much,” said Mrs. -Hazard. “But do be careful; and sit very quiet. Are you going this -afternoon?” - -“Oh, no, Lady. Jeff hasn’t got it yet; not until next week. He’s having -the name painted on it. This afternoon we’re going to the football -game. We’re all going, aren’t we?” She turned questioningly to the -instructor. “You are coming with us, aren’t you, Mr. Hanks?” - -“Er――why, thank you,” he stammered, “but I have so much to attend to, -Miss Hope. I――I think I won’t go. Much obliged. I――I must really get -back to my work.” He moved toward the stairway, nodded embarrassedly -and disappeared up the stairs. - -“Well, you’re coming, aren’t you?” Hope demanded of her mother. But -Mrs. Hazard shook her head smilingly. - -“Not to-day, dear. I’ve too much to do. I’ve told Jane she might go to -the village and do some shopping, and――” - -“Then I shall stay at home and help you,” declared Hope cheerfully. -“You won’t mind, will you, Jeff?” - -“Oh, but Jeff will mind!” said Mrs. Hazard laughingly. “He will mind -terribly! And, besides, my dear, I don’t need you a bit. So run along -and don’t be late.” - -“There’s lots of time,” said Hope. “Are you quite, _quite_ sure -there’s nothing I can do, Lady?” - -“Quite sure. So you go and see the football. Did you have luncheon -enough? Don’t you want something now?” - -“No, ma’am, we had plenty,” replied Jeffrey. “In fact, we didn’t eat -quite all of it.” - -“We had a lot of peanuts, too,” laughed Hope. “Poke bought them, and -Jim and Gil took them away from him and we all ate them coming home. -And, Lady, it’s perfectly beautiful at Riverbend, and we saw thousands -and thousands of canoes, and――” - -“Isn’t that a great many?” asked her mother smilingly. - -“Well, not thousands, but hundreds, Lady. We did see hundreds, didn’t -we, Jeff?” - -“Well, let’s say dozens, Hope, and be on the safe side,” Jeff replied -with a laugh. “Sometime I’d like you and Hope to let me take you up -there in the canoe, Lady, and show you how pretty it is. Sometime in -the spring would be best, I suppose.” - -“I should love to go,” replied Mrs. Hazard, “but I’ll have to learn to -swim first. Now run along to your football game. Is Jim going to play -to-day, Jeff?” - -“No, ma’am, I think not. At least, I’m afraid he isn’t.” - -“Well, I was afraid he was,” Mrs. Hazard laughed. “It’s all in the -point of view, isn’t it? Do you think you ought to walk so much, Jeff? -You must be careful and not get too tired.” - -“Oh, I don’t mind it. It’s just my shoulders that get sort of tired -sometimes, but they soon feel all right again. I think I’ll go up and -put some decent clothes on, Hope. It won’t take me very long.” - -“And I’m going to do the same,” Hope replied. “And it will take me a -full half-hour. So you needn’t hurry. We’ve got plenty of time, haven’t -we?” - -“Over an hour,” Jeffrey replied. “So you can just doll yourself all up, -Hope.” - -“Doesn’t he use awful language, Lady?” asked Hope. “I’d be ashamed if I -were a senator’s son, wouldn’t you? I’ll be all ready in just exactly -half an hour, Jeff.” - -“All right; I’ll be waiting for you.” - -When he reached the head of the stairs he noticed that Mr. Hanks’ door -was partly open. It was usually closed tight when the instructor was -inside, and Jeffrey wondered. And he wondered more a moment later when -the sound of quick, nervous footsteps reached him. He paused a moment -and listened. Back and forth paced Mr. Hanks, the length of the room, -the tail of his coat appearing at the opening of the door each time as -he turned. - -“I wonder,” reflected Jeffrey, “what the trouble is with Nancy. He -sounds like a caged lion. I guess somebody must have turned in some -pretty bad papers. Hope it wasn’t me!” - -True to her promise, Hope was ready at the end of the half-hour, -looking very neat and pretty in her blue dress. Jeffrey had changed his -old clothes for a suit of dark gray, and they were a very nice-looking -pair of youngsters as they left the cottage. Jeffrey said something -complimentary about Hope’s gown, and Hope smiled demurely down at its -trim folds. - -“It is nice, isn’t it?” she asked. “I like blue better than any other -color. I suppose I ought to like crimson, oughtn’t I? Because that’s -the Crofton color. But I couldn’t wear crimson, could I? Not with -yellow hair.” - -“Never mind,” laughed Jeffrey, “you’ll make an awful hit with the St. -Luke’s fellows. Their color’s blue, you see.” - -“Not really, Jeff?” - -He nodded. “Of course, their shade of blue isn’t like your dress, but -they’ll know you’re for them, Hope.” - -Hope tossed her head. “They’ll know nothing of the sort. I shall borrow -somebody’s flag and tie it around my neck! They won’t beat us, will -they?” - -“St. Luke’s? I don’t think so, but you can’t tell. Gil says we’re going -to have a rattling good game, so I suppose that means that it will be a -close one.” - -“I hope so. I don’t care how close it is as long as we win. That Gary -boy can’t play to-day, can he?” - -“No, not for a good many days. He fixed himself for awhile, I guess. -Wasn’t Mr. Hanks funny when you asked him to go with us? I thought he -was going to fall in a faint.” - -“I don’t see why, do you? It would do him good to get out of doors and -forget his silly work now and then.” - -“I guess it would. When I went upstairs he was walking back and forth -in his room just like a lion in a cage at the zoo. I guess something -must be troubling him.” - -“Oh, that’s nothing,” said Hope. “He often does that. You can hear him -in the dining-room when you’re setting table or something. He does -it sometimes for ten or fifteen minutes, and then he’s as quiet as a -mouse for hours and hours! I suppose it’s his writing, Jeff. He――he is -seeking inspiration.” - -“I hope he finds it before your carpet is worn out!” Jeffrey laughed. -“I wonder what he is writing, Hope.” - -“I think it’s a book,” said Hope. - -“What kind of a book?” - -Hope shook her head. “I don’t know. Perhaps――perhaps it’s a novel, -Jeff.” - -“A novel! Fancy Nancy Hanks writing a novel!” Jeffrey laughed at the -thought of it. - -“I don’t see why not,” Hope demurred. “I think he’s awfully smart, -Jeff, don’t you? Don’t you think he knows a terrible lot?” - -“Y-es, I suppose he does, only――only he doesn’t look like a novelist, -does he?” - -“I don’t think Sir Walter Scott looked much like a novelist, but he was -one. And――and I don’t suppose all novelists can look the same, anyway.” - -“I suppose not. But I’ll bet you that book of his is some sort of a -history or a Latin text-book. Why, Nancy wouldn’t waste his time on -anything as――as flippant as a novel, Hope!” - -“I don’t think novels are flippant,” Hope replied rather indignantly. -“You don’t call Ivanhoe and David Copperfield and――and all those -flippant, do you?” - -“No, but I wasn’t thinking of that sort of novels. If that’s what he’s -doing――” - -“You can’t tell. He might be. If he is I do hope he will tell us about -it when it’s done. Wouldn’t you like to read it, Jeff?” - -“I don’t know; I dare say. Anyhow, I know mighty well I’d rather read -it than any old Latin book he could write!” - -They found the grand-stand well filled when they reached the field, and -after securing seats they had to wait but a minute or two before the -visiting team appeared. Hope was relieved to find that the St. Luke’s -blue was a very light shade of the color, although Jeffrey gravely -assured her that blue was blue and that St. Luke’s wouldn’t mind if she -didn’t wear the exact shade. - -“There’s Brandon Gary over there,” said Jeffrey sotto voce as he -indicated the direction with his glance. “I should think he’d feel -pretty mean to be sitting up there not able to play.” - -“Who is the nice-looking boy this side of him?” asked Hope. “The one -leaning forward.” - -“Joe Cosgrove. He’s baseball captain, you know. He is nice looking, -isn’t he? They say he’s a dandy player.” - -“I don’t care much for baseball, do you?” said Hope. - -“Crazy about it.” - -“But you don’t like it as well as football, Jeff?” - -“I don’t know. I think I do. Perhaps one reason is that a fellow can -see a baseball game and not freeze to death or get soaking wet. Still, -come to think of it, I did get pretty well drenched once at a baseball -game. I’d rather see a boat race, though, than either.” - -“I’ve never seen one,” said Hope. “Not a rowing race, I mean. I’ve -watched lots of yacht races, but I never can make out which boat is -ahead. There are always so many of them. And lots and lots of them -aren’t racing at all; just following; and I never know which is which. -I suppose a rowing race isn’t like that, though.” - -“Not a bit. I’m going to try for the crew in the spring, but I don’t -suppose I’ll make it. Anyhow, it’s fun trying, and I love to row. Here -comes our fellows, Hope.” - -The cheer leaders were on their feet and in an instant the sharp cheer -rattled out; _Crow, crow, crow, Crofton! Crow, crow, crow, Crofton! -Crow, crow, crow, Crofton! Crofton! Crofton!_ Then came a cheer for -St. Luke’s, and a moment after some thirty devoted sons of that alma -mater gathered together across the field and returned the compliment, -making up in vigor what they lacked in numbers. Then Crofton lined her -warriors across the gridiron, St. Luke’s scattered her defense over the -opposite territory and Duncan Sargent kicked off. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE GAME WITH ST. LUKE’S - - -That kick-off was a fizzle. St. Luke’s got the ball on her twenty-five -yards, ran it back ten and then her full-back broke through the Crofton -left side for twenty yards, and there was great joy where the handful -of St. Luke’s supporters were gathered. After two tries had yielded -but four yards the St. Luke’s captain and left half-back kicked to -Arnold on Crofton’s fifteen-yard line. A very considerable little wind -had come up since noon and it lengthened the kick. Arnold ran back -fifteen yards before he was downed. Two plays were tried and Crofton -was penalized for starting before the ball. After Arnold had broken -through the center for four yards he kicked and a moment later the -St. Luke’s captain started the Blue’s rooters again by tearing off a -fifteen-yard run through center on a delayed pass. On the next play a -St. Luke’s back fumbled and LaGrange recovered the pigskin, for the -Crimson-and-Gray. - -Poke beat off nine yards at St. Luke’s left end and Arnold followed -with a plunge of five yards through the middle. Smith then failed to -gain, and Arnold got off a poor punt which the St. Luke’s right end -captured. On the first play the Blue’s quarter-back tried for distance -through the Crofton center, only to fumble and have Benson of Crofton -recover the ball. - -Arnold kicked, and as Gil was interfered with, the ball was brought -back and Crofton was presented with ten yards. On the next play -Arnold made five yards, and then Poke shaking off his opponents, ran -thirty-seven yards, placing the ball within ten yards of the St. Luke’s -goal line. Smith tried to gain on the right of the Blue’s line but -failed, and a forward pass, Arnold to Poke, was intercepted by the -St. Luke’s captain on his own four-yard line. He scampered and dodged -back to his ten-yard line before he was brought down, with half the -Crofton team sitting on and about him. On the first play the Blue’s -captain fumbled while going through the line and Duncan Sargent grabbed -the ball for Crofton on the nineteen yards. Two plays by Arnold and -Poke netted seven yards. Then, with Arnold back, a forward pass, -Arnold throwing the ball to Poke, brought the first score. Poke caught -the ball on the twelve-yard line and scampered over the last white -mark before he was pulled down. The punt-out was a failure, the ball -striking the ground. - -But Crofton cheered and made known her approval. The playing for the -rest of the first period was in the middle of the field, although at -one time Arnold was forced to punt from behind Crofton’s goal line, -after a mess had been made of the handling of one of the blue captain’s -kicks. The quarter ended with the ball in St. Luke’s possession on her -own forty-six-yard line. - -In the second period St. Luke’s was on the defensive. Fumbles enabled -Crofton to get the pigskin to within twenty-five yards of St. Luke’s -goal line, where Benson, on a forward pass, ran over the goal line, -only to be called back because Poke had held an opponent. Some two -minutes later the period ended and the teams trotted off. - -“The teams are pretty evenly matched,” said Jeffrey, “and Gil was right -about it being a stiff game. I guess we’re a little heavier than they -are, and I think our offense is better. One thing is certain, though, -and that is that we’re away ahead of them at handling the ball. They -made some awful fumbles in that last quarter, didn’t they?” - -“Yes, but it helped us, Jeff. I don’t see why that mean old thing of a -referee wouldn’t let us have that last touchdown. Do you think that was -fair?” - -“Of course it was,” Jeffrey laughed. “Poke was holding one of the St. -Luke’s fellows and the officials caught him. So we got penalized and -lost our touchdown. Too bad, too, for that was a corking pass, and -Benson handled it finely. There wasn’t a soul near him when he got the -ball.” - -“Then it was Poke’s fault?” asked Hope sadly. - -“I’m afraid it was. I don’t suppose he meant to hold. A fellow gets -excited and doesn’t realize sometimes. I guess Poke feels as badly as -anybody about it. But never mind, we’ll trim them all right. We should -get at least one more touchdown in the next two periods.” - -“I hope we get a dozen,” declared Hope. “And wasn’t that run of Poke’s -perfectly jimmy? I guess we can forgive him for losing us that other -touchdown, don’t you?” - -“Yes, especially as he made the first one. I wonder if Johnny will put -in any substitutes now.” - -“I wish he’d let Jim play,” said Hope. - -“Jim may make the team yet,” replied Jeffrey. “Cosgrove is playing a -mighty good game in Gary’s place, by the way. I wonder what Gary is -thinking about it. Here they come again. Now let’s see. No, the team’s -just the same, I guess.” - -Crofton was on the defensive throughout the whole of the third period, -the St. Luke’s captain having ordained it so when his long kick rolled -to Crofton’s twenty-yard line before Arnold recovered it. It was then -that the Blue’s supporters took heart, and from across the gridiron -came cheer after cheer as St. Luke’s worked the ball by a series -of plays in which three successful forward passes figured down to -within eight yards of the Crofton goal line. St. Luke’s looked really -dangerous for the first time and on the Crofton side of the field her -supporters watched uneasily as the St. Luke’s backs settled for the -next play. It was another forward pass and a sigh of relief went up -from the Crimson-and-Gray as the ball was fumbled and went to Crofton -as a touchback. Out to the twenty-five yards went the ball and Crofton -put it in scrimmage. St. Luke’s made several other attempts in that -period to get across her opponent’s goal line, but never again secured -such another chance as the one she had wasted. - -The last quarter found Crofton forcing the playing and St. Luke’s again -on the defensive. Arnold tried a goal from placement from the Blue’s -forty-yard line, but the ball went wide of the posts. St. Luke’s chose -to kick from behind the twenty-five-yard line, but it was not long -before Crofton had the ball back in the Blue’s territory. Failure to -gain ground at rushing caused Arnold to punt, and a substitute left -half-back who had taken the place of the Blue’s captain a moment -before, muffed the ball. LaGrange fell on it for Crofton on St. Luke’s -ten-yard line, and before St. Luke’s realized what had happened Poke -tossed the pigskin on a forward pass to Gil at left end and the second -touchdown was made. This time Sargent kicked the goal and Crofton’s -score was 11. For the remainder of the contest the ball hovered about -the middle of the gridiron, St. Luke’s, recognizing defeat, being -content to keep her opponent from approaching her goal line again. - -It had been a good game from a Crofton point of view, and, to quote -Hope, a “perfectly jimmy” one for Sunnywood. Poke and Gil had played -finely and had scored the only touchdowns that had been made. But it -was Poke’s work especially that brought them joy and sent the whole -school away in a glow of enthusiasm. He had been far and away the -most spectacular performer of the afternoon. He had contributed the -best individual work in carrying the ball, once having made a run -of thirty-seven yards at St. Luke’s left end, and, later, one of -forty-five yards around the enemy’s right end. Whether on the directing -or the receiving end of the forward pass, he had been excellent. -Crofton’s first score had been made with Poke on the receiving end, -while the second score had been the result of his accurate throw to Gil. - -Arnold, too, however, was a hero that day. The quarter-back had used -the best of judgment in the selection of plays, while at ground gaining -he had performed well. Several times he had torn through the St. Luke’s -center for good distances. His punting also had been good and the -enemy’s backs had found a great deal of difficulty in handling his -kicks. LaGrange at center had shown a wonderful nose for the ball, -and his recovery of the pigskin which opened the way for the second -touchdown had been a fine effort. Gil at end, Benson at full-back, -Sargent at left guard and Smith at left half-back all distinguished -themselves that day. On the whole Crofton went home from the game very -well satisfied with her team. Even Johnny’s countenance gave one the -impression that he was pleased. And he was. The only place that was -worrying the coach was the position of left tackle. Marshall had not -been up to the rest of the line that day, and it was becoming more and -more evident that a better man must be found for his place. - -There was great pride and much rejoicing at Sunnywood that Saturday -night. Hope, could she have had her way, would, I am certain, have -crowned Poke and Gil with wreaths of laurel! - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -GARY CHALLENGES - - -The canoe came on Wednesday. Of course by this time, as Gil had -predicted, its name had been shortened to “Mike,” which was a very -plebeian title for such a handsome craft. It was quite the best looking -canoe in the school boat-house, although Brandon Gary and “Punk” Gibbs -owned between them a craft that, when new, had been a marvel of white -and gold. Now it was pretty well scratched and battered, and there -were palpable patches showing along the bottom. Jeffrey was properly -proud of his new possession, and spent most of Wednesday afternoon in -or about it. It paddled beautifully, he decided, sat well on the water -and was altogether a treasure. He paddled far down the river in the -Mi-Ka-Noo and worked back in the golden glory of an autumn sunset, with -the afterglow tingeing the surface of the little stream with coppery -lights and the blade of his paddle trickling golden drops as it hung -between strokes above the placid surface. In the boat-house he found -an empty rack and saw the canoe carefully laid away on it, holding his -breath for fear the boatman might mar the glistening varnish of its -sides. - -The next forenoon he and Poke hurried down to the boat-house between -recitations. Sammy, the boatman, left his bench in the repair shop and -lifted the Mi-Ka-Noo into the water for them. Jeffrey got into the -stern and Poke settled himself in the bow and they started up-river. -Poke was eager now to learn how to paddle and so there was a ten-minute -lesson. By the time they had dropped Biscuit Island from sight he was -doing very well, although he had not yet mastered the twist of the -paddle at the end of the stroke. Jeffrey, however, kept the canoe in -its course and Poke persevered in his efforts to “get the hang of it,” -as he said. Half a mile up-stream Jeffrey called a halt and they pulled -the canoe in under the branches of the trees and rested awhile, Poke -ascertaining, by a glance at his watch, that they still had a full -half-hour before them. - -“It’s funny how it tires your shoulders,” said Poke, as he dropped his -watch back. “I believe I can get onto it all right, though.” - -“Of course you can,” Jeffrey responded. “There’s no trick to it. It’s -just a hard, steady drive and then a half-turn of the blade before you -take it out.” - -“I know, but it’s that half-turn that puzzles me. I get it sometimes, -and then the next time I almost lose my paddle.” - -“Want to try the stern going back?” - -But Poke shook his head. “I don’t think I’d better yet. I might put -Mike onto the bank or into a snag. Here’s some one coming up. Looks -like Bull Gary. Not only looks, but is. And Gibbs with him.” - -They watched the white canoe approach, drawing the bow of their own -canoe further toward shore, for the stream was narrow here and Jeffrey -wasn’t going to risk his paint. Gary was paddling in the stern and Punk -Gibbs was in the bow. Gary recognized Poke when some distance away and -waved his paddle to him. Poke waved back, and when the white craft was -within speaking distance Poke called: - -“Hello, Bull! Hello, Punk! That the same old mud-scow you used to have?” - -Gary turned his canoe toward the opposite side, Gibbs seized a branch -and they came to a pause. Gary laid his paddle across his knees, said -“Phew!” eloquently and grinned at Poke. - -“Yes, same old mud-scow,” he said. “Where’d you get that thing, Poke? -It looks like a fire-engine. Did they have any red paint left?” - -“This,” replied Poke, “belongs to Latham. You know Latham, don’t you, -Bull? Latham’s the chap who has the room you liked the looks of, Bull. -Jeff, the other gentlemen is Mr. Gibbs. Punk is all right, but he’s -terribly careless about the company he keeps. What do you think of this -for some canoe, Punk?” - -“She’s a peach,” replied Gibbs admiringly. “Where did you get her, -Latham?” - -“Sandford’s,” answered Jeffrey. - -“How do you pronounce that name?” asked Gary, who had been frowning at -it for a minute. Poke told him and the frown vanished. Gary chuckled. -“Pretty good, eh, Punk? Mi-Ka-Noo! I thought it was some Indian -gibberish.” - -“Go pretty well?” asked Gibbs. - -“Like a breeze,” replied Poke. “She paddles herself. Fastest thing on -the river except the varsity shell!” - -“I’ll bet you this old tub can run rings around her,” grunted Gary. -“Even if she is two years old and has forty-eleven patches on her!” - -“Oh, that’s been a good canoe in its day,” answered Poke airily. “But -they’re making ’em better now, Bull. Look at the lines on this old top. -Pretty neat, what?” - -“Too broad,” said Gary. “She’s built for comfort but not speed, Poke.” - -“Speed! Why, this canoe has the Empire State Express spiked to the -rails! Speed! Honestly, Bull, you pain me.” - -Gary grinned. “We’ll race you back to the boat-house,” he offered. “If -we don’t beat you by half a dozen lengths I――I’ll――” - -“Apologize,” suggested Poke. “We accept your challenge, sir.” - -“But, Poke,” said Jeffrey, “they’re bound to beat us.” - -“Of course we are,” Gary laughed. “Latham’s got a lot more sense than -you have, Poke.” - -“He is thinking of the fact that I am a very poor canoedler,” said -Poke. “This is only the second time I’ve ever tried it. But that -doesn’t matter because, as I have previously remarked, Bull, this canoe -paddles herself. Turn your old derelict around and get ready.” - -“Don’t you want me to take the stern?” asked Gibbs. “You paddled all -the way up.” - -“Pshaw, I’m not tired,” answered Gary. “Let the bow come around.” - -“Right-O!” cried Poke as the two canoes lay side by side. “Give the -word, Bull.” - -“All right. Are you ready? ... Go!” - -Off they went, all four paddles digging hard. Poke was apparently -trying to lift the bow of the Mi-Ka-Noo out of the water in his wild -efforts, and Jeffrey called to him to slow down. - -“Longer strokes, Poke, and make them tell! That’s it!” - -For a moment during that first excited spurt the two canoes were in -danger of colliding, but Jeffrey managed to swing away and in that -instant the white canoe gained a slight lead. - -In some places the channel was scarcely wide enough to allow the two -canoes to travel side by side, since there were many snags along the -banks. And so when the white canoe took the lead Jeffrey was content -to let it keep it until they had passed the next turn and the channel -widened. But the Mi-Ka-Noo hung close to the stern of the other -craft in spite of Gary’s strenuous paddling, and presently, when -the boat-house came into sight ahead, Jeffrey passed the word and -slowly the Mi-Ka-Noo crept up foot by foot until it was even with its -competitor. - -Poke was not yet a scientific paddler, but he had plenty of muscle, -meant to beat Gary if such a thing were possible and so toiled like a -hero in the bow. At the stern Jeffrey’s experience made up for the fact -that he hadn’t the strength to put into the strokes that Gary had. But -it was, I think, the Mi-Ka-Noo that won its own race, for the crimson -canoe was undoubtedly faster than the white one. Some fifty yards from -the boat-house float the Mi-Ka-Noo’s curving prow drew away from the -rival craft. Then Jeffrey, crouching at the stern, was even with the -center of the white canoe, and Gary, paddling madly and grunting with -every stroke of his flashing blade, called on Gibbs for a spurt. - -“Come on, Punk! Get into it! Make her go!” - -Gibbs tried his best, but his strokes when they grew faster grew also -weaker, and the crimson canoe gained steadily until there was open -water between her stern and the white bow. - -“Not too fast!” warned Jeffrey. “Make them hard, Poke!” - -And Poke, who was getting excited by the prospect of victory, steadied -down again. Then Gibbs “caught a crab” with his paddle, Gary lost his -temper and called him names and the Mi-Ka-Noo shot past the float a -good length and a half ahead! - -Poke subsided over his paddle and fought for breath while Jeffrey, -backing water and paddling, turned the canoe about and went back to the -float. - -“I guess this one’s a bit faster than yours, Gary,” said Jeffrey. “She -sits out of the water more, I think.” - -But strangely enough Gary had an affection for his battered craft and -was up in arms at once. - -“It wasn’t a test of the canoes,” he said indignantly. “This one is -twice as fast as yours. If Punk hadn’t nearly lost his paddle we’d have -shown you. Besides, I was tired. You fellows had been resting up there.” - -Poke lifted his head, gave a gasp for breath, and said: - -“You couldn’t have beat us if you’d just got out of bed, Bull.” - -“Couldn’t I? I’ll row you again any time you like; if I can find some -one to take the bow,” he added with a disgusted glare at Gibbs. - -Gibbs grinned and winked at Poke. “What you want in the bow, Bull,” he -said, “is a gasoline motor!” - -“I tell you what I’ll do with you,” offered Poke quietly. “I’ll race -you Saturday morning up-stream from the old bridge to the landing here. -You take any canoe you like and I’ll do the same. It isn’t the canoe, -Bull, it’s science that counts!” - -“Science!” scoffed Bull. “Why, you couldn’t paddle that far to save -your life!” - -“Don’t let that worry you,” Poke replied soothingly. “Will you try it?” - -“What would be the use? You say yourself that you’ve never paddled a -canoe before.” - -“I know, but I’m awfully quick to learn, Bull. I’m a clever little lad -that way. What do you say, now? Try it? We’ll start at the old bridge -and I’ll beat you to the boat-house here. If I don’t get here at least -a length ahead of you I’ll black your shoes for you on the front steps -of Mem!” - -“I hope you lose,” said Gibbs vindictively. “Bull’s shoes need blacking -most of the time.” - -“All right,” said Gary. “I’ll race you. And if I don’t beat you -I’ll――I’ll――” - -“Careful now! Don’t say anything you’ll be sorry for!” laughed Poke. - -“――I’ll black your shoes!” - -“Done, old scout! It’s a bargain. You fellows are witnesses.” - -“Saturday morning, you said. What time?” - -“Oh, say eleven; or later, if you like,” replied Poke. - -“Eleven’s all right for me. And I don’t have to use this canoe unless I -want to.” - -“Use any canoe you like and as many as you like as long as they don’t -have motors in them. We’re to start at the old bridge and finish here -at the corner of the float. And if I get here first you black my shoes. -And if you get here first I’m to black yours. Right?” - -“Yes,” said Gary; and Jeffrey and Gibbs nodded. - -“And there’s one other thing,” said Poke. “I want a good job done, -Bull; no skimping the heels, you know!” - -Gary grinned. “If you don’t get your shoes blackened until I do them, -Poke, they’ll be sights.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -POKE ADVERTISES - - -“What made you do such a silly thing?” asked Jeffrey of Poke as they -hurried back to Academy Hall. “You know very well he can paddle faster -than you can.” - -“Ah,” replied Poke gravely, “the race is not always to the swift, Jeff.” - -“Well, a canoe race is. You’d better put in all your spare time to-day -and to-morrow practising. You’ll have to learn to keep your canoe -straight first of all, Poke.” - -“I shall take several lessons. I engage you now to impart to me all the -knowledge you have, Jeff, of the gentle art of canoedling. If I can get -the hang of that twist I’ll be all right.” - -But Jeffrey shook his head. “He will beat you to a frazzle,” he said -dejectedly. “We won to-day because our canoe was the faster of the two. -Gary is a good paddler, and he’s as strong as an ox.” - -“Tut, tut, my tearful friend! I have the strength of a team of -oxes――I mean oxen. I’m like a horse, Jeff; I don’t know my own strength -yet.” - -“Well, you’ll know it Saturday forenoon! Of course you can use Mike if -you want to, but I think you’d better take one of the shorter canoes; -it would be lots easier to handle.” - -“I mean to. I mean to take the shortest and lightest one I can find. -Can you give me a lesson after football practice this afternoon, Jeff?” - -“Yes, but you’ll be too tired, won’t you?” - -“I never tire,” replied Poke grandly. “I’ll meet you on the gym steps -at five sharp.” - -“It will be almost dark by that time,” Jeffrey objected. - -“Never mind. We’ll take a lantern, Jeff. Maybe, though, we can start -before five. You be there at a quarter to. Or, better still, you go -down to the boat-house and get your canoe over and ready, and I will -come as soon as I can skip off. How’s that?” - -“That’s better. I’ll be all ready for you at four-thirty, and you get -there as soon as you can. I’ll put you in the stern this time.” - -“All right. I wonder how a little resin would go on my hands. They’re -getting full of blisters!” - -Poke’s challenge created quite a sensation at dinner time. Gil told -him he was a chump, and Jim, without actually saying so, confirmed the -judgment. Only Hope refused to see defeat in prospect. - -“Of course you can beat him!” she declared cheerfully. “I think Brandon -Gary is a perfectly horrid boy!” - -“That doesn’t alter the fact that he’s a pretty good chap with the -paddle,” said Gil dryly, “or that Poke doesn’t really know one end of a -canoe from the other.” - -“Nobody does,” replied Poke untroubledly, passing his plate for a -second helping of vegetables. “They’re exactly alike!” - -“Well, we will all be there to see you finish,” laughed Jim. - -“And we’ll all be there to see him black Bull Gary’s shoes,” added Gil. - -Poke viewed him sorrowfully. “It pains me deeply, Gil, to find you have -so little faith in me. I used to think you were my friend.” - -“You can show him all about rowing a canoe, can’t you, Jeff?” asked -Hope anxiously. “I should think if he practised hard to-morrow he’d -just beat that Gary boy all to bits!” - -“There will be very little left of him but bits after the race,” said -Poke. “I feel sorry for him, fellows; I actually do.” - -The rest hooted. - -Poke proved a diligent pupil that afternoon. Jeffrey gave him the -stern paddle and Poke labored hard with it. And by the time darkness -drove them back to the boat-house Poke had actually mastered the trick -of holding the canoe straight after the stroke. The next day, which -was Friday, there were two sessions on the river, one in the morning, -between Latin and English recitations, and one again after practice in -the late afternoon. - -“You really did very well,” said Jeffrey as they went back to Sunnywood -through the chilly twilight. “If you can do a little bit better -to-morrow you may stand a chance of finishing pretty well.” - -“I shall win,” replied Poke with deep conviction. - -By Friday noon the entire school was in possession of the fact that -Gary and Endicott were to have a canoe race and the fellows were -discussing the event with much interest and amusement. It was no -secret that Poke was a veritable tyro at the paddle, but every one -who knew Poke was certain that in some way, by luck or pluck or sheer -impudence, he would give his opponent a hard race. To make sure, -however, that the world at large should know of the event, Poke himself -printed out and posted on the notice board in Academy Hall a highly -alluring announcement, which read as follows: - - EXTRAORDINARY SPORTING EVENT! - - EXCITING CANOE CONTEST BETWEEN TWO - INTREPID MEMBERS OF THIS - SCHOOL! - - At eleven o’clock on Saturday morning Mr. Brandon Gary and Mr. - Perry Endicott will participate in a Canoe Race to decide the - Championship of Crofton Academy. The start will be made at the - Old Bridge near Saunder’s Farm and the contest will finish at - the Boat-House float. According to the terms of the Contest, - the Loser is to black the shoes of the Winner on the steps of - Memorial Hall immediately after the conclusion of the Race, the - Loser to provide his own Blacking and Brushes and not to skimp - the Heels. For further particulars, arrangement of Special - Trains, excursion rates, etc., see Daily Papers! - - COME ONE! COME ALL! - -Gary didn’t altogether approve of that notice. It sounded as though -Poke meant to make a spectacle of him, although he couldn’t just see -how that was to be accomplished. “The silly chump can’t paddle a canoe -to save his neck,” he confided to a friend. “So what does he mean by -all this nonsense?” - -“They say he’s been practising three or four times a day,” replied the -other. - -“He will need more practice than that if he is going to beat me,” -grunted Gary. “I’ve a good mind to tear that notice down.” - -But he didn’t, and the notice continued to provide mirth for the -passers. On Friday afternoon a complication arose and threatened to put -an end then and there to the contemplated event. Johnny Connell put his -foot down. - -“Look here, Endicott,” he said in the gymnasium before afternoon -football practice, “don’t you know we’ve got a game with Frawley’s -to-morrow?” - -“Of course I know it, Johnny. Why?” - -“Then you cut out this canoe race business, my boy. I’m not going to -have you get tired and go stale at this time of the season.” - -“But, Johnny――” - -“Cut it out, I tell you! If you don’t I’ll see Sargent and you’ll get -in trouble.” - -Poke thought hard for a moment. Then he drew the coach aside and there -ensued a whispered conference in a corner of the locker room, during -which a smile crept into Johnny’s face, a smile that finally became a -full-fledged grin. - -“Oh, well, all right, if that’s it,” he said at last. “But mind you -don’t get tired, now.” - -“I won’t,” Poke promised. “And don’t you say a word to any one, Johnny. -If you do you’ll spoil the whole show.” - -“I won’t. What time’s this race to be?” - -“Eleven sharp, from the old bridge down the river.” - -Johnny chuckled. “I guess I’ll have to see it,” he said. - -That evening Jeffrey and Jim accompanied Gil and Poke to Plato -Society. It was not a business meeting to-night and there were quite -a few invited guests present. It was too cold to sit out of doors -and so the social room was filled to its capacity. As usual, there -was music and the evening passed very pleasantly. Both Jeffrey and -Jim were introduced to a number of fellows they had not met before, -and each had a very good time. Poke’s appearance was the signal for -wild applause, and the others had a good deal of fun with him over -to-morrow’s canoe race. Later on Gary came in, and he, too, was hailed -with cheers, although as he had never been very popular with the other -members of the society, his advent caused less of an ovation. - -Gary had accepted his punishment with smiling indifference, and at -first the school at large had been inclined to sympathize with him. But -his attitude had soon changed that. No longer on the football team, -and with no prospect of rejoining it this fall, he pretended a vast -contempt for it and frequently predicted defeat in the Hawthorne game. -For some unknown reason his resentment appeared to be against Duncan -Sargent and Johnny Connell instead of Mr. Hanks or the Principal, and -he was forever criticizing the former’s efforts at leadership and -coaching. If he felt any anger against Mr. Hanks――and I am inclined -to believe that he did not――he never betrayed it. Having learned his -lesson, Gary was quick to profit by it, and no member of his classes -was any more docile and well-behaved than he. - -The Platonians tried to get Poke and Gary together that evening and -have them talk on the subject of the race, but each fought shy of the -other, although each seemed willing enough to talk about it when the -other was out of hearing. - -“He hasn’t the ghost of a show,” declared Gary. “I don’t know what -his game is. I guess he just wants to make a sensation. Why, he never -paddled a canoe in his life until the other day!” - -“I don’t believe that,” said some one. “Who says so, Bull?” - -“He told me so himself,” replied Gary. And it was a tribute to Poke’s -veracity that no one suggested a doubt after that. Poke when baited -waved a hand airily and shrugged his shoulders. - -“I’m sorry for Bull,” he said with regret in his voice. “I suppose I -shouldn’t have led him into it. But, after all, it’s just a little fun. -He will get over his disappointment in time.” - -His audience chuckled and winked. - -“But they say, Poke,” said one of his hearers, “that you don’t know how -to paddle.” - -“Don’t know how to paddle! Me? Well, if you want to believe everything -you hear, that’s not my fault. Without desiring to appear conceited, -fellows, I think I may lay claim to being the nicest little paddler -in this state, if not in the country. I can paddle with my eyes shut -and one hand tied securely behind my back. I am the only successful -exponent of the Bob Cook stroke.” - -“That’s a rowing stroke, you crazy chump!” - -“What of it? I have adapted it to canoeing,” replied Poke calmly. -“It is the stroke with which I shall win to-morrow’s classic event, -gentlemen. I trust that you will all be on hand to see how it is done.” - -“We’ll be on hand to see how _you_ are done,” a fellow laughed. -“Honestly, Poke, you’ve got more cheek than any fellow in the country!” - -“I?” said Poke with a demure smile. “You surprise me. It shows how you -misjudge my character, Tom. I am a modest little violet, did you but -know it.” - -“We didn’t but know it, Poke,” replied Tom. - -“The kind of a violet he means,” said another, “is about the size of a -soup plate, is yellow and grows in the sun.” - -“Get out,” said Poke, “that’s a forget-me-not! You’d better go back to -the Junior Class and study your botany again.” - -“Well, we’ll all be on hand to-morrow morning, Poke, to root for you. -And, say, Poke, if you lose, you know, I’ll lend you my blacking set!” - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -AN EARLY MORNING PRACTICE - - -Poke possessed the ability to awake in the morning at approximately -whatever hour he had decided upon the night before, a most convenient -gift that saved the price of an alarm clock. On Saturday Poke made use -of this ability and was out of bed long before any one else in the -house was stirring and out of the house without having awakened even -Gil. It was fortunate that he had put a sweater on under his jacket, -for the morning was cloudy and chill as he set off along the road -toward the school and the river. But early as he was, Sammy was ahead -of him at the boat-house. The latter was just unlocking when Poke -arrived, and he displayed an unflattering surprise at his appearance. - -“Likely you been up all night,” he said, struggling with a yawn as he -ushered Poke into the house. - -“Had your breakfast, Sammy?” Poke asked. - -“O’ course I have,” replied the boatman indignantly. “Most time for -dinner it is now.” - -“Wish I had,” sighed Poke. “What’s the smallest and lightest canoe -you’ve got, Sammy?” - -“I dunno. There’s all kinds here. Take your pick o’ ’em.” - -“No, you show me, Sammy. I don’t know much about the things.” - -Sammy walked along the racks, chin in hand, mumbling. Finally, - -“Here be it,” he announced, placing his hand on a green canvas canoe. -“Light and short, sir, and paddles itself.” - -“All right. Put her over, Sammy.” - -“Be you goin’ out now?” asked the boatman in surprise. - -“Of course. A little exercise before breakfast, you know. I’m troubled -with dyspepsia. Doctor’s orders, Sammy.” - -“You be over young to have dyspepsy,” said Sammy, shaking his head -disapprovingly. “Too many sweets, likely. What kind o’ paddle, now; -double or single?” - -“Single, please. That’s the ticket. See you later, Sammy.” And Poke -dipped his blade and leisurely headed down-stream. If his purpose was -to practise for the race he gave but small indication of the fact, for -he only put his paddle in the water when the slow current threatened -to send him toward the banks. Presently he had passed under the bridge -at Birch Island and was out of sight. Sammy, who had watched from the -float, turned and ambled back to the work-shop, shaking his head. - -“It’s puttin’ a lot o’ rich victuals in their stummicks as does it,” -he muttered as he set about lighting the stove. “Dyspepsy be the curse -o’ the age. That,” he added as he felt a twinge in his knee, “that an -rhumatics.” He dropped some fresh sheet-glue in the glue pot, set it -over the fire and glanced out the window. “’Twill be soon clearin’,” he -murmured. “Likely I’d best finish paintin’ that canoe so ’twill dry.” - -It was about half an hour later that he heard a noise at the float and -saw Poke lifting his canoe out of the water. Poke had acquired very red -cheeks and a hearty appetite, but whether he had acquired more skill at -paddling remained to be seen. - -“You be soon back,” observed Sammy, putting his head out the shop -door. “Likely you be thinkin’ some o’ breakfast by now.” - -“I’m thinking of nothing else, Sammy,” replied Poke heartily. “And, -Sammy, I want you to do me a favor.” - -The boatman immediately looked dubious. He didn’t believe overmuch in -doing favors. But Poke’s next action cleared his face. Poke put his -hand in his trousers pocket and brought out a bright quarter. - -“I’m going to have a race with a fellow at eleven o’clock,” he went on, -“and I want this same canoe. See that I get it, will you? And here’s -something for your trouble.” - -“That be easy,” replied Sammy, “and I’ll not be taken siller for’t.” -But he did nevertheless, slipping the quarter into the pocket of his -overalls even as he spoke. “Leave it to me, sir, an’ ’twill be here -when you come.” He lifted the green canvas canoe and placed it athwart -a couple of horses in the shop. “Likely,” he added, “it be in need o’ -repairin’.” - -Poke just barely got into chapel in time. Afterwards Gil and Jim and -Jeffrey were curious to know where he had been. - -“I’ve been on the river,” replied Poke. “I thought it would be a good -idea to have a sort of dress rehearsal, you see.” - -Gil viewed him suspiciously. Finally, “Look here, Poke,” he said, “is -this on the level, this race?” - -“No, on the river,” replied Poke flippantly, “and you know they’re -never quite level.” - -“Do you mean,” asked Jeffrey, “that you went down at six o’clock and -paddled over the course?” - -“Something like that. But it was before six, I think. Say, you chaps, -for the love of Mike, walk up, will you? I’m just about starved to -death! I came mighty near nibbling the varnish off the settee in -chapel. This before-breakfast exercise is great stuff, I tell you. You -ought to try it, Jeff. You never eat anything to speak of. Get into -your little canoe some morning and paddle a couple of miles and just -see how it tones you up. It’s marvelous! Anybody got any chocolate -about their person? Or a slab of chewing gum? Or any other little thing -that will keep life in my starving body?” - -But nobody had. Jim offered a cough-drop from the corner of his -waistcoat pocket, but after looking it over Poke refused it indignantly. -“I can get all the dirt I want without having to take paregoric with -it,” he said. - -Gil had gotten it into his head that there was something “fishy,” as he -put it, about the race, and tried his best to get Poke to confess to -some scheme of villainy. But Poke only looked hurt and injured and said -he was sorry that a fellow he had always liked and respected should -entertain such doubts as to his integrity. However, as he said most of -it with his mouth filled with breakfast, the full effect was lost. - -But I am certain that the reader is quite as interested in the race -and as anxious to witness it as was the school in general; although I -trust he does not share Gil’s miserable suspicions; and so I will hurry -on to the appointed moment. Long before eleven o’clock practically -every canoe, skiff and tub in commission was on the water and the -boat-house was emptier than it had ever been since spring. Sammy was -dazed and indignant. Some few fellows who did not trust themselves -to manage an oar or paddle elected to see the contest from the bank, -and the more energetic of these got away early and walked down to the -starting-point. Most, however, were satisfied to see the finish of the -race from the stone bridge over Birch Island or from the float itself. - -Now for a thorough understanding of this terrific contest it is -incumbent on the reader to know a little about the course of the river. -What Poke called the old bridge was a wooden structure which crossed -the river about half a mile below the school as the crow flies and -about a mile as the river runs. For the river turns thrice in that -distance, curving once to the north-west in a wide sweep and then -again to the south-east and finally a third time toward the west. -It describes a giant S, with the upper loop, viewed from the school -float, round and large and the lower loop smaller and flattened. -After finishing the second loop the river meanders south-westerly in -a generally straight direction. Imagine, then, the start of the race -to be at a point about at the middle of the top curve of the S and -the finish at a point just beyond the final end of the letter. What, -then, would have been scarcely more than a mile could one have walked -the distance in a straight line, was fully twice the distance by boat. -And a mile against the current is no light feat for one whose canoeing -experience has stretched over such a small space of time as a week. - -Both contestants were on hand early at the boat-house. At twenty -minutes to eleven Poke stepped majestically into the Mi-Ka-Noo -and, in company with Gil, Jim, Jeffrey and Hope, put off for the -starting-point. Behind the Mi-Ka-Noo bobbed the little green canoe -that Poke had chosen in the morning. The Mi-Ka-Noo was pretty well -loaded but stood the ordeal beautifully. Poke was calm and heroic, Gil -suspicious, Jim frankly amused, Jeffrey anxious and Hope so excited -that she could scarcely sit still. She did, however, because Jim nipped -every wriggle in the bud, so to speak. Accompanying the Mi-Ka-Noo, -for all the world as though it was the Royal Barge of an Eastern -Potentate――the expression is Poke’s, not mine――went a flotilla of -canoes and boats filled with laughing boys in a very holiday mood. Poke -was the recipient of much advice and the butt of many jokes, but Poke -this morning was absolutely impressive. I have said that he was calm, -but that scarcely expresses the quiet, almost haughty, determination -of his countenance. Hope was positively fascinated by him and -deliberately seated herself with her face toward the stern, so that she -could feast her eyes on the noble hero. - -Brandon Gary had preceded them down the river, paddling in the blue -canoe he had selected for the race. This, explained Poke, was a -mistake. It was unwise to exert one’s self before the contest. He -believed in saving his strength. Gil, who was doing his best at the -bow, to keep the Mi-Ka-Noo from colliding with the other boats, grunted -ironically. The starting-place looked like the English Thames on a -regatta day. The sun had come out gloriously and the variously colored -canoes and cedar boats glistened in the sunlight. Joe Cosgrove, the -baseball captain, had been chosen official, combining the duties of -referee, judge, timer and starter. Joe had provided himself with a -small pistol and was determined to do his part in ship-shape fashion. -He was also determined to waste no time, having an engagement to -play golf at a quarter past eleven with Mr. Arroway, the English -instructor. So he watched impatiently while Poke stepped carefully into -his green canoe――Poke still held canoes in deep respect and boarded -them circumspectly――with all the impressiveness possible under the -circumstances. - -“Paddle over here, Poke, and get in place,” he called. - -Poke, without replying, took up his paddle and looked it all over, much -as a batsman examines a favorite bat or a billiard player his cue, much -to the amusement of the spectators. - -“It’s all right,” called Gil. “It isn’t loaded, old man.” - -Poke thereupon carefully placed the tip of the paddle in the water, -moved it experimentally, withdrew it and once more scrutinized it -carefully. Cosgrove sputtered. - -“For goodness’ sake, Poke, get a move on, can’t you?” - -Poke appeared to have heard him for the first time and glanced across -inquiringly. “Are you waiting for me?” he asked surprisedly. - -“Get in line with Gary there,” directed Joe. “Get those bows even. Are -you ready?” - -Poke agreed that he was, and so did Gary. - -_Bang!_ - -That was Joe’s pistol. Gary dug his paddle and the blue canoe darted -ahead. Poke dug his paddle and the green canoe followed, but more -slowly. Poke, agreed the crowd, was going to let Gary set the pace. -You couldn’t fool old Poke! You’d have to get up pretty early in the -morning to get ahead of him! The flotilla followed, cheering and -laughing and shouting advice to the contestants. - -“Go it, Bull! You’re doing fine!” - -“Keep after him, Poke! Wear him out! That’s the stuff!” - -“’Rah for Endicott!” - -“’Rah for Gary!” - -The great race had begun! - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE GREAT RACE - - -For a time it seemed that the race would come to an ignominious end -then and there, for the other canoes, or such of them as were paddled -by two or more fellows, followed so closely that at the end of the -first hundred yards they were on both sides of the contestants and even -in front of them! - -“Get out of the way, can’t you?” bawled Gary. “Give me room!” - -Poke, a length and more behind, was not bothered by the convoy, and -chuckled at Gary’s dilemma. But Joe Cosgrove came to the rescue. Joe -was sculling in a tub. - -“Keep back there!” he shouted. “Keep back of the race or I’ll call it -off!” - -“If they don’t get back I’ll claim a foul!” shouted Gary, encouraged by -the referee’s support. - -“So will I!” announced Poke. “I’ll claim two fouls!” - -But the referee’s command had the desired effect and Gary’s blue canoe -swept out of the press, followed by its green competitor. Joe followed -close behind Poke and the rest of the craft came bobbing along back of -Joe in merry, laughing confusion. The Mi-Ka-Noo had been lucky enough -to secure a position well in the lead of the followers from where -during the first stage of the race both canoes were in plain sight. - -“Poke’s just simply going to pieces,” mourned Jeffrey. “Look at him! He -can’t keep her nose straight at all!” - -“He can’t paddle, and he knows it,” answered Gil. “What I’m wondering -is what’s his idea? I’ll bet anything he never thought of winning this -race by paddling.” - -“Maybe he’s got a motor hidden in his canoe,” suggested Jim with a -laugh. - -“If he has he’d better start it going,” said Jeffrey. “He had to stop -paddling then and straighten his canoe out. Why doesn’t he remember -what I told him?” - -“Is he much behind?” asked Hope anxiously, craning forward. - -“About three or four lengths,” answered Jim. “Sit still or you’ll have -us overboard!” - -“He’s just doing that to fool him,” said Hope. “You wait!” - -But if Poke was playing fox he was overdoing it, for now Gary was -increasing his lead with every stroke of his paddle. The blue canoe -was going finely, Gary’s bare arms working the paddle with the power -and regularity of a piece of machinery. He was at the end of the first -loop of the course now and the starting-point was already hidden from -sight by the trees which grew to the water’s edge on both sides. The -sound of the accompanying boats grew less and less, showing that Poke, -keeping them back, was rapidly losing. But it was not until the stream -turned to the right again on the beginning of the second loop that Gary -allowed himself to turn and look behind him. When he did so he smiled. -Not a canoe was in sight on so much of the winding stream as lay within -his vision. In another moment, easing a little from the pace he had -been setting, he was around the point, keeping as close to the bank as -the channel would allow. He was beginning to be aware of aching muscles -in arms and legs and back, and so he shifted his paddle to the right -for a few minutes. The river still turned so that he could see only a -hundred feet or so ahead of him at a time, but presently the bridge at -Birch Island crept into sight down the stream; first the tip end of it -on the Crofton side of the river, then the second stone pier and the -edge of the island and then the whole bridge. There were spectators -on it. They were waving to a youth on the bank who was in the act of -dropping a green canoe into the water. The green canoe, which had a -strange likeness to the one which Poke Endicott was in, disappeared -under the further arch of the bridge and went out of sight. The fellows -on the bridge disappeared, too, running to the other side to watch it. -But by the time Gary neared the bridge they were back again, shouting -to him and cheering loudly. Gary experienced a glow of pleasure at the -discovery of such a warm sentiment in his favor. As he neared the faces -leaning over the parapet he was puzzled, however, to account for the -expressions on them, and for the burst of laughter that greeted him. -There was something ironic in that laughter, and he realized dimly that -the shouts of encouragement were not altogether sincere. - -“Go it, Gary! Eat ’em up! Paddle hard!” - -“Dig, Bull! You’ll get him yet! That’s the boy!” - -The shouting died away as he swept his canoe out from under the old -stone arch and left the bridge and the island behind. Ahead was the -boat-house and the float and the end of the race――and victory! And -ahead, too, was a green canoe, a green canoe with a boy in the stern -whose back looked marvelously like Poke Endicott’s! Of course it -couldn’t be Poke, for Poke was yards and yards behind. Gary turned and -looked. Just beyond the bridge came the pursuit. He could see the boats -under the arches. Which was Poke’s he couldn’t tell, but Poke was there -somewhere, vanquished and discomfited. Of course, only――_who_ was the -boy ahead? And why were the watchers on the float waving to him and -shouting? Now he had stopped paddling and they were helping him out and -slapping him on the back and cheering. Of course it wasn’t Poke; that -was impossible; but it looked―― - -_It was Poke!_ - -The fellow had turned and Gary had seen his face. For a moment Gary -stopped paddling and stared open-mouthed as though at an apparition. -What did it mean? Poke had not passed him on the way up. Or――was it -possible that he had passed and that he hadn’t seen him? That was -an awful thought, for it suggested that he was losing his senses! -Nonsense! It was some trick, some―― - -Then Gary saw it all! Poke had carried across the point! - -Gary realized that the current was carrying him down-stream and dug his -paddle again. After all, it was all right, for plenty of fellows could -testify to having seen Poke put his canoe back into the river at Birch -Island. Why, Gary had seen that himself! And others must have seen him -leave the water on the other side. Poke had fooled him, and he supposed -a lot of the fellows would think it a good joke and try to jolly him -about it, but he had won the race fairly and squarely, and he could -afford to let them laugh. He went on to the float leisurely. The other -canoes were almost up to him now. The crowd at the landing watched him -approach and cheered him a little for consolation. At the edge of the -float stood Poke, bearing his honors as modestly as might be. He leaned -down and held Gary’s canoe for him. - -“Well paddled, Bull,” he said heartily. “But what was the trouble? Did -you strike a snag or run aground?” - -“You think you’re smart, don’t you?” replied Gary indignantly. “Gee, -you couldn’t do a thing, Poke, without trying to make a silly farce of -it! You make me tired!” - -“Farce!” repeated Poke in amazement. “Oh, now, I say, Bull, don’t be -grouchy because I beat you. Shake hands and let’s forget it. It isn’t -my fault if I can paddle faster than you can, is it now?” - -“Paddle!” fumed Gary, climbing onto the float. “Run, you mean! You -cheated!” - -Poke shook his head and viewed sorrowfully the fellows who had huddled -around at the first sounds of the altercation. “I thought you were a -good loser, Bull,” he sighed. - -“Loser! I am when I lose. But I haven’t lost. You carried across the -point to Birch Island. Why, dozens of fellows saw you!” - -“Oh, cut it out, Bull,” said one of the audience. “Don’t get sore about -it. He beat you fair and square――” - -“Of course I did,” agreed Poke soothingly. - -Gary sputtered with indignation. “Fair and square! Why――why, he took -his canoe out of the water and ran across the point with it, I tell -you!” - -“What! Oh, get out, Gary!” - -“You’re sore, Bull!” - -“You didn’t, did you, Poke?” - -“Sure I did. It was quicker that way. I wonder you didn’t think of it, -Bull.” - -“What did I tell you?” demanded Gary in triumph as the other canoes and -boats began to unload their passengers. “He knew he couldn’t win fairly -and so――” - -“Now you hold on a minute, Bull,” commanded Poke smilingly. He pushed -his way toward the other end of the float. “Jeff, where are you? Who’s -seen Punk Gibbs?” Punk answered from nearby and Jeffrey hobbled through -the crowd. “Now, then,” resumed Poke. “Bull says I didn’t win the -race fairly. What do you fellows say? You were there when we made the -agreement.” - -Jeffrey hesitated. “Well,” he said, “you know you carried your canoe -across the land, Poke.” - -“Of course. What of it? What were the terms of the challenge?” - -“You were to start together at the old bridge,” spoke up Gibbs, “and -the one who got here first was to have his shoes blacked by the other -fellow. That’s the agreement, because I took notice that you didn’t say -anything about canoes.” - -“Is that the way you remember it, Jeff?” asked Poke. - -“Yes, it is. But it hadn’t occurred to me――” - -“It was understood that we were to race in canoes,” exclaimed Gary -hotly. “If you’d meant a running race――” - -“You may have understood it that way,” said Poke, “but I certainly -didn’t.” He looked at his shoes. “Got your blacking handy, Bull?” - -“No, and don’t you think for a minute that I’m going to black your -shoes for you! You didn’t race fair, and every one knows it! I won that -race――” - -But the sentiment of the crowd was against Gary. It was too good a joke -to be spoiled by quibbles. - -“Cut it out, Bull!” - -“Of course he beat you! He didn’t say anything about staying in the -canoes!” - -“Go on and get your blacking, Bull!” - -“Every one over to Mem!” - -And the crowd, jostling and laughing, swept Gary and Poke with it up -the bank, Gary asking excitedly where Joe Cosgrove was. - -“Wait till you hear what the referee says!” he demanded. “He hasn’t -given his decision yet! Where is he? Any one seen him?” - -But Joe was half-way to the links by that time, and when, hours later, -Gary ran him down, he was suffering from a strange lapse of memory. - -“Race? Oh, I’ve forgotten all about the race, Bull. What of it?” - -“Well, didn’t I win?” demanded Gary. “Poke carried his canoe half the -way.” - -“That’s a very serious accusation to make,” said Joe gravely. “Can you -substantiate it, Bull?” - -“Of course I can! Dozens of fellows saw him do it! Why, you must have -seen him yourself!” - -“N-no, I don’t think I could swear that Poke carried his canoe. I did -see him haul it up on the bank once, but there’s no rule to keep a chap -from taking a rest if he wants to. All I know is that he arrived at the -boat-house first, and that gives him the race, Bull.” - -“But he cheated, I tell you! Don’t you understand that?” - -“I tell you what you do, Bull,” said Joe finally. “You bring some good, -reliable witnesses to me to prove that Poke carried his canoe instead -of paddled it and I’ll――I’ll hear ’em.” - -But Gary had cooled down by the next day and the witnesses never -testified. I don’t think Gary ever saw the humor of that memorable -aquatic contest, but he got so after awhile that he could grin when -he was teased about it, and that wasn’t so bad for Gary. But he never -blackened Poke’s shoes. And I, for one, don’t blame him! - -The school enjoyed the event for days afterward and some of the Juniors -got together and presented Poke with a loving-cup――which had all the -ear-marks of a tin gallon measure――suitably inscribed in black paint. -In the inscription Poke was referred to as the “Champion Dry-Ground -Canoist of the World.” - -“But do you mean to tell me,” asked Jeffrey after the race that -forenoon, “that you went down this morning at half-past six or some -such unearthly time and carried that canoe through the woods for -practice?” - -“Why not?” asked Poke. “You see, I wasn’t certain it could be done, on -account of the bushes and things.” - -“Nice time to find out about it,” laughed Jim. “Suppose you had found -that it couldn’t be done?” - -“Then I’d had to follow my original plan, which was to use two canoes.” - -“Two canoes? How could you have done that?” - -“Why, I’d have started in one, left it on the bank, hot-footed it -through the woods and picked up another which would have been waiting -for me. But I didn’t quite like to do that. It didn’t seem quite fair, -you see. Of course there was nothing in the agreement prohibiting the -use of two canoes, or twenty, but――well, there’s the spirit of the law -to consider as well as the letter.” And Poke looked as virtuous as a -saint. - -“You’re a silly chump,” observed Gil with conviction. “Why did you let -Jeff here wear himself out trying to teach you to handle a paddle if -you didn’t mean to use it?” - -Poke grinned. “Because Jeff was troubled about me and I knew he’d feel -a lot better if he thought he was teaching me how to win the race. I -didn’t want to cause him any uneasiness, Gil.” - -“You and your uneasiness!” scoffed Gil. “If I were Jeff I’d punch your -head for you!” - -“I’ll do worse than that some day,” laughed Jeffrey. “I’ll take him out -in a canoe and leave him there helpless!” - -Poke laughed. “It was funny, though, fellows,” he said, “to see -the look on Bull’s face when he saw me on the float. He was so -flabbergasted that he sat with his paddle in the air and let the canoe -drift down-stream with him! I’ll bet that for a minute he thought it -was my ghost he saw!” - -Hope, I think, was a little disappointed in the outcome of the race. -She had wanted Poke to prove a hero and instead of that he had only -proved a practical joker. And Hope, while her sense of humor was -extremely well developed, failed to appreciate the joke as much as the -boys did. She confided to Poke some days later that she wished he would -learn to paddle perfectly jimmy and then beat “that Gary boy” in a real -race. And Poke gravely consented to think the matter over. - -For awhile speculation was rife as to the duration of Gary’s term of -probation, but after Cosgrove had settled into the position of right -guard and it was observed that that side of the line appeared as -strong as ever the school became less concerned with Gary’s fortunes. -Cosgrove, although he had never played the position before, soon became -a proficient right guard, and Curtis, accustomed to the other side of -the line, took very kindly to his change. Crofton met and defeated -three adversaries and then ran into a snag in the shape of Chester -Polytechnic. “Poly” swept the Academy team off its feet and won the -game in a romp. But “Poly” had a way of doing that, and Crofton was not -disheartened. The game proved that the weakest place in the line was -at left tackle, where Marshall, willing and hard-working, hadn’t the -stamina for the position. And yet Marshall was the best material in -sight and Johnny decided to keep him, trusting that in the Hawthorne -game Sargent, on one side, and Gil Benton, on the other, would help him -out. After the Polytechnic game came a battle with Cupples Academy, -and Crofton crawled out victor by a single goal from field. With two -contests remaining before the Hawthorne game the season settled into -the home-stretch. Graduates ran out to Crofton for a day or two at a -time and looked the team over and gave advice and sometimes took a hand -in the coaching, and ran back to college or business quite satisfied -with their devotion to alma mater. But the man behind the team was -Johnny, and Johnny pursued the even tenor of his way, undisturbed. -Rumors of exceptional ability on the part of the Hawthorne eleven might -cause uneasiness to others, but Johnny paid them no heed. He had heard -that sort of thing many, many times before. - -Meanwhile Jim was getting on with rapid strides, and there came a -day when the name of Hazard was on every tongue. For on that day Jim -broke through Curtis, blocked a kick, captured the ball and sped forty -yards for a touchdown. As the first team’s best that afternoon was a -field goal, Jim’s feat brought a victory to the second, and he went -off the field a hero in the eyes of ten panting, happy players. But -brilliant tricks of that sort are not the common lot of tackles and -Jim’s best work was of the sort that doesn’t show much. By now he had -learned how to handle Cosgrove, while Curtis and he battled day after -day with honors fairly even. But while Jim was making fine progress on -the gridiron he was scarcely holding his own in class. A boy must be -peculiarly constituted to work heart and soul for the success of his -team and yet not show a falling off at recitations. And Jim, since it -was his first attempt at serving two masters, was beginning to find -himself at outs with his instructors. Oddly enough it was with Latin -that he had the most trouble those days and it was Mr. Hanks who first -scared him. - -“It won’t do, Hazard,” said the instructor one day. “You’ll have to -give more time to your Latin. Don’t let me find you unprepared again -this month, please.” - -That night Jim settled down in the quiet and seclusion of his own room -and dug hard. And the next day, and the next after that, Mr. Hanks -viewed him kindly. But in specializing on Latin Jim had neglected his -other studies and he heard from that. Two weeks before the final game -Jim was looking worried and had become so irritable that Hope declared -she was certain he was about to be ill. And unfortunately his troubled -condition of mind reflected itself in his playing and on the second -team it was whispered around that Jim was getting “fine.” And then -came the game with Fosterville School, one crisp Saturday afternoon in -the first of November. And when it was over, with the score 12 to 5 -in favor of the enemy, the future looked pretty dark for Crofton. For -Marshall had been dragged out of a play limp and white, his usefulness -to the team a thing of the past. The doctor declared it only a severe -wrench of the left shoulder but Marshall took it badly and Johnny knew -that even if Marshall pulled around in a week the accident had taken -every bit of fight out of him. And so it was that the second lost -another lineman to the first team, for by the middle of the following -week, after trying out Parker and Hazard for the position, the much -coveted, but unhoped for, honor fell to Jim. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE SWORD FALLS! - - -Jim broke into the first team on Wednesday. - -That night there was a celebration at Sunnywood. Jeffrey began it with -two bottles of ginger ale which he produced after study hour. They -drank Jim’s health in that enticing beverage and then Poke suggested -that some cake wouldn’t be half bad. So Hope was summoned and Mrs. -Hazard was appealed to and the party adjourned to the dining-room where -a spread worthy of the occasion was speedily forthcoming. Every one was -very merry save Jim. Jim was wondering when the sword would fall, for -he had flunked badly that morning in mathematics and had barely scraped -through in Latin. And that was why he protested when Poke had the merry -thought of inviting Mr. Hanks to the feast. - -“Oh, no,” said Jim, “let him alone, Poke.” - -“I think he ought to participate in our merry-making,” Poke persisted. -“You run up and invite him down, Hope.” - -“Shall I?” asked Hope, her eyes dancing. - -“No,” said Jim. But the others insisted and Hope hurried away on her -errand. - -“Well, anyway, he won’t come,” predicted Jim. But he did. He didn’t -quite know what it was all about, but he and Hope were very good -friends by now and he came unquestioningly, smiling and blinking behind -his huge spectacles. It was explained to him that Jim had that day -attained to the utmost pinnacle of success by being taken onto the -Crofton Academy Football Team, and Mr. Hanks murmured “Dear, dear! I -want to know!” nibbled at a piece of cake and wondered how soon he -could in decency return to his interrupted labors upstairs. Finally -he did go back, shaking hands with Jim in an absent-minded way first, -with one of Mrs. Hazard’s serviettes dangling from his coat pocket. The -party proceeded quite as merrily without him, however. Poke rallied Jim -on his quietness. - -“I fear the sudden honor is too much for you, Jim. You used to be -rather a merry youth. To-night you remind me of a graveyard gate post. -Why so sad?” - -“I’m tired,” murmured Jim. - -“Then, Jim dear,” said Mrs. Hazard, “I really think you had better not -eat any more cake. I’m sure that must be your fifth slice. And you ate -a great big supper.” - -“You don’t mean to say you’ve been counting the slices!” ejaculated -Poke. “Why, that’s not like you, Lady.” - -“She couldn’t count all you’ve eaten,” declared Hope. “You’re a――a -gridjon!” - -“A what-on?” asked Poke anxiously. - -“A gridjon. A gridjon is a person who eats too much.” - -“Webster or Hazard?” laughed Jeffrey. - -“It’s a perfectly good word of my own,” replied Hope with dignity. - -But although Jim tumbled into bed in short time he didn’t go right to -sleep. Instead he lay awake for quite a while wondering how long, if -he didn’t make a much better showing in class, faculty would allow him -to enjoy his new honors. And when sleep did come to him finally it was -because he had comforted his conscience with the firm resolve to buckle -down to-morrow and study as never before. - -But, alas, how many of our good resolutions survive the night? The next -day was filled with new experiences for Jim, and much hard, gruelling -work on the field, and a blackboard lecture in dining hall after -dinner. And so, when study time came, he was tired and nervous and his -thoughts absolutely refused to concern themselves with studies. And the -following day Mr. Groff, the mathematics instructor, lectured him in -front of the whole class, which didn’t improve Jim’s state of mind a -bit, and Mr. Hanks viewed him sadly but forebore to reprimand him. In -his other studies he was doing fairly well as yet. - -There was no practice on Friday and Jim locked himself up in his room, -in spite of the fact that Johnny had instructed them to stay out of -doors and take mild exercise, and heroically studied. But the faculty -of assimilation seemed to have deserted him of late and it was the -hardest sort of work to make anything stick in his memory for more than -a minute. But he kept at it until supper time and then emerged tired -and fagged. - -In the Merton contest the next day, the last before the “big game,” -Crofton showed flashes of first-rate football. Although he didn’t say -so, Johnny was well satisfied, for he knew that, barring accidents, his -team would play at least twenty per cent. better a week from that day. -Crofton was still coming, and a team that is coming is better than -one that has reached the zenith of its development. Merton went down -in defeat, 17 to 8, after a hard-fought battle. Best of all, Crofton -emerged from the fray with scarcely a scratch, at all events with no -real injuries to any of her players. Jim played well in that game. For -four twelve-minute periods he forgot all about Latin and mathematics -and thought and lived football. And Johnny, who hadn’t liked the -haggard look in Jim’s eyes, concluded that his fears were groundless, -and confided to Captain Sargent after the game that “That fellow Hazard -is the best find of the season.” - -And then, on Monday, the sword fell! - -He was summoned to the office at noon. What Mr. Gordon said and what -excuses Jim offered are of small consequences. We are interested in -results. The result in this case was that Jim emerged from Academy Hall -feeling that life was indeed a very tragic thing. That afternoon Parker -played at left guard on the eleven and all the school knew that Hazard -was “in wrong with the Office.” - -Johnny was a philosopher. Such things had happened to him before. He -wasted no breath in regrets nor recriminations. He picked the next -best man for Jim’s place and went ahead. Perhaps he was a little -grimmer in the face that afternoon and a little more silent, but that -was all. Duncan Sargent, his nerves already jangling as a captain’s -nerves are likely to jangle when the last week of the season arrives, -was in despair. - -“First it’s Gary,” he groaned, “and then it’s Marshall and now it’s -Hazard. Well, I’d like to know what’s going to happen next! We might as -well hand the game to Hawthorne and save the trouble of playing!” - -Poke, to whom these remarks were addressed just before the beginning of -practice, was as gloomy as his captain. He had known nothing of Jim’s -misfortune until a few minutes before, for Jim had not shown up at -dinner hour and Poke had not glimpsed him since morning. - -“Gee,” he muttered, “it’s all a surprise to me. I never suspected that -Jim wasn’t getting on all right in class. You don’t suppose J. G. will -let him back in a day or two?” - -“I don’t know,” answered Sargent despondently. “What if he does? A -fellow can’t drop training for two or three days on the eve of the big -game and then play decently.” - -“Jim could,” said Poke thoughtfully. “I wonder where the chump is. I -suppose he isn’t here, eh?” - -“I haven’t seen him.” Sargent shrugged his broad shoulders. “What’s -more, I don’t want to. If a fellow doesn’t think enough of the success -of his school to study a few silly lessons we’re better without him.” - -“Oh, be good,” Poke chided. “It was only two years ago that you were -off for a whole week for the same reason, Dun.” - -“And I learned my lesson,” said the other gloomily. - -“Well, I suppose Jim Hazard’s learning his,” replied Poke. “Only I wish -he’d chosen some other time. How’s Parker going to fit?” - -Sargent kicked viciously at a football that had rolled up to them. -“Rotten!” he said. - -Practice went badly that day, just as it’s likely to on the Monday -after a hard game, and there was a general air of discouragement about -coach and players alike. The second team, grumbling over the loss of -another lineman, smashed vengefully at their opponents and tied the -score in the second half of the scrimmage. And so it stayed and the -second credited themselves with what was virtually a victory. Gil, -Poke and Jeffrey walked home together after practice and talked over -Jim’s predicament. - -“Success,” said Gil, “was too much for him.” - -“That’s not fair,” remonstrated Poke. “Jim got onto the team late and -has had to learn a whole lot in a short time. Hang it, Gil, I haven’t -been doing any too well at studies, myself, and I’ve been playing -football long enough to know the ropes. I don’t wonder that Jim fell -behind. The question now is can he catch up and square himself with the -Office before Saturday?” - -“Is it all studies or one or two?” asked Jeffrey. - -Poke shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Why didn’t he say something -to some of us? I noticed that he seemed rather down in the mouth, but I -didn’t suspect this. I thought he was just worried for fear he wouldn’t -make good at playing.” - -“Who do you suppose started the trouble?” asked Gil. “Who do you and -Jim have, Jeff?” - -“Hanks in Latin and history, Groff in math, Arroway in English, -Lewellyn in French and Thurston in physics.” - -“Well, it might be ‘Gruff,’” said Gil, “or it might be ‘Boots.’ -(‘Boots’ was the popular name for Mr. Thurston.) It isn’t likely that -Hanks had anything to do with it; nor Lewellyn. As for English, why, no -fellow has trouble in that course.” - -“I’m not so sure about Nancy, though,” said Jeffrey. “Ever since we -turned him into a tyrant he’s been pretty fussy about us having our -lessons. But I think it was probably Groff that started the trouble. He -gave Jim a calling-down in class last week.” - -“Gruff always was a tartar,” grumbled Poke. “I never knew a mathematics -instructor who wasn’t.” - -“Well, the question is,” observed Gil, “is there anything we can do -to pull Jim out of his hole? There’s five days yet before the game. -Something might be done.” - -“I don’t believe Johnny would let him play after being laid off,” said -Poke gloomily. “Dun’s got a grouch against him, too.” - -“Well, the first thing to do is to find him,” said Jeffrey. “I haven’t -seen him since physics.” - -“I suppose he’s feeling so mean he’s hiding out somewhere,” Poke -suggested. “I don’t blame him for being cut up about it.” - -Jim, however, wasn’t very far off when the trio entered the gate. He -was sitting at the table in his room with his books spread before him -looking disconsolately out of the window. “No more athletics, Hazard, -until your marks are considerably better in all studies, Latin and -mathematics especially,” had been Mr. Gordon’s ultimatum. Jim had -spent the dinner hour sitting on a spile near the bridge, gazing into -the water and wondering on the lack of gratitude displayed by Mr. -Hanks. For Mr. Gordon had distinctly said that it had been the Latin -instructor who had made complaint. Jim was through with the team and -wouldn’t have shown up at training table for anything. Nor did he want -to go home and face his chums at Sunnywood just then. Besides, he was -much too disappointed and miserable to want anything to eat. Of course, -he had reflected, it was all his own fault, but that knowledge didn’t -seem to make the situation any easier. He found a little satisfaction -in calling Mr. Hanks names. It seemed to him that after the way they -had come to Nancy’s assistance with advice the least he could have done -was to have been a little more lenient with Jim Hazard. He wished he -had never gone in for football; wished he had never come to Crofton. -Then the bell rang and he dragged himself back along the river to -Academy Hall and a French recitation. After that there had been -physics, and then, when most of the fellows were setting their faces -toward the field, he had hurried home and shut himself in his room. His -mother had sought entrance and he had put her off with the plea that he -was busy studying, but as a matter of fact there had been very little -studying done that afternoon. His thoughts simply refused to stay on -his books. It was almost dark now in the room, and through the window -the western sky was paling from orange to gray. He heard the gate click -and then came the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Some one knocked -imperatively at his door. - -“Hello?” he growled. - -“We want to come in, Jim.” It was Poke’s voice. And the tone told Jim -that Poke had heard. - -“I’m working,” replied Jim, more gruffly. - -“It’s time to quit. Open up, like a good fellow.” - -“Too busy,” replied Jim. There was a whispered conference beyond the -door and then footsteps died out along the hall. Jim felt more lonely -than ever then and wished he had let them in. But pride kept him there -behind the locked door until the supper bell rang, and then until Hope -came up to find why he wasn’t down. Hope had to beg her hardest before -she was admitted. Then Jim said he wasn’t hungry and wanted no supper. -All he wanted was to be let alone. So Hope went out quietly, closing -the door after her, and, being a rather wise young lady, prepared a -tray. After she had taken her departure for the second time Jim sat and -looked at the tray for a long time; to be exact, just as long as his -courage lasted. Then he gave in and ate everything in sight. After that -life didn’t look quite so dark, and when, presently, Poke came knocking -at the door again, Jim bade him enter. - -They talked it all over then, Gil and Jeffrey sort of happening in, and -Poke was highly incensed at Mr. Hanks’ conduct. - -“After what we did to help him!” he said disgustedly. - -“He has only followed the advice we gave him,” observed Gil dryly. -“What goes for one goes for all, Poke.” - -“He hasn’t a grain of――of gratitude,” spluttered Poke. “And what’s -more, I’d like to tell him so, too.” - -“If you talk so loud you won’t have to,” said Jeffrey. “He will hear -you now.” - -“Let him! He’s the limit!” - -“Stop calling names and let’s see what’s to be done,” Gil counseled. -“Think you can catch up by Friday, Jim?” - -“Oh, I don’t know. I can’t seem to get down to studying. I’ve been -trying to all the afternoon.” - -“Well, I can’t promise that Johnny will take you on again even if you -get square with the Office,” said Gil, “but seems to me it’s worth -trying. You get your books and go over to Jeff’s room. After awhile -we’ll go over to-morrow’s stuff with you. Maybe between us we can coach -you up, Jim. I’m not much of a Latin student myself, but Poke gets on -pretty well in that; so does Jeff. As for math, why, I’ll do what I can -for you there. What do you say?” - -Jim thought a moment. He was still inclined to feel hurt and imposed -on. But the offer was too good to be refused, and so, - -“All right,” he muttered. “I’ll try it.” - -[Illustration: Hope, being a rather wise young lady, prepared a tray.] - -Jim’s showing in class the next day was not much better, but on -Wednesday there was a marked improvement. Every night Gil, Poke and -Jeffrey took him in hand and put him through his paces in mathematics -and Latin. Jim was not stupid, and now that he had more time and -constant encouragement he went ahead in good shape. If Mr. Hanks -suspected the sudden coolness exhibited toward him by Jim and Poke he -made no sign. Personally I don’t believe that he gave it a thought. -He had done what his duty required of him in Jim’s case and that was -all. That his action had cost Jim his position on the football team and -deprived the team of a good player he did not know. He went his way -serenely unconscious of the trouble he had caused. - -Meanwhile the team worked like Trojans every afternoon, the football -enthusiasm and excitement grew to fever heat and Thursday dawned. -Thursday was the last day of practice. The whole school marched to -the field at four o’clock, cheering and singing. Even Jim allowed the -others to persuade him to attend the final practice, and he and the -rest of the Sunnywood, saving Mrs. Hazard, who had lost her interest in -football, now that Jim no longer played, followed the procession, Hope -wildly enthusiastic and attracting many admiring glances on the way. - -There was nothing spectacular about practice that afternoon. After the -preliminary work the rest of the time was spent in a hard signal drill -and one fifteen-minute period of scrimmaging, the latter being halted -for minutes at a time while one or other of the coaches, who had grown -quite numerous by now, criticized and lectured, begged and threatened. -Around the field, outside the ropes which were already in place for -Saturday’s game, all Crofton cheered and sang. Then the final whistle -sounded, the second team gathered together and cheered the first, -the first tiredly returned the compliment and players, coaches and -onlookers trailed back to the gymnasium. - -Poke, a faded blanket hanging about him, found Jim on the way out. - -“I spoke to Sargent about you, Jim,” he panted, “and he says if you -can get square with the Office by Saturday he’s willing to give you -a chance in the game if he can. That is, of course, if Johnny says -so. I haven’t talked with him yet, but I will. Of course, Jim, you -won’t get in at the beginning. You see, Parker’s doing pretty well and -it wouldn’t be fair to throw him out at the last moment, would it? -Besides, you might be a bit stale, you know.” - -Jim nodded gloomily. “I know. Much obliged to you, Poke, but I guess -it’s no use. I don’t even know that J. G. will give me leave to play -yet. I’m pretty square with Groff, but Nancy doesn’t love me much, I -guess. Don’t bother about speaking to Johnny. It’s all right.” - -“Oh, I’ll see Johnny,” responded Poke heartily. “You do the best you -can and go and have a talk with J. G. to-morrow. Why, supposing you -don’t get in for the whole game, Jim, even a couple of periods is -better than nothing at all. And you’ll get your C if you only play two -minutes. Buck up and never say die, old chap!” - -Jim nodded again and Poke, clapping him on the shoulder, hurried into -the gymnasium. They were cheering again now, cheering each member of -the team in turn, from Sargent down to the latest member, Parker. There -was no cheer for Hazard, though. Jim had got parted from Hope and -Jeffrey, and presently he edged his way out of the gathering and strode -home alone and forlorn through the twilight. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -FRIDAY AND ILL-LUCK - - -“I think,” remarked Mr. Groff, the next morning, “that I could count on -one hand the students who have studied their algebra. Wyman, Latham, -Nutter, Hazard――if there is another I’d like to hear from him.” - -Thirty-odd hands went up. Mr. Groff smiled gently and sorrowfully. - -“If football plays may be worked out by algebra, I believe you. We will -repeat to-day’s lesson to-morrow. I trust that as the football season -will be over on Monday we may then return to our studies. Dismissed.” - -Events transpired so rapidly that day that it is difficult to tell of -them in order. First of all, though, just before noon it was known that -Curtis, formerly of the second and now playing right tackle on the -first team, had been summoned home because of sickness in the family. -Consternation prevailed. At two o’clock Curtis went off, bag in hand, -torn between anxiety and disappointment. Before that Duncan Sargent and -Johnny Connell had spent a troubled hour trying to rearrange their line -of battle. At dinner time Johnny pedaled along the road, jumped from -his wheel in front of Sunnywood Cottage, rang the bell impatiently and -demanded Jim. - -“Look here, Hazard,” began Johnny when Jim reached the porch, napkin in -hand, “we’ve lost Curtis. He’s gone home. Some of his folks ill. We’ve -got to have another lineman. There’s no one on the second heavy enough -to stand up in front of Hawthorne. Either you or Gary must come back. I -don’t care which, but the first of you to report to me, all square with -the Office, starts the game to-morrow. I’ve seen Gary and told him the -same thing. Now you have a talk with Mr. Gordon right away, understand? -And let me know what he says. Come to me after school. If he lets you -play you’ll have to learn the new signals this evening. Now hurry up -and finish your dinner, and don’t stuff yourself. Then see Mr. Gordon -at once.” - -“All right,” replied Jim, his heart thumping hard at the thought of -getting back to the team. “I’ll see him in fifteen minutes. Where will -I find you?” - -“I’ll be in the gym at two. Before that you’ll find me around Academy -somewhere. Get a move on. Tell Gordon you’ve _got_ to play; tell him -we’ve got to have you!” - -And Johnny hurried through the gate, jumped on his bicycle and tore -back to school. Fifteen minutes later Jim, breathless and anxious, ran -up the steps of Academy Hall, hurried down the corridor and entered the -Office. - -“Can I see Mr. Gordon, please?” - -“Mr. Gordon has gone to Boston,” replied the secretary in his best -official voice. “He left at twelve o’clock.” - -Jim’s heart sank. “When will he be back, please, sir?” he asked. The -secretary frowned. - -“He is not in the habit of informing me very closely as to his plans. -I believe, however, that he expects to return sometime to-morrow -forenoon.” - -“To-morrow forenoon!” gasped Jim. - -“Exactly.” The trouble in the boy’s face softened the secretary’s -manner. “What was it you wanted? Is there anything I can do for you?” - -“No, sir, thank you,” answered Jim. He went out, closed the heavy oak -door softly and dragged his feet along the corridor. At the corner he -drew aside and Brandon Gary hurried by him in the direction of the -Office. Jim smiled wanly. Gary and he were in the same boat. - -On the front steps he paused, hands thrust deep in his pockets and -tried to think what to do. It still lacked twenty minutes of recitation -time and he had the sunlit entrance to himself. But he could see no way -out of his quandary. Only Mr. Gordon could lift the ban and Mr. Gordon -had gone away. Jim seated himself on the top step and stared unseeingly -at the wooded slope beyond the river. Footsteps echoed in the corridor -and Brandon Gary came out. He saw Jim, hesitated and then leaned -against the doorway. Jim looked up and their eyes met. Gary nodded. - -“Hello,” said Jim morosely. - -“Say, Hazard, you and I are both up against it, aren’t we?” said Gary. -“I’d like to know what business J. G. has going away at a time like -this.” - -“I suppose to-morrow morning will be too late,” responded Jim -discouragedly. - -“Oh, he won’t be back until noon. He’ll come on the express that gets -in just before dinner. Gee, Hazard, I’d like to play to-morrow! I’ve -been thinking he might let me off before this, but he didn’t, and I -made up my mind I wouldn’t ask. But now it’s serious. With Curtis gone -the old team’s up against it, I guess.” - -Jim nodded. Gary seated himself on the other side of the steps. Silence -held them for a minute. Then Jim sighed. - -“Well,” he said, “I guess I’ll look up Johnny and tell him. I promised -to let him know.” - -“So did I,” said Gary. “Look here, Hazard, do you think it would do any -good to talk to Nancy?” - -Jim considered a moment. - -“I don’t see what he could do, Gary.” - -“He might telegraph to J. G. and ask him to let us off.” - -“I don’t believe Nancy would do that,” replied Jim doubtfully. -“Besides, we don’t know where he is, do we?” - -“Mrs. Gordon can tell us. Look here, will you go and see him with me? -Maybe we can talk him into it. I’ll apologize to him, if he wants me -to. I’ll do anything to help the team out.” - -“Yes, I’ll go,” answered Jim, brightening a little. “If we walk up the -road maybe we’ll meet him.” - -They sprang up and hurried off side by side, choosing the road instead -of the wood path, since if they took the latter they might miss the -instructor. They hadn’t far to go. As they walked briskly around the -curve behind the Principal’s residence Mr. Hanks came into sight a few -rods away. - -“You start it,” whispered Gary. “You know him better. I’ll dig in -afterwards.” - -“Mr. Hanks, may we speak to you a minute, sir?” asked Jim as the -instructor met them. Mr. Hanks dropped the hand holding the book he had -been reading and brought his thoughts back with a visible effort. - -“Er――certainly.” - -“Gary and I, sir, are both in wrong at the Office, as you know. Now -Curtis has gone home and the team’s in a bad way for a fellow to take -his place in the line. We’ve been to see Mr. Gordon and he’s gone away -and may not be back until to-morrow noon. That will be too late, sir. -Wouldn’t you be willing to say a good word for us, sir, to Mr. Gordon? -Tell him we――we’re sorry and――and all that, and ask him if we can’t -play to-morrow?” - -Mr. Hanks looked blank. “I――I don’t quite understand,” he said. “You -want me to intercede for you with Mr. Gordon?” - -“Yes, sir,” answered Gary. “I guess I deserved what I got, Mr. Hanks, -but I’ve been on probation for nearly a month now. I’m sorry for what -I did and I――I beg pardon, sir, I wouldn’t have asked any favors for -myself, sir, but the team’s in a rotten mess now that Curtis can’t play -and it needs me badly, needs both of us.” - -“I――I’m afraid, I don’t quite get your meaning about this――this team. -What sort of a team is it, Gary?” - -“Why, the football team, sir! To-morrow’s the big game of the season, -you know; Hawthorne. And we’re going to get licked as sure as shooting -if either Hazard or I don’t get back.” - -“Am I to understand,” asked Mr. Hanks in puzzled tones, “that Mr. -Gordon has forbidden you to play in the game?” - -“Why, of course,” replied Gary a trifle impatiently. “I haven’t played -since he put me on probation. And Hazard here had to give up last -Monday. You can’t play if you don’t keep up with your studies.” - -“Really! I didn’t know that. I fear I am not sufficiently conversant -with the customs here. I understand, then, that you want to take part -in this――this contest to-morrow. Is that it?” - -“Yes, sir,” chorused Gary and Jim eagerly. - -“Why――why――yes, I shall be glad to say a good word for you both. Your -work in class has been very satisfactory since――since the occasion we -both, I am sure, regret, Gary. As for Hazard, he seems to have taken -hold earnestly with his studies of late. But――but if Mr. Gordon is away -I don’t just see how――that is――” - -“We thought you might send him a telegram,” said Gary boldly. “Tell him -we’re needed on the team and that you’re willing we should play and ask -him to give us permission.” - -“Do you think,” asked Mr. Hanks doubtfully, “I should be within -my――er――authority? It――it has the appearance of interference with the -Principal’s affairs.” - -“No, sir, it would be all right. It’s been done lots of times. You see, -Mr. Hanks, you had us punished and you have a right to ask for pardon. -And, besides, sir, it isn’t just for us personally, it’s for the whole -school! If we don’t play we’ll be licked by Hawthorne! And you don’t -want that to happen!” - -“Er――no, I suppose not. Naturally a victory is much to be desired. -But――but a telegram? Wouldn’t a letter do?” - -“He wouldn’t get it in time, sir. We’ll have to know right off; -to-night or to-morrow morning at the latest. Please say you will, Mr. -Hanks!” - -“We-ell, yes, Gary, I’ll do as you ask. Now what is the address?” - -“We don’t know yet, sir. We’ll ask Mrs. Gordon for it. If you will just -write out the telegram now, sir, I’ll get the address and take the -message down town right after school.” - -“Very well. If you will accompany me to the hall I will――er――attend to -it.” - -[Illustration: “We thought you might send him a telegram,” said Gary, -boldly.] - -At a few minutes before four o’clock Gary sent the message at the -telegraph office in the village. Mrs. Gordon had willingly supplied -her husband’s address in Boston. There was nothing to do now but wait. -Johnny was far from satisfied with events, but told Gary and Jim to -report that evening and receive instructions in signals. Jim was a -different boy now. At Sunnywood excitement reigned supreme. Supper was -a very perfunctory meal, for every one was too busy listening for the -footsteps of a messenger boy to eat much. Even Mr. Hanks, suddenly -drawn into the swirl of school affairs, displayed a mild interest -in events. At eight o’clock no reply had been received and Hope put -forward the explanation that Mr. Gordon, who was stopping at an hotel, -had gone out to dinner with friends. - -“He will find the telegram when he gets back to the hotel this -evening,” she declared cheerfully. “There’s no use getting worried, -Jim. It will be all right. You see if it isn’t.” - -Right or wrong, Jim was forced to leave the house at twenty minutes -past eight and hurry to the locker rooms in the gymnasium, where -Sargent, Johnny and Arnold, the quarter-back, were awaiting him and -Gary. For a solid hour and ten minutes the two boys were coached in the -new signals, and not until they were letter-perfect were they allowed -to depart. By that time Jim’s head was in a whirl. He and Gary walked -back together through the frosty darkness, discussing the chances of -the telegram coming that night and speculating as to what its tenor -would be when it did come. - -“Like as not,” said Jim, who was tired and low-spirited by this time, -“he will refuse to let us off.” - -“I have a feeling it’s going to be all right,” answered Gary cheerfully. -“Guess I’ll walk on to your place and see if it’s come.” - -And it had. Hope met them at the door with the news and they went -upstairs to Mr. Hanks’ room. The instructor fumbled around on his desk -and finally found the message. He handed it to Gary. Gary read it with -a broad smile, that trailed away toward the end, and handed it to Jim. -This was the message: - - MR. ARTEMUS HANKS, - CARE MRS. HAZARD, Crofton, Mass. - - Gary’s probation lifted. Please inform him. Hazard must pass - examination in Latin before he can take part in athletics. - - JOHN GORDON. - -Jim reread the telegram and then laid it back on the desk. “That lets -me out,” he said quietly. “I’m glad you’re all right, though, Gary. If -you play they won’t need me, anyway. Thank you, Mr. Hanks.” - -“You’re very welcome, Jim. I――I regret that the result in your case is -so disappointing.” - -Jim went down to the door with Gary and bade him good night. “Glad you -can play, Gary,” he said. “And I hope we win.” - -“We will if I can bring it about,” replied Gary warmly. “I wish you -were going in, too, though, Hazard.” He hesitated a moment on the -steps. “Thanks for helping me. Come and see me some time, will you?” At -the gate he turned again. “Oh, Hazard, I say!” - -“Yes?” replied Jim from the doorway. - -“How about your rooms here? Haven’t got one I could have after -Christmas recess, have you?” - -“Yes, there’s one empty. It isn’t as good as――as the one you saw, Gary, -but it’s not bad.” - -“I’ll come around and have a look at it some day. Jones’s is the limit! -Good night.” - -“Good night,” answered Jim tiredly. - -Then he went upstairs to face the sympathy of Gil and Poke and Jeffrey. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -HAWTHORNE COMES TO CONQUER - - -The day of the Hawthorne game dawned cold and gray, with a chill -breeze out of the east that held a tang of the ocean thirty miles -away. Hawthorne came along, nearly two hundred strong, early in the -forenoon and took possession of the village, taxing the capacities of -the railroad restaurant and the various lunch rooms to the limit. At -Sunnywood Gil and Poke, veterans though they were, showed unmistakable -nervousness all the morning, and it took the required efforts of Jim -and Jeffrey to amuse them. By eleven o’clock the sun had peeped for an -instant through the gloom, promising better things for the afternoon. -The football team dined at twelve that day, so at Sunnywood the dinner -hour was set forward correspondingly. At one Gil and Poke, happy and -cheerful now that the time of waiting was past, set off to the field. - -“If you don’t win, Poke Endicott,” called Hope from the porch as the -boys started down the road, “I’ll never speak to you again!” - -“After that threat,” laughed Poke, “I shall simply eat ’em alive, Hope!” - -The rest of the household, Jim, Jeffrey, Hope, Mrs. Hazard and Mr. -Hanks started an hour later. Mr. Hanks, having had football thrust -suddenly into his philosophy, displayed an amazing interest and -curiosity. “You see,” he confided to Mrs. Hazard, “I have never -witnessed a game of football. This may seem strange to you, for -my college was, I believe, very successful at the game. The fact -is, however, that I never had time to attend the contests. I am -really quite curious to see how the game is played. I think it must -be――er――quite interesting.” - -When the Sunnywood party arrived Hawthorne, looking in its black -and orange like an army of young Princetonians, was on the gridiron -warming up for the fray. Along the ropes on the other side of the field -Hawthorne’s supporters were already shouting to the sky. The sun, still -coy, broke through every few minutes and cast a pallid wash of gold -over the sere turf. It was cold enough for rugs and heavy coats, and -Hope was secretly pleased that she had managed to snuggle in between -her mother and Mr. Hanks. Beyond Mrs. Hazard sat Jim with Jeffrey -beside him. By a quarter to two the Crofton side of the field was three -and four deep along the ropes and at ten minutes to the hour two things -happened simultaneously; the Crofton eleven, brave and colorful in new -uniforms of crimson and gray, trotted onto the field, and the sun burst -through the murk in a sudden blaze of glory. - -“That,” cried Hope ecstatically, “means that we shall win!” - -Crofton took the field for practice, Gary, back in his togs once more, -racing down the gridiron like a colt. A moment later Gil ran up and -called to Jim across the rope. - -“Come on and be our linesman, Jim. You see,” he continued as Jim -ducked under the barrier and strode across the field with him, “you’ll -be nearer things and can watch the game a heap better. There’s your -partner in crime over there with the chain. Introduce yourself like a -gentleman, shake hands and welcome him to the funeral. They’ve got a -pretty husky set of men, haven’t they? That’s Gould, the little chap -talking to Johnny. He’s the man we’ve got to watch to-day. Gee, I wish -you were playing, Jim!” - -“So do I. Is Gould their quarter? He doesn’t look such a wonder, does -he?” - -“Wait till you get a good look at his face. There’s the whistle. Wish -us luck, Jim!” - -Jeffrey moved into the seat next to Mrs. Hazard, depositing an extra -coat beside him so that Jim might have his place if he returned. -Hawthorne spread herself over the west end of the field to receive the -kick-off, Duncan Sargent patted the tee into shape, poised the ball -and looked around him. “All ready, Hawthorne? All ready, Crofton?” -questioned the referee. Both teams assented, the whistle blew, Sargent -sent the ball spinning down the field and the game was on. - -Crofton displayed her offensive ability at the start. Johnny had -instructed the team to get the jump on Hawthorne in the first minute of -play and carry her off her feet if possible. Arnold obeyed directions -to the letter. From the first line-up, after the full-back had caught -and carried the ball to his thirty-five yards, Poke Endicott tore off -eighteen yards outside of tackle and began a rushing advance that took -the ball to Hawthorne’s fifteen-yard mark. Hawthorne stiffened as the -play neared the goal line and Arnold tried a forward pass to Tearney, -right end. This failed and the ball went to the Orange-and-Black. -But on the very next play Hawthorne’s left half fumbled and Benson, -Crofton’s full-back, dived into the scramble and recovered the pigskin. -Crofton’s machine started up again and after three rushes Poke shot -through and over the goal line for a well-earned touchdown. Sargent -kicked goal. - -The crimson-and-gray flags waved madly and three hundred voices cheered -and yelled. In just five minutes Crofton had swept her opponent off -her feet and scored six points! That was surely cause for rejoicing. -Even Mrs. Hazard clapped her hands, and Mr. Hanks, just beginning -to understand the scheme of things, beamed delightedly through his -spectacles. As for Hope, why Hope was already breathless from screaming -and trembling with excitement. Jeffrey, seeing more of the game than -the others, better appreciated the _coup de main_ that had put Crofton -in the ascendancy at the very beginning of the battle. But he wondered -whether the Crimson-and-Gray would show an equally good defense. That -was the only scoring in the first period of fifteen minutes. Crofton -suffered a penalty for holding shortly after the touchdown had been -made, and later was set back for off-side. However, the loss of twenty -yards had no effect on the final result, for neither side came near -scoring, and the quarter ended with the ball in Crofton’s possession on -her rival’s twenty-seven yards. - -Hawthorne’s chief mainstay was her quarter-back, Gould, a remarkable -all-around player. A brainy general, a certain catcher of punts, a -brilliant runner either in a broken field or an open and a clever -manipulator of the forward pass, Crofton held him in great respect. -Hawthorne’s team was, in a manner, built around Gould, and in that lay -whatever weakness it possessed. Johnny had coached his players for -a fortnight to stop Gould, knowing that aside from his performances -Hawthorne had very little to offer in the matter of ground-gaining -feats. And throughout the first period Gould failed to get away with -anything. Crofton watched him as a cat watches a mouse and every move -of his was smothered. One twenty-yard sprint around Tearney’s end was -the best he could do, while whenever he caught a punt in the backfield -Tearney and Gil were down on him to stand him on his plucky little -head the instant the ball was in his arms. - -The second period began with Crofton in high feather. Benson and Smith, -left half, each made short gains, and then Arnold tried a forward pass -from Hawthorne’s twenty-five yard mark. He threw too far, however, and -the Orange-and-Black received the ball on its thirteen-yard line. Gould -kicked, and, thanks to two holding penalties, Crofton was forced back -into its own territory in the next few minutes. Then Arnold’s punt went -to Gould on his forty yards. With the first real flash of form he had -shown, the little quarter-back tore off fifteen yards. From the center -of the field and close to the side-line he made his first successful -forward pass, a long, low throw along the edge of the field to his -right end who caught the ball over his shoulder and ran to Crofton’s -thirty-four-yard line. A try at the line netted two yards. Then Gould -again hurled the pigskin, this time selecting his left end for receiver -and sending a low drive to him on Crofton’s twenty-five-yard line. For -a moment it looked as though Hawthorne would score there and then and -the runner sprinted to Crofton’s eight-yard line before he was pulled -down from behind. Across the field Hawthorne was wild with joy and -two hundred of her loyal sons shouted and danced with delight. Then -Hawthorne tried one rush and lost a yard. Crofton was now plainly over -anxious and when, on the next play, Gould sent his right half-back -at the right wing on a delayed pass, Tearney was drawn in and the -orange-and-black player simply romped across the line for a touchdown. -From this Hawthorne’s right end kicked a goal from a difficult angle -and the score was tied. - -Then, it seemed, that Hawthorne had found herself. Success breeds -success. The Orange-and-Black took heart and after Crofton had kicked -off again Gould ran the ball back thirty yards, eluding half the -Crofton team, and placed it on her enemy’s forty-five-yard line. -Crofton’s defense was now severely tested. Gould gave the ball to -his half-backs and his full-back and twice Hawthorne made first down -by short line plunges. The vulnerable spot in Crofton’s defense was -at left tackle where Parker, willing enough though he was, lacked -experience and weight. On her twenty-five-yard line Crofton stiffened -up and Gould tried a forward pass that proved illegal. A plunge at -center gave the ball to Crofton, and Arnold punted on the first down. -Gould caught the ball and was promptly laid on his back by Gil. A -penalty for holding forced Hawthorne back to her thirty yards. Gould -tried an end run that gained but seven yards and punted on the next -down. Crofton made three yards through right tackle and then Arnold -got off a beautiful forward pass to Gil, and the latter, by squirming -and crowding, finally reached Hawthorne’s twenty-yard line. Two rushes -failed to gain much distance and Arnold dropped back to the thirty-yard -line and, with every watcher holding his breath, drop-kicked the oval -over the cross-bar. It was Crofton’s turn to exult and exult she did, -while from the opposite side of the gridiron Hawthorne hurled defiance. -A moment later the first half ended, the score 9 to 6; Crofton ahead by -three points. - -Jim returned to his party on the seats and squeezed himself down beside -Jeffrey. - -“Isn’t it just glorious?” cried Hope, her cheeks crimson and her hair, -loosened by the breeze, fluttering about her face. - -“Glorious!” laughed her brother. “It’s jimmy!” - -“Can we hold them, do you think?” asked Jeffrey. - -Jim shook his head. “I don’t know. I heard Johnny tell Duncan Sargent a -minute ago that he’d give a hundred dollars if the game were over. If -Hawthorne pounded away at the left side of our line she could gain like -anything. Parker’s doing the best he can but he can’t stop them. How do -you like the game, Mr. Hanks?” - -“Very much indeed. I――I find myself quite excited. Hope has been -instructing me in the――er――fine points, but I fear she has found me a -very stupid pupil.” - -“Well, I don’t think I can give you more than a C,” laughed Hope. “And -mama gets a D minus. Awhile ago she wanted to know why the tall man in -the white sweater didn’t play harder!” - -“Well, nobody told me he was the referee, or whatever he is,” declared -Mrs. Hazard. “For my part I think I’d much prefer to be he.” - -“Jim, I hope we just――just gobble them up this half,” said Hope. - -“Gobble them up,” repeated Mr. Hanks. “Is that――er――a football term or -do you use the phrase metaphorically?” - -“She means eat ’em alive, sir,” laughed Jeffrey. - -“We won’t do that,” said Jim with a shake of his head. “All we can hope -to do is hold them where they are. Isn’t Gil playing a peach of a game? -And Poke, too. Did you see him go through for that touchdown? He was -like a human battering ram!” - -“How’s Gary doing?” asked Jeffrey. - -“Putting up a great game; playing a heap better than Sargent, I think. -But I suppose that’s natural enough. Sargent’s captain and that always -puts a chap off his game, they say. If I was that Hawthorne quarter -I’d plug away at Parker and Sargent, and I’ll bet I’d make some bully -gains.” - -“They probably will this half,” said Jeffrey. “Their coach has probably -seen just what you have. Somebody ought to tell Gould, too, that he -is punting too low. He doesn’t give his ends a chance to get down the -field. We’ve gained every time on exchange of kicks.” - -At that moment a voice cried, “Hazard! Hazard! Is Hazard here?” - -Jim jumped to his feet and answered. A substitute player in a much -begrimed uniform ran up. “Johnny wants to see you at the gym,” he -called. “Come right up.” - -“What the dickens does he want?” muttered Jim. “Keep my seat for me, -Jeff.” - -He found Johnny in the midst of wild confusion. Rubbers were busy with -strains and bruises, twenty fellows were talking at once. The close air -of the locker-room was heavy with the fumes of alcohol and liniment. -Johnny was deep in conversation with captain and manager. - -“You wanted to see me?” asked Jim, pushing his way through the crowd. - -“Yes, I do! Look here, Hazard, where do you stand?” - -“Stand?” - -“Yes,” replied Johnny impatiently. “Isn’t there any way you can play -this half?” - -“I’m afraid not,” answered Jim. “Mr. Gordon wired that I’d have to take -an exam before I could play.” - -“You didn’t take it?” - -“No, sir. There wasn’t any way to take it that I knew of.” - -Johnny looked at Sargent questioningly. “You wouldn’t risk it, would -you?” he asked in a low voice. Sargent shook his head. - -“I’d be afraid to. J. G.’s a tartar about that sort of thing. Better -try Needham.” - -“All right.” Johnny nodded to Jim. “Sorry. Thought maybe you could -manage somehow to help us out. Better not go against faculty, though.” - -“I’m willing to risk it if you need me,” replied Jim quietly. - -“I won’t have it,” said Sargent decisively. “You’d get fired as sure as -fate, Hazard. Much obliged, just the same.” - -“Time’s up!” called Johnny. - -Jim walked back to the field despondently. If they had given him any -encouragement, he told himself, he’d have risked J. G.’s displeasure -and played. When he reached his seat Jeffrey asked: - -“What was it, Jim?” - -“Nothing much. Johnny thought maybe I could play in this half. They’re -taking Parker out. Needham’s going in. He will be twice as bad as -Parker, I guess.” - -“Didn’t Johnny know?” - -“About me? I guess so. He seemed to think I might have taken an exam -somehow. I didn’t see how I could have, do you?” - -Jeffrey shook his head. “No, I don’t.” Jim glanced along to find Mr. -Hanks peering interestedly through his spectacles. - -[Illustration: Jim takes his examination on the football field.] - -“Do I understand, Jim,” he asked, “that you could play if you passed an -examination?” - -“Yes, sir, I suppose so. That’s what Mr. Gordon wired, you know.” - -“Do they――er――need you, do you think?” - -“They seem to think so,” answered Jim. “They want a fellow to take -Parker’s place.” - -“Well――well――” Mr. Hanks’ eyes snapped behind the thick lenses of his -glasses――“do you think you could pass an examination now?” - -“Now!” exclaimed Jim. “Why――why――do you mean――” - -“I mean now!” repeated Mr. Hanks crisply. - -“Yes, sir!” - -“Then I’ll examine you, and if you pass――” - -“Jeff,” cried Jim, as he jumped to his feet, “run over and tell Johnny -to find some one to take my place with the line. Tell him I’m taking my -exam! Tell him to get me some togs and I’ll be ready to play in――” He -stopped and looked at Mr. Hanks. - -“Ten minutes!” said the instructor. - -Jeffrey seized his crutches and hobbled quickly away, while Mr. Hanks -and Jim left their seats and disappeared behind the throng. At that -minute the Crofton team trotted back on to the field and the cheering -began again. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -JIM PASSES AN EXAMINATION - - -Instructed by its coach, Hawthorne began to hammer the right side -of Crofton’s line at the start. Gould hurled his backs time and again -at Needham and at Captain Sargent. Gain after gain was made, Needham -proving no harder to penetrate than Parker had been. Sargent was a -tougher proposition, but even he was weakening. The first ten minutes -of the third quarter was a rout for Crofton. From their forty yards to -Crofton’s twenty-five the Hawthorne players swept, and then, just when -success seemed within their grasp, a fumble lost them the ball. Gil -reeled off twelve yards through the center of the Hawthorne line and -Smith and Benson plugged away for another down. Then Hawthorne held -stubbornly and Arnold kicked. After that Hawthorne came back again, -slowly but surely, banging the right guard and tackle positions for -gain on gain, and now and then sending Gould on an end run for the -sake of variety. Both teams were tiring now and the playing was slower. -After a particularly vicious plunge at his position Sargent remained -on the ground when the play was over and it was a good three minutes -before he was on his feet again. Then Smith was hurt and a substitute -went in for him. With three minutes of the third period remaining, the -ball was down on Crofton’s eighteen-yard line and the Crimson-and-Gray -was almost in her last ditch. Had Gould chosen to try a goal from field -there he might have tied the score, but the plucky little general was -out for a victory and insisted on a touchdown. He himself took the ball -for a plunge through left tackle and got by for three yards. Then a -delayed pass went wrong and there was seven to gain on the third down. -There was a consultation and Gould fell back as though he meant to -kick. Instead of that, however, he tried a short forward pass that went -to Gil instead of to one of his own side and for the moment the advance -was stayed. On the second down Arnold punted to midfield. For once -Gould signaled a fair catch. Again Hawthorne took up the attack, but -before she had made much headway the whistle sounded. - -At that minute, over behind the row of Crofton sympathizers, Mr. Hanks -nodded his head twice. - -“You pass, Jim,” he said. - -Johnny was looking anxiously about when Jim leapt over the rope. - -“All right!” he cried. “There are your togs. Get into them.” - -Jim, walled from gaze by a quickly formed ring of substitutes, changed -quicker than ever he had in all his life. Out on the field the whistle -blew and the two lines formed again. Finally Jim was ready and Johnny -seized him by the arm and led him along the side-line. - -“Wait till this play is over,” he said. “Then go in for Needham, and -play low, Hazard. Get the jump on those fellows and break it up! -Understand? _Break it up!_ You can do it; any one with an ounce of -ginger can. There you are! Scoot!” - -And Jim scooted! - -“Left tackle, sir!” he cried to the referee. That official nodded. -Needham, panting and weak, yielded his headgear and walked off -to receive his meed of cheering. Arnold thumped Jim on the back -ecstatically. - -“Oh, look who’s here!” he yelled shrilly. “Well, well, well! Now let’s -stop ’em, Crofton!” - -“Look out for the left half on a cross-buck,” whispered Sargent from -between swollen lips. “And get low, Hazard. We’ve got to queer this, -you know, we’ve got to do it!” - -“All right,” answered Jim quietly, eyeing his antagonist shrewdly. -“Here’s where we put ’em out of business.” - -“Hello, son,” said the opposing tackle as the lines set again. “How’d -they let you in? Watch out now, I’m coming through!” - -But he didn’t. Jim beat him by a fraction of a second and had his -shoulder against his stomach and was pushing him back before he knew -what had happened. Sargent, having no longer to play two positions, -braced wonderfully. In three plays Hawthorne discovered that the left -of the opponent’s line was no longer a gateway. Learning that fact -cost her the possession of the ball, for she missed her distance by -a half-foot. Crofton hurled Gil at left guard and piled him through -for four yards. Then came a mix-up in the signals in which Smith’s -substitute hit Hawthorne’s line without the ball. Arnold kicked, but -his leg was getting tired and Gould got the oval twenty yards down the -field. On Crofton’s forty-yard mark Gould got off a short forward pass -that took the team over two white lines. Then an end run netted nothing -and again Gould kicked. Benson got under the ball, caught it, dropped -it, tried to recover it and was bowled aside by a Hawthorne forward -who snuggled the pigskin beneath him on Crofton’s twelve-yard line. -Two plunges netted nothing and Gould fell back for a kick from the -twenty-eight-yard line. Although half the Crofton team managed to break -through and though Gil absolutely tipped the ball with his fingers, the -oval flew fair and square across the bar and Hawthorne had tied the -score! - -With four minutes to play the teams took their places again. Sargent -kicked off and Gil and Tearney again downed Gould in his tracks. A try -at a forward pass failed and an on-side kick went out at Crofton’s -forty-five yards. The ball was brought in and then Arnold pegged at -Hawthorne’s center for twenty yards. A fumble by Gil was recovered by -a Hawthorne end and again the Orange-and-Black started for the Crofton -goal. But there was little time left now and along the side-lines -every one was agreed that the contest would end in a tie. But football -is always uncertain. When two minutes remained and the ball was in -Hawthorne’s possession on her opponent’s thirty-eight yards, after two -exchange of punts, Gould dashed off around Gil’s end of the line and -with good interference gained almost fifteen yards. Hawthorne took -heart at this and her cheers boomed across the field. A plunge at right -tackle gave her five more. Then the unexpected happened. - -Gould dropped back into kicking position, but when the ball went to him -he poised it and waited to find his end to make a forward pass. Jim, -hurling himself past his opponent, dodged a half-back and before Gould -could get the ball away, was upon him. Down went the little quarter -and away bobbed the ball. An instant of wild scrambling and then Jim -was on his feet again, the ball was scooped up into his arms and he -was off with a clear field ahead. After him came the pursuit, foe and -friend alike trailing backward along the gridiron. Past the middle of -the field, and still well ahead, Jim dared turn in toward the center -of the middle of the field. Then Gould, making what was his pluckiest -effort of all that long, hard-fought game, almost reached him. But -behind Gould was Gil, and Gil it was who, just as the quarter-back’s -arms stretched out to bring Jim to earth, threw himself in front of the -enemy. Over they went together, rolling and kicking, and Jim, with his -breath almost gone, staggered and fell across the goal line. - -What if Andy LaGrange, called on to kick the goal in place of Sargent, -did miss it by yards and yards? The game was won! For another year the -Crimson-and-Gray held the championship! - -Crofton was still shouting, still waving, still cavorting when LaGrange -missed that goal, and still at it when, after two plays, the final -whistle sounded. Hope, standing on the seat, flourished her flag wildly. - -“Isn’t it perfectly jimmy?” she cried. - -Mr. Hanks, beaming satisfiedly through his spectacles, assented. “It -is. We――er――as you would say, ‘gobbled them up’!” - -“Didn’t we just? And didn’t Jim do beautifully, Mr. Hanks?” - -Mr. Hanks nodded slowly. “Yes,” he replied, “your brother passed a very -creditable, if somewhat hurried examination.” - - -THE END - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes: - - ――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). - - ――Printer's, punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently - corrected. - - ――Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. - - ――Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Crofton Chums, by Ralph Henry Barbour - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CROFTON CHUMS *** - -***** This file should be named 60894-0.txt or 60894-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/8/9/60894/ - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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- clear: both; -} - -.works { - font-size: .75em; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -/* Advertisement formatting. */ -.adauthor { - font-size: 1.25em; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -/* Hanging indent. */ -.hang { - text-indent: -2em; - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.hang2 { - text-indent: -2em; - padding-left: 2em; -} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Crofton Chums, by Ralph Henry Barbour - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Crofton Chums - -Author: Ralph Henry Barbour - -Illustrator: C. M. Relyea - -Release Date: December 10, 2019 [EBook #60894] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CROFTON CHUMS *** - - - - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="550" height="832" alt="cover" title="cover" /> -</div> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi halftitle">Crofton Chums</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 424px;"> -<a id="i_frontis"> - <img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" width="424" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_337">Jim was off with a clear field ahead.</a></div> -</div> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h1>Crofton Chums</h1> - -<p class="p2 noic">By</p> - -<p class="noi author">Ralph Henry Barbour</p> - -<p class="noi works">Author of “The Crimson Sweater,” “Captain Chub,”<br /> -“Team-Mates,” etc.</p> - -<p class="p2 noi illustrationsby">With Illustrations</p> - -<p class="noi illustrator">By C. M. Relyea</p> - -<div class="pad4"> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 113px;"> -<img src="images/logo.jpg" width="113" height="110" alt="logo" title="logo" /> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noi adauthor">New York<br /> -The Century Co.<br /> -1912</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noic">Copyright, 1911, 1912, by<br /> -<span class="smcap">The Century Co.</span></p> - -<p class="p2 noic"><i>Published, September, 1912</i></p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noic">To<br /> -<span class="noi adauthor"> G. R. O.</span><br /> -Who Helped</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - - -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> -<col style="width: 20%;" /> -<col style="width: 70%;" /> -<col style="width: 10%;" /> -<tr> - <th class="pr smfontr">CHAPTER</th> - <th class="tdl"></th> - <th class="smfontr">PAGE</th> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Back to School</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">3</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Sunnywood Cottage</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">16</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">Gary Reconsiders</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">36</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Mr. Gordon Receives</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">52</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">V.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Mr. Hanks Rents a Room</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">69</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Plato Society</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">89</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Jim Makes a Promise</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">103</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VIII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">Poke Uses Tact</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">114</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">IX.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">Out For the Team</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">129</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">X.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">Mr. Hanks Accepts Advice</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">148</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XI.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">On the Second</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">162</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Gary is Surprised</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">172</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">Poke on Canoes</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">183</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIV.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">Up the River</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">193</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XV.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">The “Mi-Ka-Noo”</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">205</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVI.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">Mr. Hanks as a Novelist</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">216</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">The Game With St. Luke’s</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">227</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVIII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">Gary Challenges</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">235</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIX.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">Poke Advertises</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">245</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XX.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span></td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">An Early Morning Practice</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">256</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXI.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">The Great Race</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">267</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">The Sword Falls!</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">284</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXIII.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">Friday and Ill-luck</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">302</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXIV.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">Hawthorne Comes to Conquer</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">316</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXV.</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">Jim Passes an Examination</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">332</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - - -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations"> -<col style="width: 90%;" /> -<col style="width: 10%;" /> -<tr> - <th> </th> - <th class="smfontr">PAGE</th> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_frontis">Jim was off with a clear field ahead</a></td> - <td class="tdrb"><i>Frontispiece</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p011">“Well, what do you think of that!” ejaculated -Poke</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">11</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p027">“This is Mrs. Hazard’s, isn’t it?”</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">27</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p037">“What is it, Jim? Is anything wrong?” inquired -Mrs. Hazard</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">37</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p061">“This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared -Poke</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">61</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p075">“You a football man, Hazard?” Sargent asked</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">75</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p083">“I am looking for accommodations, a room -and—er—yes, board with it”</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">83</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p125">“Look here,” he demanded, “what did you tell -Duncan Sargent about me?”</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">125</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p141">“Ever see a football before?” he asked</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">141</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p153">They found Mr. Hanks at his desk</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">153</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p181">Gil and Poke assisted in the household -duties</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">181</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p295">Hope, being a rather wise young lady, prepared -a tray</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">295</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p311">“We thought you might send him a telegram,” -said Gary, boldly</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">309</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl hang"><a href="#i_p329">Jim takes his examination on the football -field</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">329</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="noi halftitle">CROFTON CHUMS</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a><br /> -<small>BACK TO SCHOOL</small></h2> -</div> - - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<p class="poemcap"><span class="i0cap">“In the good old football time,<br /></span> -<span class="i1cap">In the good old football time!”<br /></span></p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noi">sang “Poke” Endicott, as he pulled a nice new -pair of fawn-hued football pants from his trunk -and reverently strove to smooth the creases -from them. “Aren’t those some pants, Gil?” -he demanded.</p> - -<p>His room-mate turned from the window as the -“mole-skins” were held up for inspection.</p> - -<p>“Rather! You must have spent a year’s allowance -on those, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Huh!” Poke folded them carefully and -then tossed them in the general direction of the -closet. “I’d hate to tell you, Gil, what they -stood me. But they’re good for ten years; anyhow, -that’s what the tailor man said. Those<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -trousers, Gil, will descend from generation to -generation, down through the ages, like—like—”</p> - -<p>“A mortgage,” suggested Gil Benton, helpfully, -as he turned again to the view of autumn -landscape framed by the open casement. Just -under the window, beyond the graveled path, the -smooth turf descended gently to the rim of the -little river which curved placidly along below -the school buildings barely a stone’s throw -away. (Joe Cosgrove, baseball captain, had -once engaged, on a wager, to place a baseball -across it from the steps of Academy Hall, and -had succeeded at the third attempt. As Academy -stands farthest from the stream of any of -the buildings, Joe’s throw was something of a -feat, and many a perfectly good baseball had -been sacrificed since by ambitious youths set on -duplicating his performance.) The Academy -side of the river was clear of vegetation, but -along the farther bank graceful weeping willows -dipped their trailing branches in the water -and threw cool green shadows across the surface. -Beyond, the willows gave place to alders -and swamp-oaks and basswood, and then, as the -ground rose to the rolling hills, maples, already -showing the first light frosts, clustered thick.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -Here and there the white trunks of paper-birches -showed against the hillside.</p> - -<p>Gil—his full name was Gilbert, but no one -ever called him that—viewed the familiar scene -with eager pleasure and satisfaction. To-morrow -began his third year at Crofton Academy, -and he had grown very fond of the school; how -fond he had scarcely realized until this minute. -To the left, a quarter of a mile away, the old -covered bridge was in sight, its central pier -emerging from a wilderness of bush on Bridge -Island. To his right, a little distance down-stream, -lay Biscuit Island, a tiny round mound -of moss-covered rock with here and there a -patch of grass, and, in the middle, a group of -four white birches asway in the westerly breeze. -Opposite the island was the brown-stained boat-house -and the long float, the latter as yet empty -of the canoes and skiffs and tubs that would -later gather there. By bending forward a little, -Gil could catch a glimpse of a corner of the -athletic field and the roofed portico of Apthorpe -Gymnasium, the last of the buildings that -formed a crescent along the curve of the river.</p> - -<p>He smiled companionably at the blue and -green world, sighed once—why, he couldn’t -have told you—and breathed in a lungful of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -the warm, scented air. It was good to be back -again; awfully good! He wondered—</p> - -<p>Footsteps crunched the gravel beneath the -window, and Gil leaned out. Then he turned -and called to his chum:</p> - -<p>“Say, Poke, come and see ‘Brownie.’ He’s -got a suit of ‘ice-cream’ clothes on, and a -Panama hat! Me, oh, my! Who’d ever think -Brownie could be so frivolous?”</p> - -<p>Poke stumbled over a pile of clothing and hurried -across to the casement, leaning out beside -Gil. Almost directly below was a tall man of -thirty-odd years, attired modishly in light home-spun. -When, in answer to Poke’s “Hello, Mr. -Brown!” he looked up at the window, his face -was seen to carry a rich coating of tan from -which his very light blue eyes twinkled with -startling effect. He waved his hand to them.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Endicott! Hello, Benton! You’re -back early, it seems.”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t stay away, sir,” replied Poke -laughingly. “Missed Greek awfully, sir!”</p> - -<p>“Not the first time you’ve missed it—awfully,” -retorted the instructor with a broad -smile. The boys chuckled. “Don’t forget the -meeting to-morrow evening, fellows.”</p> - -<p>“No, sir; we’ll be there,” said Gil.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He’s a dandy chap,” he added heartily, as -the instructor passed on toward his room in the -next dormitory. Poke nodded.</p> - -<p>“One of the best. That’s why Plato’s the -best society in school. What time is it?”</p> - -<p>“Nearly one,” replied Gil, with a yawn.</p> - -<p>“Don’t suppose we can get anything to eat -here, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Not likely. We might try, but as we’re not -supposed to come until after dinner, I guess it -would look pretty cheeky.”</p> - -<p>“Right-O! Besides, it will be more fun eating -in the village. Aren’t you going to unpack?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but there’s no hurry. Let’s get dinner -now, Poke. We’ll go to Reddy’s; he has -the best eats.”</p> - -<p>“Got you! But wait until I get some of this -mess picked up. How’s that for a swell suit of -glad rags, Gil?” Poke held up the jacket for -inspection. It was perceptibly green in color -and decidedly “loud” in style. Gil grunted.</p> - -<p>“If you had a gray silk hat you could march -in the minstrel parade with that, Poke. Bet -you sent your measurements by mail with a ten-dollar -bill.”</p> - -<p>Poke looked highly offended, and draped the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -garment over the back of a chair. Then he -drew away and admired it silently.</p> - -<p>“That,” he announced finally, “was made by -one of the best tailors in New York.”</p> - -<p>Gil grunted again. “We wouldn’t wear a -thing like that in Providence,” he said.</p> - -<p>Poke laughed rudely as he hung the coat up. -“Providence! I believe you, Gil! Providence -never saw anything like that.”</p> - -<p>“That’s no joke,” replied the other. “Get -a move on, Poke, I’m hungry.”</p> - -<p>“All right. Put that in the drawer for me, -will you? No, the table drawer, you idiot! -Where’s my hat? Come on now. I could eat -an ox!”</p> - -<p>They closed the door of Number 12 behind -them, scuttled down a flight of well-worn stairs, -and emerged on the granite steps of Weston -Hall. They looked along the fronts of the -buildings, but not a soul was in sight. Gil -chuckled.</p> - -<p>“Bet you we’re the first fellows back, -Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Sure. They won’t begin to get here until -that two-twenty train.”</p> - -<p>They turned to the right, passed between -Weston and Rogers, traversed a few rods of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -turf, and took a path leading downwards -through a grove of maples and beeches. The -path turned and twisted to accommodate itself -to the descent. Gil walked ahead, hat in -hand, since it was close and warm here in the -woods, and Poke lounged along behind, hands -in pockets and his merry, good-humored face -alight with anticipation of the good things -awaiting him at Reddy’s lunch counter. Poke’s -real name was Perry Oldham Kirkland Endicott, -and the nickname had been the natural -result of the first view of the initials -on the end of his suitcase. In age he was sixteen, -one year his companion’s junior. He was -well set-up, with a good pair of shoulders and -a depth of chest that told of athletic training. -He had brown hair and brown eyes, a good-looking -sunburned face, and a general air of -care-free jollity. Like Gil Benton, Poke was a -member of the Upper Middle Class, and consequently -had two more years to spend at Crofton.</p> - -<p>Gilbert Benton, seventeen years old, was a -good two inches taller than his chum, and somewhat -slimmer. But the slimness showed wiry -muscles and a healthy body. Gil’s hair was -darker than Poke’s, and his eyes were gray.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -His face spoke of determination and fearlessness. -Seeing the two boys, you would have -said that Gil was the sort to lead bravely a forlorn -hope, and Poke the sort to shrug his shoulders, -laugh—and follow. Gil’s home was in -Providence, Rhode Island, and Poke’s in New -York City. The latter had taken an early train -and Gil had joined him at Providence, and the -two had reached the station at Crofton well before -noon. To arrive at school early and get -settled before their fellows arrived had struck -them as something of a lark.</p> - -<p>The woods ceased and the path led them out -onto Academy Road, where Hill Street turned -off and where the village residences began. -Hereabouts most of the trim white-walled structures -were used as boarding- and rooming-houses -for the Crofton students who were unable -to secure accommodations in the school -dormitories. At the corner was Mrs. Hooper’s; -across the road from it, Jones’s; farther up -Academy Road toward the school, Mrs. Sanger’s. -To their left as they leaped the tumble-down -stone wall was a comfortable-looking residence -whose outbuildings nestled in the edge of -the woods.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 426px;"> -<a id="i_p011"> - <img src="images/i_p011.jpg" width="426" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_12">“Well, what do you think of that!” ejaculated Poke.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12-<br />13]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Wonder who has the Timberlake place this -year,” said Gil. “I see it’s rented.”</p> - -<p>“Why did she give it up?” asked Poke -idly.</p> - -<p>“Went out West to live with her son, I believe. -I don’t believe the old lady ever made -much money here.”</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p011">“Well, what do you think of that!” ejaculated -Poke</a>, stopping in his tracks and staring -at the house in question. Perched on a short -ladder was a boy of about Poke’s age, nailing -a sign over the front steps. A girl in a white -dress and with a long braid of yellow hair aglint -in the sunshine was steadying the ladder. As -the boys stopped to look, the last screw went -home and the sign stood forth for all to see:</p> - -<p class="noic">SUNNYWOOD COTTAGE</p> - -<p>The boy descended from the ladder, and he -and the girl stepped a little distance down the -short walk toward the gate to admire the result -of their labors. Gil and Poke went on, the latter -chuckling.</p> - -<p>“‘Sunnywood Cottage,’” he murmured.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -“Guess there wasn’t anything very sunny about -the place when Mrs. Timberlake had it. I wonder -who the girl is?”</p> - -<p>“Miss Sunnywood,” replied Gil instantly.</p> - -<p>“Thanks,” said Poke, turning to steal another -look at the young lady. “You’re a veritable -mine of information, Gil. The house is -looking rather nice, isn’t it? Must have -painted it, I guess.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and her hair is very pretty,” laughed -Gil.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you run away,” Poke retorted. -“Wonder who the chap is?”</p> - -<p>“You seem mighty interested in the family. -Like to call there on the way back?”</p> - -<p>“That’s not a bad idea! We might make believe -we wanted to rent a room.”</p> - -<p>“We might,” Gil laughed. He, too, turned -for a glance at the cottage. “Guess a fellow -could be pretty comfy at Sunnywood. Funny, -isn’t it, how some houses look homey and comfy -and others sort of give you the creeps. Look -at Jones’s; wouldn’t live there for a hundred -dollars a month!”</p> - -<p>“I wonder if a fellow has more fun living in -the village,” mused Poke. “Of course it’s nice -being in hall when you know there are loads of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -chaps envying you your room, but, after all, we -don’t have much chance for larks, what with -study hour, and being in at ten, and all that. I -believe I’d like to try a house next year, Gil.”</p> - -<p>“Sunnywood?” asked Gil slyly.</p> - -<p>Poke grinned and nodded. “I wouldn’t -mind. That corner room in front on this side -ought to be pretty nice. You’d get lots of sun -and light—and that’s more than we get in -Number 12.”</p> - -<p>“Well, never mind about sun and light now. -Let’s hit it up, Poke. What I need is food and -drink. Thank goodness we’re nearly there! -It’s pretty hot for September, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know how hot it is for September,” -replied Poke with a grin, as they turned into -Main Street, “but it’s uncomfortably hot for -Poke!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a><br /> -<small>SUNNYWOOD COTTAGE</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">“It’s a perfectly jimmy sign!” declared the -girl delightedly.</p> - -<p>The boy turned with an amused smile. -“What’s a ‘jimmy’ sign, Hope? One made -by Jim?”</p> - -<p>“N-no, not exactly. Jimmy means awfully -nice—something very—very pleasing—quite -<em>darling</em>! See?”</p> - -<p>“Of course,” answered her brother. “It’s -as plain as the nose on your face.”</p> - -<p>“My nose isn’t plain,” was the retort. -“It’s a real Hazard nose, just like yours and -Lady’s.”</p> - -<p>“Sort of a jimmy nose,” laughed the boy. -“Sis, if you keep on coining words, you’ll have -to publish a vocabulary or no one will be able -to understand you. What was it you called the -back room upstairs yesterday?”</p> - -<p>“Snudgy,” replied Hope Hazard gravely. -“And that’s just what it is; small and hot and—and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -<em>snudgy</em>! It’s the snudgiest room I ever -saw, Jim.”</p> - -<p>“Well, don’t let Jane hear you call it snudgy. -She might leave. But, say, that’s a pretty -good-looking sign, isn’t it? I don’t believe any -one could tell it was home-made, eh?”</p> - -<p>“N-no, not unless they looked real close. I -guess that Y is a little bit wipsy, though, -Jim.”</p> - -<p>Jim Hazard frowned intently for a moment -at the letter in question. “Well, maybe it is -kind of out of plumb with the others,” he acknowledged. -“Just the same, I think I’m a -pretty good sign painter, sis. Now what’s to -do?”</p> - -<p>“Curtains in the front room upstairs; the -rented one,” replied Hope promptly.</p> - -<p>“Oh, hang the curtains!” grumbled Jim.</p> - -<p>“That’s what I meant,” laughed Hope. -“Never mind, they’re the last ones. And we -really must get them up because our star -boarder may come any moment.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” he answered resignedly, “but -I’ve got to cool off first.” He seated himself -on the top step and Hope perched herself beside -him. Jim fanned himself with the screw-driver, -and they both laughed. Then the boy’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -smile died away, and his forehead puckered itself -into lines of worry.</p> - -<p>“Hope, we’ve got to do better than this or -Sunnywood will be vacant again. Four rooms -to rent and only one taken! Didn’t you think -from what Mr. Gordon said that we’d get all -the fellows we wanted?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but maybe they don’t look for rooms -until they get here,” she answered cheerfully. -“And you know they don’t begin to come until -this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe that,” he answered. “Fellows -wouldn’t come and not know where they -were going to live. I don’t think Mr. Gordon -has treated us fairly, Hope. That lady over -there—”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Sanger.”</p> - -<p>“Took the sign out of her window this morning. -I guess that means that her rooms are -all taken. I’ll bet Mr. Gordon has been sending -the fellows to the other houses and leaving us -out of it.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, he wouldn’t do that,” Hope protested, -“after all the nice things he said to mama.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t tell. Besides, we don’t know just -what nice things he did say. You know very -well that if a person doesn’t actually call Lady<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -names she thinks they’ve been as nice as pie to -her. Wish I had her gift of thinking the very -best of everything and everybody. Well, if -something doesn’t happen pretty soon, I’m -going to see Mr. Gordon and tell him what I -think about it. One thing we do know is -that he wrote Lady that if she took the house -she wouldn’t have any trouble in renting the -rooms.”</p> - -<p>“Well, let’s hope for the best, Jim,” said his -sister, laying a small brown hand on his shoulder -and giving him a reassuring pinch.</p> - -<p>“That’s you all over,” he muttered. -“Guess they knew what they were about when -they named you Hope.”</p> - -<p>“Well, they didn’t name you Despair,” she -laughed, “so don’t try and play they did. It’s -most time Lady was back, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>Jim nodded and looked down the street toward -the village a half-mile away. “That’s -her now, I guess; away down by the big elm; -see?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is. Let’s go and meet her, Jim. -She’s probably got a lot of things to carry.”</p> - -<p>“All right!” Jim laid down the screw-driver -and pushed the ladder aside. “You’d -better put a hat on, though.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Nonsense! The sun won’t hurt me. Come -on.”</p> - -<p>They went out of the gate together, and -walked briskly down the sidewalk. Jim was -half a head taller than his sister, rather thin, -a bit raw-boned, in fact, but strong looking, and -good looking, too, in spite of a smudge of dirt -across his forehead and a generally begrimed -appearance due to the fact that he had been -sign-painting, carpentering, and house-cleaning -all the forenoon. Besides this, he wore the very -oldest clothes he owned, and that he managed to -look prepossessing in spite of these handicaps -speaks rather well for him. He had brown hair -and brown eyes, but the hair was light, extremely -light in places, as though it had been -faded by sun and weather, and the eyes were -very dark. Hope had told him once that he had -perfectly lovely eyes, they looked so much like -sweet chocolate! For the rest, Jim was tanned -and hardy-looking, with more often than not a -little puckery frown on his forehead, for at sixteen -years of age he had already been head of -the family for three years.</p> - -<p>Hope Hazard isn’t quite so easily described, -and I’d flunk the task if I might. She was fourteen, -slender, golden-haired, gray-eyed, light-hearted.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -As Jim had said, she had been well -named, for hopefulness was the key-note of her -nature, and Jim, who was somewhat prone to -borrow trouble if he had none of his own, called -her frivolous in moments of exasperation. -But Hope came honestly by her sunny optimism, -for her mother had always been the most -hopeful, cheerful soul in the world, and even -Mr. Hazard’s death and the immediate collapse -of the family fortunes had failed to change -her.</p> - -<p>Mother and daughter looked much alike. -Mrs. Hazard was quite tall, still young looking, -and still pretty. She had gray eyes, like -Hope’s, and if they were a trifle more faded, -they still twinkled brightly at the slightest provocation. -Jim was more like his father, a little -more serious, with something of New England -granite showing in his face, a heritage from a -race of coast-dwelling Hazards. The Hazard -nose, which Hope fondly believed she had inherited, -and which was a straight and stern appendage, -well shaped but uncompromising, was -his, while Mrs. Hazard’s nose was an undignified, -even flippant affair that looked for all the -world as though, had it had proper encouragement -at an early stage, it would have become<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -tip-tilted. Truth compels the admission that in -Hope’s case the Hazard nose was more a matter -of anticipation than realization, in spite of the -fact that she religiously pulled it and pinched it -in the attempt to make it conform to Hazard -requirements. Perhaps it is a mean thing to -say, but Hope’s nose was more remarkable for -the cluster of three big freckles on the end of it -than for beauty of contour.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hazard yielded her packages to the children -and gave an account of her shopping expedition. -“It’s lots of fun buying things in Crofton, -my dears; quite exciting. You never know -when you ask for a thing what you are going to -get. I tried to buy some scrim to make curtains -for Jane’s room, and what do you suppose I got? -Why, some muslin for a next summer dress for -Hope! It was really very sweet and pretty.”</p> - -<p>“And I suppose,” said Jim, with a smile, -“that when Hope isn’t wearing it, Jane can -hang it up at her window.”</p> - -<p>“I think you’ll have to do the shopping, -Jim,” continued Mrs. Hazard. “They don’t -take me seriously, I’m afraid. If I want a -wash-board, they smile at me humoringly and -sell me a nutmeg grater! And two or three -things I meant to get, I forgot all about!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Did you get the blankets, Lady?” asked -Jim anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes; and the toweling, and the mat for -the front door. But I forgot bluing and soap -and meat for supper.”</p> - -<p>“Well, if we don’t rent some rooms we won’t -be able to afford supper,” replied Jim grimly. -“I don’t think Mr. Gordon has been treating -us decently, Lady.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’m sure he has done all he could, dear. -I can’t doubt that after the nice way he talked.”</p> - -<p>“Talk’s cheap,” growled Jim. “Why -doesn’t he send some boys here to rent our -rooms?”</p> - -<p>“He will, I’m sure. You wait and see.”</p> - -<p>“That woman over there has taken her sign -down already.”</p> - -<p>“But she’s been here for years, Jim dear, -while we are only starting. It’s going to take -time, of course. Meanwhile we have that -Latham boy—”</p> - -<p>“And he’s a cripple,” interrupted Jim, -“and I dare say no one else would take him!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think that at all,” protested his -mother as they entered the gate, “for Mr. -Gordon said that he was sending him to me because -he wanted a place where the poor boy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -could be well looked after. Oh, how nice your -sign looks! I suppose it is perfectly all right -to have a sign, Jim, but I see none of the other -houses have any.”</p> - -<p>“That’s the point,” replied Jim. “This is -going to be different. Fellows who come here -are going to be at home; this isn’t going to be -just a plain boarding-house, Lady. Isn’t it -most dinner time? I’m pretty hungry.”</p> - -<p>“You shall have it right away. I’ll tell -Jane I’m back.” She hurried through to the -kitchen, and Jim, with a sigh, picked up his -step-ladder and, followed by Hope, trudged upstairs -to hang the curtains in the corner room.</p> - -<p>“I wonder what sort of a cripple he is,” -mused Hope, as she paired the strips of flounced -muslin. “I do hope he will be nice.”</p> - -<p>“I wish Mr. Gordon had sent his cripple -somewhere else,” muttered her brother as he -worked the brass pole through the heading. -“Anybody can impose on Lady.”</p> - -<p>“Jim, you’re perfectly awful to-day! You’re -just one long wail of despair. I guess you want -your dinner. Boys are always grumpy when -they’re hungry. Here’s a hole in this curtain. -I’ll draw it together after dinner.”</p> - -<p>“It’s good enough for him,” growled Jim,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -who was working himself rapidly into a fit of -ill-temper. “I dare say we’ll have to lug him -up and down stairs, too.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t believe he’s that kind of a cripple,” -responded Hope. “And he has a perfectly -jimmy name, hasn’t he? Jeffrey -Latham; it’s quite a—a romantic sort of name, -Jim.”</p> - -<p>“He’s probably a pasty-faced little milksop. -There, that’s the last, thank goodness! My, -it’s no wonder I’m hungry!” he added, as he -looked at his nickel watch. “It’s half-past -two and after!”</p> - -<p>“It can’t be!”</p> - -<p>“It is, though. Hello, what’s that?” He -pushed the new curtains aside at a front window -and looked out. “It’s a carriage—with a -trunk—and bags! I’ll bet it’s the cripple, -Hope! Run and tell Lady!”</p> - -<p>His sister hurried downstairs, and Jim, lugging -his step-ladder with him, followed more -slowly, grumbling as he went. “It’s a wonder -he couldn’t stay away until the room was ready -for him.” He put the ladder out of the way -and went out onto the porch in time to see the -driver of the carriage open the door and the -rubber-tipped ends of a pair of crutches appear.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -Still resentful, Jim went down the path and -reached the gate just as the occupant of -the vehicle swung himself nimbly to the sidewalk.</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p027">“This is Mrs. Hazard’s, isn’t it?”</a> he asked -of Jim.</p> - -<p>“Yes. I suppose you’re Latham.”</p> - -<p>Jim’s tone was not very gracious and the -newcomer looked a little surprised. He was a -slight, nice looking boy of fifteen, with big wistful -brown eyes set in a somewhat pale but cheerful -face. He was dressed extremely well, even -expensively, and was quite immaculate from the -crown of his Panama hat to the tips of his -smart tan shoes. As he turned to speak to the -driver he looked like any healthy, normal boy, -for he appeared well built, straight of back and -limb, and it was only when he crossed the sidewalk -to the gate that any imperfection showed. -Then Jim saw that one foot, the left one, swung -clear of the ground by several inches.</p> - -<p>“If you’ll tell the man where my room is he -will take my baggage up,” said Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hazard met him on the porch, while -Hope, frankly curious, hovered in the background.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 428px;"> -<a id="i_p027"> - <img src="images/i_p027.jpg" width="428" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_26">“This is Mrs. Hazard’s, isn’t it?”</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28-<br />29]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I’m so glad to see you,” said Jim’s mother -as she shook hands with Jeffrey. “I’ll show -you your room, and then you must come down -and have some dinner with us. This is my -daughter Hope, and my son you’ve already met. -And I am Mrs. Hazard. I almost forgot to introduce -myself, didn’t I?”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey bowed to Hope. “Thank you, -ma’am,” he answered, “I’d like to go to my -room, but I’ve had my dinner. I stopped at the -lunch room.”</p> - -<p>“Lunch room! Good gracious!” exclaimed -Mrs. Hazard, “that’s no dinner for a grown -boy! Of course you’ll have something with us; -although we’re hardly settled yet, and our meals -are still rather skimpy.”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey murmured thanks as he followed her -upstairs, abandoning one of his crutches and -helping himself along by the banister. The -driver followed with his trunk, and Jim and -Hope were left alone in the hall.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it a perfect shame?” cried Hope indignantly, -when the star boarder was out of -hearing. “He’s such a nice boy!”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t what a shame?” growled Jim.</p> - -<p>“Why, his being like that! Having to go -about on crutches! We must be awfully kind to -him, Jim.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Huh!” Jim picked up the boy’s bags and -started upstairs. “Guess I’d be willing to use -crutches if I could wear clothes like his and buy -bags like these!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Jim!” protested Hope. “That’s an -awful thing to say! You shouldn’t talk like -that even—even in fun.”</p> - -<p>Jim grunted and went on. “Bet you,” he -said to himself, “he will kick about his room. -The carpet’s worn out and there ought to be -new paper on the walls.” But if Jeffrey -Latham observed these things, no one would -have suspected it.</p> - -<p>“What a bully room!” he was saying as Jim -entered. “Isn’t it nice and sunny? May I -keep my trunk in here, Mrs. Hazard?”</p> - -<p>“Why, certainly. Between the window and -the bureau would be a good place, wouldn’t it? -I’m so glad you like the room. It’s the pleasantest -in the house.”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey took out a pigskin purse and opened -it, exhibiting what looked to Jim like a good -deal of money. “How much do I owe you?” -he asked the driver.</p> - -<p>“One dollar, sir. Fifty cents for you, sir, -and the trunk and bags extry.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” said Jim sharply. “He’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -trying to do you, Latham. Seventy-five’s all it -ought to be.”</p> - -<p>“With a heavy trunk and two bags like -them!” demanded the driver incredulously. -Jeffrey laughed.</p> - -<p>“I dare say the trunk was heavy,” he said -as he paid the amount asked. “Thank you -very much.”</p> - -<p>The driver, mollified, touched his hat and -took his departure. Jim looked his disgust at -such a reckless waste of money.</p> - -<p>“The bathroom is just down the hall on the -left,” explained Mrs. Hazard. “Dinner is -ready, but you needn’t hurry. Your name is -Jeffrey, isn’t it? You see, I must know what -to call you.”</p> - -<p>“Yes’m, it’s Jeffrey, but I’m generally -called Jeff. I’ll just wash a bit and come right -down, although I’m really not hungry.”</p> - -<p>Perhaps Hope was right in her theory that -what Jim needed was food, for after he had had -his soup he forgot his peevishness. Mrs. Hazard -did most of the talking, although Hope -showed unmistakable symptoms of being quite -willing to help out. Jeffrey answered questions -unreservedly. They learned that his -home was in Poughkeepsie, New York; that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -was entered in the Lower Middle Class; that -he had never been away from his folks before, -although he had evidently traveled about a good -deal; and that while others might pity him for -his infirmity, he wasted no pity on himself, but -was quite cheerful and contented.</p> - -<p>“Yes’m, I like reading pretty well,” he said -in answer to one of Mrs. Hazard’s questions, -“but I like to be out of doors better. There -isn’t much I can do myself, but I like to see -other fellows have fun. I’m crazy about -football and baseball and things like that. -At home I’m always running around to the -games.”</p> - -<p>“It must be very hard,” murmured Mrs. -Hazard sympathetically, “not to be able to—to -take part in them. But I do think you get -about wonderfully on your crutches.”</p> - -<p>“I ought to,” laughed Jeffrey. “I’ve been -practising all my life. I’ve had this bum leg -ever since I was born. Oh, you get used to -it; used to not being able to do things like other -fellows, I mean. Besides, I’ve seen chaps -worse off than me. I <em>can</em> row a little.”</p> - -<p>“Wish I could,” said Jim, making his second -remark of the meal.</p> - -<p>“I guess you could if you tried,” answered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -Jeffrey. “It isn’t hard. I suppose there are -boats here?”</p> - -<p>“Lots,” said Jim. “They have crews, too, -you know.”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey nodded. “Yes, that’s partly why I -came here. I’ve always been fond of boat -racing. At Poughkeepsie, you know, we have a -lot of it every year. Are you—do you go to -Crofton?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered Jim, passing his plate for -a second helping, “I begin to-morrow. We’re -in the same class, too.”</p> - -<p>“Really? And are there other fellows -here?”</p> - -<p>“In the house? No, not yet. We’ve got -three other rooms, but yours is the only one -taken.”</p> - -<p>“We hope to rent the others,” explained -Mrs. Hazard. “This is our first year here. -We have always lived in Essexport; that’s on -the coast, you know; but when Jim decided that -he’d rather go to Crofton than anywhere else, -we decided that we couldn’t do without him. -So we rented our house at home and took this. -My husband died three years ago and since then -Jim has looked after us. Hope and I are awful -babies, aren’t we, Hope?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Speak for yourself, Lady! Jim and I— -Listen! There’s somebody going upstairs!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll see who it is.” Jim laid aside his napkin, -pushed back his chair and hurried out. In -the hall he was just in time to see the end of a -bag disappear about the turn of the landing. -He ran up the stairs, wondering. At the open -door of Jeffrey’s room stood, bag in hand, a big -thick-set boy of apparently seventeen years of -age. He had a good deal of color in his cheeks, -very dark eyes and a mass of unruly black hair -under the funny little crimson cap perched on -the back of his head. He turned at the sound -of Jim’s approach and scowled at him across -the banisters.</p> - -<p>“Hello,” he growled.</p> - -<p>“Hello,” replied Jim, taking at the instant a -strong dislike to him. “Do you want a -room?”</p> - -<p>“No, I’m looking for four-leaved clovers,” -he replied with a grin. “Who are you?”</p> - -<p>“My name is Hazard,” answered Jim, beginning -to lose his temper, “and I happen to -live here, if you don’t mind.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t mind,” laughed the other unpleasantly. -“What I want to know is why -isn’t my room ready?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Your room?”</p> - -<p>“Sure! Those your things in there? If -they are, dump ’em out, Bunker—or whatever -your name is.”</p> - -<p>“If you want a room I’ll show you one,” -said Jim, “but that room’s taken.”</p> - -<p>“Taken? You bet it’s taken! I took it last -year, and if you don’t dump that trunk and -those bags out I will.”</p> - -<p>“That room is rented to a fellow named -Latham,” answered Jim warmly. “Who the -dickens are you, anyway?”</p> - -<p>“Who am I? I’m Brandon Gary, that’s -who I am. And I engaged this room from -Mother Timberlake last June. And what’s -more, I mean to have it!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a><br /> -<small>GARY RECONSIDERS</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">The sound of the talking had brought the -others from the table to the hall below, -and now Mrs. Hazard came up the stairs to inquire -anxiously: <a href="#i_p037">“What is it, Jim? Is anything -wrong?”</a></p> - -<p>“This fellow says he engaged this room last -spring and means to have it,” replied Jim.</p> - -<p>“Engaged this room? But—but how could -you?” Mrs. Hazard observed Brandon Gary -bewilderedly. “We only took the house last -month!”</p> - -<p>The claimant had snatched off his crimson -cap at Mrs. Hazard’s appearance on the scene -and when he replied his tone was much more -respectful. “I engaged it from the lady who -had it last year, ma’am, and it’s always been -a rule here that when a house changes hands -the—the new landlady takes it—er—subject -to—to—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 403px;"> -<a id="i_p037"> - <img src="images/i_p037.jpg" width="403" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_36">“What is it, Jim? Is anything wrong?” inquired -Mrs. Hazard.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38-<br />39]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I understand,” said Mrs. Hazard helpfully, -smiling her sweetest, “but I knew nothing about -any reservations. You see, Mrs. Timberlake -left early in the summer and I took the house -from an agent. And he said nothing at all -about any of the rooms being taken. I’m awfully -sorry. But there are three other very -nice rooms for rent—” She paused and -looked at Jim with a look of comical despair. -“Unless they are engaged too!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t believe so,” said Gary. He had set -his bag down, thrust his hands into his pockets -and dropped some of his aggressiveness, although -it was plain to be seen that he meant to -have his rights. “You see, ma’am, the fellows -never liked Mother Timberlake much. I didn’t -either, but I’d always had my heart set on this -room, and so, when Kidder graduated last June, -I made a streak over here and nabbed it. I had -a chance at living in hall, too, this year. I’m -sorry you didn’t know about it, but I guess you -can’t expect me to give it up. This chap”—nodding -at Jim—“says you’ve rented the -room to some one else. Well, all he’s got -to do is take one of the other rooms. That’s -easy.”</p> - -<p>Gary picked up his bag, walked through the -door and took formal possession. Jim and Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -Hazard looked at each other at a loss. Jim was -angry clear through, and yet the newcomer -seemed to have the law on his side. “I suppose,” -faltered Mrs. Hazard, “we might let -Mr. Gordon decide.” Jim frowned. Gary had -set his bag on the table, opened it and was -now unpacking. “I’d like to chuck him out the -window!” muttered Jim.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps Jeffrey would just as soon have -one of the other rooms,” suggested his mother -weakly. “What do you think?”</p> - -<p>“I guess he’d take one and be decent about -it,” answered Jim, eying the intruder with -strong distaste, “only I don’t think it’s fair -to ask him to. I don’t care what the—the -custom is here; no one told us about this room -being engaged, and I don’t believe that fellow -has any right to it.”</p> - -<p>At the back of the house a bell pealed and -Mrs. Hazard went and leaned over the banisters. -Jim followed slowly.</p> - -<p>“Have you any rooms left?” asked a voice -at the doorway.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Hope. “If you’ll wait a moment -I will call my brother. Will you come inside?”</p> - -<p>“Will you see them?” asked Mrs. Hazard.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -Jim nodded and went down. Hope rejoined -Jeffrey in the dining-room. Near the front -door stood two boys talking together softly. -They had no bags with them, nor was there any -conveyance to be seen outside.</p> - -<p>“You wanted to look at a room?” asked -Jim gloomily.</p> - -<p>“Please,” replied the taller of the two.</p> - -<p>“This way, then. There’s a back room on -this floor to rent and one or two upstairs.” -Jim threw open the door of the chamber opposite -the dining-room and they looked in. It was -not a very attractive apartment, however, and -they didn’t enter.</p> - -<p>“I think something upstairs would be nicer,” -said one. He turned, crossed the hall and -looked into the dining-room. “Oh, I beg your -pardon,” he said, “that’s not a bedroom, is -it?” But in spite of his apology he seemed in -no hurry to withdraw.</p> - -<p>“That’s the dining-room,” said Jim shortly.</p> - -<p>“I see.” The boy gave a final look at the -room—and its occupants—and followed toward -the stairway. “Is the corner room on -that side rented?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Jim grimly. “Very much -rented!” Then he stopped on the landing and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -faced the two boys. “Say, you fellows aren’t -new here, are you?”</p> - -<p>“No,” replied the elder, “why?”</p> - -<p>“I want to know something. We rented a -room to a fellow about a week ago and he came -to-day. That’s he in the dining-room. Now -another chap comes along and says he engaged -the same room from the lady who had the house -last year. It’s the corner room you asked -about. This new chap says we’ve got to stand -by what Mrs. Timberlake did. I don’t think -that’s sense. We never saw her and didn’t -know anything about it. At that rate she may -have rented all the rooms, for all we know!”</p> - -<p>The two boys looked at each other doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“Well, the chap’s right in a way, I guess. -It is customary. But if he’s a new boy how -does he know so much about it?” This from -the taller of the two.</p> - -<p>“He’s not new,” said Jim. “I guess he’s -been here two years or so from the looks of -him. He said his name was—Gerry, or something -like that.”</p> - -<p>“Gerry? You don’t mean Gary, do you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s it.”</p> - -<p>The two boys exchanged glances and began to -chuckle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span></p> - -<p>“‘Bull’ Gary! Sounds like him, doesn’t it? -Is he here now?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, in the room,” answered Jim.</p> - -<p>“I think, then, you had better let us talk with -him. Hold on, though. Did you rent the house -from Mrs. Timberlake?”</p> - -<p>“No. She left early in the summer. We -rented from an agent, Mr. Simpson.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, that simplifies the case, eh, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Like anything,” was the cheerful response. -“Lead us to him.”</p> - -<p>“Do you fellows know him?” asked Jim -doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“Rather! We’re very dear friends of his. -You leave it all to us.”</p> - -<p>They went on up, bowed to Mrs. Hazard, who -still waited in the hall, and made for the corner -room. Jim dropped back.</p> - -<p>“Well, well, if it isn’t Bull!”</p> - -<p>Gary turned with a doubtful grin.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Poke! Hello, Gil! Where’d you fellows -come from? Aren’t living here, are -you?”</p> - -<p>“No, we’re still at the old place,” answered -Gil. “Whose room is this, Bull?”</p> - -<p>“Mine, of course. Not bad, is it?”</p> - -<p>“No, it’s fine and dandy, but I understood<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -that some one else had taken this. Didn’t that -chap downstairs tell us that, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Sure he did. I guess Bull’s spoofing.”</p> - -<p>“I dare say he did tell you that,” said Gary. -“But I engaged this room last June from Mrs. -Timberlake.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I see!” Gil nodded his head. “Well, -that explains it. Too bad, too, for it’s a mighty -pleasant room. Still, there’s one across the hall -that looks pretty decent and I dare say you’ll -be just as happy there, Bull.”</p> - -<p>“Me? I’m staying here,” said Gary uneasily.</p> - -<p>But Gil shook his head gently and firmly. So -did Poke.</p> - -<p>“No, you can’t do that, you see,” said Gil. -“This room belongs to the other chap. You -see, Bull, Mrs. Timberlake gave up the house. -That canceled everything. Then this Mrs.——Mrs. -Whatshername took it from Simpson. -Get me, Bull? Your case isn’t good, old scout.”</p> - -<p>“That makes no difference!” blustered -Gary. “I engaged this room—”</p> - -<p>“Tut, tut! Don’t be dense, Bull. Have we -got to explain it all over again to you? Honest, -Gil, he’s the prize dunce, isn’t he?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, he understands all right. He’s just<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -trying to tease us. Let’s have a look at the -room opposite, Bull.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to see the room opposite,” -Gary protested with vehemence.</p> - -<p>“Then why not have a look at the back -rooms? Of course, they aren’t as sunny as this, -but I’ve no doubt they’re quite comfortable.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll stay just where I am,” growled Gary. -But there was a tone of uncertainty in his voice. -Gil smiled indulgently. Poke flecked an imaginary -speck of dust from his sleeve.</p> - -<p>“Strange how dense some folks are, Gil,” -said the latter. Gary flushed, and tried bluster.</p> - -<p>“You fellows think you can come here and -bullyrag me into doing anything you like. Well, -you’re mightily mistaken. I know my rights -and I intend to stand up for them.”</p> - -<p>“Noble youth! But you haven’t any rights in -this case, Bull. You’re just making a silly ass -of yourself and being disagreeable. Don’t let’s -have any bother about it, Bull.” This from Gil.</p> - -<p>“I rented this room—”</p> - -<p>“S-sh! Remember, please, that there’s a -gentleman present,” remonstrated Poke. “Be -sensible, Bull. Honest, you’ve got your signals -mixed.”</p> - -<p>Gary looked from one to the other for a moment,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -swallowed hard once and yielded. “All -right, but I don’t have to give this room up -unless I want to.”</p> - -<p>“You’re doing it, Bull,” responded Poke -sweetly, “because you are the soul of generosity. -Ah, we know you, you rascal!”</p> - -<p>“We will examine the other apartments,” -said Gil.</p> - -<p>“Not for me,” growled Gary. “If I can’t -have this room I don’t want to stay in this hole. -I’ll go back to Sanger’s.” He began to pile his -things back in his bag. Gil and Poke eyed each -other dubiously.</p> - -<p>“I—I don’t believe I’d do that,” said Gil -finally. “This is a perfectly good house, Bull, -and the landlady hasn’t let many of her -rooms—”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care if she hasn’t! I hope she -won’t! You can make me give up this room, -but you can’t make me stay here!”</p> - -<p>Gil and Poke recognized the truth of that. -Gary slammed his bag shut, seized his cap and -strode wrathfully downstairs and out the door -with neither a glance nor word for Mrs. Hazard -or Jim.</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid we’ve lost you a—a tenant,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -said Gil to Mrs. Hazard. “We didn’t mean -for him to leave the house.”</p> - -<p>“That doesn’t matter. It was very kind of -you to straighten it out about the room. We’re -so much obliged to you.”</p> - -<p>“I’m glad he’s gone,” declared Jim. “I -don’t like him.”</p> - -<p>“Jim dear,” remonstrated his mother, “you -mustn’t say that. He may be a very nice boy -for all we know. Has my son shown you the -rooms we have to let?” she added, turning to -Gil.</p> - -<p>“Er—yes, thanks; that is, he was showing -them when—”</p> - -<p>“This room over here is quite pleasant,” she -said, leading the way to the door across the -hall. “It has only one bed in it, but we can set -up another one if necessary. Were you both -thinking of coming?”</p> - -<p>Poke looked a trifle uneasy, but Gil came to -the rescue.</p> - -<p>“We’ve been rooming in hall, ma’am, and -were just sort of looking around to see what -there was. We’re not decided yet.” He looked -at the room. “I suppose this gets the afternoon -sun until quite late.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed,” replied Mrs. Hazard. “It’s -quite a warm room in winter, I’m told.”</p> - -<p>Poke looked in over Gil’s shoulder. It really -was a very jolly-looking room. It was big and -square, with two broad windows on the front -and a bay on the side. The furnishings were -neither new nor elaborate, but there was a -roomy bureau, a big library table that had seen -better days, two good easy chairs, two straight-backed -ones and a washstand. And of course -there was a bed, a simple white-enameled iron -bed that looked both clean and comfortable. -On the walls were hung several pictures, the -windows had neat dimity curtains and the floor -was covered with a cheerful red and gray carpet -which, if it showed wear in some places, was -still quite presentable. There was a fireplace -and mantel, too, and the fireplace looked as -though it could be used.</p> - -<p>“It’s a very nice room,” said Poke warmly.</p> - -<p>“Dandy,” said Gil. “I suppose we—I suppose -whoever had it could have a fire there.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I should think so,” answered Mrs. Hazard. -“But I hope that the furnace will keep -the house warm enough without having to use -the grates.”</p> - -<p>“How much would this room be?” asked Gil.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well, I suppose—” Mrs. Hazard turned to -Jim for assistance—“I suppose for two it -would be ten dollars a week.”</p> - -<p>“Eleven,” said Jim firmly. “But we don’t -charge for board, of course, when you are -away. Then you just pay three dollars for the -room.”</p> - -<p>“That seems reasonable,” declared Poke.</p> - -<p>“Quite,” agreed Gil.</p> - -<p>“I dare say if we wanted a fire any time we -could have it by paying something extra?” -Poke asked.</p> - -<p>“Just pay for what you burn,” said Jim.</p> - -<p>“I see.” Gil turned to Poke. “What do -you think?”</p> - -<p>“Why, we—we might think it over a little,” -gasped Poke.</p> - -<p>“Better let us know pretty soon,” said Jim -in businesslike tones. “We couldn’t hold it for -you, of course.”</p> - -<p>“N-no,” replied Gil, “I suppose not.”</p> - -<p>There was a silence. Gil and Poke stared -fascinatedly at each other. Finally:</p> - -<p>“I guess,” blurted Gil, “we’ll say we’ll take -it!”</p> - -<p>“But, Gil!” cried Poke. “Don’t you think— -Hadn’t we better talk it over a bit first?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well, maybe we had. We—we’ll let you -know in—in an hour.”</p> - -<p>“Much obliged,” murmured Poke as they -made their escape downstairs.</p> - -<p>Once out of sight of the house Gil pulled up -and leaned against the fence. “That—that -was awful!” he gasped. “In another minute -we’d have rented the room!”</p> - -<p>“Sure thing,” agreed Poke solemnly. -“How the dickens did we get started?”</p> - -<p>“How did we get started?” exclaimed the -other indignantly. “Why, you insisted on going -in there to look at rooms, you idiot!”</p> - -<p>“Well, you asked how much it was, didn’t -you? It was all safe enough until then.”</p> - -<p>“Now, hang it, Poke, I feel as though we’d -ought to take it; as though it was our duty! -After all, you know, we drove Bull away.”</p> - -<p>“How can we take it, you simpleton? -Haven’t we got a room already? Honest, Gil, -you oughtn’t to be trusted out alone! If it -hadn’t been for me we’d been saddled with two -rooms now!”</p> - -<p>“Well, why didn’t you help me? You could -see that I was—was hypnotized!”</p> - -<p>“I guess I was too,” laughed Poke. “I -never knew before how easy it is to buy something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -you don’t want! Not that I wouldn’t like -to have that room, though. It’s a peach, isn’t -it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it’s about twice the size of Number 12. -I wonder what it would be like to have all the -light and sunshine you wanted.”</p> - -<p>“I’m crazy about the windows,” said Poke. -“We could have a seat built in that bay, Gil.”</p> - -<p>“Sure. And with our pictures and stuff to -fix up with the room would look dandy.”</p> - -<p>“Great!” sighed Poke.</p> - -<p>There was a silence. At last:</p> - -<p>“I don’t suppose J. G. would let us give up -our room now,” observed Gil thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“We might find out,” answered Poke. They -turned by common impulse and stared at each -other. Then Poke broke into a laugh.</p> - -<p>“Let’s do it!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>Gil grinned. “All right,” he answered.</p> - -<p>They shook hands on it.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a><br /> -<small>MR. GORDON RECEIVES</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">At a quarter before five that afternoon the -expressman landed the last of Gil’s and -Poke’s belongings in the corner room at Sunnywood -Cottage. On his final trip upstairs the -expressman carried a waste-basket filled with -books and a crimson sofa pillow embroidered -with a gray C. Gil paid him, closed the door -behind him and then with a shout of triumph -seized the cushion and hurled it across the room -at Poke. As Poke was at that instant bent over -a suit case, extracting a miscellaneous assortment -of books, balls, pens, shoes and so forth -from it, and as the cushion struck him square -between his shoulders, the result was interesting -and spectacular. Poke’s head went into the suit -case and his feet flew out behind him. Gil, -chortling gleefully, watched Poke recover his -equilibrium. Then, by deftly dropping to the -floor at the psychological moment, he escaped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -the rubber-soled shoe that sang across the room -and banged against the door. He picked up the -missile and tossed it back. Poke caught with -one hand, swooped down and tagged the suit -case. Gil waved his hand.</p> - -<p>“Out at the plate!” he yelled.</p> - -<p>Then they looked at each other and grinned.</p> - -<p>“Get busy,” said Poke finally. “It’s most -five o’clock. Say, you hate to unpack, don’t -you?”</p> - -<p>“Observe the trouble I saved myself at hall,” -said Gil, pointing to his trunk. “If I’d unpacked -there, as you did, I’d have had it all to -do over again. See?”</p> - -<p>“Well, as we aren’t likely to move again to-day -you’d better get busy. Say, it was a great -scheme of ours to get here early and be all settled -ahead of the others, wasn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Marvelous,” agreed Gil ironically. “See -us now!”</p> - -<p>Poke looked over the room and grinned. -“Looks as though it had been struck by a cyclone, -doesn’t it? Say, this is a dandy big -closet.”</p> - -<p>“Well, don’t hog it all. Seen my trunk key -anywhere?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I saw it on the window sill at hall.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, feathers! Well, I’m not going back for -it to-night. Let’s try yours, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Won’t fit. You tried it last year. Get a -hammer.”</p> - -<p>“Haven’t any.”</p> - -<p>“Put your fool head out in the hall and yell -for one.”</p> - -<p>“All right. Say, Poke, weren’t you surprised -when J. G. let us off on our room?”</p> - -<p>“Rather! But I dare say there are plenty of -fellows who’ll be glad of it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, they can have it! I like this ten -times better. Of course we’re paying a little -more—”</p> - -<p>“About fifty cents a week more,” said Poke -scornfully, “and what’s that? I’ll bet Mrs. -Hazard will give us better things to eat than we -got at school. And anyway it will be more—more -homelike.”</p> - -<p>“‘Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like -home,’” sang Gil as he opened the door. Then, -“Say, Poke, who shall I yell for?”</p> - -<p>“Yell for a hammer, of course.”</p> - -<p>“Hammer! Hammer!” cried Gil softly. -“It doesn’t come, Poke! What’s the chap’s -name?”</p> - -<p>“Hazard.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> - -<p>“First name, I mean.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p>“Well, maybe he wouldn’t like to have me -get familiar on so short an acquaintance,” reflected -Gil. “I guess I’ll go down and find -some one.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t get lost,” advised Poke.</p> - -<p>Gil didn’t have to search far, for Jim was in -the lower hall. Gil explained his quandary.</p> - -<p>“I guess I can get it open for you without -prying the hasp off,” said Jim. “Wait a minute -and I’ll get some keys.”</p> - -<p>Five minutes later Jim lifted the lid in triumph. -“There you are,” he said. “Say, you -fellows have got a raft of truck, haven’t you? -Going to put all those pictures up?”</p> - -<p>“I guess so,” answered Gil, “if there’s room -for them.”</p> - -<p>“Better let me help you, then,” said Jim. -“Tell me where you want them to go. I’ll get -the step-ladder.”</p> - -<p>“He’s a good-hearted kid,” observed Poke as -Jim hurried off.</p> - -<p>“Your friend came back again,” announced -Jim as he returned with the ladder, “just after -you telephoned. Said he’d decided to take this -room. I told him we’d just rented it and he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -as mad as a hornet. You would have thought -that we’d cheated him out of it.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’s like Bull Gary,” said Gil. “He -has an overdeveloped sense of importance.”</p> - -<p>“He’s got an ingrowing ego,” said Poke.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what that is,” laughed Jim, -“but it sounds bad.”</p> - -<p>“It’s awful,” Poke assured him solemnly. -“Let’s put that one over the bed, Hazard. -Want help?”</p> - -<p>“No, you fellows go on and get your things -unpacked. We have supper in about an hour.”</p> - -<p>“That sounds reasonable,” said Gil.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to know how you managed that fellow -the way you did,” said Jim presently.</p> - -<p>“Who? Gary?” asked Gil. “Well, not to -make a mystery of it, Hazard, we all belong to -the same society, Plato, and in Plato every fellow -is supposed to act decently. Bull wasn’t -acting decently and he knew it.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, do you have societies here?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Four,” was the reply. “There’s Plato, -which is the best, and to which Endicott and I -belong—”</p> - -<p>“Also Bull Gary,” said Poke dryly. “But -Bull was an accident.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And Pindar, Homer and Hesiod,” continued -Gil.</p> - -<p>“Are they secret societies? How does a fellow -get into them?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, they’re secret. And a fellow doesn’t -get into them; he’s taken in. Each society has -from thirty to forty members. New members -are taken in each year during Winter Term.”</p> - -<p>“I see,” said Jim, moving the ladder to a -new location. “I thought maybe you could be -proposed and get in that way.”</p> - -<p>“Why?” asked Poke. “Are you at -school?”</p> - -<p>“I’m starting to-morrow,” replied Jim. -“I’m in the Lower Middle Class. I suppose -you fellows are beyond that, aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>“One year,” replied Gil. “I didn’t know -you were one of us, Hazard. What do you think -of our seat of learning?”</p> - -<p>“I like it,” answered Jim warmly. “I’ve always -wanted to come here.”</p> - -<p>“Know many fellows?” asked Poke.</p> - -<p>Jim shook his head. “Not a one.”</p> - -<p>“Wrong, Mr. Hazard,” said Gil; “you know -two. Mr. Perry Oldham Kirkland Endicott and -Mr. Gilbert Benton, two of the Academy’s most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -prominent and representative members. Bow, -Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Happy to meet your inquaintance,” murmured -Poke politely.</p> - -<p>“Well, I know you fellows a little,” laughed -Jim, “and I know the chap across the hall in -the same way. But that’s all.”</p> - -<p>“That doesn’t matter. You’ll soon know -plenty of fellows. Who is the chap you spoke -of?”</p> - -<p>“His name is Latham, Jeffrey Latham, and -he comes from Poughkeepsie. He’s a sort of a -cripple. One leg’s shorter than the other. He -says he was born that way. He seems a nice -sort of fellow, and I was mighty glad that Gary -didn’t get his room from him.”</p> - -<p>“Cripple, eh? That’s hard lines. What -class is he in?”</p> - -<p>“Lower Middle, same as me.”</p> - -<p>“Then we’re all Middlers here. Is the young -lady your sister, Hazard?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. Hope’s going to High School when it -starts. It’s her first year.”</p> - -<p>“Is your father here?” asked Poke.</p> - -<p>“No, he’s dead,” answered Jim. “Died -about three years ago. That’s why we’re here<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -doing this. Everything went smash when dad -died.”</p> - -<p>“Too bad,” said Poke sympathetically. -“Never mind the rest of those pictures. -You’ve done enough already. Besides, I’m going -to knock off work and get ready for supper.”</p> - -<p>“There aren’t many more to go up,” said -Jim. “I’ll stick ’em under this bed.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t forget that we must telegraph this -evening, Poke,” said Gil. “We can telephone -to the office from here.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” answered Poke, adding in explanation -to Jim, while a broad smile enveloped -his countenance. “You see, Hazard, we’ve got -to get permission from home to change our -lodgings.”</p> - -<p>“But you’ve already done it!” exclaimed -Jim. “Suppose—suppose your folks won’t -let you?”</p> - -<p>Visions of having the room back on his hands, -empty again, gave him an anxious moment. -But Gil smiled reassuringly.</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’ll be all right,” he declared. “I -shall wire, ‘Poke moving to village. Am going -with him. Wire permission.’”</p> - -<p>“And I,” said Poke, “shall say, ‘Gil moving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -to village. Am going with him. Wire permission.’” -He winked at Jim. “Easy, -what?”</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope it works,” laughed Jim. -“Supper will be ready in about ten minutes. -Guess I’ll go and wash up.”</p> - -<p>“Much obliged for helping us,” said Gil. -“See you later.”</p> - -<p>Sunnywood Cottage may be said to have formally -opened its season that evening at supper. -At one end of the table sat Mrs. Hazard, at the -other Jim. Hope sat at her mother’s right with -Jeffrey Latham beside her, and across from -them were Gil and Poke. Jeffrey was a bit shy -at first, but by the time supper was half over -Gil and Poke had made friends with him and the -meal was a very jolly one.</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p061">“This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared -Poke</a>, accepting a second dish of Mrs. Hazard’s -preserves.</p> - -<p>“Well, rather!” Gil agreed. “We never -had preserves like this, did we, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Nor cake like this, either,” added Poke, -looking politely expectant at Hope, in front of -whom the cake dish was reposing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<a id="i_p061"> - <img src="images/i_p061.jpg" width="600" height="426" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_60">“This certainly beats dining-hall,” declared Poke.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62-<br />63]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Do have another piece,” said Mrs. Hazard, -smiling with pleasure. “I shall tell Jane that -you like it.”</p> - -<p>Poke accepted his third slice demurely.</p> - -<p>“Is Jane the cook, ma’am? She’s a dandy, -all right!”</p> - -<p>“Jane made the cake,” answered Mrs. Hazard, -“but I can’t trust her yet with all the cooking. -I think she is going to do very nicely after -she has had a little more experience.”</p> - -<p>“Yes’m, experience is what counts,” said -Poke gravely.</p> - -<p>“Well, you’re getting plenty of experience -with that cake,” said Gil dryly. “I guess, Mrs. -Hazard, I ought to warn you now that Poke is -an awful eater.”</p> - -<p>“Huh! I don’t begin to eat as much as you -do. Have some more cake, Latham? You -don’t eat much, do you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, I do, but Mrs. Hazard made me -take dinner after I came. And I didn’t want -to seem impolite and so I ate a whole lot.”</p> - -<p>“Come to think of it,” said Gil, “it’s a -good idea to leave a little room for J. G.’s ice -cream and wafers.”</p> - -<p>“By Jove,” exclaimed Poke, “I forgot about -that!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> - -<p>“To-night, do you mean?” asked Jim. -“Do you get things to eat at the reception?”</p> - -<p>“Sure thing! Ice cream and those sugar -wafers that taste like blotting paper. It’s a -good plan to go early, though; last year the -eats gave out about nine o’clock.”</p> - -<p>“Are you expected to go to it?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Gil. “Of course you don’t -have to, but it’s a pretty good idea to do it, -Hazard. You get a chance to meet fellows, you -see. Faculty too. ‘Boots’—that’s Thurston, -you know; physics;—will tell you about his -trip to Europe, and ‘Kitty’ Clarke—he’s -chemistry—will talk fishing until your head -spins. Besides, you’ll meet Mrs. Gordon, and -she’s a dandy, isn’t she, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. We’ll all start about eight. You’re -going, Latham?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but I’ll start a little ahead. I can’t -get along quite as fast as you fellows.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we’re in no great rush. We’ll all go -together. We’d better go by the road, though; -I guess you’d find it pretty hard through the -woods. Let’s telephone those messages to the -telegraph office now, Gil, before we forget it.”</p> - -<p>Half an hour later they were off, Gil and -Poke ahead and Jim and Jeffrey behind, all suiting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -their pace to Jeffrey’s. He managed to -swing himself along about as fast as an ordinary -walk, and that was fast enough for any of -them this evening, for all had supped well and -it was still pretty warm, although the sun had -been down for a good half-hour and there was -a little breeze from the west. It was not quite -dark as they followed the winding road, but -when, presently, the school buildings came into -sight beyond the trees lights were agleam in -most of the rooms.</p> - -<p>“Seems funny not to be living up there,” -reflected Poke. “I wonder who’ll get our -room.”</p> - -<p>“Homesick already?” laughed Gil. “Much -I care who gets it. I believe we’re going to -have a dandy time at—what’s its name?”</p> - -<p>“Sunnywood Cottage,” replied Poke as they -turned onto the drive that led past the rear of -Academy Hall to the Principal’s residence. -“Say, I like Mrs. Hazard, don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“You bet! She’s a lady.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, she’s—she’s sort of like a fellow’s -own mother, isn’t she? And she certainly has -great preserves!”</p> - -<p>The house was brilliantly lighted and already -fellows were arriving. Gil and Poke waited at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -the steps for the others to come up. Then, settling -their collars and furtively slicking down -their hair, they followed the stream, deposited -their caps in the hall and entered the big library, -already half full of guests. Mr. Gordon, the -Principal, or J. G. as the boys called him, was -receiving with Mrs. Gordon, and toward them -the Sunnywood contingent made their way, Gil -and Poke, however, stopping at least a dozen -times to greet friends. On several occasions -Jim and Jeffrey were introduced, but only one -name stuck in Jim’s memory afterwards, that -of a big, good-looking, broad-shouldered fellow -of nineteen, who squeezed Jim’s hand like a vise -and of whom Gil whispered a moment later as -they passed on: “That’s Duncan Sargent, -football captain; one of the best!” Then Jim -was shaking hands with Mr. Gordon and Mrs. -Gordon and the Principal was saying:</p> - -<p>“This is James Hazard, my dear. His -mother has taken the Timberlake house, you -know.”</p> - -<p>The Principal was a sturdily built man of -fifty-odd, clean-shaven, with a nice face and a -voice that made you like him instantly. In appearance -he was more the business man than -the scholar. Jim had met Mr. Gordon several<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -times already, but Mrs. Gordon he had never -seen. She asked kindly about Jim’s mother and -how the house was prospering. Then another -boy claimed her attention and Jim stepped back -out of the way just as Jeffrey, who had found -difficulty in getting through the throng, reached -Mr. Gordon.</p> - -<p>“How do you do?” greeted the Principal, -shaking hands in his hearty way. “And what -is your name? We haven’t met before, have -we? You must set me right if I am wrong. I -confess that I sometimes forget a face.”</p> - -<p>“My name is Latham, sir, Jeffrey Latham. -I came to-day.”</p> - -<p>“To be sure! And so you’re Latham, eh? I -believe—yes, I think I might have known it, -my boy, for there is certainly a strong resemblance -to your father. And how is the Senator? -Well, I trust?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, thank you.”</p> - -<p>“I’m pleased to hear it. A fine man, Latham. -I have had the pleasure of meeting him -once or twice in a casual way. I hope you’ll -find your stay with us happy and profitable, -Latham. You must come and take tea with -Mrs. Gordon and me some evening.”</p> - -<p>As Jeffrey shook hands with Mrs. Gordon and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -turned away Poke Endicott, who had been next -him in line, dragged him aside.</p> - -<p>“What did J. G. mean about the Senator, -Latham? Is he your father?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>Poke whistled softly.</p> - -<p>“Don’t that beat all!” he ejaculated. -“Why, man alive, Senator Latham and my dad -are regular old cronies. Haven’t you ever -heard him speak of Major Endicott?”</p> - -<p>“Lots of times!” cried Jeffrey. “Is that -your father?”</p> - -<p>“That’s the dad! Why, say, Latham, you -and I are pretty nearly relatives, aren’t we?” -He grinned and stretched out his hand. -“Senator, I’m pleased to meet you!” he cried.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a><br /> -<small>MR. HANKS RENTS A ROOM</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">With the ringing of chapel bell in the old -stone turret of Academy Hall the next -morning Crofton began its forty-third year. -Seven-fifteen seemed to come extremely early, -for none of the boys in Sunnywood Cottage had -gone to bed until very late the night before. -There had been lots to talk about after the reception -and they had loitered on the way home -and afterwards had congregated in Jeffrey’s -room for a final gossip. Jim, for one, pulled -himself out of bed with a sigh; it seemed to him -that he could have slept until noon to-day. Gil -and Poke were already downstairs when he arrived, -and Jeffrey followed a minute later. -They chose the wood path, Jeffrey protesting -his ability to manage it. And manage it he -did very well, swinging himself along the winding -path, over protruding roots with a remarkable -dexterity.</p> - -<p>Chapel was held in the Meeting Room on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -first floor of Academy Hall. It was a large, -square room, taking up the entire east end of -the building. There was a long platform at one -side and facing it were rows of yellow settees. -The walls held many portraits of former Principals, -faculty members and noted graduates and -the big windows were set in deep embrasures -adorned with plaster casts of Greek and Roman -immortals; the students called this array “The -White Company.”</p> - -<p>The shrill-toned bell gave its expiring clang -as Jim followed the other three into the room. -Most of the fellows were already in their seats -and his first impression was of a sea of faces -confronting him. They passed row after row of -settees before Gil, who was leading, turned in. -Behind them a boy closed the big door and Mr. -Gordon arose and stepped to the reading desk -on the platform. Whispers ceased as the big -Bible was opened.</p> - -<p>“My son, forget not my law; but let thine -heart keep my commandments.</p> - -<p>“For length of days, and long life, and peace -shall they add to thee.</p> - -<p>“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind -them about thy neck; write them upon the table<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and -good understanding in the sight of God and -man.”</p> - -<p>The Principal’s deep, pleasant voice went on -to the end of the chapter. Then there was the -rustling of many pages as the hymn-books were -opened and the scraping of feet as the boys -arose. They sang without accompaniment of -any sort, and to Jim, accustomed to the wheezy -droning of the worn-out organ in the little -church at home, the effect was very beautiful. -Then came a prayer, a simple, earnest appeal to -the Almighty for help and guidance throughout -the year just beginning.</p> - -<p>“And, O Lord, bless the faculty and the students -of this school: give them strength and -patience to do their work, understanding and -clean hearts to follow Thy laws.”</p> - -<p>Then came the Lord’s Prayer, repeated in -unison; a moment of silence; and then the scraping -of feet, the creaking of settees and the -moving of bodies, signifying the end of the -service; signifying too, perhaps, a longing for -breakfast. But Mr. Gordon was not yet -through with them. He said a few words appropriate -to the opening of the school and then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -announced the presence on the faculty of a new -member. A tall, thin gentleman of middle age -arose and stepped to the front of the platform. -He wore spectacles and held his head forward in -a near-sighted way.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Hanks, young gentlemen,” announced -Mr. Gordon. Mr. Hanks bowed to the right, to -the left, to the center, hesitated nervously and -returned precipitately to his chair. The students -clapped their hands, grinning the while at -the new instructor’s evident delight in reaching -his seat again.</p> - -<p>“Hanks, did he say?” whispered Poke to -Jim. “It isn’t hard to guess what his name -will be?”</p> - -<p>Jim looked a question and Poke laughed -softly.</p> - -<p>“Nancy,” he whispered. “Nancy Hanks; -see?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Gordon dismissed them and there was a -fairly dignified rush for the door, Jim becoming -separated from his companions in the -exodus. He discovered them again outside, -however. Jeffrey, the subject of much polite -curiosity, was leaning on his crutches at the foot -of the steps, while, close by, Gil and Poke made -part of a group of six or seven fellows who were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -talking and laughing as fast as they knew how. -Jim joined Jeffrey, but a moment later Gil saw -them and called them over.</p> - -<p>“Want you to meet some friends of mine, -fellows,” he said. “Sargent you met last -night, I think. This is Cosgrove. Joe, shake -hands with Hazard and Latham. You too, -Atherton. Likewise Sommers and Heath. -Hazard’s a Lower Middler. How about you, -Latham; what’s your class?”</p> - -<p>“The same,” replied Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“You fellows want to come over and see -our new room,” said Poke. “It’s a dandy. -We’ve got hardwood ceilings, hot and cold elevator -service, continuous janitor, telephone in -every room—”</p> - -<p>“Dry up, Poke,” laughed Joe Cosgrove. -“Where is it? What did you leave Weston -for?”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t like the society there,” replied Poke -gravely. “We’re at Mrs. Hazard’s; this chap’s -mother, you know. She’s taken the Timberlake -cottage. We’ve got a fine old room, honest. -Come over soon, will you?”</p> - -<p>Jim became aware that Duncan Sargent was -looking at him in a peculiarly speculative way -as though trying to guess his weight. He was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -enlightened the next moment when <a href="#i_p075">Sargent -asked</a>:</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p075">“You a football man, Hazard?”</a></p> - -<p>Jim shook his head. “Not much of one, I’m -afraid. I’ve tried the game but I never made a -success at it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, but you’re coming out, aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Coming out?” repeated Jim at a loss.</p> - -<p>“Yes, to try for the team. This afternoon at -four. We want all the new material we can get -this year and you look as though you might -make good.”</p> - -<p>“Why, thanks,” said Jim. “I—I’d like to, -but I won’t have time. You see, we’ve taken -that house and there’s a good deal to do.”</p> - -<p>“Oh.” Sargent looked disappointed. “I -wish you would, though. See if you can’t give -us an hour or so in the afternoon, Hazard. I’m -going to look for you, anyhow.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 399px;"> -<a id="i_p075"> - <img src="images/i_p075.jpg" width="399" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_74">“You a football man, Hazard?” Sargent asked.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76-<br />77]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jim murmured vaguely and politely, very -much flattered by the football captain’s interest -in him, and the group broke up. The quartette -hurried back to Sunnywood Cottage as fast as -Jeffrey could go, all very anxious for breakfast. -At nine the school bell rang again and Jim and -Jeffrey—with many another new boy—attended -their first class. But there wasn’t much -real work done that opening day, and at three -o’clock they were free. Jim returned to the -cottage alone. Most of the other fellows were -making for the athletic field to either don canvas -and get into the first day’s practice or to loll -about the grand-stand or on the warm turf and -watch and comment. But Jim had plenty of -work awaiting him at the cottage, for in spite -of the fact that they had been at Crofton for -almost a fortnight there still remained numerous -odds and ends to attend to. Hope, busily -hemming dish-towels on the porch, was eager -to hear about his experiences, but she found her -brother a good deal of a disappointment.</p> - -<p>“Why, nothing much happened,” replied -Jim, dumping his books in a chair. “There -was history and French. I have the new man, -Mr. Hanks, in history. He’s awfully funny; -guess he was rattled a bit. Poke calls him -‘Nancy’; not bad, is it?”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t seen him, Jim.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t have to see him to appreciate -that; Nancy Hanks; don’t you see?”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” murmured Hope blankly. “But—but -why does he call him Nancy?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Don’t you know who Nancy Hanks was? -My, you don’t know much United States history, -do you?”</p> - -<p>“I suppose not,” replied Hope humbly.</p> - -<p>“Was she a—a nurse or something in the -Revolutionary War, Jim?”</p> - -<p>“Of course she wasn’t,” answered Jim disgustedly. -“You’d better read your history, -sis. Where’s Lady?”</p> - -<p>“In there.” Hope nodded toward the door. -“She wants you to go down town for something.”</p> - -<p>“All right; I’ve got to go anyway; got to get -some books and stationery. What are you doing?”</p> - -<p>Hope held up the piece of blue-checked linen. -“Dish-cloths.”</p> - -<p>“Oh. I suppose we haven’t rented any more -rooms?”</p> - -<p>Hope shook her head. “No, there hasn’t -been a soul here—except the ice-man and a -man who wanted to sell us a set of ‘The World’s -Best Literature.’”</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t see how we’re going to get -along with just those two rooms rented,” said -Jim gloomily. “Endicott said I might advertise -in the school paper, but Benton said it would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -be wasting money because the fellows don’t -change rooms after school begins.”</p> - -<p>“Lady and I were talking about it this afternoon,” -said Hope, biting a thread off with her -teeth and then glancing apologetically at her -brother.</p> - -<p>“What have I told you—” began Jim -sternly. But Hope hurried on. “Lady said -she thought we could manage to make expenses -even if we don’t let any more rooms. She says -living isn’t very expensive here in Crofton. -And then, Jim, there’s the rent money from the -house at home.”</p> - -<p>“Thirty-three dollars a month! Wait until -we have to buy coal to heat this place! It’s going -to take a lot of fuel, the rooms are so big and -there are so many windows.”</p> - -<p>“Well, we may rent another one yet,” replied -Hope cheerfully. “You never can tell, -Jim, and, anyway, it doesn’t do a bit of good to -worry.”</p> - -<p>“Some one’s got to do a little worrying,” -answered Jim shortly. “You and Lady don’t -seem to care whether we make this thing go or -not!”</p> - -<p>“You’re perfectly horrid! We do care, Jim, -but nobody ever did any good to anybody by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -worrying. Besides, I don’t see that there is -anything we can do but just—just wait.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, wait,” said Jim disgustedly. “Sit -here and wait for some one to come along and -insist on being taken in. A lot of rooms we -will rent that way!”</p> - -<p>“Well, those boys upstairs did that, didn’t -they? They came along and rented the room, -Jim; nobody worried them into it, did they?”</p> - -<p>“Well, you sit here and wait,” growled her -brother. “I’m going down town.” He picked -up his books and turned toward the door. “I’ll -see what Lady wants.” He was back in a few -moments, stuffing a slip of paper, Mrs. Hazard’s -list, into his pocket. “Want to go along, -Hope?”</p> - -<p>But Hope shook her head. “I must finish -these, Jim. I’ve got five more to do.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, all right.” He pulled his hat down -over his eyes and started off. Hope looked -after him, sighed and shook her head.</p> - -<p>“Jim’s getting growlier and growlier every -day,” she murmured. “I suppose I ought to -worry too; maybe he’d like it better if I did. -The trouble is I don’t seem to be able to. -Every time I get started to be unhappy I think -of something nice and forget! I’m afraid”—she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -fixed her gaze thoughtfully on the little -round bed of scarlet sage, which was all the -garden the cottage could boast—“I’m afraid -I’m dreadfully fripish. Maybe I have a—a -shallow nature.” Then she smiled, and, “Oh, -dear,” she sighed ruefully, “I can’t worry -even about that!</p> - -<p>“Just the same,” she continued in thought -as she sent her needle in and out, “I really -don’t see the use of worrying all the time. It -seems to me that if things go wrong you just -ought to keep cheerful, and the wronger they -go the cheerfuller you ought to keep. You never -know when something nice is going to happen -in this wonderful world. Why, I might be sitting -here just like this and somebody might -come along and say, ‘Young lady, have you any -rooms to rent?’ And I’d say—”</p> - -<p>“I—I beg your pardon.”</p> - -<p>Hope looked up with a start. At the end -of the short walk, holding the gate half open, -stood a tall gentleman in rather ill-fitting pepper-and-salt -clothes. On his head, set at a rakish -angle, was a straw hat with a narrow up-rolled -brim. It was very yellow as to straw -and very rusty as to ribbon. And it didn’t -suit his lean, thoughtful face the least bit. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -wore spectacles and from behind the lenses a -pair of faded blue eyes peered near-sightedly. -He carried a small book in his right hand, one -finger inserted between the pages to hold his -place. Hope wondered if he could be another -book agent and dropped her work and went to -the steps.</p> - -<p>“I regret disturbing you, young lady,” said -the gentleman, “but will you kindly tell me -whether this is—er—” He stopped perplexedly. -Then, “Dear, dear,” he said half -to himself, “what was the name now?”</p> - -<p>“This is Mrs. Hazard’s house,” said Hope -helpfully.</p> - -<p>“Ah, that was it; Mrs. Hazard!” he said -with vast relief. He entered and closed the -gate carefully behind him, changing the book -from right hand to left as he did so but taking -care to keep his place. “I—<a href="#i_p083">I am looking for -accommodations</a>; lodgings; <a href="#i_p083">a room and—er—yes, -board with it</a>. You give board here?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed,” answered Hope. “If you -will take a seat I will tell my mother you are -here.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 412px;"> -<a id="i_p083"> - <img src="images/i_p083.jpg" width="412" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_82">“I am looking for accommodations, a room and—er—yes, -board with it.”</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84-<br />85]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Thank you.” He took a chair. “My -name is Hanks. I am just beginning my duties -as instructor at the school. The Principal, -Mister—Mister—well, the name doesn’t matter—sent -me here. I had a room—” He -broke off abruptly and exclaimed anxiously; -“Your rooms have plenty of light?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, they’re quite light and sunny.” -Hope had reached the door but politeness -kept her there until the visitor had finished -talking.</p> - -<p>“That is excellent. I had a room in one of -the halls; I think it was Roberts—or Rutgers; -now was it that? Well, that’s of no consequence. -I was explaining that the room was -extremely dark, even in midday very little light -penetrating the—er—the windows. As my -eyes are unfortunately quite weak I was obliged -to inform Mister—Mister—”</p> - -<p>“Gordon,” prompted Hope gently.</p> - -<p>“Thank you. Yes, Mr. Gordon. I was -obliged to inform him that the room would not -be satisfactory. I then learned that there was -no other room to be had at the school. Quite -extraordinary, I would say.”</p> - -<p>He paused and seemed to be pondering the -fact. Hope waited. After a moment he looked -up in his funny startled way.</p> - -<p>“I—I beg your pardon!” he said confusedly. -“I—I fear I am detaining you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, no, sir. I’ll tell my mother that you -are here.”</p> - -<p>“If you will be so kind.” He bowed gravely.</p> - -<p>But Mrs. Hazard was already on the way, -having heard the voices on the porch. As she -came out Mr. Hanks arose from his chair and -bowed. Then, as an afterthought, he removed -his faded straw hat.</p> - -<p>“Mama,” said Hope, “this is Mr. Nancy -Hanks—I mean—” She faltered in confusion. -Mr. Hanks came to the rescue.</p> - -<p>“I fear you did not get the name quite correctly,” -he said politely. “Artemus Hanks is -the name.”</p> - -<p>“He—he is looking for a room,” said Hope -hurriedly, painfully aware that she was blushing -frantically.</p> - -<p>“I shall be very glad to show you what we -have,” said Mrs. Hazard with a smile. “Will -you come in?”</p> - -<p>“Er—thank you.” Mr. Hanks placed his -book, open and face down, on the chair, put -his hat carefully on top of it and followed. -“I am not very particular, Mrs.—er—Mrs. -Hazel; plenty of light is almost my sole requirement. -Unfortunately, my eyesight—”</p> - -<p>They passed out of hearing, leaving Hope<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -divided between confusion and laughter. How -had she ever been so stupid as to call him -Nancy? The gate slammed and Jim came up -the walk, laden with bundles and looking very -warm.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Jim,” she cried softly. “He came and -I called him Mr. Nancy Hanks! Wasn’t that -simply awful?”</p> - -<p>“Who came? Mr. Hanks? Came here? -What for?”</p> - -<p>“For a room. Just after you went. I was -sitting here—”</p> - -<p>“Did he take it?” asked Jim eagerly.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. He’s still up there. Isn’t -he the funniest, foolishest old dear of a man, -Jim? He couldn’t remember Lady’s name, nor -Mr. Gordon’s—”</p> - -<p>“S-sh, they’re coming down,” warned Jim. -The instructor, followed by Mrs. Hazard, came -out of the door.</p> - -<p>“I hope you will find it quite light enough, -Professor.”</p> - -<p>“Not Professor, ma’am, merely instructor. -I have no doubt the room will be—er—quite -satisfactory. I shall have my things removed -directly.” He caught sight of Jim and bowed. -“How do you do,” he murmured. “Thank<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -you, ma’am.” He bowed to Mrs. Hazard, managing -to include Hope in the salutation, and -started down the steps. Hope, stifling a giggle, -seized his hat and book and ran after him.</p> - -<p>“Eh?” he asked bewilderedly. “Oh, thank -you, thank you. My hat—and book; to be -sure. I believe I would have forgotten them. -Thank you, thank you.”</p> - -<p>He set his hat on his head, where it immediately -shifted to the same rakish angle as -before, closed the gate carefully behind him, -opened his book and paced slowly off toward -school, reading as he went. Hope subsided in -a chair and gave way to laughter. Jim grinned -in sympathy and Mrs. Hazard said “S-sh!” -warningly, but had to smile too. Then:</p> - -<p>“Well, Jim, another room rented,” she said -cheerfully.</p> - -<p>“Fine, Lady! What’s he going to pay?”</p> - -<p>“Why—why”—a queer expression came -over Mrs. Hazard’s face—“why, do you know, -Jim, I don’t think he—I—we spoke of the -price at all!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a><br /> -<small>PLATO SOCIETY</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">“Of course I’m glad you’ve rented your -room,” said Poke with hesitancy, “but—but -it isn’t going to be much fun having a -faculty in the house.”</p> - -<p>“We had two in hall,” said Gil.</p> - -<p>“Yes, but what’s two when there are forty -fellows to look after? That’s different. Here -there are only four of us, and, besides, he’s -right next door. Not, of course,” he continued, -assuming an air of conscious virtue, “that I -would think of doing anything—er—out of -the way, but I—one resents the—the espionage.”</p> - -<p>“Come again,” requested Gil.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry,” said Jim. “I didn’t think -about that.”</p> - -<p>They were talking it over on the porch before -supper. Mr. Hanks was already installed -in the room behind Jeffrey’s, his luggage consisting -of four huge boxes of books, one small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -trunk and a battered valise, having arrived simultaneously -with Gil and Poke.</p> - -<p>“Piffle!” said Gil. “It doesn’t matter. I -dare say Nancy isn’t the sort to bother us much. -He’s a queer old duffer.”</p> - -<p>“Old?” questioned Jim thoughtfully. “I -don’t believe he’s so terribly old, fellows.”</p> - -<p>“He looks as though he might be anything -from twenty-five to forty,” said Gil. “I dare -say he’s really about thirty, eh?”</p> - -<p>“I dare say,” responded Poke. “Well, it -doesn’t matter as long as he behaves himself -and leaves us alone to our innocent amusements. -I’d hate to have to report him to J. G., though. -Here comes Latham. He manages to get along -pretty well on those sticks of his, doesn’t he?”</p> - -<p>“It’s too bad he’s that way,” said Gil. “He -seems a good sort. Wonder why he doesn’t -wear a thick-soled shoe on that foot. Seems -to me that would be better than using crutches.”</p> - -<p>“It’s something about the muscles of that -leg,” explained Jim. “Some of them don’t -work right; I think he said they were the—the -extensive muscles,” ended Jim doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“Extensor,” corrected Gil. “He’s mighty -cheerful considering everything, I think. -Hello, Latham! Where have you been?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Seeing the world,” replied Jeffrey. -“Stumping all over the place. I watched football -practice awhile and went down along the -river afterwards. It’s awfully pretty, isn’t -it?” He seated himself in a chair, leaning his -crutches against his knees. “I saw you two -fellows playing,” he added.</p> - -<p>“You saw us working like dogs,” replied -Poke grimly. “Football for the first month -is a whole lot like hard work, Latham. By the -way, Hazard, what happened to you? Aren’t -you going to try for the team? Dun asked -where you were to-day.”</p> - -<p>“I wouldn’t have time,” answered Jim. -“Besides, I can’t play; I’ve tried it.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t play? How do you know you can’t -play? You let Johnny get at you for a couple -of weeks. Then if he says you can’t play I’ll -believe it. Johnny can make a football player -out of a lump of wood!”</p> - -<p>“He did something more wonderful than -that,” said Gil. “He made one out of you, -Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Your wit is very cheap, Mr. Benton.”</p> - -<p>“Who is Johnny?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Johnny? Johnny is Mr. John Connell, the -best little trainer in the country. He’s a wonder!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -Why, half the big schools have been after -him for years, and last spring he had an offer -from Dartmouth! You go and let Johnny look -you over. If he says there’s no hope for you, -all right.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to play well enough,” said Jim, -“but there’s too much to do about the house.”</p> - -<p>“Why? What sort of things?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, chopping kindling, bringing up coal, -running to the village, cutting grass—”</p> - -<p>“Get your coal up in the morning, cut your -kindling at night, telephone to the village and -forget the grass,” said Poke glibly. “It won’t -do to waste yourself on—on domestic duties, -Hazard; you look to me just like a chap who -has the making of a good back in him. Say, -now, you come out to-morrow afternoon with us -and we’ll hand you over to Johnny and see what -happens. Will you?”</p> - -<p>But Jim shook his head, with a smile. “I -know what might happen,” he said. “There -might be no coal to cook supper with.”</p> - -<p>“Get a fireless cooker,” suggested Jeffrey -with a laugh.</p> - -<p>“Joking aside, Hazard,” said Gil soberly, -“they really need you on the field this fall. -We’re short of good men. See if you can’t<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -fix your chores so as to have the afternoons -for football.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I think they can do without me,” -laughed Jim. “If they ever saw me play they -wouldn’t want me a minute. No, I guess I’ll -get my exercise right around here.”</p> - -<p>“Let me go as his substitute,” said Jeffrey -with a smile.</p> - -<p>“At that you’d get around a heap quicker -than some of the fellows who try for the team,” -replied Poke. “Well, let’s wash up, Gil. It’s -meeting night, you remember.”</p> - -<p>“What’s meeting night?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Plato Society meets this evening. I’d ask -you along, but it’s business meeting to-night. -Glad to have you some other time, though; -you, too, Latham, if you’d like.”</p> - -<p>At supper the household had increased to -seven, for Mr. Hanks occupied the seat of honor -at Mrs. Hazard’s right. He was introduced -to the boys and shook hands with each, smiling -in his absentminded way. At first his presence -at table rather dampened the spirits of the -others, excepting Mrs. Hazard who did her best -to make conversation with the newcomer. Her -efforts, however, were not very successful. Mr. -Hanks replied politely but embarrassedly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -showing that he was far more ill at ease than -the boys. On the whole, supper was a quiet -meal, and almost as soon as it was over Gil -and Poke left the house for the meeting.</p> - -<p>At Crofton the faculty keeps a gentle but -firm hold on the societies by assigning to each -a Counsellor, one of the younger faculty members. -He is responsible to the Principal for the -conduct of his society, although his office is -merely an advisory one. Plato’s Counsellor -was Mr. Brown, better known as “Brownie,” -instructor in Greek and one of the more popular -of the faculty members. Plato, like the other -three societies, had a home of its own, a small -cottage near the campus on Academy Road in -charge of an elderly man and his wife who received -the rear part of the house rent-free in -return for their services as housekeeper and -gardener. There was a little yard in front, -what Poke called an “open-faced porch”—there -being no railing on it—and four downstairs -rooms, of which two were used by the -society. On the second floor were four bedrooms, -occupied principally by visiting friends. -The room on the right on the first floor was the -Meeting Room, and it was quite ample in size<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -to accommodate the thirty boys who had congregated -there this evening.</p> - -<p>It was already well filled when Gil and Poke -arrived, although the meeting had not yet been -called to order. Mr. Brown was the center -of a group of fellows which the two new arrivals -joined. The instructor had a handshake -and a word of welcome for each. Then other -friends demanded recognition, and for the next -five minutes the hum of talk and laughter filled -the square, old-fashioned room. The two windows -on the front of the house were wide open, -for the flaring gas-jets in the big chandelier -were making the room uncomfortably warm. -The side windows were kept closed and curtained, -for it was not beyond the possibilities -that prankish or curious members of a rival society -might eavesdrop; such a thing had occurred -before now, and the heavy shrubbery outside -offered excellent concealment for the enemy. -The room was papered with plain gray cartridge -paper above the white-painted paneling, -and a half-dozen good engravings decorated -the walls. There was an oak desk between the -front windows with a few straight-backed chairs -about it, while some forty folding chairs filled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -the body of the room. There was no carpet -on the floor and the broad mantel was bare of -adornment. The apartment, save at commencement -time, was used only for business purposes. -At commencement the chairs were -moved against the wall and visiting relatives -and friends took possession and the floor was -waxed for dancing.</p> - -<p>Presently the president of the Society, Ben -Atherton, who was also captain of the crew, -rapped on the desk with a little silver-mounted -gavel and the fellows took their places. What -passed at the meeting we, as outsiders, have -no right to know. I do not believe, however, -that it was a very important affair, for it lasted -less than half an hour. Then the boys trooped -into the room across the hall or emerged onto -the porch. Banjos, mandolins and guitars -were taken from their cases. “Punk” Gibbs -seated himself at the piano—a long-suffering -instrument constantly in need of tuning—and -wandered through some chords while the other -musicians, seated around or leaning about it, -tuned up.</p> - -<p>The Social Room, as they called it, was well -and comfortably furnished. There were many -brown oak chairs and settles upholstered in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -dull red leather, some fairly good rugs on the -polished floor, a broad couch, filled with cushions—and, -just now, with boys as well—in -front of the fireplace, a good-sized bookcase -moderately well filled and many pictures on the -walls. The word picture here means all sorts -of things in frames, for there were originals -of cover-designs for the school weekly, <cite>The -Crow</cite>, posters of all sorts, drawings and other -trophies and mementos, all crowded together -in interesting confusion. Visitors to Plato Society -found the walls of the Social Room highly -amusing.</p> - -<p>The room was soon noisy with talk and -laughter, the jangle of the piano and the <em>strum-strum</em> -of strings. Gil and Poke had found -places at one of the windows, which opened -clear to the floor, where, seated on cushions, -they were in position to see and hear what -went on both inside and out. Mr. Brown was -on the porch telling an interested group about -his summer walking trip through Switzerland. -On the big couch in front of the empty fireplace -a very hilarious group were recounting -their own vacation experiences and, incidentally, -“rubbing it into” one youth on whom -they apparently had a very good joke. He was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -grinning in an embarrassed way and half-heartedly -retaliating on his chief tormentor with -a cushion. Then Gibbs started up “Old -Plato” and the banjos and guitars and mandolins, -six or seven in all, joined in as best they -could. Fingers were stiff, however, from lack -of practice, and the music was pretty wobbly -at first. But by the time Gibbs had reached -the refrain the orchestra was doing fairly well, -and when the pianist started over again, first -one voice and then another began the words, -and presently the whole assemblage was singing -the Society Song. It wasn’t an especially -edifying production, but it went with a swing -and Platonians had sung it for years.</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Old Plato was a good old soul,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato, Old Plato!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He loved his pipe and he loved his bowl,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But more than all he loved a scrap;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He’d argufy at the drop of the cap;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Oh, he was a fine old sporting chap,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Hurrah, hurrah for Plato,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hurrah for our Patron Saint!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He was a hot potato<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In the good old days that ain’t!<br /></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -<span class="i0">A very lucky man was he,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A lucky man as you’ll agree,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For “Greek ain’t never Greek to me,”<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Said Plato, Old Plato!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Old Plato dealt in philosoph-ee;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And he founded this great Societ-ee;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He wrote the Protagoras, too,—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Which wasn’t a thoughtful thing to do—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And made much trouble for me and you;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Old Plato lived in Ancient Greece;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And when he died he died in peace;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">They buried him under a cypress tree,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And said, as they danced with joy and glee;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“No more of your fool philosoph-ee,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Old Plato! Old Plato!”<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Hurrah, hurrah for Plato,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hurrah for our Patron Saint!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He was a hot potato<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In the good old days that ain’t!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A very lucky man was he,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A lucky man as you’ll agree,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For “Greek ain’t never Greek to me,”<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Said Plato, Old Plato!<br /></span> -</div></div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span></p> -<p>Afterwards they sang “Crow, Crow for -Crofton!” and then “Follow the River”:</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Follow the river up from the sea,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Through sun and shadowy tracery,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Over the shallows and past the green pools;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">You’ll come at last to the School of Schools.<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>Then came the old college songs, “Mother -Yale,” “Fair Harvard,” “Old Nassau,” and -the football songs, “Boola,” “Veritas,” and -many more. And then it was bedtime—Mr. -Brown was the first to discover the fact—and -instruments were put away, the lights extinguished -and by twos and threes and larger -groups the Platonians dispersed. The Counsellor -lived in Browne Hall—most appropriately—and -as Browne was the last dormitory -on the campus the instructor was accompanied -homeward by some dozen or more students. Gil -and Poke were amongst the number, for it was -quite as near for them to walk to the school -and then go home through the woods as to follow -the winding road. Besides, there was a full -moon to-night to light their way.</p> - -<p>They talked about the new students and speculated -as to whom they would draw into Plato<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -when the elections came. This was a subject -of unfailing interest, although it was too early -in the school year for the interest to wax intense. -The societies took their members from -the three upper classes in January and each -sought to select fellows who had in some way -distinguished themselves.</p> - -<p>“There’s one thing,” said Mr. Brown, as -they passed into the black shadows of Academy -Hall, “that we ought to keep in sight, fellows, -and that is that the men we want for Plato are -the men who have not only <em>done</em> things but who -<em>think</em> things. Don’t let’s just make the Society -a group of athletes and First Honors men and -commencement officers. Let’s try and pick the -fellows who are honorable and earnest and fine -and manly. Remember that Plato isn’t over -with when you leave Crofton; the Society goes -right on, bringing other fellows together just -as it has brought us together. Let’s see that -when we leave it we leave it in shape to do the -work it was designed to do, let’s see that we -leave a fine, big lot of chaps to carry on the -work in our stead. It’s character we want, fellows, -and not merely athletic honors, nor social -honors, nor even merely scholastic honors.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -Let’s judge our members to be as <em>men</em> first; -then consider the honors they’ve won. Remember -the motto, fellows: ‘For the Good of the -School, and so for the Good of Myself.’ Good -night, everybody.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a><br /> -<small>JIM MAKES A PROMISE</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">“We’ve got the same lessons, Hazard,” -said Jeffrey, after the others had taken -their departure, “so why don’t you bring your -books into my room and study?”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to,” answered Jim, “and I will as -soon as I finish my chores.”</p> - -<p>Half an hour later the two were seated on -opposite sides of the table in Jeff’s room, their -books spread out before them in a very businesslike -way. But there wasn’t much studying -done that evening, although each acknowledged -the necessity of it. There were too many things -to talk about. Naturally the foremost topic -was the school. Jeffrey had to tell Jim what -he thought about it, and Jim had to give his -opinion of the fellows they had met; and after -that they discussed the instructors and the -course of study and many associated subjects. -And before the evening was over it was no -longer Hazard and Latham, but Jim and Jeff.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span></p> - -<p>And in another day or two proper names had -quite disappeared from Sunnywood. Every -one called every one else by his first name; except -that Poke had dubbed Jeff “The Senator” -and called him that about half the time. For -awhile Jim’s mother was “Mrs. Hazard,” but -eventually she became “Lady” to every one -except Mr. Hanks. Mr. Hanks—or “Nancy,” -as the boys dubbed him—called Mrs. Hazard -pretty nearly everything except Mrs. Hazard. -Sometimes it was Hazel, sometimes Hastings, -sometimes Hathaway; and once, to the amusement -and bewilderment of the entire table, he -called her “Mrs. Venture.” Hope was “Miss -Hope” to the boys for awhile, but as friendship -ripened the Miss was dropped. The boys all -liked Hope. They couldn’t have done anything -else, I fancy, for Hope was always happy and -merry, eager for fun and firmly convinced that -Sunnywood Cottage held the four finest boys in -Crofton Academy.</p> - -<p>But I am getting ahead of my story.</p> - -<p>Gil and Poke had in due time received the -required parental sanction to their change of -quarters and had settled down very comfortably -in what Poke called the Royal Suite. With -three of their rooms rented for the school year<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -Jim and his mother were much encouraged, for -even if the fourth room didn’t rent they could, -they were certain, more than pay expenses. Mr. -Hanks, in spite of Poke’s forebodings, troubled -no one. If he found the house rather noisy -at times, he made no complaint. Except at -meal times they saw very little of him. He was -usually very silent at the table, accepting what -was placed before him or handed to him and -eating it in his funny absentminded way. At -school, however, Mr. Hanks was having his troubles. -In the first place, he was a new man, and -there is an unwritten law at Crofton to the effect -that new instructors must be decently hazed. -Hazing in Mr. Hanks’ case consisted of taking -advantage of his inexperience and diffidence -until at the end of his first week at school his -Latin and history classes had lost all semblance -of order and discipline. The instructor’s worst -trial was Latin 2. In this class was Brandon -Gary, and Gary knew more ways to make the -teacher’s life a burden to him than there were -pages in the Æneid.</p> - -<p>“Bull makes me very tired,” said Gil one day. -“It’s all right to have a little fun; and every -faculty ought to stand a little joshing; but Bull -is keeping it up too long. First thing we know<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -Nancy will get discouraged and quit. If he -only knew enough to sit on a few of those Smart -Alecks he wouldn’t have any more trouble.”</p> - -<p>“I think it’s just as mean as can be,” declared -Hope. “Mr. Hanks is a perfect dear.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, he’s all right,” agreed Poke. “Nancy -isn’t a half bad sort. Only thing is he hasn’t -enough grit.”</p> - -<p>“And,” continued Hope, puzzledly, “I don’t -see why you want to call him Nancy. He -doesn’t look a bit like a horse.”</p> - -<p>“A what?” demanded Jeff in surprise.</p> - -<p>“A horse. I asked Lady the other day who -Nancy Hanks was and she said he—I mean she—was -a famous racehorse. And I don’t see—”</p> - -<p>But the boys were laughing so loudly that the -rest of Hope’s remark was drowned. She -viewed them bewilderedly.</p> - -<p>“Wasn’t she a horse?” she asked doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“Well,” answered Jeff, who had recovered -first, “I believe there used to be a horse named -that. But the original Nancy Hanks was Abraham -Lincoln’s mother. Have you never heard -of her?”</p> - -<p>Hope shook her head. “I don’t believe so. -What—what did she do?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jeff looked at Gil and Gil looked at Jim and -Jim shook his head. It was Poke who came to -the rescue.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Hanks,” he observed thoughtfully, -“was a very estimable lady. Besides being -the mother of the Martyr President she—er—she -invented the idea of winding yarn in -hanks. Hence the name.”</p> - -<p>The others viewed him suspiciously, but were -afraid to question his statement for fear of confessing -their ignorance. Jeff said “Hm” noncommittingly -and Jim became very busy over -the lock he was trying to repair. Hope accepted -the information at face value and thanked -Poke very nicely. Poke, I think, was on the -verge of a confession when Mr. Hanks himself -came into sight beyond the fence. He had an -armful of books as usual and his head seemed -to have acquired to-day an added droop. As -he turned in through the gate his face looked -pretty tired and discouraged. Jim and Poke -arose from their places on the steps to let him -by and it was only then that he saw the group. -He lifted his funny old straw hat rather sketchily -and murmured, “Good evening.” The -others responded politely, but Hope, with a -sudden rush of sympathy for the instructor,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -said: “Won’t you sit down here and rest, Mr. -Hanks? You look very tired, and supper won’t -be ready for a long time.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks looked surprised and embarrassed, -hesitated, dropped a book—which Gil rescued—and -finally stammered: “Er—thanks, but -I have much work to do. It—it has been a -very nice day, hasn’t it?”</p> - -<p>They all agreed enthusiastically that it had, -after which Mr. Hanks hemmed and coughed -once or twice, bowed jerkily and went on in. -They could hear him walking weariedly up the -stairs to his room.</p> - -<p>“He looks perfectly floppy!” exclaimed -Hope, indignantly. “It is too mean for anything -to treat him so!”</p> - -<p>“What’s floppy?” asked Gil, a little ashamed -of his own small share in the instructor’s unhappiness -and willing to switch the conversation.</p> - -<p>“Why—why, <em>floppy</em>, of course; tired and—and -miserable and unhappy!”</p> - -<p>“Ready to flop,” added Poke knowingly. -“It is an excellent word, even if Mr. Webster -doesn’t countenance it. What’s the matter, -Jim?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I lost a screw somewhere. I guess it went -down a crack when I got up.”</p> - -<p>“That lock will be a wonder when you get -through with it,” laughed Poke. “You’ve -used up three screw-drivers and a perfectly -good penknife on it so far.”</p> - -<p>“The trouble,” responded Jim gravely, holding -the offending article under his nose and -squinting knowingly into its intricacies, “is -with the tumblers.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” said Poke. “The trouble’s in -the carburetor. It needs adjusting. How’s -school going, Hope?”</p> - -<p>“Fine!—I just love the teacher in our -room.”</p> - -<p>“Hm; wait until you’ve been there another -week. Teachers all look good at first. They’re -very—very deceptive.” Poke shook his head -sadly. “I’ve had a great deal of experience -with teachers.”</p> - -<p>“I guess they’ve had a good deal of experience -with you,” laughed Hope. Poke grinned.</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t deny that I have aided in the -education of a few. Including our estimable -Nancy,” he added rashly.</p> - -<p>Hope sobered. “I shan’t like you, Poke,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -she said gravely, “if you’re mean to Mr. -Hanks.”</p> - -<p>“Who? Me? Honest, now, I haven’t done -a thing, have I, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“Not much,” answered Gil. “No more -than I have. We’ve all had a go at him. I -think, though, it’s about time we let up. I guess -we’ll have to squelch Bull Gary, Poke.”</p> - -<p>Poke nodded. “I guess so. Bull lacks a—a -sense of sufficiency.”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” inquired Jeff.</p> - -<p>“That is a polite way of saying that he -doesn’t know when he’s had enough. By the -way, Jim, did we tell you that Gary has taken -a room at Jones’s? He says it’s fine, but that’s -poppycock. Jones’s is the worst hole in the -village. I guess he’s still peeved with you for -not renting a room to him.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see how I could,” said Jim, laying -aside the lock with a sigh of relief. “I wasn’t -going to put Jeff out; or you fellows either. -Besides, I don’t like him.”</p> - -<p>“Well, Bull isn’t terribly popular,” said -Gil, “but he’s really not so awfully bad. All -he needs is some one to beat a little sense into -him. He’s a lot better than when he first came.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -I dare say that some day Gary will be a useful -member of society.”</p> - -<p>“In the sweet by and by,” said Poke skeptically. -“And, say, Gil, what’s the matter -with Bull’s playing this year? He’s way off -his game. Johnny gave him a fierce ragging -this afternoon. Did you hear him? Told Bull -that if he didn’t do better than he’d been doing -he’d be wearing a nice warm blanket on the -side-line. I guess Bull has a swelled head after -last year.”</p> - -<p>“Does he play well?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“He <em>can</em> play well. He’s one of the best -guards we’ve had for years. And in the Hawthorne -game last fall—which, as you probably -know, Mr. Locksmith, is our big game—he put -up a grand old exhibition. Didn’t he, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“You bet! And that’s what I say. You -can’t altogether dislike a chap who can play -football the way he can—when he wants to.”</p> - -<p>“Well, he will have to want to pretty soon, -I guess,” said Poke. “Johnny’s getting out -of patience. When are you coming down to the -field with me, Jim, to have a try?”</p> - -<p>“About Christmas time, I think.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t say? Well, let me tell you something,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -son. I’m going to get Dun Sargent after -you. I’m not going to see a good football -player wasted in a locksmith.”</p> - -<p>“Good football player!” scoffed Jim. “I -never played enough to be good—or even real -bad, for that matter. I don’t know enough -about the rules to—to—”</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” said Gil. “They’ll -teach the rules to you. Just you come and have -a try. You’re missing a lot of fun.”</p> - -<p>“And a lot of hard work, too,” sighed Poke.</p> - -<p>“I wish you would play,” said Hope. -“Won’t you, Jim?”</p> - -<p>“How can I?” asked Jim a trifle irritably. -“I’d like to—in a way—I guess, but who’d -do the work here?”</p> - -<p>“Listen,” said Poke impressively, “if you’ll -try for the squad and if you make it we’ll all -help with your silly chores. Won’t we, fellows?”</p> - -<p>“Right-O!” agreed Gil.</p> - -<p>“Surely,” said Jeff.</p> - -<p>“Besides,” Poke continued, “what do you -have to do, anyway? Lug up a little coal, split -some kindling, sift some ashes—”</p> - -<p>“Beat some carpets, run some errands, fix<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -some locks, study some lessons,” added Jim -with a laugh.</p> - -<p>“Oh, well, that’s nothing,” said Poke airily. -“I’m a wonderful carpet beater; better than -one of those vacuum things, Jim. Now that’s -a fair offer. What do you say?”</p> - -<p>Jim laughed.</p> - -<p>“Will you report to-morrow?” Poke persisted.</p> - -<p>“No, but maybe I’ll go down and look on for -awhile.”</p> - -<p>“All right! That’s a promise. You go -down with Gil and me after school to-morrow. -Don’t forget. Jeff, you’re a witness; you too, -Hope. After he’s looked on awhile he will want -to play. Jim, you’re a gone coon!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a><br /> -<small>POKE USES TACT</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Jim kept his promise; in fact, he was given -no choice in the matter, for Poke was waiting -for him on the steps of Academy Hall when -he emerged from his algebra recitation the next -afternoon. Jeffrey had agreed to accompany -them to the field, but as he didn’t show up they -started along without him. It was Jim’s first -visit to the field, although he had often viewed -it from afar. Their way took them past the -front of Memorial Hall, a small building of -Grecian architecture presented to the school by -graduates in honor of four Croftonians who -had lost their lives in the war with Spain. -Crofton was proud of those men and the bronze -tablet beside the doorway was one of the first -objects exhibited to visitors. The building held -the dining-hall and kitchen, and if some humorists -alluded to it as Prunorial Hall no disrespect -was intended.</p> - -<p>The river, a few rods away, was alive with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -craft this afternoon, for this early October day -was warm and still, with just enough hint of -autumn in the air to make the blood course -quickly and put the joy of adventure in the -heart. Half way between Memorial and the -gymnasium the two boys turned at the sound -of a hail from the river. In a canoe sat Jeffrey -and Gil, the latter snuggled comfortably in the -bow and the former dexterously dipping the -paddle in the stern. Gil waved his hand nonchalantly.</p> - -<p>“Where are you going?” cried Poke enviously. -“Do you know what time it is?”</p> - -<p>“I am the Queen of Sheba,” replied Gil, -“and this is my royal barge. We are on the -way to the gym.”</p> - -<p>“Well, of all the lazy Its!” exclaimed Poke. -“Say, Senator, take me back after practice?”</p> - -<p>Gil howled derisively. “Get out! I’ve engaged -Jeff for the rest of the day. Proceed, -slave!”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey, smiling broadly, dipped his paddle -again and the canoe went on along the stream -to the swimming float. The others walked down -to meet them.</p> - -<p>“We’ve had a dandy ride,” said Gil as he -stretched the kinks out of his legs. “Jeff took<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -me all the way up to Birch Island and back. -He’s a fine little canoedler.” Jeff, once more -with his crutches under his arms, fell in beside -Jim.</p> - -<p>“I think I’ll get a canoe of my own,” he said. -“They say there’s a fellow up the river a couple -of miles who makes dandy ones. And I’m -sort of daffy about being on the water.”</p> - -<p>“Is it hard to learn to paddle one of those -things?” Jim asked. “I tried it once and the -silly thing just went around in a circle and made -me dizzy.”</p> - -<p>“It’s the easiest thing there is,” laughed -Jeffrey. “You come out with me some day -and I’ll show you the trick in a minute.”</p> - -<p>Gil and Poke disappeared in the gym to don -their football clothes and the others sauntered -slowly toward the field. Already the big expanse -of yellowing turf was scattered with -players. Beyond the gridiron with its new -white lines a baseball game had begun. Nearer -at hand the tennis courts were all occupied. -And on the grand-stand and along the sides of -the field on the warm grass fellows less inclined -to bodily exertion sat or sprawled in groups -and waited to be entertained. Half a dozen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -pigskins were arching back and forth across the -gridiron or bounding erratically into the spectators. -Jim and Jeff found a place near the -twenty-five-yard line and settled themselves, -Jeff laying his crutches down with a sigh of relief.</p> - -<p>“This is fine,” he murmured as he lay back -with his hands beneath his head and blinked at -the sunlight. “I read somewhere once, Jim, -that every one has the—the characteristics of -some animal. I guess I’m like a cat, I’m so -fond of sunlight and warmth. I could almost -purr this minute.”</p> - -<p>“Go ahead,” Jim laughed. “I don’t mind -as long as you don’t scratch. There comes -What’s-his-name, the coach.”</p> - -<p>“Connell,” murmured Jeffrey. “They say -he’s a dandy.”</p> - -<p>“He isn’t very big,” replied Jim doubtfully. -“He doesn’t look much taller than I. Guess -he’s the sort to make you stand around, -though; don’t believe he’d take much nonsense. -There’s Gil and Duncan Sargent. And there’s -that chap Gary, the fellow who wanted your -room. He’s pretty hefty, isn’t he?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.” Jeffrey rolled over and observed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -the scene, supported on one elbow. “I heard -a fellow say Gary had a grouch against Connell -and isn’t half playing.”</p> - -<p>“Johnny” shouted to the candidates and -they came from all quarters of the field and -flocked about him. There seemed to be some -fifty or sixty of them altogether.</p> - -<p>“A lot of show I’d have,” said Jim, “in that -bunch. Some of those chaps must be nineteen -years old.”</p> - -<p>“I dare say,” Jeffrey replied. “But that -doesn’t necessarily mean much. You are going -to try, aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>Jim shrugged his shoulders. “I’d sort of -like to,” he acknowledged, “but I’d just make -a show of myself, I guess.”</p> - -<p>The coach had finished his instructions and -now the candidates were forming in groups -about the field. For the beginners football was -still drudgery; passing, falling on the ball, -starting and tackling. But the veterans were -learning signals and getting ready for the first -game now only three days distant. The first -and second squads were soon scampering up and -down the field in short rushes under the directions -of shrill-voiced quarter-backs. In Squad -A a substitute had Duncan Sargent’s place at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -left guard and the captain, draped in a faded -red blanket that trailed behind him and tried -to trip him up in moments of excitement, followed -the play. Now and then Jim could -hear him calling a halt and laying down the -law.</p> - -<p>“Hold on! Let’s try that again. And don’t -go to sleep, Smith, this time. They’d have got -you about three yards behind your line then. -Take your time from quarter. This is a delayed -pass, but not a misplaced one. And now -try again. Same signals, Arnold.”</p> - -<p>On this first squad Gil was at left end, Poke -at right half-back and Gary at right guard. -To Jim’s surprise the fellows were not very -heavy in weight, while as to age the squad would -have averaged about seventeen. The quarter, -Harry Arnold, was a mere youngster, and with -the exception of Captain Sargent himself there -was no member over eighteen. LaGrange, a -big good-natured youth who played center, was -but sixteen, in spite of his size.</p> - -<p>Jim and Jeffrey looked on with interest. -Jeffrey, who had made other trips to the field, -knew many of the more prominent players by -name and pointed them out to his companion. -At the end of half an hour the signal work<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -ceased, the linemen were taken to the upper end -of the field for special instruction and the backs -and ends were put to work getting down under -kicks. As it happened Poke took up his position -at a little distance from Jim and Jeffrey, -and, turning to run back for a long catch, caught -sight of them.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” he shouted. “Seen Sargent, -Jim?”</p> - -<p>Jim shook his head. Poke curled the ball -against his arm and hurled it back across the -field.</p> - -<p>“Well, he’s looking for you. I told him you -wanted to come out for the team. Told him you -were a wonderful footballist, Jim, and he’s hot -on your trail.”</p> - -<p>“You told him that?” cried Jim in dismay. -“Why, you—you—”</p> - -<p>“Say it,” said Poke, keeping a watchful eye -across the field at where a substitute center was -poising the ball between his legs. Jim grinned -ruefully and threw a pebble at him.</p> - -<p>“But you didn’t tell him any such yarn as -that, did you, Poke?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“I told him you were thinking of coming out, -Jim, and that you’d played the game some. -Said you looked good to me. When he asks you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -just keep your mouth shut tight and it will be -all right.”</p> - -<p>With that Poke sprinted for the arching pigskin, -caught it deftly without slackening his -speed and dodged the opposing end.</p> - -<p>“Do you suppose he did tell Sargent all -that?” Jim said.</p> - -<p>“I dare say,” replied Jeffrey with a smile. -“Poke is likely to say most anything he thinks -of. I guess you’ll soon know, though, for -there’s Sargent now.”</p> - -<p>The captain, having discarded his blanket, -was striding across the field toward Poke. -They exchanged a few words and Poke nodded -his head toward Jim and Jeffrey. In a moment -Duncan Sargent had reached them.</p> - -<p>“How are you, Hazard?” he began. “Endicott -tells me you’ve decided to help us out, -and I’m mighty glad to hear it. We really want -fellows who know something about the game -and are willing to buckle down to it. Wish you -might have come out to-day. To-morrow sure, -though, eh?”</p> - -<p>Jim, who had climbed to his feet, looked somewhat -embarrassed.</p> - -<p>“Why—er—I only told Endicott that I -might like to try—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Of course! That’s the spirit! You’ve -played a good bit, haven’t you?”</p> - -<p>“No, not much,” answered Jim modestly. -“I really don’t—”</p> - -<p>“In the line, I suppose?”</p> - -<p>“Well, yes, when I played, but I never—”</p> - -<p>“Fine! We need linemen, Hazard. You report -to me to-morrow and I’ll put you to work. -There’s going to be a cut in a day or two and -then we’ll have some of these dubs out of the -way. Don’t forget! Three-thirty!”</p> - -<p>And away hurried Sargent, leaving Jim -flushed and uncomfortable and Jeffrey visibly -amused.</p> - -<p>“Now what shall I do?” asked Jim ruefully. -“He evidently thinks I’m a regular Hogan of -a lineman. I wonder what Poke <em>did</em> tell him! -Why, hang it, Jeff, I don’t even know this year’s -rules!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, they aren’t much different from last -year,” replied Jeffrey consolingly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, they are; they’re different every season. -Every time any one thinks of a new wrinkle -he writes to the Rules Committee about it -and they stick it in. Well, you won’t see me -around here to-morrow! It’s me for the tall -timber!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, shucks, Jim, see it through. You can -tell Sargent you aren’t a star—”</p> - -<p>“Tell him! Why, didn’t I try to tell him?” -exclaimed Jim irritably. “He wouldn’t let me -get a word in edgewise.”</p> - -<p>“He was afraid you would try to beg off,” -laughed Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“He didn’t give me a chance,” replied Jim -ruefully. “Guess I’ll just have to hike out to -the woods or he will get me sure.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think I’d do that. See it through. -You’ll like it after you get started. Why, the -first game’s on Saturday. Maybe Sargent will -put you in in his place, Jim!”</p> - -<p>“Dry up. They’re going to scrimmage. -Let’s get nearer the middle of the field.”</p> - -<p>The scrimmage wasn’t very encouraging that -day. There was a good deal more fumbling -than there should have been and it was plain -to be seen that neither first nor second team had -thoroughly learned its signals. When it was -over Jim and Jeff cut across the field and took -the road back to Sunnywood.</p> - -<p>“I wonder,” mused Jim as they passed the -little white house where Plato Society held its -meetings, “if being on the football team would -help a fellow to make a society.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well,” answered Jeffrey, “I suppose a fellow -who is well known and has done something -for the school like playing football or baseball -or rowing in the boat naturally stands a better -show than some chap who is unknown.”</p> - -<p>He shot a glance at Jim’s thoughtful face and -smiled to himself. A hundred yards further -on Jim spoke again.</p> - -<p>“I wonder,” he said, “if Gil or Poke has a -book of rules.”</p> - -<p>When Poke came back he sought Jim and -found him in the cellar swinging the ax.</p> - -<p>“Hello,” he said, “what are you doing?”</p> - -<p>“Kindlings,” replied Jim as he dodged a -piece of wood. Then he buried the ax in the -block and faced Poke.</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p125">“Look here,” he demanded, “what did you -tell Duncan Sargent about me?”</a></p> - -<p>Poke laughed. “Why?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Because he evidently thinks I’m a football -player and he wouldn’t give me a chance to say -anything at all; just rattled on and on and fixed -it all up that I’m to report for practice to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“Did he? Well, I told you you’d be a gone -coon if you once got out on the field.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;"> -<a id="i_p125"> - <img src="images/i_p125.jpg" width="404" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_124">“Look here,” he demanded, “what did you tell Duncan -Sargent about me?”</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126-<br />127]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What did you tell him?” Jim insisted -sternly.</p> - -<p>“Oh, just that you’d played the game and -that I had an idea you’d be a big addition to -the team. It wasn’t what I really said so much -as the—the impression I managed to convey, -Jim. One thing I rather dwelt on,” he continued -with a chuckle, “was that you were terribly -modest and that you were almost certain -to refuse to come out for the team if he gave -you a chance.”</p> - -<p>“I see. Well”—Jim shrugged his shoulders—“he -will be considerably surprised to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw, that will be all right. You’ll pick -it up quick enough, and before the season’s over -you’ll be thanking me on your knees for my—er—diplomacy.”</p> - -<p>“Your fibs, you mean! Look here, Poke, I -don’t even know what the rules are this year.”</p> - -<p>“No more does any one—except Johnny; -and I sometimes think he’s just bluffing. You -come up to the room after supper and Gil and -I will tell you all you need to know. Between -us I dare say we’ve got a fair inkling of the -rules.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span></p> - -<p>“All right,” Jim agreed. “But I’m going -to see Sargent to-morrow before practice and -tell him the facts. I’m not going to start out -under false colors.”</p> - -<p>“Hm.” Poke considered that a moment. -“Oh, all right. The main thing is to come out. -Got any togs?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, some old ones. I guess they’ll do. -Guess they’ll have to. I can’t afford to buy new -ones.”</p> - -<p>“Good stuff! Get ’em out and we’ll look ’em -over. Here, I’ll take that up for you. You -bring the coal. You know we all agreed to help -out with the chores if you went in for the team.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a><br /> -<small>OUT FOR THE TEAM</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Hope was delighted.</p> - -<p>“I just know you’re going to be a real -football hero, Jim,” she declared earnestly. -“And I shall be too proud of you for words! -And to-morrow I shall go and see you play.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” responded -Jim shortly. “If I’ve got to make a fool of -myself I don’t intend to have the whole family -watching me.”</p> - -<p>Hope’s face fell. “But I may see you some -day, mayn’t I? And I shall bring some of the -girls from school with me. There’s one, Grace -Andrews, whose brother plays on the High -School team and she’s too sticky about it for -anything. We play the High School Saturday, -don’t we?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I do hope they’ll let you play then, Jim! -I’d love to have Grace Andrews see you.”</p> - -<p>“Well, she won’t,” replied Jim grimly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -“I’ll be on the awkward squad for weeks, I suppose, -and it’s a fair bet I never leave it. Besides, -it seems to me your sympathy ought to -be with your own school, sis.”</p> - -<p>Hope considered that a moment. Then, -“Well,” she sighed, “it’s a very difficult position -I’m in. Of course I’m very fond of High -School, Jim, but—but I think I’d rather have -Crofton win; especially if you play. Wouldn’t -that be just perfectly jimmy?”</p> - -<p>“Fine! And maybe Duncan Sargent will retire -and make me captain in his place,” added -Jim ironically as he started upstairs to get -ready for supper. “But, somehow, I don’t -look for him to do it!”</p> - -<p>After supper study was delayed in Sunnywood -while Gil and Poke went over the football -rules with Jim and did their best to elucidate -them. Jeffrey was on hand too, and if it had -not been for him I think Jim would have known -less after the lesson than before, for Gil and -Poke proved quite at variance as to the interpretation -of half the rules and Jim was getting -more and more confused when Jeffrey came to -the rescue. Gil and Poke were hotly contradicting -each other as to what invalidated a forward -pass.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I’ll leave it to Jeff if I’m not right,” declared -Poke.</p> - -<p>“Whereupon Jeffrey very quietly and understandingly -explained Rule XIX in all its phases, -while the others listened in respectful and admiring -silence.</p> - -<p>“I say,” exclaimed Poke when Jeffrey had -finished, “you certainly know the rules, Senator. -I’ll bet you you wrote them yourself!”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey smilingly denied this but acknowledged -that he always studied them very carefully -each year, adding, “You see, I like to -watch football mighty well, even if I can’t play -it, and unless you know the rules of the game -well enough to know just what’s being done all -the time, and why, you don’t thoroughly enjoy -it.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Gil, “I guess you know them -better than most of the fellows who play. I believe -I’ll get a rule book and study up a little -myself.”</p> - -<p>“You wouldn’t understand them,” said Poke. -“It takes a chap with a whole lot of brains to -make head or tails of that stuff. Why, bless -you, fellows, I was looking through a book of -rules before I left home. Give you my word I -tried the hardest I knew how to make out what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -it was all about, and could I? I could—<em>not</em>! -So I pitched the silly book in the waste-basket. -And I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that -the ashman found it and has gone crazy.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s about all you need to know at -first, Jim,” said Gil. “You’ll pick it up quick -enough. The main thing is to know how to hold -a ball so it won’t bite you, to kick a little, throw -a little—”</p> - -<p>“Won’t need to know that if he plays in the -line,” said Poke. “If he can block and break -through and help the runner—”</p> - -<p>“Well, I guess I’ve had enough for to-night,” -said Jim. “I guess I’d better pay a little attention -to my lessons. Looked at your Latin -yet, Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’ve been over it once; it looks pretty -easy.”</p> - -<p>“For you perhaps,” replied Jim. “It won’t -be for me, though.”</p> - -<p>“Speaking of Latin,” said Gil, “something’s -due to happen to Nancy Hanks pretty soon if -he doesn’t brace up. They say J. G. is getting -very much peeved at him. There was a peach -of a rough house in history this morning, -wasn’t there, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Lovely! But I’m sorry for Nancy, just the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -same. Bull Gary makes me tired. He’s got -half a dozen of the fellows trained now so that -every time he starts something they all drop -into line and poor Nancy’s life is a positive burden -to him.”</p> - -<p>“He shows it, too,” observed Jeffrey. -“He’s getting to look as worried and nervous -as—as a wet hen.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” said Jim. “We’ve sort of let -up on him in our classes. The fun wore off -after awhile.”</p> - -<p>“Because you haven’t any one in your bunch -with the inventive genius of Mr. Gary,” said -Poke. “Bull lies awake nights, I guess, thinking -up new mischief. Somebody will just have -to sit on him, Gil, and sit hard.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, maybe. Still, perhaps, after all, Crofton -isn’t just the place for Nancy. And if it -isn’t he might as well make the discovery now -as later. I guess he knows an awful lot, but I -don’t believe he can teach it. And as for discipline, -why, he doesn’t know the meaning of -the word.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, he knows what it means all right,” corrected -Poke, “but he doesn’t know how to go -to work to enforce it. I’ll bet you he never -taught before in his life.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Then what’s he been doing all these -years?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“I think,” replied Jeffrey, “that he writes.”</p> - -<p>“Writes? Writes what?” asked Poke.</p> - -<p>“Books. The other day I passed his room -when he happened to have left the door open—which -doesn’t very often happen, as you know—and -I saw a whole pile of paper on his desk -and he was writing away like sixty with those -tortoise-shell spectacles of his on.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw! Correcting papers, likely,” said -Poke.</p> - -<p>“They weren’t papers; they were sheets all -written on just alike. I could see that easily.”</p> - -<p>“Wonder what sort of books he writes,” murmured -Jim.</p> - -<p>“Oh, about Latin and history, probably,” -said Poke. “Maybe they’re text-books. He -doesn’t look quite such a criminal as that, -either.”</p> - -<p>“Well, whatever he writes,” remarked Gil, -“it’s a safe bet he won’t be doing it here much -longer.”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t we do something?” asked Jeffrey. -“You see, after all, even if he is a member of -the faculty, he—he’s one of us, you know, a -Sunnywooder.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That’s so,” agreed Poke, “and we ought to -stick together. I guess we’ll just have to read -the riot act to Bull, Gil.”</p> - -<p>Gil half-heartedly replied that he guessed -something like that would have to be done and -the conclave broke up, Jeffrey and Jim retiring -across the hall to the former’s room in which -Jim had formed the custom of studying.</p> - -<p>The next afternoon he accompanied Gil and -Poke to the gymnasium, rented a locker and -struggled into his football togs which had grown -strangely tight in the last year. Then, in the -wake of half a hundred other fellows, they trotted -down to the field and Jim sought Duncan -Sargent. He found him conferring with Johnny -and waited a few steps away until they finished -talking. As it happened captain and coach were -not telling secrets and so made no effort to talk -quietly, and before Jim realized it he heard Sargent -say:</p> - -<p>“By the way, Johnny, I’ve got a new lineman -coming out this afternoon; fellow named -Hazard; big and rangy and looks good. Poke -Endicott knows him and says he’s an all right -player. I’ll hand him over to you and you give -him a try with the second squad in scrimmage, -will you? Let me know how he shapes up.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That’s good,” replied Johnny with enthusiasm. -“We surely need better line material -than we’ve got. There isn’t a promising substitute -tackle in sight. Send him along to me and -I’ll see what he can do.”</p> - -<p>They strolled slowly away, still talking, leaving -Jim a prey to varied emotions. He wanted -to punch Poke for getting him into such a scrape. -How could he go to Sargent now and say that it -was all a mistake, that he really knew very little -about the game and had only played as a sort -of third or fourth substitute on his grammar -school eleven? Why, it couldn’t be done! -Rather than do that he would sneak back to the -gymnasium, get his togs off and go home. He -thought hard for a minute, while he followed the -captain and trainer across the field. After all, -he reflected presently, perhaps he could play -fairly well if he had a chance. Why not accept -the reputation that had been imposed upon him -without his connivance and carry things off as -best he could? After all, it wasn’t his fault, and -if he disappointed them, why, he could get out. -The situation required nerve and Jim had plenty -of it when necessary. He smiled and made up -his mind. They thought him an experienced -player. Well, he would do his best to keep up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -the delusion. Let them find out for themselves -that he was little more than a tyro, a one-hundred-and-thirty-pound -bluff in a suit that threatened -to rip at the seams every time he stretched -his muscles!</p> - -<p>He quickened his gait and overtook Duncan -Sargent.</p> - -<p>“What shall I do, Captain?” he asked -quietly.</p> - -<p>“Eh? Hello, Hazard.” Sargent was so -pleased that he shook hands and Jim’s conscience -smote him for an instant. Sargent was -such a dandy chap that it seemed a shame to -impose on him. “Hi, Johnny! Here a minute, -please.” And as the trainer came swinging up, -Sargent continued: “This is Hazard. You -know I spoke to you about him. Take him in -hand, will you, Johnny?”</p> - -<p>Johnny said he was glad to meet Mr. Hazard -and shook hands with a grip that made Jim -wince.</p> - -<p>“Play in the line, don’t you?” he asked. -“That’s good; we need linemen. This is your -first practice?”</p> - -<p>Jim agreed that it was.</p> - -<p>“Then I guess we’ll go easy with you. Suppose -you go over there and report to Gary;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -tell him I sent you. Pass the ball awhile and -warm up.” He took out a little tattered memorandum -book and entered Jim, name, age and -address. “Come to me after practice, Hazard, -and I’ll put you on the scales. About a hundred -and thirty, aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t weighed very recently,” replied -Jim, “but I guess that’s pretty near it.”</p> - -<p>“All right. By the way, ever play tackle?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, for awhile; and guard. And I was at -full-back once or twice.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t look very quick on your feet,” -commented Johnny, “but we’ll get you gingered -up after awhile. Don’t be afraid of sweating a -little; it will do you good.”</p> - -<p>Jim obediently made his way down the field -to the squad indicated, and Johnny and Sargent -looked after him critically.</p> - -<p>“He’s well set-up,” mused Johnny, “but -somehow he doesn’t handle himself like a player. -Looks slow to me, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Y-yes,” agreed Sargent, “but I have Endicott’s -word for it that he’s a good man, and you -know Endicott’s a good judge, Johnny.”</p> - -<p>Jim didn’t exactly relish putting himself -under Brandon Gary’s charge, but there was -evidently no help for it. Gary, looking very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -well in his football togs, was looking after, with -a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, some twelve or -fourteen members of the third squad who stood -about in a circle and passed the ball to each -other. Jim observed that they threw the ball -by clasping it with the fingers at one end and -sending it away with a round-arm sweep that -caused the pigskin to revolve on its shorter axis; -also that in catching it the fellows received it -between elbow and thigh, pulling up the right -leg slightly to cradle it. When they missed the -catch they fell on the ball, snuggling it under -them. He made his way to Gary just as that -youth, with an impatient glance toward Sargent, -was receiving the ball.</p> - -<p>“The captain told me to report to you,” said -Jim.</p> - -<p>Gary turned and viewed him carelessly. “All -right, find a place somewhere,” he answered. -Then recognition dawned and he accorded Jim -a scowl. “Here, stand over there,” he said -curtly. And then, before Jim was well in place, -Gary launched the ball at him swiftly. As the -pigskin had only some eight feet to travel before -it reached Jim, the latter was quite unready for -it, and although he made a desperate attempt -to capture it the ball struck his chest and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -bounded crazily away across the grass. Jim -trotted after it and was in the act of picking it -up when Gary bellowed:</p> - -<p>“Fall on it, you idiot! None of that here!”</p> - -<p>Jim fell. Unfortunately, confusion made him -miss the ball entirely and he had to scramble on -elbows and knees for a full yard before he could -seize the exasperating oval and snuggle it under -him. From behind him came audible, if good-natured, -laughter from the others. Gary alone -seemed unamused.</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p141">“Ever see a football before?” he asked</a> as -Jim went back to his place. Jim made no reply -and the pigskin went on around the circle, <em>thump -thump</em>, with an occasional break in the monotony -of the proceedings when some one missed -and had to launch himself to the turf. As the -ball went around, Jim looked over his companions. -He saw none that he recognized. All -were apparently of Jim’s age or younger, and -it was plain to be seen that they constituted -the awkward squad. Whenever the ball reached -Gary he tried his best to make Jim fumble it -again, now throwing it high and now low, but -always as hard as he could. But Jim, watching -the others closely, emulated their way of catching -and only once dropped the ball. Then he -fell on it from where he stood and captured it -very nicely. But Gary declined to let the incident -pass without a reprimand.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<a id="i_p141"> - <img src="images/i_p141.jpg" width="600" height="432" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_140">“Ever see a football before?” he asked.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142-<br />143]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Keep your eyes open, you fellow! You’re -not running a boarding-house now; this is football!”</p> - -<p>The allusion to the boarding-house caused -other members of the squad to observe Jim -curiously, but Jim kept his temper and his -tongue. A minute afterwards the coach called -them and the squad broke up. Jim walked over -to the bench and picked up a blanket, but before -he had wrapped it around his shoulders Johnny -was after them.</p> - -<p>“Over to the dummy now! And hurry up!”</p> - -<p>About thirty panting youths gathered at the -side of the newly spaded pit and one by one -launched themselves at the swinging canvas -dummy. Johnny himself operated the pully -that sent the headless imitation of a man swinging -across the soft loam.</p> - -<p>“Pretty good, but tackle lower next time.”</p> - -<p>“Perfectly rotten, Curtis. Try it again and -get off your feet. That’s better but not good -enough.”</p> - -<p>“All right! Next man! Wrong side. Get -in front of the runner always.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Too low, Page! Aim higher.”</p> - -<p>“Pretty fair, Hazard, but put some jump into -it. Remember you’re not patting him on the -back; you’re trying to stop him—and stop him -short. Try again now.”</p> - -<p>Jim had never hurled himself at a tackling -dummy before but he had tackled players in a -game and he strove to create the illusion that -the canvas-covered figure was real. The pully -creaked, the dummy slid across the pit, wobbling -and turning, and Jim ran and dived with outstretched -arms. <em>Thump! Rattle!</em> His nose -was buried in the cold loam and his arms were -tightly wrapped about the stuffed canvas legs. -He scrambled to his feet and cast an inquiring -look at the coach. Johnny nodded noncommittally -and Jim took up his place at the end of -the line again. And so it went on for twenty -minutes longer. Jim’s next try brought slight -commendation with the criticism and the third -attempt went off handsomely.</p> - -<p>“That’s the stuff, Hazard! Just as though -you meant it. Some of you fellows go at that -dummy as though you were afraid you’d hurt -it. That’ll do for to-day. Back to the bench! -On the trot!”</p> - -<p>By now Jim was tuckered and aching, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -one side of his face smeared with dirt and his -right elbow sticking forth from the faded blue -jersey he wore. But football was in his blood -now and so he was highly disappointed when -Johnny called to him and ordered him once -around the field at a jog and back to the gym.</p> - -<p>“But I’m not tired, sir,” he ventured. -Johnny scowled.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t ask you if you were tired,” he said -shortly. “Do as I tell you. Get on the scales -after your shower and let me know your weight. -Maybe you’d better come back here after you’re -dressed and watch scrimmage. I may want to -use you to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>So Jim jogged around the field, his eyes on -the others as he went, and wished heartily that -he had come out for the team at the beginning -of the term. Had he done that, he reflected, -he might now be one of the fortunate number -running through signals. Well, he reflected, -he hadn’t done so badly for the first time. He -doubted if Johnny even suspected what a green -candidate he was. And he meant to learn. -They thought he could play good football and -he meant to prove them right!</p> - -<p>Half way down the backstretch of the running -track he passed near Poke who was going<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -through signals with the first squad. Poke -waved to him and grinned.</p> - -<p>“How’d you get on?” he called.</p> - -<p>“Pretty fair,” replied Jim. “And I hope -you choke!”</p> - -<p>But he really didn’t. He had quite forgiven -Poke by now, for without Poke’s conspiracy -he would probably not be where he was. Completing -the circuit of the field, he trotted off -to the gymnasium, had his shower, found that -he tipped the scales at one hundred and thirty-one -and a half, dressed and hurried back to -the gridiron just in time to see Sargent kick off -the ball for the scrimmage with the second -team. Afterwards he waited for Gil and Poke -and walked home with them through the early -dusk, rather lame and tired but supremely -happy.</p> - -<p>At the supper table football was the one subject -and Mrs. Hazard alone failed to show enthusiasm -over Jim’s conversion. She was -very glad, she said, that they were going to -let Jim play if he really wanted to, but she did -wish that football wasn’t quite so dangerous. -Whereupon Poke deluged her with a mass -of impromptu statistics proving beyond the -shadow of a doubt that, with the possible exception<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -of croquet, football was the safest -amusement extant. Mrs. Hazard smiled and -sighed, but remained unconvinced. Mr. Hanks -did not appear at the beginning of the meal, -nor had he come down when the cake and preserves -began to circulate, and Hope was despatched -to his room to summon him. She -returned alone to report that the instructor -wished no supper.</p> - -<p>“No supper!” exclaimed Mrs. Hazard. -“But he must have something, Hope. You -shall take some toast and tea up to him. I’ll -set a tray when we’ve finished. I do wish he -would eat more, Jim; I’m getting real worried -about him.”</p> - -<p>After supper the boys returned to the porch, -still talking football, while Mrs. Hazard fixed -up a tray for Mr. Hanks and Hope bore it upstairs. -Poke was narrating humorously the -tale of what he called Jim’s deception against -Duncan Sargent and Johnny when Hope appeared -at the hall door, breathless and dismayed.</p> - -<p>“Oh, boys!” she cried. “What do you -think has happened?”</p> - -<p>Four pairs of startled eyes questioned her.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Hanks is going to leave!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a><br /> -<small>MR. HANKS ACCEPTS ADVICE</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">There was a moment of silence, broken at -length by Gil.</p> - -<p>“Going to leave!” he exclaimed. “You’re -not fooling, Hope?”</p> - -<p>“No. I took his tray up and he was writing -at his desk. I told him he just must eat some -supper and he said we were very kind and he -would drink some tea. And then—then he was -afraid he’d been a great deal of trouble to us -and that he wouldn’t be that much longer as he -was going to leave the school. And I said, ‘Oh, -Mr. Hanks!’—just like that—and he said he -was sorry to leave and—and he thanked me for -bringing the tray and—and I ran out of -the room because—because—” Hope’s eyes -were “because” enough. The boys looked -away while she dashed a wisp of a handkerchief -across them. Poke whistled between his teeth, -much out of tune. “I—I think it’s just—just<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -too horrid for anything!” ended Hope -tremulously.</p> - -<p>Jim stirred his feet uneasily and Gil cleared -his throat as if to speak and then evidently -thought better of it. Hope subsided on the arm -of a porch rocker. It was Jeffrey who spoke -first.</p> - -<p>“I’m awfully sorry,” he said. “I suppose -we’re all to blame to some extent.”</p> - -<p>“If he had any grit—” began Poke.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to punch that fellow’s head,” Jim -growled.</p> - -<p>“What fellow? Bull Gary?” asked Gil.</p> - -<p>Jim nodded.</p> - -<p>“What are we going to do?” demanded -Hope anxiously.</p> - -<p>“I don’t see that there’s anything we can -do,” answered Gil. “I’m sorry he’s going, for -he really isn’t a bad sort. But he’d never get -on here because the fellows have found out that -they can do just as they please with him. If -he’d put his foot down hard the first day and -made Bull and a few of the others walk the -plank he wouldn’t have had any trouble. As it -is now I guess he’s wise to quit.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all well enough for you,” demurred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -Jim, “but we can’t afford to lose a lodger. So, -by hooky, something’s just got to be done!”</p> - -<p>“If we went up and asked him to stay don’t -you think perhaps he would?” asked Hope.</p> - -<p>“Sure! He’d do anything to oblige us,” replied -Poke ironically.</p> - -<p>“You needn’t be sarcastic,” murmured Hope -aggrievedly. “I don’t think you’ve been very -nice about it anyway, Poke.”</p> - -<p>There was a silence after this that lasted until -Jeffrey, who had been staring thoughtfully into -the dusk, said:</p> - -<p>“Look here, if some one can induce Nancy -to turn over a new leaf now and—er—buck -up, you know, he won’t have much trouble, will -he? It isn’t too late, is it?”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid so,” said Gil.</p> - -<p>“I’m not,” said Poke. “But he wouldn’t -do it; he doesn’t know how.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think he’d mind if we suggested -something of the sort to him?” pursued Jeffrey. -The rest looked doubtful, but Hope broke out -eagerly with:</p> - -<p>“Of course he wouldn’t! He’s just as nice -and—and good-natured as he can be. Let’s -do it!”</p> - -<p>But Poke hung back. “He’d probably tell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -us to mind our own miserable business,” he objected.</p> - -<p>“There’d be no harm in trying it,” said Jim. -“Let’s all go up and tell him we’ve heard that -he’s going to leave and that we’re sorry and—and—”</p> - -<p>“And then what?” asked Poke. “Tell him -he doesn’t know his business and that he’s made -a mess of things?”</p> - -<p>“Why not?” asked Jeffrey quietly. “It’s -so, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“If you’ll do the talking,” suggested Jim, -“it’ll be all right, Jeff. What do you say, -Gil?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’ll go.”</p> - -<p>“Will you, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Not by a long shot!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Poke, I think you might!” wailed -Hope. “It’s partly your fault, and you know -it is, and I think you might do what you can -to—to help.”</p> - -<p>“Gee, you talk as though I was to blame for -everything,” Poke growled. “Anybody would -think—”</p> - -<p>“Oh, cut out the grouch,” said Gil. “Nobody’s -asking you to do anything except go up -there and hear Jeff talk.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I think you’d better do the talking,” objected -Jeffrey. “You’re the oldest, Gil.”</p> - -<p>“You can do it better. If you need help the -rest of us will come to your assistance. Ready -now? Know what you’re going to say?”</p> - -<p>“Not exactly,” laughed Jeffrey, “but I -guess I can stumble through with it.”</p> - -<p>“Good!” said Jim eagerly. “Let’s go before -we lose courage.”</p> - -<p>So, Gil and Jeffrey leading and Poke ambling -along behind with his hands in his pockets and -a general expression of disapprobation about -him, the five mounted the stairs and knocked at -the door of the instructor’s room. Bidden to -enter, <a href="#i_p153">they found Mr. Hanks at his desk</a>, pen in -hand and a pile of manuscript at his elbow. He -had taken his tea, Hope observed, but nothing -else on the tray had been touched. As the -embassy filed into the room Mr. Hanks arose -from his chair with a look of surprise and embarrassment.</p> - -<p>“Good evening, sir,” began Jeffrey. “May -we come in for a minute if you’re not too -busy?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<a id="i_p153"> - <img src="images/i_p153.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_152">They found Mr. Hanks at his desk.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154-<br />155]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Er—certainly! How do you do? Won’t -you—won’t you be seated?” Mr. Hanks -glanced around nervously in search of accommodations. -Gil and Poke simplified matters by -seating themselves on the edge of the bed, leaving -the chairs for the others. Mr. Hanks laid -aside the tortoise-shell spectacles he was wearing, -pushed his manuscript aside, drew it back -again, smiled doubtfully and subsided in his -chair.</p> - -<p>“You—er—you wanted to see me?” he -asked, clearing his throat nervously.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” replied Jeffrey. “Hope has -just told us, sir, that you are thinking of leaving -Crofton.”</p> - -<p>“Yes.” Mr. Hanks glanced down at his papers. -“Yes, I have decided to resign,” he replied, -in tones which he strove to make sound -businesslike and matter-of-fact.</p> - -<p>“We’re awfully sorry to hear it, Mr. -Hanks,” said Jeffrey earnestly.</p> - -<p>“Terribly sorry,” said Hope.</p> - -<p>“Very,” said Gil.</p> - -<p>“You bet,” said Jim.</p> - -<p>Poke growled something inarticulate.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks glanced around in surprise and -embarrassment.</p> - -<p>“Why—er—that’s very good of you all, -very kind of you, I’m sure,” he murmured. -“I—I regret the necessity of leaving, myself.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -I was getting very fond of the school, quite attached. -And this place—” he looked about -the room—“suits me very well. The light is -excellent, you see, and owing to the fact that my -eyes are not what they used to be I have to be -very particular about—er—about light.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” said Jeffrey. “Mr. Hanks, -maybe we’re sort of intruding on your affairs, -sir, but when we heard about your leaving we -got to talking it over and we decided that we’d -come up here and ask you to—to reconsider.” -Mr. Hanks opened his mouth to speak, but -Jeffrey hurried on. “We may be wrong, sir, -but our idea is that you’re leaving because -some of us haven’t been acting very well in -class.”</p> - -<p>“I think I have no complaint to make about -any of you young gentlemen,” replied Mr. -Hanks, looking from one to the other and allowing -his eyes to rest on Poke, for what the -youth thought was an unnecessary length of -time. “But I won’t attempt to deny that your—your -assumption is correct, Latham. The -fact is that I am, I find, quite unsuited to the -work here. The position I have tried to fill requires -a man with more experience than I have -had.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p> - -<p>“May we talk right out plain, Mr. Hanks?” -asked Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“Why, I think so,” replied the instructor, a -trifle bewildered.</p> - -<p>“Then what we came up here to say, sir, is -just this. There isn’t any reason why you -should leave us on account of what’s been going -on in class. Of course we fellows haven’t any -right to act the way we’ve been acting, but I -guess it’s more than half your fault, Mr. -Hanks. You see, sir, if you’d started right -with us we’d have behaved ourselves, but you -didn’t understand, I guess. If you’d sent a -couple of fellows up to Mr. Gordon the first -time there was trouble the whole thing would -have stopped right there, but you didn’t and -the fellows think now they can do as they please. -That’s where the trouble is.”</p> - -<p>“Er—yes—I dare say. Yes, I realize -now that I should have acted—er—differently, -that I should have been—er—stern.” -(Gil tried not to grin at the thought of Mr. -Hanks being stern.) “Doubtless, I have, as -you say, followed a mistaken course with the -classes. I see that now. But the damage is -done, Latham, and so—so I think the best -thing to do is to retire in favor of some man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -who can—er—who understands you young -gentlemen better than I do.” Poke thought he -detected a faint emphasis on the word gentlemen. -He hadn’t meant to open his mouth, but -he suddenly found himself speaking.</p> - -<p>“What’s the use, sir?” he asked. “Why -don’t you stick it out and start over, sir? Kick -a few fellows out of class, send a few up to J. G. -and sock some extra work onto a few more? -That’ll fix ’em in the shake of a lamb’s tail! It -isn’t too late, Mr. Hanks.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks shook his head, however. “I’m -afraid it is,” he said. “Anything I might do -now would be quite futile. They have—er—taken -my measure, so to speak.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t agree with you, sir,” said Gil. -“I think Poke is right. I think if you’ll start -in to-morrow and sit down hard on the first -fellow who starts anything you’ll have things in -shape in no time at all. Of course, you’ll have -to keep it up for awhile, sir, but it won’t be long -before the fellows will find out that you’re not -to be monkeyed with. You see, sir, the fact is -none of us have anything against you; I guess -we all like you pretty well; anyhow, this bunch -here does; it’s just that here at Crofton every -new faculty has to be hazed a little. Usually<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -they stand about so much of it and then something -drops and it’s all over. You didn’t quite -understand, sir, and you let things run along. -Why not do as Poke says, Mr. Hanks? Why -not stay where you are and hit out from the -shoulder once or twice?”</p> - -<p>“Hit out from—You don’t mean <em>strike</em> -any one?” gasped the instructor.</p> - -<p>“No, sir,” Gil laughed, “not actually. I -mean punish some one good and hard; set an example -for the whole class.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” Mr. Hanks was visibly relieved. -“You—you think that would—er—accomplish -something?”</p> - -<p>“I’m certain of it,” replied Gil decidedly.</p> - -<p>“Sure to,” said Poke.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks played with his pen for a minute. -Then he looked up with a helpless smile at Gil.</p> - -<p>“What—what could I do?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Why, sir, the first time any fellow does anything -in class he shouldn’t, call him down.”</p> - -<p>“Call him down?” questioned Mr. Hanks, -at a loss.</p> - -<p>“Reprimand him, I mean. Then if he -doesn’t behave send him to Mr. Gordon. Mr. -Gordon will stand back of you, sir; he always -does. Take Gary for instance, sir. If you did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -that just once with him he’d come back as meek -as a kitten.”</p> - -<p>“And what would Mr. Gordon do to him?”</p> - -<p>Gil shrugged his shoulders. “He might do -most anything, sir. It would depend on what -Gary had done. He might put him on probation, -he might send him home for the rest of -the term, he might expel him for keeps.”</p> - -<p>“But I shouldn’t want anything like that to -happen to the boy,” said Mr. Hanks in alarm. -“He has been very trying to me; in fact, I -have sometimes suspected that in a way he has -been at the bottom of most of my troubles, what -I might call a ringleader, Benton.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, that might be,” replied Gil -gravely.</p> - -<p>“Yes. But even so I should very much dislike -to be the cause of his being sent from school -even temporarily.”</p> - -<p>“He wouldn’t be if you told J. G. to be -easy with him,” said Poke. “That’s what -Gary needs, though, Mr. Hanks, a good scare. -You throw one into him and see what a difference -it will make.”</p> - -<p>“I do wish you’d try it, please, sir,” said -Hope.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks was silent a moment. Once he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -sighed deeply. Once he smiled slightly at the -pen he was rolling between his long fingers. -Finally he looked up.</p> - -<p>“This has been very kind of you,” he said -quietly. “I appreciate your—your interest. -I thank you—all.”</p> - -<p>“And you’ll try it?” cried Hope eagerly.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks smiled and shook his head. “I -must consider it,” he answered. “The plan is—is -revolutionary. I have great doubts of my -ability in the rôle you have assigned me. But—I -will think it over.”</p> - -<p>“And meanwhile you’ll stay, won’t you, -sir?” asked Jim anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I shall—er—postpone any action in -regard to my resignation for the present. I—I -have no wish to leave here. My room is very -comfortable and the light is—er—excellent.”</p> - -<p>“Well, we don’t want you to leave,” said -Poke gruffly. “And I guess you won’t need to -if you take our advice, sir. Good night, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Good night,” responded Mr. Hanks, rising, -“good night. I thank you all very much.”</p> - -<p>“Shall I take your tray away?” asked Hope.</p> - -<p>“Eh? Why—er—no. I rather think I’ll -eat a little of the—er—whatever it is. I -really feel a bit hungry.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a><br /> -<small>ON THE SECOND</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Whether Mr. Hanks meant to profit by -the advice so frankly given him remained -a question for several days. On Friday -his classes in Latin and history presented -the usual disordered appearance and the instructor’s -attitude remained the same. It -seemed to Gil, however, that Mr. Hanks was a -little quieter and a little less nervous than usual; -that he was silently studying the situation. -But Gil may only have imagined that. There -were no actual outbreaks of disorder on Friday, -although Brandon Gary and his crowd indulged -to their hearts’ content in minor annoyances. -Saturday Mr. Hanks had only classes -in Latin and for almost the first time since his -appearance at Crofton recitations went off -quietly and in order, due to the fact that the -first football game of the season was to be -played that afternoon and every fellow in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -school was much too absorbed in that to have -either time or inclination for mischief.</p> - -<p>On Friday Jim had weathered another day of -practice without results damaging to his reputation -for skill and experience. He had signal -practice with the third squad and by dint of -maintaining an appearance of ease and doing -what the others did as best he could he had -managed to deceive even Johnny Connell. -Johnny was puzzled however. He confided as -much to Duncan Sargent.</p> - -<p>“I don’t understand how he can handle himself -as awkwardly as he does, Cap,” said -Johnny. “He seems to know what to do all -right, but he makes all sorts of false moves -while he’s doing it.”</p> - -<p>“He can play, though, can’t he?” asked Sargent, -his mind only half on the subject.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it looks so,” answered Johnny.</p> - -<p>“Well, let’s see what we can do with him. -If we take Curtis from the second squad we’ll -need some one in his place who can put up a -fight against Cosgrove. Think Hazard would -fit in?”</p> - -<p>“I guess so. He’s got the build and he’s -strong as a colt—and just about as awkward.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -Of course, that may be because he hasn’t had -much practice.”</p> - -<p>“I shouldn’t wonder,” murmured the captain. -“What time is it? Can we start the -scrimmage?”</p> - -<p>On Saturday all Sunnywood went to the -game, Gil and Poke to play, Jim to sit on the -substitutes’ bench, Jeffrey, with Mrs. Hazard -and Hope as his guests, to follow the play with -the keenest enjoyment and to elucidate to his -companions what everything meant. Crofton -High School was not a dangerous opponent, although -in the matter of practice she was a whole -fortnight ahead of Crofton. Her work showed -a finish that was quite absent from that of the -home eleven and only the fact that her team was -lighter and her plays old fashioned allowed -Crofton to win the contest. At the end of the -second period Crofton had a touchdown and a -safety to her credit and High School had only -once been dangerous. Then a try at goal from -the twenty-five yards had gone badly astray. -In the third period four substitutes went in for -Crofton and there was no scoring by either -team. The fourth period began for the Crimson-and-Gray -with what was practically an entirely -new eleven, only Tearney at right end and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -Poke at right half remaining in. The periods -were ten minutes long and when only six -minutes of the game remained Crofton High -began to make headway through the Academy’s -line and at last secured a second try at goal from -the field. This time her kicker was successful -from the thirty-two-yard line and High School -chalked three points to her credit. It was after -that feat, while the teams were resuming their -places for the kick-off, that Johnny beckoned to -Jim, who, sandwiched in between big Andy LaGrange, -the first string center, and “Punk” -Gibbs of the second, had been comfortably -watching the progress of the conflict with no -thought of participating. Jim stared unbelievingly -until Johnny called him impatiently -and Gibbs dug an unkind elbow against his ribs. -Then Jim squirmed from the bench and struggled -with his sweater.</p> - -<p>“Go in for Curtis at left tackle,” said -Johnny. “You know the signals, don’t you?”</p> - -<p>Jim nodded, trying hard to recall one single -thing about them!</p> - -<p>“All right. Hurry up. Show me what you -can do. And play low, Hazard!”</p> - -<p>Jim sped out on to the gridiron, searching -wildly for the referee, his heart thumping<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -alarmingly as he realized that he was to take -part in an actual contest. He found the official, -sent Curtis off grumbling and took his -place. Perhaps luckily for Jim he was not -called on for any special feats of prowess during -the short time that remained, for he was decidedly -nervous. To his credit, however, it -may be said that he broke through well and, on -the defense, held his adversary fairly. There -was no more scoring and just as Jim had regained -his confidence and was beginning to enjoy -the fray the final whistle was blown and it -was all over, the score 7 to 3 in favor of the -Academy.</p> - -<p>In the gymnasium later Jim ran into Duncan -Sargent. Sargent, his powerful body, scantily -draped with a bath towel, glowing from the effects -of a shower, stopped him.</p> - -<p>“Good work, Hazard,” he said cordially. -“I watched you to-day. Keep it up and we’ll -find a place for you before the season’s done. -There’s just one thing, though, old man, and -that is: <em>Play low!</em> Try to remember that, will -you?” And the captain passed on with a -smile and a nod, leaving Jim very pleased and -a little remorseful.</p> - -<p>Perhaps no one was more delighted with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -events of the afternoon than Hope. She made -heroes of Gil and Poke and Jim, and especially -Jim. “You played perfectly jimmy!” she declared. -“And I saw Grace Andrews there and -I was just as proud and sticky as—as anything! -Wasn’t it too funny, Jim, you should -have played against her brother?”</p> - -<p>“Was that who he was?” asked Jim. “I -didn’t know his name. He’s pretty light for a -tackle.”</p> - -<p>(Jim, you see, was already talking like an -expert.)</p> - -<p>“Well, anyhow, you played all around him. -Jeff said so. And we beat them, didn’t we?”</p> - -<p>“We ought to. We were pounds heavier, -sis.”</p> - -<p>“I wish you could have seen Lady when -Jeff told her that you were going to play. She -covered up her face with her hands and then -looked through her fingers every minute!”</p> - -<p>That was Jim’s baptism by fire and those few -minutes of play gave him new courage to go on -with his rôle. On Monday practice was lengthened -and the work became a good deal like -drudgery. One had to have a real passion for -football in order to really get any enjoyment -out of the proceedings. For the first part of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -the week scrimmaging was abandoned entirely, -and Johnny, who had detected a lack of fundamental -knowledge in the players, took them -back to first principles, and even Duncan Sargent -himself was put to tackling the dummy -and handling the ball. On Thursday the one -scrimmage of the week was held and Jim fought -through ten minutes on the second team at left -tackle and had his hands very full in keeping -Cosgrove and Shepard, who opposed him, from -making him look like the inexperienced player -he was. But Jim kept his wits about him, -worked hard, bluffed harder, and pulled through -creditably. And every day now he was gaining -knowledge and knack and football sense. -And every day the awkwardness which had puzzled -the trainer was wearing off. Jim had -strength of body and plenty of sound sense, and -he was developing both every day. And so, -by the end of that week, the school was taking -notice of him and fellows were discussing his -chance of ousting Curtis from the second team. -In short, he had made good. And Poke was as -pleased as might be.</p> - -<p>“What did I tell you, Jimmy, my boy?” he -asked that Friday night. “Didn’t I tell you -I’d make a real player out of you? Didn’t I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -tell you you’d be down on your knees thanking -me for my efforts in your behalf, you ungrateful -pup?”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m not going down on my knees,” -laughed Jim. “They’re much too lame.”</p> - -<p>“Look here, Jim,” broke in Jeffrey excitedly, -“if you can manage to get on the first -team before the season’s through think what -it would mean! Why, out of eleven men -there’d be three from Sunnywood!”</p> - -<p>“Rah for Sunnywood!” cried Poke. -“Don’t you worry, Senator; Jim will make the -first yet. I’ve got it all doped out. Listen, -my children: Marshall won’t last long. He’s -a good player, but he had whooping cough or -something—”</p> - -<p>“Measles,” corrected Gil.</p> - -<p>“Well, measles, then, in the summer, and he -can’t stand the pace. Johnny sees that already. -That’s why Curtis has been playing at left -tackle in practice. But Curtis is too slow. He -may stay first choice, but it’s pounds to pennies -that if Jim keeps on coming he will find -himself first sub when the Hawthorne game -comes along. Now you fellows mark my -words!”</p> - -<p>“You’re a wonderful little prophet, Poke,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -said Gil. “Still, I shouldn’t be surprised if -things turned out something like that. Keep -it up, Jim. You’re doing fine!”</p> - -<p>“Think I’ll get in to-morrow?” asked Jim -anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Sure to for a while,” replied Poke. -“Why, Dun Sargent’s tickled to death with -you. He’s thanked me half a dozen times for -getting you out. And now he thinks I’m the -one best bet as a football scout. Wants me to -keep my eyes open and find him a good left end -in Gil’s place.” And Poke scampered before -Gil could reach him.</p> - -<p>Jim did get into the next day’s game, just as -Poke had predicted, and although he had one -bad fumble to his discredit he played a good -game through one whole period and more than -atoned for his fault. And Jim was not the only -one to fumble the pigskin that day. Even Gil -lost the chance of a clean touchdown by letting -the ball roll out of his arms when tackled on the -five-yard line, while Arnold, the quarter-back, -twice offended. But in spite of these misadventures -Crofton had no trouble in rolling up -seventeen points against her adversary.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Mr. Hanks had given no sign. -There was less trouble in his classes nowadays,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -possibly because the whole school was so much -interested in football, and it began to look as -though the instructor’s troubles were over. -But on the following Tuesday, Brandon Gary, -realizing possibly, that he had neglected his duties -as a cut-up, gave his attention again to -Mr. Hanks. That was at five minutes past ten.</p> - -<p>At a quarter past ten Gary was sitting in -Mr. Gordon’s office.</p> - -<p>At twelve o’clock it was known all over school -that Bull Gary was on probation.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a><br /> -<small>GARY IS SURPRISED</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Let Gil and Poke tell about Gary’s surprise -party, for they were eye-witnesses.</p> - -<p>“You could have knocked me over with a -feather,” declared Poke—the four Sunnywood -boys were on their way back to the cottage at -noon—“and I never thought Nancy Hanks -had it in him! Here’s the way it was. Most -of the class were in their seats and Mort Nichols—he’s -monitor, you know—was calling -the roll. When he got to the G’s he skipped -Bull’s name because he could see that Bull -wasn’t there. Mort’s rather a chum of Bull’s, -you know. But Nancy was on to him. -‘You’ve left out a name, Nichols,’ says he. -‘Go back, please.’ So Mort gets sort of red -and calls, ‘Gary.’ And Bull, who had just -come loafing in at the door says, ‘Dead on the -field of battle,’ and the fellows began to laugh. -It really was funny, wasn’t it, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“Rather.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Pshaw! You laughed, too. I saw you. -Well, Nancy never turned a hair—”</p> - -<p>“The funny thing,” interrupted Gil, “was -the way Mr. Hanks was looking. He was sort -of white and frightened and he had his mouth -set in a straight line like—like this.” And -Gil illustrated. “I never saw him look that -way before.”</p> - -<p>“And he had a funny little sparkle in his -eyes,” said Poke. “Did you notice that, -Gil?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. He really looked kind of dangerous -and I was mighty glad I wasn’t Bull Gary just -then.”</p> - -<p>“Well, get on with your story,” said Jim. -“Then what happened?”</p> - -<p>“Then,” replied Gil, “Mr. Hanks said, -‘Are we to understand by that cryptic remark, -Gary, that you desire to be marked as present?’ -And Bull was so flabbergasted that all -he could do was stammer, ‘Y-yes, sir.’ ‘Mark -Gary present,’ said Mr. Hanks. So Mort went -on with the roll and we began the recitation, -all the fellows looking at each other and wondering -what had happened to Mr. Hanks. -Marshall was reciting when there was a crash -at the back of the room. It seems that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -Bull had reached out with his foot and poked -over a pile of books on Punk Gibbs’ desk. Mr. -Hanks held up a hand and Marshall stopped. -‘Whose books are those?’ he asked. ‘Mine, -sir,’ replied Punk very, very meekly. ‘Pick -them up, please.’ So Punk picked them up and -put them back and the room was very quiet. -Every one was grinning, but no one made a -sound. Marshall started off again when—<em>bang!</em> -went the pile of books once more. Mr. -Hanks lifted his hand. ‘Whose books are -those?’ he asked again. ‘Mine,’ said Punk, -looking sort of scared. ‘Pick them up, please.’ -‘I didn’t knock them off,’ grumbled Punk. -‘Who did?’ asked Mr. Hanks. But Punk -wouldn’t tell. Then Mr. Hanks said, ‘The student -who pushed those books onto the floor will -kindly pick them up.’ No one moved for a -minute. ‘We will wait,’ said Mr. Hanks, and -sat down again in his chair. Finally Punk -grumbled something and started to pick them -up, when Mr. Hanks said: ‘Let them alone, -Gibbs!’ And Punk sat up as though he was -shot. Another minute or so passed. Some -one began to snigger nervously at the back of -the room. ‘Who’s that laughing?’ asked Mr. -Hanks. After that there wasn’t a sound.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> -Finally Mr. Hanks looked at the clock. ‘I’ve -given you plenty of time,’ he said, ‘but you may -have thirty seconds more in which to replace -those books,’ and he looked straight at Bull. -Bull grinned, but didn’t move.”</p> - -<p>“Just the same,” broke in Poke, “he was -getting pretty nervous.”</p> - -<p>“We all were,” said Gil. “Finally Mr. -Hanks said, ‘Time’s up, Gary. You’re delaying -the recitation.’ ‘I didn’t knock them off,’ -said Bull in his ugliest tones. ‘You didn’t?’ -asked Mr. Hanks very quietly. ‘Think well, -Gary, before you answer.’ Bull looked around -and grinned. ‘No, I didn’t,’ said he. And -then Mr. Hanks, our quiet little Nancy Hanks, -exploded a bombshell. ‘Report to Mr. Gordon, -Gary,’ said he sternly. Bull sat and -looked at him with his mouth wide open, too -surprised to speak, and the rest of us just -gasped. Finally Bull said, ‘What for, sir?’ -in that bullying way of his, and Mr. Hanks came -back at him like a flash. ‘For disturbance in -class and lying!’ he said!”</p> - -<p>“And that,” murmured Poke, “was the way -the battle was fit.”</p> - -<p>“Gee!” said Jim. “Gary must have been -surprised.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Did he go right away?” asked Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“Like a lamb,” answered Gil. “And then, -‘Please continue, Marshall,’ said Mr. Hanks. -And there wasn’t a better-behaved class in -school than we were!”</p> - -<p>“Just what we told him would happen,” declared -Poke. “He ought to be mighty grateful -to us for giving him the tip.”</p> - -<p>“He will probably send up a set of engraved -resolutions, thanking us,” said Jim dryly.</p> - -<p>“What I want to know is,” remarked Jeffrey -as they passed through the cottage gate, “what -the team’s going to do without Gary at right -guard.”</p> - -<p>“I wonder myself,” mused Gil as they -took their places on the porch. “Probably -they’ll bring Parker over from the second. -But it’s going to weaken the team like anything.”</p> - -<p>“How long will J. G. keep him on pro?” -asked Poke.</p> - -<p>“Search me. Maybe he will let him back in -time for the big game. That’s not much more -than a month away now.”</p> - -<p>“I hope he will,” said Jeffrey. “We certainly -need him in the line.”</p> - -<p>“But think of Nancy rearing up and being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -saucy like that!” marveled Poke. “I could -hardly believe my own little eyes, fellows!”</p> - -<p>“It’s a case of the worm will turn,” observed -Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“And here comes the worm,” whispered -Jim.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks came along the road with a bundle -of blue books under his arm. He had discarded -his straw hat for a faded black Fedora -that was perhaps two sizes too large for him -and that settled down over his forehead in -a desperate and rakish manner. To-day it -seemed to the boys on the porch that the instructor -held his head more erect and stepped -out more briskly. When he came up the steps -they were all on their feet and unconsciously -there was a new respect in the way in which -they stood at attention and took off their caps. -Mr. Hanks bowed his jerky bow and passed -them silently. When he was heard mounting -the stairs Jim observed thoughtfully:</p> - -<p>“‘Nancy’ doesn’t seem to fit him so well -to-day, fellows.”</p> - -<p>Naturally enough Mr. Hanks’ astounding -change from the meek and lowly victim to the -high-handed martinet was a nine days’ wonder. -During that nine days three other members<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -of his classes were punished in various -ways and from that time on recitations in Latin -and history were conducted with a decorum -that soon became the envy of other instructors. -Mr. Hanks never spoke to Gil or Poke, Jim or -Jeffrey about the matter, nor did he ever show -them any special consideration in class, but in -some way they all understood that he was grateful, -and with their new respect for him was a -stronger liking.</p> - -<p>In the meanwhile football affairs were at -sixes and sevens for the better part of a week, -for Gary’s probation prohibited him from taking -part in athletics and when he left the team -the team lost one of its strongest units. Parker -was tried, but found wanting. Springer, left -guard on the second, was brought across to the -first but fared badly in the first game played. -Finally Cosgrove, right tackle on the first, was -moved to Gary’s vacant place, and Curtis, of -the second, was promoted to right tackle on -the first. Whereupon, presto!—Mr. James -Hazard found himself with disconcerted suddenness -playing left tackle on the second team! -And the season was half over and already the -Hawthorne game loomed large and impending -on the horizon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> - -<p>To say that Jim was pleased is putting it but -mildly. To say that he was secretly alarmed -is no more than the truth. It is one thing to -serve as a substitute and be put in for five or -ten minutes when the game is safe and quite -another to be a first string man. On defense -Jim found himself opposed to Tearney, right -end on the first, and that was not so bad, but -on the attack he had Cosgrove in front of him -and Cosgrove was an old and experienced -player with a most irritating trick of coaxing -Jim off-side, for which, for the first week or -so, Jim was forever being censured by coach -and captain and quarter-back. Of course playing -on the second team is not as momentous -an affair as being on the ’varsity, but it’s the -next biggest thing, and if any one thinks that -a second team doesn’t take itself very seriously -they should have watched proceedings at Crofton -that fall. The second, captained by Page, -the tiny quarter-back, went into every tussle -as though the fair honor of Crofton was in their -keeping. The second regretted the loss of Curtis, -but speedily made Jim welcome to their -ranks. He soon got close to several fellows -well worth knowing and within a fortnight was -“Jim” to every member of the team.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span></p> - -<p>At Sunnywood, true to their promise, <a href="#i_p181">Gil -and Poke assisted in the household duties</a> every -morning and evening. Mrs. Hazard had instead -of one majordomo three cheerfully willing -assistants. Chilly weather had come and the -furnace had begun its duty, and in the morning -the three boys descended to the cellar and -put it in shape, raking out ashes and sifting -them, shoveling coal, picking over cinders and -splitting kindling for the kitchen. Jeffrey, although -barred from taking an active part in the -chores, made himself useful whenever possible. -In the evening a somewhat similar program was -carried out, and at ten o’clock Poke, who had -evolved certain theories for the scientific management -of furnaces, went down and fixed the -fire for the night. In this way Jim had plenty -of time to pursue the gentle art of football.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<a id="i_p181"> - <img src="images/i_p181.jpg" width="600" height="435" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_180">Gil and Poke assisted in the household duties.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a><br /> -<small>POKE ON CANOES</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">It was shortly after Mr. Hanks’ disconcerting -assumption of the rôle of despot that Jeffrey -crossed the hall to Gil and Poke’s room one -Friday evening.</p> - -<p>“Are you fellows still grinding?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“We are still studying,” responded Poke. -“Please try to abstain from slang, Mr. Latham. -I don’t care so much about myself, but it sets -a bad example for my friend across the table. -I have to be very careful about him. His parents -have placed him in my charge, you see. -Well, what’s on your mind, old top?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve been thinking,” said Jeffrey gravely.</p> - -<p>“I know.” Poke nodded sympathetically. -“It does make you feel sort of queer, doesn’t -it? Have a glass of water?”</p> - -<p>“That might give him water on the brain,” -observed Gil, looking up from his book.</p> - -<p>Poke observed him sorrowfully. “Your<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -humor, Gil, is heavy, very heavy. Go on with -your Latin, my poor fellow.”</p> - -<p>“How the dickens can I, when you two chaps -are talking?” asked Gil mildly, pushing his -book away.</p> - -<p>“I thought you’d be through,” said Jeffrey. -“I’ll come in again later.”</p> - -<p>“Sit still, Jeff. I am through. I was just -taking a fall out of Monday’s stuff. Where’s -Jim?”</p> - -<p>“Over there; studying math.” Jeffrey indicated -his room with a jerk of his head. “I’ve -been thinking—”</p> - -<p>“You said that before,” interrupted Poke -sweetly.</p> - -<p>“Shut up, Poke! Let him think if he wants -to. Just because you never do it—”</p> - -<p>“Let him tell it, Gil, can’t you? Always interrupting -and annoying folks with your -beastly chatter. Go ahead, Jeff; don’t mind -him; you’ve been thinking; now what’s the -rest? Bet you I know the answer!”</p> - -<p>Jeff aimed a blow at Poke’s shins with the -end of a crutch and Poke kicked his feet up just -in time. “He’s getting crutchity, Gil,” he -said sadly.</p> - -<p>Gil threatened him with a book from the table<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -and Poke retired to the other side of the -room.</p> - -<p>“You see,” said Jeff, taking advantage of -Poke’s retreat to state his errand, “you see, -fellows, I’ve been thinking—”</p> - -<p>There was a chuckle from the window seat -which turned quickly into a cough as Gil swung -around in that direction, the book still in his -hand. Jeffrey smiled.</p> - -<p>“Thinking,” he went on, “about getting a -canoe.”</p> - -<p>“Gee, but I’m glad you aren’t thinking -about getting a steam yacht!” ejaculated Poke. -“You’d have brain fever by this time!”</p> - -<p>“They say there’s a man named Sandford -up the river who makes corkers.”</p> - -<p>“There is; at Riverbend. There are two -or three up there who make canoes,” replied -Gil.</p> - -<p>“Well, I’ve always heard that Sandford’s -were the best. I think—”</p> - -<p>“He’s at it again!” groaned Poke, who had -fortified himself with half a dozen cushions. -“He’s at it again!”</p> - -<p>“I think I’ll buy one. Oughtn’t I get a -pretty good one for thirty dollars, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“I really don’t know, Jeff. Never bought a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -canoe in my life. I would think so, though. -How about it, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, am I to be allowed to speak?” asked -Poke in a muffled voice from behind his breastworks. -“Had to come to old Poke when you -wanted to know something, didn’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, shut up, you idiot!” laughed Gil. -“How much do canoes cost?”</p> - -<p>Poke emerged in a shower of cushions. -“Canoes?” he asked. “Well now, what kind -of canoes? There are canvas canoes, wooden -canoes, paper canoes, birch-bark canoes, steel -canoes, dug-outs—”</p> - -<p>“Dug-outs, of course,” replied Gil sarcastically. -“Those are what Sandford makes, -I suppose?”</p> - -<p>“Irony doesn’t become you,” responded -Poke critically. “Irony, Gil, should be indulged -in only by those having an iron constitution. -Returning to the subject of canoes and -the cost thereof—”</p> - -<p>“Thirty dollars will probably buy you a -first-class one, Jeff,” Gil interrupted. “When -are you going to—”</p> - -<p>“Thirty dollars will buy a very fair one -only,” Poke corrected. “Allow me, if you -please, to speak on this subject. I suppose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -there is no one in Crofton who has more knowledge -of canoes than I, Jeff. Canoes are—are -an open book to me. I can tell you where to -buy them, how to buy them, when to buy them—and -when not to! Also, I have full knowledge -of what to feed them and how to bring -them up. I suppose I’ve brought up more -canoes—”</p> - -<p>“Honestly, Poke, you’re silly,” said Gil disgustedly. -“We’re talking seriously, so shut -up or get out, will you?”</p> - -<p>“I can be just as serious as you can, you old -Mr. Grouch!” Poke returned to his chair at -the table, wearing an expression of intense -dignity. “Sandford’s eighteen-foot canoe, -Jeff, costs forty-two dollars, but you can get a -dandy sixteen-footer for thirty-five. It isn’t -finished quite as nicely, I believe. Sometimes -you can pick up a good second-hand one up -there. Perky Wright has one he only paid -about fifteen for. I don’t think it came from -Sandford, though. What’s that other fellow’s -name up there, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. There are two or three -others, aren’t there? Was Perky’s second-hand -when he got it, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and he had the fellow paint it all up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -as good as new. You’d never have known it -had been used before he got it, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>“I think I’d rather have a brand-new one,” -said Jeff doubtfully. “And I wouldn’t want -an eighteen-footer; sixteen is long enough. -Couldn’t you fellows go up there with me in -the morning and help me buy it?”</p> - -<p>“I guess so,” Gil answered. “We’d have -to go early, though; dinner’s at twelve to-morrow -on account of the game.”</p> - -<p>“We can go up on the train,” said Poke. -“Take the eight-something and be there in -five minutes.”</p> - -<p>“I thought we might paddle up,” suggested -Jeff. “It wouldn’t take very long.”</p> - -<p>“Hm, and who would do the paddling?” -asked Poke with elaborate carelessness.</p> - -<p>“I’d do most of it,” Jeffrey replied, “if -some one would take a hand in the bow.”</p> - -<p>“That’s Gil, then. He’s tried it and I never -have. How many can we get in a canoe? Is -Jim going along?”</p> - -<p>“No, he says he can’t. But I thought we -might take Hope if she’d like to go.”</p> - -<p>“Four of us in one frail bark?” demurred -Poke.</p> - -<p>“Of course; easy as pie.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I’ve seen six fellows in some of our canoes -here,” said Gil. “But I’m afraid you and I’ll -be a bit tired by the time we reach Riverbend, -Jeff. However, we can come back with the current.”</p> - -<p>“Gee,” exclaimed Poke, “I wish we didn’t -have a game to-morrow. We could take some -grub with us and have a picnic.”</p> - -<p>“Fine! Couldn’t we do it anyway?” Jeff -asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Why not, Poke? Johnny will let us off,” -said Gil. “We’ll get Lady to put us up a nice -big basket of grub and we’ll find a place along -the river and have a fine old time! Why can’t -Jim come along?”</p> - -<p>“He says he has to attend to some things -around the house in the morning,” answered -Jeff.</p> - -<p>“Shucks! Where is he? I’ll attend to -him!” And Poke disappeared across the -hall.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to make sure and be back by -one-thirty,” said Gil. “Game’s at two-thirty -to-morrow, you know. We’ll put on our old -things so we can fall overboard if we want to. -By the way, Jeff, what would happen to you if -the old thing did upset?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I’d swim ashore, I hope,” laughed Jeff.</p> - -<p>“Really? Can you swim with—with -those?” Gil was looking at the crutches.</p> - -<p>“No, I usually leave these behind when I -go in swimming,” replied Jeffrey with a smile. -“Swim is one thing I can do fairly well, Gil. -Funny, though, isn’t it? I suppose I do most -of it with my good leg, although I seem to get -some push with the other, too. If we upset, you -look after yourself; don’t worry about me; I -dare say I’d be ashore as soon as you.”</p> - -<p>“Here he is!” cried Poke in the doorway. -He had Jim by the coat collar. “Now apologize -to Mr. Latham for so rudely refusing his -kind invitation!”</p> - -<p>“I apologize,” laughed Jim.</p> - -<p>“Then you’ll go with us?” cried Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>Jim hesitated. “I oughtn’t to,” he began.</p> - -<p>“Oh, feathers!” said Poke, giving him a -shake. “Of course you’ll come. What have -you got to do here, I’d like to know?”</p> - -<p>“Lots of things; lay a carpet, for one.”</p> - -<p>“Lay it after you get back,” suggested Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“I want to see the game, thank you. Maybe, -though, I can do it to-morrow evening.”</p> - -<p>“Of course you can; carpets lay better in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -evening, anyhow.” And Poke released his -prisoner.</p> - -<p>“Will Hope come along?” asked Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“I guess so,” Jim replied. “Want me to -find out?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and say, Jim, while you’re about it -see if Lady will get up some sandwiches and -things for us, will you?”</p> - -<p>“Of course she will.” Jim went out to seek -his mother and sister, and Poke began to -chuckle.</p> - -<p>“What are you crying about?” asked Gil.</p> - -<p>“Oh, nothing much, thank you. I was just -wondering which of us, if Hope comes, is to -swim. For I’ll be switched if I want to go five -in a canoe.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” said Jeff. “I hadn’t thought -of that. Couldn’t we take two canoes, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“If we can get them, but some one will have -to get to the boat-house pretty early or they’ll -be taken; that is, if it’s a decent day. And who -will paddle the second one?”</p> - -<p>“Jim,” replied Jeffrey. “He can paddle -very well now. I’ve been showing him how.”</p> - -<p>“And who will take the bow paddle?” asked -Poke uneasily.</p> - -<p>“You, you lazy dub,” responded Gil<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -promptly. “If you can’t paddle a canoe it’s -time you learned how. You and Jeff can go in -one canoe, with Hope, and Jim and I will take -the other.”</p> - -<p>“All right, but don’t blame me if something -awful happens. I am subject to cramps, and -if I have a cramp I can’t paddle, and if I can’t -paddle we’ll upset, and if we upset—”</p> - -<p>“You’ll get wet,” ended Jeffrey. “So I -guess we’ll let you and Jim take care of the -luncheon, Gil.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t go if you’re going to put the luncheon -in his care,” declared Poke. “Why, there -wouldn’t be a smutch of it left by the time we -got to Riverbend. I insist on staying close to -the grub!”</p> - -<p>“As close as you want, but in another boat, -sweet youth,” replied Gil. “Here’s Jim. -What did she say, Jim?”</p> - -<p>“Which she? Lady says she will give us all -the lunch we want and Hope says she would -like to go very much indeed. To be quite exact, -fellows, she said it would be ‘perfectly jimmy!’”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a><br /> -<small>UP THE RIVER</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">They were off at nine o’clock the next morning, -Jeffrey and Poke in one canoe and -Jim and Gil and Hope in another. The basket -of luncheon reposed between Jeffrey and Poke, -the latter declaring that it was needed as ballast. -Their canoe was not a very good one and -was the smaller of the two, and Poke had only -secured it, from two juniors who were in possession -of it when he arrived at the boat-house, -by his moving eloquence. It was a fine autumn -morning, warm and sunny, and it seemed that -the whole school had elected to spend the forenoon -on the river. For the first quarter of a -mile the stream was alive with canoes and -skiffs. Then the throng dwindled and soon the -voyagers had the river to themselves.</p> - -<p>Poke was making hard work of paddling, although -all that Jeffrey required of him was -“push,” as he put it. “Just stick your blade<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -in, Poke, and push it back. I’ll look after the -steering.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all very well,” answered Poke, “but -I keep skinning my knuckles on the side of the -canoe.”</p> - -<p>“Then put your left hand higher up on the -paddle,” Jeffrey laughed. “And when you -get tired, change over to the other side.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not comfortable,” Poke grumbled -presently. “This thing you call a seat is as -hard as a rock. Why don’t they have cushions -in canoes?”</p> - -<p>“Some do,” Jeffrey replied. “When I get -mine I’ll have a cushion especially for you, -Poke, with your initials on it.”</p> - -<p>“Just as long as you don’t ask me to sit on -it, all right. I say, Gil, how are you getting -on?”</p> - -<p>“Pretty well, thank you. How are you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, fine! I guess I’m doing most of the -work from the feeling of my arms. Say, -wouldn’t it be great if the silly old river would -run the other way for awhile?”</p> - -<p>“I wish there was another paddle,” said -Hope disconsolately. “I could help if there -were.”</p> - -<p>“You’d upset the canoe if you tried to paddle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -from the middle,” said Jim. “How much -further is it, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“About a mile, I guess. Getting tired?”</p> - -<p>“N-no; a little. It surely gets your muscles, -doesn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“It surely does!” agreed Gil. “It’s getting -muscles I didn’t know I had!”</p> - -<p>“Keep farther away,” warned Poke. “I -need lots of room when I paddle, and you make -me nervous when you come so close. Get out -or I’ll splash you, Gil!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you try it, son! And for goodness’ -sake don’t wriggle around so in your seat. If -you upset we’ll lose the luncheon. I knew we -oughtn’t to have let you take it.”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it most time for luncheon now?” -asked Poke. “We might just rest a while and -have a sandwich, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Get out! It isn’t ten o’clock yet,” Gil -jeered.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it?” asked his chum pathetically. -“My arms feel as though it was twelve!”</p> - -<p>“Rest awhile,” said Jeffrey from the stern. -“I can work it alone here. The current isn’t -so hard now.”</p> - -<p>“No, I’ll keep at it until I fall in a swoon,” -answered Poke. “One arm’s numb clear to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -elbow now and doesn’t hurt so much. I dare -say I’ll soon be beyond all pain.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s paddle in to the bank,” Jim suggested, -“and take a rest. I’m just about all in, -fellows.”</p> - -<p>So they turned the canoes to where the -branches of the trees overhung a little stretch -of pebbly beach and ran the bows of the craft -ashore. Poke laid his dripping paddle across -his knees, murmured “Good night!” and apparently -sank into slumber. They were all, excepting -Jeffrey and Hope, glad of the respite, -for paddling against the current, even for those -accustomed to it, is no light task. Hope wanted -to get out and “explore,” but her brother hard-heartedly -commanded her to sit still and not -overturn the canoe.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t the river perfectly beautiful!” she -exclaimed.</p> - -<p>There was a deep sigh from Poke. “It is -indeed paradise,” he murmured. Presently -he raised his head and looked about him, passing -a hand across his damp forehead. “Where -am I?” he asked dazedly. “Ah, I remember -all! I thought ’twas but a dream!”</p> - -<p>“Well, suppose we dream some more,” -laughed Jeffrey. “After we get to Riverbend<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -we can rest as long as we want to. You fellows -ready?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, come on,” answered Jim. “Push her -off, Gil.”</p> - -<p>“Aren’t we going to have our luncheon -now?” asked Poke in injured surprise. -“Only the thought of food has kept me alive -thus far. Let’s every one have a sandwich, -fellows, just one miserable little sandwich.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, come on, Poke,” said Gil. “Get a -move on. Jeff wants to buy his canoe some -time to-day.”</p> - -<p>“Well, just a half a sandwich,” pleaded -Poke. “Honest to goodness, fellows, I’m faint -with hunger and fatigue.”</p> - -<p>“Shall I give him one?” asked Jeffrey -laughingly.</p> - -<p>“Not a bite!” replied Gil. “He wouldn’t -do another stroke of work if you fed him now. -All he wants to do after he has eaten is lie down -and go to sleep.”</p> - -<p>“Gee, I want to do that now!” ejaculated -Poke, raising his paddle wearily and pushing -the bow of the canoe from the sand. “When -I fall in a dead faint in the bottom of the canoe -you fellows will be sorry you treated me so -meanly. Jeff, will you push the basket this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -way a little farther, please? I just want a -smell of it to encourage me!”</p> - -<p>A half-mile farther up the stream they began -to encounter other crafts. Riverbend was a -veritable canoeing center and on fair days, and -especially on Saturdays and holidays, hundreds -of persons were to be found on the river thereabouts. -As early as it was, the stream was -pretty well populated as they drew near their -destination. There were red canoes and blue -canoes and white canoes and green canoes, and -canoes of half a dozen other colors or tints. -Many of them were really luxurious, with mahogany -seats and embroidered cushions, while -one craft that they passed, occupied by a man -and a woman, was floating lazily down the -stream with a graphophone playing in the bow. -That was too much for Poke. He stopped paddling -and stared at it most impolitely with open -mouth. Finally he shook his head.</p> - -<p>“It’s no use,” he said discouragedly. “I -can’t do any more. My mind is wandering. -I’m seeing things and hearing music!”</p> - -<p>“Well, we’re just about there, I guess,” -laughed Jeffrey. “There’s a boat-house ahead -of us now, although I don’t know that it’s the -one we want.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I will essay a few more faltering strokes -then,” replied Poke. “Shall you have one of -those music affairs in your canoe, Jeff, or are -you going to have a church organ?”</p> - -<p>“A music box, I guess. There’s our place, -Poke; see the sign?”</p> - -<p>Poke shook his head. “I see nothing -clearly,” he muttered. “All is a blur before -me.”</p> - -<p>“There’s Sandford’s,” called Gil from the -other canoe which had drawn ahead. “Shall -we go over there now?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, let’s look at his canoes first. Then -we’ll have something to eat, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Eat!” shouted Poke. “Who said eat? -Do my ears deceive me?”</p> - -<p>“Back water!” commanded Jeffrey. -“That was a narrow squeak, Poke.” A pea-green -canoe crossed their bow, while the single -occupant of it asked them scathingly if they -were blind. It required some care to cross the -river, which here widened into a very respectable -basin, without scraping somebody’s paint, -but it was at last accomplished and the two -canoes sidled up to a long sloping float which -presented a very busy scene. Canoes were being -brought from their racks in the big shed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -and placed in the water, and dozens of persons -were embarking or awaiting their turns. Paddles -and cushions and lunch-boxes littered the -float. Through the open doors of the boat-house -canoe after canoe could be seen housed -on racks in the dim interior.</p> - -<p>“Great Scott!” exclaimed Jim. “I didn’t -know there were so many canoes in the world!”</p> - -<p>They pulled their own craft onto the float -and looked about them. Across the basin was -another boat-house bearing the name of a rival -maker. Near at hand a high bridge spanned -the river. Beyond it the stream turned to the -left and still more boat-houses showed through -the leafless trees that lined the banks.</p> - -<p>“It’s just too—too jimmy for words!” -cried Hope. “It must be perfectly stunning up -here in summer, mustn’t it? Jim, will you -bring me up here sometime and paddle me -around?”</p> - -<p>“We’ll all come up and make a day of it next -spring,” said Gil. “It’s really very jolly in -warm weather, when the leaves are out, you -know, and the birds are singing—”</p> - -<p>“Listen to him!” hooted Poke. “Listen to -old Gil rhapsodizing! ‘Trees and birds’! -Say, Gil, what you need is a bite to eat.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Let’s get busy, then,” said Jeffrey. “I -wonder where the office is.”</p> - -<p>“At the other end,” said Poke. “I’ll show -you. Only—” He stopped and viewed the -luncheon basket thoughtfully. “Only,” he -went on, “I don’t want to take any chances -about losing that grub. Shall we take it with -us?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, come ahead; no one’s going to steal it,” -said Gil. “Besides, if they do we can buy -luncheon here. There are two or three places -up there towards the station.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” responded Poke in relieved -tones. “Come on, then.”</p> - -<p>Buying a canoe was not as easy as it had -seemed. Not that there was any scarcity of the -articles, however. That was just where the difficulty -lay. There were so many of them, new -and second hand, of all colors and sizes, that it -took a lot of deciding. Poke had been very -nearly right as to prices. In the end, after -fully a half hour of viewing and discussing, -Jeffrey made his decision. The canoe he -selected was sixteen feet long, with a white cedar -body and red cedar trim. It was painted crimson -and the varnish shone until the boys could -almost see their faces in it. It had been difficult<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -at the last to choose between crimson and -blue in the matter of color, for the blue was a -most enticing shade. But Gil reminded Jeffrey -that crimson and gray were the school -colors and patriotism cast the deciding vote. -Then came the extras; paddles, seat-backs and -cushions. Jeffrey tried a half-dozen paddles -at the edge of the float before he decided on the -model he liked best and ordered two. One seat-back -was all he wanted, and that was only in -case Hope should honor the canoe with her -presence. Three cork cushions completed his -purchases and almost exhausted the fifty dollars -that he had brought with him. (The canoe -was thirty-seven dollars and a half.) Then -came the subject of having a name printed on -the bow, and Jeffrey was nonplussed.</p> - -<p>“I think that would be nice, don’t you?” he -asked the others. They agreed that it would -and immediately suggested names. But none -of them seemed to please Jeffrey and finally -he told the man that they would think it over -and let him know about it in an hour or so.</p> - -<p>“I suppose, though,” he said with a trace of -disappointment in his voice, “I’d have to wait -for it if you painted the name on.”</p> - -<p>The man replied that it would require several<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -days to perform the work and dry the -paint.</p> - -<p>“That means that I’ll have to come up again -and get it, then.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no, sir. We’ll deliver it for you at the -school. Just take it down with our launch.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then I guess I’ll have a name on it,” -replied Jeffrey. “And I’ll let you know in -about an hour.”</p> - -<p>So they left matters that way and went back -to their canoes for the luncheon basket. With -this in hand they started out to find a suitable -place to eat and at last succeeded, discovering -a sunny nook a little way down the river where -a row of willows shut them off from the observation -of the people in the passing canoes. -Mrs. Hazard had provided liberally. There -were sandwiches galore, tongue, ham and lettuce; -a thermos bottle filled with coffee that -was as hot when Hope poured it into the drinking -cups as when it had been put into the bottle; -another thermos filled with milk; a dozen -hard-boiled eggs; much cake and some bananas. -Poke heaved a sigh of contentment as -Hope and Jim spread the contents of the basket -out on two napkins.</p> - -<p>“Great!” he said. “There’s as much as I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -can eat there. I wonder, though, what the rest -of you are going to do.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll show you in a minute,” said Gil. -“All gather around, ladies and gentlemen. -Who wants milk and who wants coffee?”</p> - -<p>“I,” said Poke promptly.</p> - -<p>“Well, which?”</p> - -<p>“Both, please.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll not get both. Which do you want, -Hope?”</p> - -<p>“Milk, please. Have a sandwich, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“<em>A</em> sandwich?” murmured Poke, helping -himself liberally after determining the kind he -wanted. “Why put the ‘a’ in?”</p> - -<p>“Now,” said Jeffrey presently, when the -first pangs of hunger had been assuaged, -“let’s talk about a name for the canoe, fellows.”</p> - -<p>“Mayn’t I help too?” asked Hope.</p> - -<p>“Why, of course; I want you to!”</p> - -<p>“You said ‘fellows,’ and I didn’t know.”</p> - -<p>“Excuse me,” Jeffrey laughed, “I should -have said ‘Lady and fellows.’ I tell you how -we’ll do it. We’ll start and go around the -circle in turn. You’re first, Jim. What do -you say?”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a><br /> -<small>THE “MI-KA-NOO”</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">“Let some one else start it,” said Jim. -“I’m not much good at names.”</p> - -<p>“All right. You’re next, Gil.”</p> - -<p>“Well, how would ‘Crofton’ do?”</p> - -<p>“Punk!” said Poke promptly. “What you -want to call it, Jeff, is something—”</p> - -<p>“Kindly await your turn, Mr. Endicott,” -said Jeff. “What do you say, Hope?”</p> - -<p>“I think something like—like ‘Dragon -Fly’ would be pretty.”</p> - -<p>“That’s not bad,” said Gil.</p> - -<p>“Now, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“‘Tippy,’” replied Poke promptly.</p> - -<p>“It isn’t tippy,” denied Jeff.</p> - -<p>“All canoes are tippy. Call this one ‘Tippi-canoe,’ -only call it ‘Tippy’ for short. Get -me?”</p> - -<p>There was a groan of disapproval and Jeffrey -looked at Jim.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Jim. “I think what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -Hope suggested is pretty good. Or you might -call it ‘Kingfisher.’”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Jeffrey, “or ‘Lotus.’”</p> - -<p>“Yes, or ‘Pink Carnation,’” jeered Poke. -“Or ‘Canary Bird.’ Why don’t you think of -something appropriate? Now, ‘Tippy’—”</p> - -<p>“Is idiotic,” interrupted Gil. “I think you -need a short name, Jeff; something with ‘go’ to -it—”</p> - -<p>“That’s it!” exclaimed Jim, almost upsetting -his coffee cup.</p> - -<p>“What’s it?” they asked.</p> - -<p>“‘Go To It’!”</p> - -<p>“Really, that’s not bad,” commented Poke.</p> - -<p>The others agreed, all save Hope. Hope said -she thought it was a bit slangy.</p> - -<p>“But that’s the kind of name you want,” -insisted Gil. “Something snappy, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>“Why not call it ‘Poke’?” asked that -youth.</p> - -<p>“Yes, ‘Slow Poke,’” amended Jim. “But -I don’t call that snappy. What’s the matter -with something Indian?”</p> - -<p>“That’s the ticket!” cried Poke. “Jimmy, -old boy, you’re coming on. Let’s call it -‘Laughing Water.’”</p> - -<p>“Or ‘Minnehaha.’”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Or ‘Silver Heels.’”</p> - -<p>“‘Rain-in-the-Face!’”</p> - -<p>“Oh, cut it out, Poke! Be sensible.” This -from Gil. “I guess all the Indian names have -been used up, Jeff. Why not call it ‘Hope’?”</p> - -<p>Hope laughed merrily at that, and Poke -grinned. “I wish you would,” he said -eagerly. “You certainly would get your -share of joshing, Senator.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it’s getting on, fellows, and we don’t -seem to have found anything very good yet. -Can’t any one think of anything?”</p> - -<p>There was a depressed silence until Jim said -feebly: “Call it ‘Noname.’” This met with -the reception it deserved. Hope knitted her -brows and forgot, in her absorption, to finish -the slice of cake she held. Finally Poke broke -the stillness. “Who’s got a pencil?” he -asked.</p> - -<p>“Give it back?” inquired Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“I certainly will,” replied Poke, viewing it -in disgust. “Now who’s got a piece of paper?”</p> - -<p>“Any other little thing you’d like?” asked -Gil, tossing him a box-lid. “A twenty-dollar -gold piece or a silk hat?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’d like silence,” said Poke severely.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -He began to write on the lid and the others, -glad of a respite from thinking, watched him -curiously. For a minute Poke scribbled and -erased and frowned, but finally a satisfied smile -dawned over his countenance.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got it,” he announced. “Gil said all -the Indian names had been used, my friends, -but Gil, as usual, was wrong. Here, Jeff, is -the name of your canoe.”</p> - -<p>He tossed the box-lid to Jeffrey. On it he -had printed in big letters:</p> - -<p class="noic">MI-KA-NOO.</p> - -<p>“What’s that mean?” asked Jeffrey. Then -it dawned on him and he burst into a laugh and -handed the inscription on to Jim. “That’s -bully, Poke! It really does look like Indian at -first, too!”</p> - -<p>“My Canoe,” Jim translated as he passed it -on. “How did you think of it, Poke?”</p> - -<p>Poke waved his hand airily, signifying that -the thing was too trivial to be worth attention.</p> - -<p>“The only thing,” said Gil, with a grin, “is -that you’re pretty sure to call it ‘Mike’ for -short.”</p> - -<p>“Great!” laughed Jim. “You wanted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -something short and snappy and there it is; -Mike. You can’t beat it.”</p> - -<p>Hope was less enthusiastic about the name -than the others, and said she thought it would -be a shame to call anything as pretty as the -crimson canoe, “Mike,” but Jeffrey was delighted -with the suggestion. “It will look -bully when it’s painted on,” he declared. “I -suppose they’ll do it in gold, won’t they, Gil?”</p> - -<p>“If you tell them to they will, I guess. Let’s -get a move on, or we won’t get home before -the game begins. Toss me another banana, -Poke.”</p> - -<p>“How many have you had already?” asked -his chum severely.</p> - -<p>“Only one; honest.”</p> - -<p>“All right; catch. Who wants some more -cake? There are three bananas left, too. -Have one, Jim? Any one else in the audience -like a banana? Shove the basket over, Hope, -and I’ll dump these things in. What time is -it?”</p> - -<p>“After twelve,” replied Gil. “We’ll have -to hurry a bit.”</p> - -<p>“It won’t take us twenty minutes to get back -after we’re started,” said Jeffrey. “We’ve -got the current with us, you know.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That is indeed painful news,” grunted -Poke. “I hoped to be able to paddle back.”</p> - -<p>“Jeff,” asked Hope as they retraced their -steps, “will you teach me to paddle sometime? -I’d love to know how. It isn’t hard, is it? It -doesn’t look hard, anyway.”</p> - -<p>“No, it isn’t hard, except when you’re going -against the stream or the wind,” Jeffrey answered. -“I’ll show you how any day you like -after I get ‘Mike.’”</p> - -<p>Hope made a face. “I think that’s a perfectly—perfectly -suggy name, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>“Suggy? What’s suggy?”</p> - -<p>“Horrid, of course.”</p> - -<p>“I see; the antonym of jimmy.”</p> - -<p>“I guess so,” replied Hope. “I don’t believe -I know what an-an-anto—what that is, -though.”</p> - -<p>They returned to the float, and while Jeffrey -and Gil went on to the office to see about -having the name put on the canoe, Jim and -Poke launched the craft and made ready for -the return trip. Then, as the others had not -come back, Poke excused himself with the vague -explanation that he thought he’d just look -around a minute, and disappeared up the hill.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -Jeffrey and Gil returned presently and after -they had waited several minutes for Poke that -young gentleman sauntered into sight with a -huge bag of peanuts from which he was industriously -eating.</p> - -<p>“Pig!” shouted Gil scathingly.</p> - -<p>“For that,” remarked Poke tranquilly, -“you get none, my friend. Who wants some -peanuts?”</p> - -<p>It seemed that they all did, for Gil and Jim -captured the bag by main force and made an -equal distribution of its contents. As Jim remarked -a few minutes later, it was a lucky -thing that they did not have to paddle going -back, for paddling would have interfered seriously -with eating the peanuts. As it was, they -left a floating trail of shells all the way from -Riverbend to the boat-house at Crofton.</p> - -<p>Jeffrey and Hope returned to Sunnywood, -but the others remained at school to await -the time for the game with St. Luke’s Academy. -Poke declared that Jeffrey was going home to -get more dinner, and showed a strong disposition -to accompany him. Gil and Jim, however, -restrained him by force of arms.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t want anything myself,” he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -said, “but some one ought to go along and see -that those two don’t get any more. My—my -motive, Gil, was quite disinterested.”</p> - -<p>“You’re coming back to see the game, aren’t -you, Jeff?” called Jim.</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed. So is Hope. And we’re going -to bring Lady if she will come,” answered -Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>The three seated themselves on the steps of -the gymnasium and watched Jeffrey go swinging -along with the aid of his crutches, Hope beside -him suiting her steps to his.</p> - -<p>“He gets along mighty well, doesn’t he?” -observed Gil. “Gee, if I was in his shoes, fellows, -I’d have a grouch all the time. Think -of knowing that you’ve got to go through life -like that! Br-r-r!”</p> - -<p>“Think of not being able to play football or -tennis or any of the things we do,” said Poke -soberly. “That’s what would get me, I -guess.”</p> - -<p>“He certainly can handle a canoe, though,” -said Jim.</p> - -<p>“And he told me last night that he could -swim,” Gil added. “In fact he seemed to -think he could do that about as well as I can.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I should hope so!” exclaimed Poke. -“You’re a punk swimmer.”</p> - -<p>“Am I? I noticed that I had no trouble -swimming all around you last summer, Pokey.”</p> - -<p>“Shucks! I wasn’t well that day. You -know I’d eaten too much breakfast.”</p> - -<p>“You usually do,” replied Gil sweetly. “I -suppose you can swim like a fish, Jim?”</p> - -<p>“N-no, I can’t swim much; I mean I can’t -do many fancy tricks like fellows I’ve seen. I -can keep it up a long time, though. I swam six -miles one day last summer.”</p> - -<p>“Six miles!” Poke whistled expressively. -“What for?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing; just to see if I could.”</p> - -<p>“Weren’t you dead when you got through?”</p> - -<p>“A little tired; not much. I swam out to -the island first; that’s nearly a mile; and then -I went to the breakwater, which is a good two -miles, and then back the same way. It makes -a good swim.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes,” said Poke carelessly, “but a -trifle short; what? Did you rest any?”</p> - -<p>“No, not to speak of. I stayed in the water -all the time, but I rested a couple of minutes at -the island and about as long as that at the end<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -of the breakwater. I didn’t stop at all coming -back.”</p> - -<p>“Where’s this place you live?” asked Gil. -“Near here, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, just over there.” Jim nodded in the -general direction of the coast. “Only about -thirty miles. Essexport, you know.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve heard of it. Folks go there in summer, -don’t they?”</p> - -<p>“Some, but it isn’t a fashionable summer resort -at all. A good many artists go there. -You stumble over them all the time on the -wharves and around the harbor. They sit -under white umbrellas and paint any old thing -they can find. They’re rather nice folks, -artists.”</p> - -<p>“I should think it would be fun,” said Poke -vaguely. “Are you going home in the summer?”</p> - -<p>Jim shook his head. “I don’t know. You -see, we’ve rented our house. We might go -back for a little while, I suppose. I dare say -it’s pretty hot here in summer.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet it is!” said Gil. “It was so hot -last spring at commencement that we nearly -died. Had to dress up in our best togs, you -know, and make a hit with our relatives.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And other fellows’ relatives,” growled -Poke. “I nearly danced my poor little heart -out that night, Gil. It was my fatal fascination, -Jim. The girls simply <em>had</em> to have a -dance with me!”</p> - -<p>“Dance!” scoffed Gil. “You don’t call -what you do dancing, do you?”</p> - -<p>“I certainly do,” replied Poke with dignity. -“It is the poetry of motion. Gil is envious,” -he explained, turning to Jim. “He dances -like a trained bear on the end of a chain. Ever -see one? Like this.” And Poke began to revolve -around and around on the landing in ludicrous -imitation of a bear. Even Gil had to -laugh at the performance. Then Poke declared -that he had to have a drink of water and -they sauntered over to Memorial, meeting a -few late diners on the way. After that it was -almost time to think of dressing for the game, -and they returned to the gymnasium, loitered -awhile on the steps and then descended to the -locker-room and leisurely got into their togs.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a><br /> -<small>MR. HANKS AS A NOVELIST</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Jeffrey and Hope failed in their plan to -entice Mrs. Hazard to the game that afternoon. -When they reached Sunnywood dinner -was just over and Mrs. Hazard and Mr. Hanks -were coming from the dining-room.</p> - -<p>“Did you have a nice time, dear?” asked -Hope’s mother.</p> - -<p>“Oh, just scrumptious!” Hope answered. -“And Jeff bought the darlingest, jimmiest -canoe you ever saw! And its name is ‘Mi-Ka-Noo.’ -And Jeff is going to teach me to -paddle, aren’t you, Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“If Lady doesn’t mind,” replied Jeff. “Do -you like canoeing, sir?” he asked, turning to -Mr. Hanks, who, during the conversation had -been surreptitiously striving to edge his way -past the group and reach the stairway.</p> - -<p>“I—I have never tried it, Latham. But -isn’t it—er—a bit unsafe? I’ve always<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> -understood that canoes were—er—very unstable -boats.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you have to be careful in them,” Jeffrey -allowed. “But they’re not quite as bad -as folks try to make out. As long as you can -swim there’s no danger, sir.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose not; no, not so long as you can—er—swim. -I regret to say that swimming is -an accomplishment I have never mastered.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know about this canoeing,” said -Mrs. Hazard doubtfully. “Hope can swim a -little, but—”</p> - -<p>“Why, Lady, you know I can swim beautifully! -I swam seventy-five strokes last summer!”</p> - -<p>“Well, that would be enough to take you -ashore anywhere on this river,” laughed Jeffrey. -“I don’t think you need be alarmed, -Lady. I’ll be very careful of her.”</p> - -<p>“But—but can you swim all right yourself, -Latham?” asked Mr. Hanks.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, sir, I get along better in the water -than I do on land.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I suppose you can go, then, if you -want to very much,” said Mrs. Hazard. “But -do be careful; and sit very quiet. Are you going -this afternoon?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, no, Lady. Jeff hasn’t got it yet; not -until next week. He’s having the name painted -on it. This afternoon we’re going to the football -game. We’re all going, aren’t we?” She -turned questioningly to the instructor. -“You are coming with us, aren’t you, Mr. -Hanks?”</p> - -<p>“Er—why, thank you,” he stammered, -“but I have so much to attend to, Miss Hope. -I—I think I won’t go. Much obliged. I—I -must really get back to my work.” He moved -toward the stairway, nodded embarrassedly -and disappeared up the stairs.</p> - -<p>“Well, you’re coming, aren’t you?” Hope -demanded of her mother. But Mrs. Hazard -shook her head smilingly.</p> - -<p>“Not to-day, dear. I’ve too much to do. -I’ve told Jane she might go to the village and do -some shopping, and—”</p> - -<p>“Then I shall stay at home and help you,” -declared Hope cheerfully. “You won’t mind, -will you, Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, but Jeff will mind!” said Mrs. Hazard -laughingly. “He will mind terribly! And, -besides, my dear, I don’t need you a bit. So run -along and don’t be late.”</p> - -<p>“There’s lots of time,” said Hope. “Are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -you quite, <em>quite</em> sure there’s nothing I can do, -Lady?”</p> - -<p>“Quite sure. So you go and see the football. -Did you have luncheon enough? Don’t -you want something now?”</p> - -<p>“No, ma’am, we had plenty,” replied Jeffrey. -“In fact, we didn’t eat quite all of it.”</p> - -<p>“We had a lot of peanuts, too,” laughed -Hope. “Poke bought them, and Jim and Gil -took them away from him and we all ate them -coming home. And, Lady, it’s perfectly beautiful -at Riverbend, and we saw thousands and -thousands of canoes, and—”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t that a great many?” asked her -mother smilingly.</p> - -<p>“Well, not thousands, but hundreds, Lady. -We did see hundreds, didn’t we, Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“Well, let’s say dozens, Hope, and be on -the safe side,” Jeff replied with a laugh. -“Sometime I’d like you and Hope to let me -take you up there in the canoe, Lady, and show -you how pretty it is. Sometime in the spring -would be best, I suppose.”</p> - -<p>“I should love to go,” replied Mrs. Hazard, -“but I’ll have to learn to swim first. Now run -along to your football game. Is Jim going to -play to-day, Jeff?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span></p> - -<p>“No, ma’am, I think not. At least, I’m -afraid he isn’t.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I was afraid he was,” Mrs. Hazard -laughed. “It’s all in the point of view, isn’t -it? Do you think you ought to walk so much, -Jeff? You must be careful and not get too -tired.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t mind it. It’s just my shoulders -that get sort of tired sometimes, but they soon -feel all right again. I think I’ll go up and put -some decent clothes on, Hope. It won’t take -me very long.”</p> - -<p>“And I’m going to do the same,” Hope replied. -“And it will take me a full half-hour. -So you needn’t hurry. We’ve got plenty of -time, haven’t we?”</p> - -<p>“Over an hour,” Jeffrey replied. “So you -can just doll yourself all up, Hope.”</p> - -<p>“Doesn’t he use awful language, Lady?” -asked Hope. “I’d be ashamed if I were a -senator’s son, wouldn’t you? I’ll be all ready -in just exactly half an hour, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>“All right; I’ll be waiting for you.”</p> - -<p>When he reached the head of the stairs he -noticed that Mr. Hanks’ door was partly open. -It was usually closed tight when the instructor -was inside, and Jeffrey wondered. And he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -wondered more a moment later when the sound -of quick, nervous footsteps reached him. He -paused a moment and listened. Back and -forth paced Mr. Hanks, the length of the room, -the tail of his coat appearing at the opening of -the door each time as he turned.</p> - -<p>“I wonder,” reflected Jeffrey, “what the -trouble is with Nancy. He sounds like a caged -lion. I guess somebody must have turned in -some pretty bad papers. Hope it wasn’t me!”</p> - -<p>True to her promise, Hope was ready at the -end of the half-hour, looking very neat and -pretty in her blue dress. Jeffrey had changed -his old clothes for a suit of dark gray, and they -were a very nice-looking pair of youngsters as -they left the cottage. Jeffrey said something -complimentary about Hope’s gown, and Hope -smiled demurely down at its trim folds.</p> - -<p>“It is nice, isn’t it?” she asked. “I like -blue better than any other color. I suppose I -ought to like crimson, oughtn’t I? Because -that’s the Crofton color. But I couldn’t wear -crimson, could I? Not with yellow hair.”</p> - -<p>“Never mind,” laughed Jeffrey, “you’ll -make an awful hit with the St. Luke’s fellows. -Their color’s blue, you see.”</p> - -<p>“Not really, Jeff?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p> - -<p>He nodded. “Of course, their shade of blue -isn’t like your dress, but they’ll know you’re -for them, Hope.”</p> - -<p>Hope tossed her head. “They’ll know nothing -of the sort. I shall borrow somebody’s -flag and tie it around my neck! They won’t -beat us, will they?”</p> - -<p>“St. Luke’s? I don’t think so, but you can’t -tell. Gil says we’re going to have a rattling -good game, so I suppose that means that it -will be a close one.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so. I don’t care how close it is as -long as we win. That Gary boy can’t play to-day, -can he?”</p> - -<p>“No, not for a good many days. He fixed -himself for awhile, I guess. Wasn’t Mr. -Hanks funny when you asked him to go with -us? I thought he was going to fall in a faint.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see why, do you? It would do him -good to get out of doors and forget his silly work -now and then.”</p> - -<p>“I guess it would. When I went upstairs -he was walking back and forth in his room just -like a lion in a cage at the zoo. I guess something -must be troubling him.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’s nothing,” said Hope. “He -often does that. You can hear him in the dining-room<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -when you’re setting table or something. -He does it sometimes for ten or fifteen minutes, -and then he’s as quiet as a mouse for hours and -hours! I suppose it’s his writing, Jeff. He—he -is seeking inspiration.”</p> - -<p>“I hope he finds it before your carpet is -worn out!” Jeffrey laughed. “I wonder -what he is writing, Hope.”</p> - -<p>“I think it’s a book,” said Hope.</p> - -<p>“What kind of a book?”</p> - -<p>Hope shook her head. “I don’t know. Perhaps—perhaps -it’s a novel, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>“A novel! Fancy Nancy Hanks writing a -novel!” Jeffrey laughed at the thought of it.</p> - -<p>“I don’t see why not,” Hope demurred. “I -think he’s awfully smart, Jeff, don’t you? -Don’t you think he knows a terrible lot?”</p> - -<p>“Y-es, I suppose he does, only—only he -doesn’t look like a novelist, does he?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think Sir Walter Scott looked much -like a novelist, but he was one. And—and -I don’t suppose all novelists can look the same, -anyway.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose not. But I’ll bet you that book -of his is some sort of a history or a Latin text-book. -Why, Nancy wouldn’t waste his time on -anything as—as flippant as a novel, Hope!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I don’t think novels are flippant,” Hope replied -rather indignantly. “You don’t call -Ivanhoe and David Copperfield and—and all -those flippant, do you?”</p> - -<p>“No, but I wasn’t thinking of that sort of -novels. If that’s what he’s doing—”</p> - -<p>“You can’t tell. He might be. If he is I -do hope he will tell us about it when it’s done. -Wouldn’t you like to read it, Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know; I dare say. Anyhow, I know -mighty well I’d rather read it than any old -Latin book he could write!”</p> - -<p>They found the grand-stand well filled when -they reached the field, and after securing seats -they had to wait but a minute or two before the -visiting team appeared. Hope was relieved to -find that the St. Luke’s blue was a very light -shade of the color, although Jeffrey gravely assured -her that blue was blue and that St. Luke’s -wouldn’t mind if she didn’t wear the exact -shade.</p> - -<p>“There’s Brandon Gary over there,” said -Jeffrey sotto voce as he indicated the direction -with his glance. “I should think he’d feel -pretty mean to be sitting up there not able to -play.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Who is the nice-looking boy this side of -him?” asked Hope. “The one leaning forward.”</p> - -<p>“Joe Cosgrove. He’s baseball captain, you -know. He is nice looking, isn’t he? They say -he’s a dandy player.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care much for baseball, do you?” -said Hope.</p> - -<p>“Crazy about it.”</p> - -<p>“But you don’t like it as well as football, -Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I think I do. Perhaps one -reason is that a fellow can see a baseball game -and not freeze to death or get soaking wet. -Still, come to think of it, I did get pretty well -drenched once at a baseball game. I’d rather -see a boat race, though, than either.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve never seen one,” said Hope. “Not a -rowing race, I mean. I’ve watched lots of -yacht races, but I never can make out which -boat is ahead. There are always so many of -them. And lots and lots of them aren’t racing -at all; just following; and I never know which is -which. I suppose a rowing race isn’t like that, -though.”</p> - -<p>“Not a bit. I’m going to try for the crew in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -the spring, but I don’t suppose I’ll make it. -Anyhow, it’s fun trying, and I love to row. -Here comes our fellows, Hope.”</p> - -<p>The cheer leaders were on their feet and in an -instant the sharp cheer rattled out; <em>Crow, crow, -crow, Crofton! Crow, crow, crow, Crofton! -Crow, crow, crow, Crofton! Crofton! Crofton!</em> -Then came a cheer for St. Luke’s, and a moment -after some thirty devoted sons of that alma -mater gathered together across the field and -returned the compliment, making up in vigor -what they lacked in numbers. Then Crofton -lined her warriors across the gridiron, St. -Luke’s scattered her defense over the opposite -territory and Duncan Sargent kicked off.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a><br /> -<small>THE GAME WITH ST. LUKE’S</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">That kick-off was a fizzle. St. Luke’s got -the ball on her twenty-five yards, ran it -back ten and then her full-back broke through -the Crofton left side for twenty yards, and -there was great joy where the handful of St. -Luke’s supporters were gathered. After two -tries had yielded but four yards the St. Luke’s -captain and left half-back kicked to Arnold on -Crofton’s fifteen-yard line. A very considerable -little wind had come up since noon and it -lengthened the kick. Arnold ran back fifteen -yards before he was downed. Two plays were -tried and Crofton was penalized for starting -before the ball. After Arnold had broken -through the center for four yards he kicked and -a moment later the St. Luke’s captain started -the Blue’s rooters again by tearing off a fifteen-yard -run through center on a delayed pass. -On the next play a St. Luke’s back fumbled and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -LaGrange recovered the pigskin, for the Crimson-and-Gray.</p> - -<p>Poke beat off nine yards at St. Luke’s left -end and Arnold followed with a plunge of five -yards through the middle. Smith then failed -to gain, and Arnold got off a poor punt which -the St. Luke’s right end captured. On the -first play the Blue’s quarter-back tried for distance -through the Crofton center, only to -fumble and have Benson of Crofton recover the -ball.</p> - -<p>Arnold kicked, and as Gil was interfered with, -the ball was brought back and Crofton was presented -with ten yards. On the next play Arnold -made five yards, and then Poke shaking -off his opponents, ran thirty-seven yards, placing -the ball within ten yards of the St. Luke’s -goal line. Smith tried to gain on the right of -the Blue’s line but failed, and a forward pass, -Arnold to Poke, was intercepted by the St. -Luke’s captain on his own four-yard line. He -scampered and dodged back to his ten-yard line -before he was brought down, with half the -Crofton team sitting on and about him. On -the first play the Blue’s captain fumbled while -going through the line and Duncan Sargent -grabbed the ball for Crofton on the nineteen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -yards. Two plays by Arnold and Poke netted -seven yards. Then, with Arnold back, a forward -pass, Arnold throwing the ball to Poke, -brought the first score. Poke caught the ball -on the twelve-yard line and scampered over the -last white mark before he was pulled down. -The punt-out was a failure, the ball striking the -ground.</p> - -<p>But Crofton cheered and made known her approval. -The playing for the rest of the first -period was in the middle of the field, although -at one time Arnold was forced to punt from behind -Crofton’s goal line, after a mess had been -made of the handling of one of the blue captain’s -kicks. The quarter ended with the ball -in St. Luke’s possession on her own forty-six-yard -line.</p> - -<p>In the second period St. Luke’s was on the -defensive. Fumbles enabled Crofton to get the -pigskin to within twenty-five yards of St. Luke’s -goal line, where Benson, on a forward pass, -ran over the goal line, only to be called back -because Poke had held an opponent. Some two -minutes later the period ended and the teams -trotted off.</p> - -<p>“The teams are pretty evenly matched,” -said Jeffrey, “and Gil was right about it being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -a stiff game. I guess we’re a little heavier -than they are, and I think our offense is better. -One thing is certain, though, and that is -that we’re away ahead of them at handling the -ball. They made some awful fumbles in that -last quarter, didn’t they?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but it helped us, Jeff. I don’t see why -that mean old thing of a referee wouldn’t let -us have that last touchdown. Do you think -that was fair?”</p> - -<p>“Of course it was,” Jeffrey laughed. -“Poke was holding one of the St. Luke’s fellows -and the officials caught him. So we got -penalized and lost our touchdown. Too bad, -too, for that was a corking pass, and Benson -handled it finely. There wasn’t a soul near him -when he got the ball.”</p> - -<p>“Then it was Poke’s fault?” asked Hope -sadly.</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid it was. I don’t suppose he -meant to hold. A fellow gets excited and -doesn’t realize sometimes. I guess Poke feels -as badly as anybody about it. But never mind, -we’ll trim them all right. We should get at -least one more touchdown in the next two -periods.”</p> - -<p>“I hope we get a dozen,” declared Hope.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -“And wasn’t that run of Poke’s perfectly jimmy? -I guess we can forgive him for losing us -that other touchdown, don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, especially as he made the first one. I -wonder if Johnny will put in any substitutes -now.”</p> - -<p>“I wish he’d let Jim play,” said Hope.</p> - -<p>“Jim may make the team yet,” replied Jeffrey. -“Cosgrove is playing a mighty good -game in Gary’s place, by the way. I wonder -what Gary is thinking about it. Here they -come again. Now let’s see. No, the team’s -just the same, I guess.”</p> - -<p>Crofton was on the defensive throughout the -whole of the third period, the St. Luke’s captain -having ordained it so when his long kick -rolled to Crofton’s twenty-yard line before Arnold -recovered it. It was then that the Blue’s -supporters took heart, and from across the gridiron -came cheer after cheer as St. Luke’s -worked the ball by a series of plays in which -three successful forward passes figured down -to within eight yards of the Crofton goal line. -St. Luke’s looked really dangerous for the first -time and on the Crofton side of the field her -supporters watched uneasily as the St. Luke’s -backs settled for the next play. It was another<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -forward pass and a sigh of relief went up -from the Crimson-and-Gray as the ball was -fumbled and went to Crofton as a touchback. -Out to the twenty-five yards went the ball and -Crofton put it in scrimmage. St. Luke’s made -several other attempts in that period to get -across her opponent’s goal line, but never again -secured such another chance as the one she had -wasted.</p> - -<p>The last quarter found Crofton forcing the -playing and St. Luke’s again on the defensive. -Arnold tried a goal from placement from the -Blue’s forty-yard line, but the ball went wide -of the posts. St. Luke’s chose to kick from -behind the twenty-five-yard line, but it was not -long before Crofton had the ball back in the -Blue’s territory. Failure to gain ground at -rushing caused Arnold to punt, and a substitute -left half-back who had taken the place of the -Blue’s captain a moment before, muffed the -ball. LaGrange fell on it for Crofton on St. -Luke’s ten-yard line, and before St. Luke’s -realized what had happened Poke tossed the -pigskin on a forward pass to Gil at left end and -the second touchdown was made. This time -Sargent kicked the goal and Crofton’s score was -11. For the remainder of the contest the ball<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -hovered about the middle of the gridiron, St. -Luke’s, recognizing defeat, being content to -keep her opponent from approaching her goal -line again.</p> - -<p>It had been a good game from a Crofton -point of view, and, to quote Hope, a “perfectly -jimmy” one for Sunnywood. Poke and Gil had -played finely and had scored the only touchdowns -that had been made. But it was Poke’s -work especially that brought them joy and sent -the whole school away in a glow of enthusiasm. -He had been far and away the most spectacular -performer of the afternoon. He had contributed -the best individual work in carrying the -ball, once having made a run of thirty-seven -yards at St. Luke’s left end, and, later, one of -forty-five yards around the enemy’s right end. -Whether on the directing or the receiving end -of the forward pass, he had been excellent. -Crofton’s first score had been made with Poke -on the receiving end, while the second score had -been the result of his accurate throw to Gil.</p> - -<p>Arnold, too, however, was a hero that day. -The quarter-back had used the best of judgment -in the selection of plays, while at ground gaining -he had performed well. Several times he -had torn through the St. Luke’s center for good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -distances. His punting also had been good and -the enemy’s backs had found a great deal of -difficulty in handling his kicks. LaGrange at -center had shown a wonderful nose for the ball, -and his recovery of the pigskin which opened -the way for the second touchdown had been a -fine effort. Gil at end, Benson at full-back, -Sargent at left guard and Smith at left half-back -all distinguished themselves that day. On -the whole Crofton went home from the game -very well satisfied with her team. Even Johnny’s -countenance gave one the impression that -he was pleased. And he was. The only place -that was worrying the coach was the position of -left tackle. Marshall had not been up to the -rest of the line that day, and it was becoming -more and more evident that a better man must -be found for his place.</p> - -<p>There was great pride and much rejoicing at -Sunnywood that Saturday night. Hope, could -she have had her way, would, I am certain, have -crowned Poke and Gil with wreaths of laurel!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a><br /> -<small>GARY CHALLENGES</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">The canoe came on Wednesday. Of course -by this time, as Gil had predicted, its -name had been shortened to “Mike,” which -was a very plebeian title for such a handsome -craft. It was quite the best looking canoe in -the school boat-house, although Brandon Gary -and “Punk” Gibbs owned between them a craft -that, when new, had been a marvel of white and -gold. Now it was pretty well scratched and -battered, and there were palpable patches showing -along the bottom. Jeffrey was properly -proud of his new possession, and spent most of -Wednesday afternoon in or about it. It paddled -beautifully, he decided, sat well on the -water and was altogether a treasure. He paddled -far down the river in the Mi-Ka-Noo and -worked back in the golden glory of an autumn -sunset, with the afterglow tingeing the surface -of the little stream with coppery lights and the -blade of his paddle trickling golden drops as it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -hung between strokes above the placid surface. -In the boat-house he found an empty rack and -saw the canoe carefully laid away on it, holding -his breath for fear the boatman might mar -the glistening varnish of its sides.</p> - -<p>The next forenoon he and Poke hurried down -to the boat-house between recitations. Sammy, -the boatman, left his bench in the repair shop -and lifted the Mi-Ka-Noo into the water for -them. Jeffrey got into the stern and Poke settled -himself in the bow and they started up-river. -Poke was eager now to learn how to -paddle and so there was a ten-minute lesson. -By the time they had dropped Biscuit Island -from sight he was doing very well, although he -had not yet mastered the twist of the paddle at -the end of the stroke. Jeffrey, however, kept -the canoe in its course and Poke persevered in -his efforts to “get the hang of it,” as he said. -Half a mile up-stream Jeffrey called a halt and -they pulled the canoe in under the branches of -the trees and rested awhile, Poke ascertaining, -by a glance at his watch, that they still had a -full half-hour before them.</p> - -<p>“It’s funny how it tires your shoulders,” said -Poke, as he dropped his watch back. “I believe -I can get onto it all right, though.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Of course you can,” Jeffrey responded. -“There’s no trick to it. It’s just a hard, -steady drive and then a half-turn of the blade -before you take it out.”</p> - -<p>“I know, but it’s that half-turn that puzzles -me. I get it sometimes, and then the next -time I almost lose my paddle.”</p> - -<p>“Want to try the stern going back?”</p> - -<p>But Poke shook his head. “I don’t think -I’d better yet. I might put Mike onto the bank -or into a snag. Here’s some one coming up. -Looks like Bull Gary. Not only looks, but is. -And Gibbs with him.”</p> - -<p>They watched the white canoe approach, -drawing the bow of their own canoe further toward -shore, for the stream was narrow here -and Jeffrey wasn’t going to risk his paint. -Gary was paddling in the stern and Punk -Gibbs was in the bow. Gary recognized Poke -when some distance away and waved his paddle -to him. Poke waved back, and when the -white craft was within speaking distance Poke -called:</p> - -<p>“Hello, Bull! Hello, Punk! That the same -old mud-scow you used to have?”</p> - -<p>Gary turned his canoe toward the opposite -side, Gibbs seized a branch and they came to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -a pause. Gary laid his paddle across his knees, -said “Phew!” eloquently and grinned at Poke.</p> - -<p>“Yes, same old mud-scow,” he said. -“Where’d you get that thing, Poke? It looks -like a fire-engine. Did they have any red paint -left?”</p> - -<p>“This,” replied Poke, “belongs to Latham. -You know Latham, don’t you, Bull? Latham’s -the chap who has the room you liked the looks -of, Bull. Jeff, the other gentlemen is Mr. -Gibbs. Punk is all right, but he’s terribly careless -about the company he keeps. What do you -think of this for some canoe, Punk?”</p> - -<p>“She’s a peach,” replied Gibbs admiringly. -“Where did you get her, Latham?”</p> - -<p>“Sandford’s,” answered Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“How do you pronounce that name?” asked -Gary, who had been frowning at it for a minute. -Poke told him and the frown vanished. Gary -chuckled. “Pretty good, eh, Punk? Mi-Ka-Noo! -I thought it was some Indian gibberish.”</p> - -<p>“Go pretty well?” asked Gibbs.</p> - -<p>“Like a breeze,” replied Poke. “She paddles -herself. Fastest thing on the river except -the varsity shell!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet you this old tub can run rings -around her,” grunted Gary. “Even if she is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span> -two years old and has forty-eleven patches on -her!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’s been a good canoe in its day,” -answered Poke airily. “But they’re making -’em better now, Bull. Look at the lines on this -old top. Pretty neat, what?”</p> - -<p>“Too broad,” said Gary. “She’s built for -comfort but not speed, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Speed! Why, this canoe has the Empire -State Express spiked to the rails! Speed! -Honestly, Bull, you pain me.”</p> - -<p>Gary grinned. “We’ll race you back to the -boat-house,” he offered. “If we don’t beat -you by half a dozen lengths I—I’ll—”</p> - -<p>“Apologize,” suggested Poke. “We accept -your challenge, sir.”</p> - -<p>“But, Poke,” said Jeffrey, “they’re bound -to beat us.”</p> - -<p>“Of course we are,” Gary laughed. “Latham’s -got a lot more sense than you have, -Poke.”</p> - -<p>“He is thinking of the fact that I am a very -poor canoedler,” said Poke. “This is only the -second time I’ve ever tried it. But that doesn’t -matter because, as I have previously remarked, -Bull, this canoe paddles herself. Turn your old -derelict around and get ready.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Don’t you want me to take the stern?” -asked Gibbs. “You paddled all the way up.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw, I’m not tired,” answered Gary. -“Let the bow come around.”</p> - -<p>“Right-O!” cried Poke as the two canoes lay -side by side. “Give the word, Bull.”</p> - -<p>“All right. Are you ready? ... Go!”</p> - -<p>Off they went, all four paddles digging hard. -Poke was apparently trying to lift the bow of -the Mi-Ka-Noo out of the water in his wild efforts, -and Jeffrey called to him to slow down.</p> - -<p>“Longer strokes, Poke, and make them tell! -That’s it!”</p> - -<p>For a moment during that first excited spurt -the two canoes were in danger of colliding, but -Jeffrey managed to swing away and in that instant -the white canoe gained a slight lead.</p> - -<p>In some places the channel was scarcely wide -enough to allow the two canoes to travel side -by side, since there were many snags along the -banks. And so when the white canoe took the -lead Jeffrey was content to let it keep it until -they had passed the next turn and the channel -widened. But the Mi-Ka-Noo hung close to -the stern of the other craft in spite of Gary’s -strenuous paddling, and presently, when the -boat-house came into sight ahead, Jeffrey<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -passed the word and slowly the Mi-Ka-Noo -crept up foot by foot until it was even with its -competitor.</p> - -<p>Poke was not yet a scientific paddler, but he -had plenty of muscle, meant to beat Gary if -such a thing were possible and so toiled like a -hero in the bow. At the stern Jeffrey’s experience -made up for the fact that he hadn’t the -strength to put into the strokes that Gary had. -But it was, I think, the Mi-Ka-Noo that won -its own race, for the crimson canoe was undoubtedly -faster than the white one. Some -fifty yards from the boat-house float the Mi-Ka-Noo’s -curving prow drew away from the -rival craft. Then Jeffrey, crouching at the -stern, was even with the center of the white -canoe, and Gary, paddling madly and grunting -with every stroke of his flashing blade, called -on Gibbs for a spurt.</p> - -<p>“Come on, Punk! Get into it! Make her -go!”</p> - -<p>Gibbs tried his best, but his strokes when they -grew faster grew also weaker, and the crimson -canoe gained steadily until there was open -water between her stern and the white bow.</p> - -<p>“Not too fast!” warned Jeffrey. “Make -them hard, Poke!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span></p> - -<p>And Poke, who was getting excited by the -prospect of victory, steadied down again. Then -Gibbs “caught a crab” with his paddle, Gary -lost his temper and called him names and the -Mi-Ka-Noo shot past the float a good length -and a half ahead!</p> - -<p>Poke subsided over his paddle and fought for -breath while Jeffrey, backing water and paddling, -turned the canoe about and went back to -the float.</p> - -<p>“I guess this one’s a bit faster than yours, -Gary,” said Jeffrey. “She sits out of the -water more, I think.”</p> - -<p>But strangely enough Gary had an affection -for his battered craft and was up in arms at -once.</p> - -<p>“It wasn’t a test of the canoes,” he said indignantly. -“This one is twice as fast as yours. -If Punk hadn’t nearly lost his paddle we’d have -shown you. Besides, I was tired. You fellows -had been resting up there.”</p> - -<p>Poke lifted his head, gave a gasp for breath, -and said:</p> - -<p>“You couldn’t have beat us if you’d just got -out of bed, Bull.”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t I? I’ll row you again any time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -you like; if I can find some one to take the bow,” -he added with a disgusted glare at Gibbs.</p> - -<p>Gibbs grinned and winked at Poke. “What -you want in the bow, Bull,” he said, “is a -gasoline motor!”</p> - -<p>“I tell you what I’ll do with you,” offered -Poke quietly. “I’ll race you Saturday morning -up-stream from the old bridge to the landing -here. You take any canoe you like and I’ll -do the same. It isn’t the canoe, Bull, it’s -science that counts!”</p> - -<p>“Science!” scoffed Bull. “Why, you -couldn’t paddle that far to save your life!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t let that worry you,” Poke replied -soothingly. “Will you try it?”</p> - -<p>“What would be the use? You say yourself -that you’ve never paddled a canoe before.”</p> - -<p>“I know, but I’m awfully quick to learn, -Bull. I’m a clever little lad that way. What -do you say, now? Try it? We’ll start at the -old bridge and I’ll beat you to the boat-house -here. If I don’t get here at least a length ahead -of you I’ll black your shoes for you on the front -steps of Mem!”</p> - -<p>“I hope you lose,” said Gibbs vindictively. -“Bull’s shoes need blacking most of the time.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span></p> - -<p>“All right,” said Gary. “I’ll race you. -And if I don’t beat you I’ll—I’ll—”</p> - -<p>“Careful now! Don’t say anything you’ll -be sorry for!” laughed Poke.</p> - -<p>“—I’ll black your shoes!”</p> - -<p>“Done, old scout! It’s a bargain. You fellows -are witnesses.”</p> - -<p>“Saturday morning, you said. What -time?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, say eleven; or later, if you like,” replied -Poke.</p> - -<p>“Eleven’s all right for me. And I don’t -have to use this canoe unless I want to.”</p> - -<p>“Use any canoe you like and as many as -you like as long as they don’t have motors in -them. We’re to start at the old bridge and finish -here at the corner of the float. And if I -get here first you black my shoes. And if you -get here first I’m to black yours. Right?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Gary; and Jeffrey and Gibbs -nodded.</p> - -<p>“And there’s one other thing,” said Poke. -“I want a good job done, Bull; no skimping the -heels, you know!”</p> - -<p>Gary grinned. “If you don’t get your shoes -blackened until I do them, Poke, they’ll be -sights.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</a><br /> -<small>POKE ADVERTISES</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">“What made you do such a silly thing?” -asked Jeffrey of Poke as they hurried -back to Academy Hall. “You know very well -he can paddle faster than you can.”</p> - -<p>“Ah,” replied Poke gravely, “the race is not -always to the swift, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>“Well, a canoe race is. You’d better put in -all your spare time to-day and to-morrow practising. -You’ll have to learn to keep your canoe -straight first of all, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“I shall take several lessons. I engage you -now to impart to me all the knowledge you -have, Jeff, of the gentle art of canoedling. If -I can get the hang of that twist I’ll be all right.”</p> - -<p>But Jeffrey shook his head. “He will beat -you to a frazzle,” he said dejectedly. “We -won to-day because our canoe was the faster of -the two. Gary is a good paddler, and he’s as -strong as an ox.”</p> - -<p>“Tut, tut, my tearful friend! I have the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -strength of a team of oxes—I mean oxen. -I’m like a horse, Jeff; I don’t know my own -strength yet.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you’ll know it Saturday forenoon! -Of course you can use Mike if you want to, but -I think you’d better take one of the shorter -canoes; it would be lots easier to handle.”</p> - -<p>“I mean to. I mean to take the shortest and -lightest one I can find. Can you give me a lesson -after football practice this afternoon, -Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but you’ll be too tired, won’t you?”</p> - -<p>“I never tire,” replied Poke grandly. -“I’ll meet you on the gym steps at five sharp.”</p> - -<p>“It will be almost dark by that time,” Jeffrey -objected.</p> - -<p>“Never mind. We’ll take a lantern, Jeff. -Maybe, though, we can start before five. You -be there at a quarter to. Or, better still, you -go down to the boat-house and get your canoe -over and ready, and I will come as soon as I -can skip off. How’s that?”</p> - -<p>“That’s better. I’ll be all ready for you at -four-thirty, and you get there as soon as you -can. I’ll put you in the stern this time.”</p> - -<p>“All right. I wonder how a little resin<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -would go on my hands. They’re getting full of -blisters!”</p> - -<p>Poke’s challenge created quite a sensation at -dinner time. Gil told him he was a chump, and -Jim, without actually saying so, confirmed the -judgment. Only Hope refused to see defeat in -prospect.</p> - -<p>“Of course you can beat him!” she declared -cheerfully. “I think Brandon Gary is a perfectly -horrid boy!”</p> - -<p>“That doesn’t alter the fact that he’s a -pretty good chap with the paddle,” said Gil -dryly, “or that Poke doesn’t really know one -end of a canoe from the other.”</p> - -<p>“Nobody does,” replied Poke untroubledly, -passing his plate for a second helping of vegetables. -“They’re exactly alike!”</p> - -<p>“Well, we will all be there to see you finish,” -laughed Jim.</p> - -<p>“And we’ll all be there to see him black Bull -Gary’s shoes,” added Gil.</p> - -<p>Poke viewed him sorrowfully. “It pains me -deeply, Gil, to find you have so little faith in me. -I used to think you were my friend.”</p> - -<p>“You can show him all about rowing a canoe, -can’t you, Jeff?” asked Hope anxiously. “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -should think if he practised hard to-morrow -he’d just beat that Gary boy all to bits!”</p> - -<p>“There will be very little left of him but bits -after the race,” said Poke. “I feel sorry for -him, fellows; I actually do.”</p> - -<p>The rest hooted.</p> - -<p>Poke proved a diligent pupil that afternoon. -Jeffrey gave him the stern paddle and Poke -labored hard with it. And by the time darkness -drove them back to the boat-house Poke had -actually mastered the trick of holding the canoe -straight after the stroke. The next day, which -was Friday, there were two sessions on the -river, one in the morning, between Latin and -English recitations, and one again after practice -in the late afternoon.</p> - -<p>“You really did very well,” said Jeffrey as -they went back to Sunnywood through the chilly -twilight. “If you can do a little bit better to-morrow -you may stand a chance of finishing -pretty well.”</p> - -<p>“I shall win,” replied Poke with deep conviction.</p> - -<p>By Friday noon the entire school was in possession -of the fact that Gary and Endicott were -to have a canoe race and the fellows were discussing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span> -the event with much interest and amusement. -It was no secret that Poke was a veritable -tyro at the paddle, but every one who knew -Poke was certain that in some way, by luck or -pluck or sheer impudence, he would give his opponent -a hard race. To make sure, however, -that the world at large should know of the -event, Poke himself printed out and posted on -the notice board in Academy Hall a highly alluring -announcement, which read as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="noic">EXTRAORDINARY SPORTING EVENT!</p> - -<p class="noic">EXCITING CANOE CONTEST BETWEEN TWO<br /> -INTREPID MEMBERS OF THIS<br /> -SCHOOL!</p> - -<p>At eleven o’clock on Saturday morning Mr. Brandon -Gary and Mr. Perry Endicott will participate in -a Canoe Race to decide the Championship of Crofton -Academy. The start will be made at the Old Bridge -near Saunder’s Farm and the contest will finish at -the Boat-House float. According to the terms of the -Contest, the Loser is to black the shoes of the Winner -on the steps of Memorial Hall immediately after the -conclusion of the Race, the Loser to provide his own -Blacking and Brushes and not to skimp the Heels. -For further particulars, arrangement of Special -Trains, excursion rates, etc., see Daily Papers!</p> - -<p class="noic">COME ONE! COME ALL!</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span></p> - -<p>Gary didn’t altogether approve of that notice. -It sounded as though Poke meant to make a -spectacle of him, although he couldn’t just see -how that was to be accomplished. “The silly -chump can’t paddle a canoe to save his neck,” -he confided to a friend. “So what does he -mean by all this nonsense?”</p> - -<p>“They say he’s been practising three or four -times a day,” replied the other.</p> - -<p>“He will need more practice than that if he -is going to beat me,” grunted Gary. “I’ve a -good mind to tear that notice down.”</p> - -<p>But he didn’t, and the notice continued to -provide mirth for the passers. On Friday -afternoon a complication arose and threatened -to put an end then and there to the contemplated -event. Johnny Connell put his foot down.</p> - -<p>“Look here, Endicott,” he said in the gymnasium -before afternoon football practice, -“don’t you know we’ve got a game with Frawley’s -to-morrow?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I know it, Johnny. Why?”</p> - -<p>“Then you cut out this canoe race business, -my boy. I’m not going to have you get tired -and go stale at this time of the season.”</p> - -<p>“But, Johnny—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Cut it out, I tell you! If you don’t I’ll see -Sargent and you’ll get in trouble.”</p> - -<p>Poke thought hard for a moment. Then he -drew the coach aside and there ensued a whispered -conference in a corner of the locker room, -during which a smile crept into Johnny’s face, -a smile that finally became a full-fledged grin.</p> - -<p>“Oh, well, all right, if that’s it,” he said at -last. “But mind you don’t get tired, now.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t,” Poke promised. “And don’t -you say a word to any one, Johnny. If you do -you’ll spoil the whole show.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t. What time’s this race to be?”</p> - -<p>“Eleven sharp, from the old bridge down the -river.”</p> - -<p>Johnny chuckled. “I guess I’ll have to see -it,” he said.</p> - -<p>That evening Jeffrey and Jim accompanied -Gil and Poke to Plato Society. It was not a -business meeting to-night and there were quite -a few invited guests present. It was too cold -to sit out of doors and so the social room was -filled to its capacity. As usual, there was music -and the evening passed very pleasantly. Both -Jeffrey and Jim were introduced to a number -of fellows they had not met before, and each had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -a very good time. Poke’s appearance was the -signal for wild applause, and the others had a -good deal of fun with him over to-morrow’s -canoe race. Later on Gary came in, and he, -too, was hailed with cheers, although as he had -never been very popular with the other members -of the society, his advent caused less of an ovation.</p> - -<p>Gary had accepted his punishment with smiling -indifference, and at first the school at large -had been inclined to sympathize with him. But -his attitude had soon changed that. No longer -on the football team, and with no prospect of rejoining -it this fall, he pretended a vast contempt -for it and frequently predicted defeat in the -Hawthorne game. For some unknown reason -his resentment appeared to be against Duncan -Sargent and Johnny Connell instead of Mr. -Hanks or the Principal, and he was forever -criticizing the former’s efforts at leadership and -coaching. If he felt any anger against Mr. -Hanks—and I am inclined to believe that -he did not—he never betrayed it. Having -learned his lesson, Gary was quick to profit by -it, and no member of his classes was any more -docile and well-behaved than he.</p> - -<p>The Platonians tried to get Poke and Gary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> -together that evening and have them talk on the -subject of the race, but each fought shy of the -other, although each seemed willing enough to -talk about it when the other was out of hearing.</p> - -<p>“He hasn’t the ghost of a show,” declared -Gary. “I don’t know what his game is. I -guess he just wants to make a sensation. Why, -he never paddled a canoe in his life until the -other day!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe that,” said some one. -“Who says so, Bull?”</p> - -<p>“He told me so himself,” replied Gary. -And it was a tribute to Poke’s veracity that no -one suggested a doubt after that. Poke when -baited waved a hand airily and shrugged his -shoulders.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry for Bull,” he said with regret in -his voice. “I suppose I shouldn’t have led him -into it. But, after all, it’s just a little fun. He -will get over his disappointment in time.”</p> - -<p>His audience chuckled and winked.</p> - -<p>“But they say, Poke,” said one of his hearers, -“that you don’t know how to paddle.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t know how to paddle! Me? Well, if -you want to believe everything you hear, that’s -not my fault. Without desiring to appear conceited, -fellows, I think I may lay claim to being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -the nicest little paddler in this state, if not in the -country. I can paddle with my eyes shut and -one hand tied securely behind my back. I am -the only successful exponent of the Bob Cook -stroke.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a rowing stroke, you crazy chump!”</p> - -<p>“What of it? I have adapted it to canoeing,” -replied Poke calmly. “It is the stroke -with which I shall win to-morrow’s classic -event, gentlemen. I trust that you will all be -on hand to see how it is done.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll be on hand to see how <em>you</em> are done,” -a fellow laughed. “Honestly, Poke, you’ve -got more cheek than any fellow in the country!”</p> - -<p>“I?” said Poke with a demure smile. “You -surprise me. It shows how you misjudge my -character, Tom. I am a modest little violet, did -you but know it.”</p> - -<p>“We didn’t but know it, Poke,” replied Tom.</p> - -<p>“The kind of a violet he means,” said another, -“is about the size of a soup plate, is yellow -and grows in the sun.”</p> - -<p>“Get out,” said Poke, “that’s a forget-me-not! -You’d better go back to the Junior Class -and study your botany again.”</p> - -<p>“Well, we’ll all be on hand to-morrow morning,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -Poke, to root for you. And, say, Poke, if -you lose, you know, I’ll lend you my blacking -set!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</a><br /> -<small>AN EARLY MORNING PRACTICE</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Poke possessed the ability to awake in the -morning at approximately whatever hour -he had decided upon the night before, a most -convenient gift that saved the price of an alarm -clock. On Saturday Poke made use of this -ability and was out of bed long before any one -else in the house was stirring and out of the -house without having awakened even Gil. It -was fortunate that he had put a sweater on -under his jacket, for the morning was cloudy -and chill as he set off along the road toward the -school and the river. But early as he was, Sammy -was ahead of him at the boat-house. The -latter was just unlocking when Poke arrived, -and he displayed an unflattering surprise at his -appearance.</p> - -<p>“Likely you been up all night,” he said, -struggling with a yawn as he ushered Poke into -the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Had your breakfast, Sammy?” Poke -asked.</p> - -<p>“O’ course I have,” replied the boatman indignantly. -“Most time for dinner it is now.”</p> - -<p>“Wish I had,” sighed Poke. “What’s the -smallest and lightest canoe you’ve got, -Sammy?”</p> - -<p>“I dunno. There’s all kinds here. Take -your pick o’ ’em.”</p> - -<p>“No, you show me, Sammy. I don’t know -much about the things.”</p> - -<p>Sammy walked along the racks, chin in hand, -mumbling. Finally,</p> - -<p>“Here be it,” he announced, placing his hand -on a green canvas canoe. “Light and short, -sir, and paddles itself.”</p> - -<p>“All right. Put her over, Sammy.”</p> - -<p>“Be you goin’ out now?” asked the boatman -in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Of course. A little exercise before breakfast, -you know. I’m troubled with dyspepsia. -Doctor’s orders, Sammy.”</p> - -<p>“You be over young to have dyspepsy,” said -Sammy, shaking his head disapprovingly. -“Too many sweets, likely. What kind o’ paddle, -now; double or single?”</p> - -<p>“Single, please. That’s the ticket. See you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -later, Sammy.” And Poke dipped his blade -and leisurely headed down-stream. If his purpose -was to practise for the race he gave but -small indication of the fact, for he only put -his paddle in the water when the slow current -threatened to send him toward the banks. -Presently he had passed under the bridge at -Birch Island and was out of sight. Sammy, -who had watched from the float, turned and -ambled back to the work-shop, shaking his head.</p> - -<p>“It’s puttin’ a lot o’ rich victuals in their -stummicks as does it,” he muttered as he set -about lighting the stove. “Dyspepsy be the -curse o’ the age. That,” he added as he felt -a twinge in his knee, “that an rhumatics.” -He dropped some fresh sheet-glue in the glue -pot, set it over the fire and glanced out the window. -“’Twill be soon clearin’,” he murmured. -“Likely I’d best finish paintin’ that -canoe so ’twill dry.”</p> - -<p>It was about half an hour later that he heard -a noise at the float and saw Poke lifting his -canoe out of the water. Poke had acquired -very red cheeks and a hearty appetite, but -whether he had acquired more skill at paddling -remained to be seen.</p> - -<p>“You be soon back,” observed Sammy, putting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -his head out the shop door. “Likely you -be thinkin’ some o’ breakfast by now.”</p> - -<p>“I’m thinking of nothing else, Sammy,” -replied Poke heartily. “And, Sammy, I want -you to do me a favor.”</p> - -<p>The boatman immediately looked dubious. -He didn’t believe overmuch in doing favors. -But Poke’s next action cleared his face. Poke -put his hand in his trousers pocket and brought -out a bright quarter.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to have a race with a fellow at -eleven o’clock,” he went on, “and I want this -same canoe. See that I get it, will you? And -here’s something for your trouble.”</p> - -<p>“That be easy,” replied Sammy, “and I’ll -not be taken siller for’t.” But he did nevertheless, -slipping the quarter into the pocket of -his overalls even as he spoke. “Leave it to -me, sir, an’ ’twill be here when you come.” He -lifted the green canvas canoe and placed it -athwart a couple of horses in the shop. -“Likely,” he added, “it be in need o’ repairin’.”</p> - -<p>Poke just barely got into chapel in time. -Afterwards Gil and Jim and Jeffrey were curious -to know where he had been.</p> - -<p>“I’ve been on the river,” replied Poke. “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -thought it would be a good idea to have a sort -of dress rehearsal, you see.”</p> - -<p>Gil viewed him suspiciously. Finally, “Look -here, Poke,” he said, “is this on the level, this -race?”</p> - -<p>“No, on the river,” replied Poke flippantly, -“and you know they’re never quite level.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean,” asked Jeffrey, “that you -went down at six o’clock and paddled over the -course?”</p> - -<p>“Something like that. But it was before -six, I think. Say, you chaps, for the love -of Mike, walk up, will you? I’m just about -starved to death! I came mighty near nibbling -the varnish off the settee in chapel. This before-breakfast -exercise is great stuff, I tell you. -You ought to try it, Jeff. You never eat anything -to speak of. Get into your little canoe -some morning and paddle a couple of miles and -just see how it tones you up. It’s marvelous! -Anybody got any chocolate about their person? -Or a slab of chewing gum? Or any other little -thing that will keep life in my starving body?”</p> - -<p>But nobody had. Jim offered a cough-drop -from the corner of his waistcoat pocket, but -after looking it over Poke refused it indignantly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -“I can get all the dirt I want without -having to take paregoric with it,” he said.</p> - -<p>Gil had gotten it into his head that there was -something “fishy,” as he put it, about the race, -and tried his best to get Poke to confess to some -scheme of villainy. But Poke only looked hurt -and injured and said he was sorry that a fellow -he had always liked and respected should -entertain such doubts as to his integrity. However, -as he said most of it with his mouth filled -with breakfast, the full effect was lost.</p> - -<p>But I am certain that the reader is quite as -interested in the race and as anxious to witness -it as was the school in general; although -I trust he does not share Gil’s miserable suspicions; -and so I will hurry on to the appointed -moment. Long before eleven o’clock practically -every canoe, skiff and tub in commission -was on the water and the boat-house was -emptier than it had ever been since spring. -Sammy was dazed and indignant. Some few -fellows who did not trust themselves to manage -an oar or paddle elected to see the contest -from the bank, and the more energetic of these -got away early and walked down to the starting-point. -Most, however, were satisfied to see the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span> -finish of the race from the stone bridge over -Birch Island or from the float itself.</p> - -<p>Now for a thorough understanding of this -terrific contest it is incumbent on the reader to -know a little about the course of the river. -What Poke called the old bridge was a wooden -structure which crossed the river about half -a mile below the school as the crow flies and -about a mile as the river runs. For the river -turns thrice in that distance, curving once to -the north-west in a wide sweep and then again -to the south-east and finally a third time toward -the west. It describes a giant S, with the -upper loop, viewed from the school float, round -and large and the lower loop smaller and flattened. -After finishing the second loop the -river meanders south-westerly in a generally -straight direction. Imagine, then, the start of -the race to be at a point about at the middle of -the top curve of the S and the finish at a point -just beyond the final end of the letter. What, -then, would have been scarcely more than a -mile could one have walked the distance in a -straight line, was fully twice the distance by -boat. And a mile against the current is no -light feat for one whose canoeing experience has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> -stretched over such a small space of time as a -week.</p> - -<p>Both contestants were on hand early at the -boat-house. At twenty minutes to eleven Poke -stepped majestically into the Mi-Ka-Noo and, -in company with Gil, Jim, Jeffrey and Hope, -put off for the starting-point. Behind the Mi-Ka-Noo -bobbed the little green canoe that Poke -had chosen in the morning. The Mi-Ka-Noo -was pretty well loaded but stood the ordeal -beautifully. Poke was calm and heroic, Gil suspicious, -Jim frankly amused, Jeffrey anxious -and Hope so excited that she could scarcely sit -still. She did, however, because Jim nipped -every wriggle in the bud, so to speak. Accompanying -the Mi-Ka-Noo, for all the world as -though it was the Royal Barge of an Eastern -Potentate—the expression is Poke’s, not mine—went -a flotilla of canoes and boats filled with -laughing boys in a very holiday mood. Poke -was the recipient of much advice and the butt -of many jokes, but Poke this morning was absolutely -impressive. I have said that he was -calm, but that scarcely expresses the quiet, almost -haughty, determination of his countenance. -Hope was positively fascinated by him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> -and deliberately seated herself with her face toward -the stern, so that she could feast her eyes -on the noble hero.</p> - -<p>Brandon Gary had preceded them down the -river, paddling in the blue canoe he had selected -for the race. This, explained Poke, was a mistake. -It was unwise to exert one’s self before -the contest. He believed in saving his strength. -Gil, who was doing his best at the bow, to keep -the Mi-Ka-Noo from colliding with the other -boats, grunted ironically. The starting-place -looked like the English Thames on a regatta -day. The sun had come out gloriously and the -variously colored canoes and cedar boats glistened -in the sunlight. Joe Cosgrove, the baseball -captain, had been chosen official, combining -the duties of referee, judge, timer and -starter. Joe had provided himself with a small -pistol and was determined to do his part in -ship-shape fashion. He was also determined to -waste no time, having an engagement to play -golf at a quarter past eleven with Mr. Arroway, -the English instructor. So he watched impatiently -while Poke stepped carefully into his -green canoe—Poke still held canoes in deep -respect and boarded them circumspectly—with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -all the impressiveness possible under the circumstances.</p> - -<p>“Paddle over here, Poke, and get in place,” -he called.</p> - -<p>Poke, without replying, took up his paddle -and looked it all over, much as a batsman examines -a favorite bat or a billiard player his -cue, much to the amusement of the spectators.</p> - -<p>“It’s all right,” called Gil. “It isn’t -loaded, old man.”</p> - -<p>Poke thereupon carefully placed the tip of -the paddle in the water, moved it experimentally, -withdrew it and once more scrutinized it -carefully. Cosgrove sputtered.</p> - -<p>“For goodness’ sake, Poke, get a move on, -can’t you?”</p> - -<p>Poke appeared to have heard him for the first -time and glanced across inquiringly. “Are -you waiting for me?” he asked surprisedly.</p> - -<p>“Get in line with Gary there,” directed Joe. -“Get those bows even. Are you ready?”</p> - -<p>Poke agreed that he was, and so did Gary.</p> - -<p><em>Bang!</em></p> - -<p>That was Joe’s pistol. Gary dug his paddle -and the blue canoe darted ahead. Poke dug his -paddle and the green canoe followed, but more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -slowly. Poke, agreed the crowd, was going to -let Gary set the pace. You couldn’t fool old -Poke! You’d have to get up pretty early in -the morning to get ahead of him! The flotilla -followed, cheering and laughing and shouting -advice to the contestants.</p> - -<p>“Go it, Bull! You’re doing fine!”</p> - -<p>“Keep after him, Poke! Wear him out! -That’s the stuff!”</p> - -<p>“’Rah for Endicott!”</p> - -<p>“’Rah for Gary!”</p> - -<p>The great race had begun!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</a><br /> -<small>THE GREAT RACE</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">For a time it seemed that the race would -come to an ignominious end then and there, -for the other canoes, or such of them as were -paddled by two or more fellows, followed so -closely that at the end of the first hundred yards -they were on both sides of the contestants and -even in front of them!</p> - -<p>“Get out of the way, can’t you?” bawled -Gary. “Give me room!”</p> - -<p>Poke, a length and more behind, was not -bothered by the convoy, and chuckled at Gary’s -dilemma. But Joe Cosgrove came to the rescue. -Joe was sculling in a tub.</p> - -<p>“Keep back there!” he shouted. “Keep -back of the race or I’ll call it off!”</p> - -<p>“If they don’t get back I’ll claim a foul!” -shouted Gary, encouraged by the referee’s support.</p> - -<p>“So will I!” announced Poke. “I’ll claim -two fouls!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span></p> - -<p>But the referee’s command had the desired -effect and Gary’s blue canoe swept out of the -press, followed by its green competitor. Joe -followed close behind Poke and the rest of the -craft came bobbing along back of Joe in merry, -laughing confusion. The Mi-Ka-Noo had been -lucky enough to secure a position well in the -lead of the followers from where during the -first stage of the race both canoes were in plain -sight.</p> - -<p>“Poke’s just simply going to pieces,” -mourned Jeffrey. “Look at him! He can’t -keep her nose straight at all!”</p> - -<p>“He can’t paddle, and he knows it,” answered -Gil. “What I’m wondering is what’s -his idea? I’ll bet anything he never thought -of winning this race by paddling.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe he’s got a motor hidden in his canoe,” -suggested Jim with a laugh.</p> - -<p>“If he has he’d better start it going,” said -Jeffrey. “He had to stop paddling then and -straighten his canoe out. Why doesn’t he remember -what I told him?”</p> - -<p>“Is he much behind?” asked Hope anxiously, -craning forward.</p> - -<p>“About three or four lengths,” answered -Jim. “Sit still or you’ll have us overboard!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He’s just doing that to fool him,” said -Hope. “You wait!”</p> - -<p>But if Poke was playing fox he was overdoing -it, for now Gary was increasing his lead -with every stroke of his paddle. The blue -canoe was going finely, Gary’s bare arms working -the paddle with the power and regularity of -a piece of machinery. He was at the end of -the first loop of the course now and the starting-point -was already hidden from sight by the -trees which grew to the water’s edge on both -sides. The sound of the accompanying boats -grew less and less, showing that Poke, keeping -them back, was rapidly losing. But it was not -until the stream turned to the right again on -the beginning of the second loop that Gary allowed -himself to turn and look behind him. -When he did so he smiled. Not a canoe was -in sight on so much of the winding stream as -lay within his vision. In another moment, easing -a little from the pace he had been setting, -he was around the point, keeping as close to the -bank as the channel would allow. He was beginning -to be aware of aching muscles in arms -and legs and back, and so he shifted his paddle -to the right for a few minutes. The river still -turned so that he could see only a hundred feet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> -or so ahead of him at a time, but presently the -bridge at Birch Island crept into sight down -the stream; first the tip end of it on the Crofton -side of the river, then the second stone pier -and the edge of the island and then the whole -bridge. There were spectators on it. They -were waving to a youth on the bank who was in -the act of dropping a green canoe into the -water. The green canoe, which had a strange -likeness to the one which Poke Endicott was in, -disappeared under the further arch of the -bridge and went out of sight. The fellows on -the bridge disappeared, too, running to the -other side to watch it. But by the time Gary -neared the bridge they were back again, shouting -to him and cheering loudly. Gary experienced -a glow of pleasure at the discovery of -such a warm sentiment in his favor. As he -neared the faces leaning over the parapet he -was puzzled, however, to account for the expressions -on them, and for the burst of laughter -that greeted him. There was something ironic -in that laughter, and he realized dimly that the -shouts of encouragement were not altogether -sincere.</p> - -<p>“Go it, Gary! Eat ’em up! Paddle hard!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Dig, Bull! You’ll get him yet! That’s the -boy!”</p> - -<p>The shouting died away as he swept his canoe -out from under the old stone arch and left the -bridge and the island behind. Ahead was -the boat-house and the float and the end of the -race—and victory! And ahead, too, was a -green canoe, a green canoe with a boy in the -stern whose back looked marvelously like Poke -Endicott’s! Of course it couldn’t be Poke, -for Poke was yards and yards behind. Gary -turned and looked. Just beyond the bridge -came the pursuit. He could see the boats under -the arches. Which was Poke’s he couldn’t -tell, but Poke was there somewhere, vanquished -and discomfited. Of course, only—<em>who</em> was -the boy ahead? And why were the watchers -on the float waving to him and shouting? Now -he had stopped paddling and they were helping -him out and slapping him on the back and cheering. -Of course it wasn’t Poke; that was impossible; -but it looked—</p> - -<p><em>It was Poke!</em></p> - -<p>The fellow had turned and Gary had seen his -face. For a moment Gary stopped paddling -and stared open-mouthed as though at an apparition.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> -What did it mean? Poke had not -passed him on the way up. Or—was it possible -that he had passed and that he hadn’t seen -him? That was an awful thought, for it suggested -that he was losing his senses! Nonsense! -It was some trick, some—</p> - -<p>Then Gary saw it all! Poke had carried -across the point!</p> - -<p>Gary realized that the current was carrying -him down-stream and dug his paddle again. -After all, it was all right, for plenty of fellows -could testify to having seen Poke put his canoe -back into the river at Birch Island. Why, Gary -had seen that himself! And others must have -seen him leave the water on the other side. -Poke had fooled him, and he supposed a lot of -the fellows would think it a good joke and try -to jolly him about it, but he had won the race -fairly and squarely, and he could afford to let -them laugh. He went on to the float leisurely. -The other canoes were almost up to him now. -The crowd at the landing watched him approach -and cheered him a little for consolation. At the -edge of the float stood Poke, bearing his honors -as modestly as might be. He leaned down and -held Gary’s canoe for him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well paddled, Bull,” he said heartily. -“But what was the trouble? Did you strike a -snag or run aground?”</p> - -<p>“You think you’re smart, don’t you?” replied -Gary indignantly. “Gee, you couldn’t -do a thing, Poke, without trying to make a silly -farce of it! You make me tired!”</p> - -<p>“Farce!” repeated Poke in amazement. -“Oh, now, I say, Bull, don’t be grouchy because -I beat you. Shake hands and let’s forget it. -It isn’t my fault if I can paddle faster than you -can, is it now?”</p> - -<p>“Paddle!” fumed Gary, climbing onto the -float. “Run, you mean! You cheated!”</p> - -<p>Poke shook his head and viewed sorrowfully -the fellows who had huddled around at the first -sounds of the altercation. “I thought you -were a good loser, Bull,” he sighed.</p> - -<p>“Loser! I am when I lose. But I haven’t -lost. You carried across the point to Birch -Island. Why, dozens of fellows saw you!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, cut it out, Bull,” said one of the audience. -“Don’t get sore about it. He beat you -fair and square—”</p> - -<p>“Of course I did,” agreed Poke soothingly.</p> - -<p>Gary sputtered with indignation. “Fair<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span> -and square! Why—why, he took his canoe -out of the water and ran across the point with -it, I tell you!”</p> - -<p>“What! Oh, get out, Gary!”</p> - -<p>“You’re sore, Bull!”</p> - -<p>“You didn’t, did you, Poke?”</p> - -<p>“Sure I did. It was quicker that way. I -wonder you didn’t think of it, Bull.”</p> - -<p>“What did I tell you?” demanded Gary in -triumph as the other canoes and boats began -to unload their passengers. “He knew he -couldn’t win fairly and so—”</p> - -<p>“Now you hold on a minute, Bull,” commanded -Poke smilingly. He pushed his way -toward the other end of the float. “Jeff, where -are you? Who’s seen Punk Gibbs?” Punk -answered from nearby and Jeffrey hobbled -through the crowd. “Now, then,” resumed -Poke. “Bull says I didn’t win the race fairly. -What do you fellows say? You were there -when we made the agreement.”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey hesitated. “Well,” he said, “you -know you carried your canoe across the land, -Poke.”</p> - -<p>“Of course. What of it? What were the -terms of the challenge?”</p> - -<p>“You were to start together at the old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span> -bridge,” spoke up Gibbs, “and the one who got -here first was to have his shoes blacked by the -other fellow. That’s the agreement, because I -took notice that you didn’t say anything about -canoes.”</p> - -<p>“Is that the way you remember it, Jeff?” -asked Poke.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is. But it hadn’t occurred to -me—”</p> - -<p>“It was understood that we were to race in -canoes,” exclaimed Gary hotly. “If you’d -meant a running race—”</p> - -<p>“You may have understood it that way,” -said Poke, “but I certainly didn’t.” He looked -at his shoes. “Got your blacking handy, -Bull?”</p> - -<p>“No, and don’t you think for a minute that -I’m going to black your shoes for you! You -didn’t race fair, and every one knows it! I won -that race—”</p> - -<p>But the sentiment of the crowd was against -Gary. It was too good a joke to be spoiled by -quibbles.</p> - -<p>“Cut it out, Bull!”</p> - -<p>“Of course he beat you! He didn’t say anything -about staying in the canoes!”</p> - -<p>“Go on and get your blacking, Bull!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Every one over to Mem!”</p> - -<p>And the crowd, jostling and laughing, swept -Gary and Poke with it up the bank, Gary asking -excitedly where Joe Cosgrove was.</p> - -<p>“Wait till you hear what the referee says!” -he demanded. “He hasn’t given his decision -yet! Where is he? Any one seen him?”</p> - -<p>But Joe was half-way to the links by that -time, and when, hours later, Gary ran him down, -he was suffering from a strange lapse of -memory.</p> - -<p>“Race? Oh, I’ve forgotten all about the -race, Bull. What of it?”</p> - -<p>“Well, didn’t I win?” demanded Gary. -“Poke carried his canoe half the way.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a very serious accusation to make,” -said Joe gravely. “Can you substantiate it, -Bull?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I can! Dozens of fellows saw -him do it! Why, you must have seen him yourself!”</p> - -<p>“N-no, I don’t think I could swear that Poke -carried his canoe. I did see him haul it up on -the bank once, but there’s no rule to keep a -chap from taking a rest if he wants to. All I -know is that he arrived at the boat-house first, -and that gives him the race, Bull.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span></p> - -<p>“But he cheated, I tell you! Don’t you understand -that?”</p> - -<p>“I tell you what you do, Bull,” said Joe -finally. “You bring some good, reliable witnesses -to me to prove that Poke carried his -canoe instead of paddled it and I’ll—I’ll hear -’em.”</p> - -<p>But Gary had cooled down by the next day -and the witnesses never testified. I don’t think -Gary ever saw the humor of that memorable -aquatic contest, but he got so after awhile that -he could grin when he was teased about it, and -that wasn’t so bad for Gary. But he never -blackened Poke’s shoes. And I, for one, don’t -blame him!</p> - -<p>The school enjoyed the event for days afterward -and some of the Juniors got together and -presented Poke with a loving-cup—which had -all the ear-marks of a tin gallon measure—suitably -inscribed in black paint. In the inscription -Poke was referred to as the “Champion -Dry-Ground Canoist of the World.”</p> - -<p>“But do you mean to tell me,” asked Jeffrey -after the race that forenoon, “that you went -down this morning at half-past six or some such -unearthly time and carried that canoe through -the woods for practice?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why not?” asked Poke. “You see, I -wasn’t certain it could be done, on account of -the bushes and things.”</p> - -<p>“Nice time to find out about it,” laughed -Jim. “Suppose you had found that it couldn’t -be done?”</p> - -<p>“Then I’d had to follow my original plan, -which was to use two canoes.”</p> - -<p>“Two canoes? How could you have done -that?”</p> - -<p>“Why, I’d have started in one, left it on the -bank, hot-footed it through the woods and -picked up another which would have been waiting -for me. But I didn’t quite like to do that. -It didn’t seem quite fair, you see. Of course -there was nothing in the agreement prohibiting -the use of two canoes, or twenty, but—well, -there’s the spirit of the law to consider as well -as the letter.” And Poke looked as virtuous as -a saint.</p> - -<p>“You’re a silly chump,” observed Gil with -conviction. “Why did you let Jeff here wear -himself out trying to teach you to handle a paddle -if you didn’t mean to use it?”</p> - -<p>Poke grinned. “Because Jeff was troubled -about me and I knew he’d feel a lot better if he -thought he was teaching me how to win the race.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span> -I didn’t want to cause him any uneasiness, -Gil.”</p> - -<p>“You and your uneasiness!” scoffed Gil. -“If I were Jeff I’d punch your head for you!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll do worse than that some day,” laughed -Jeffrey. “I’ll take him out in a canoe and -leave him there helpless!”</p> - -<p>Poke laughed. “It was funny, though, fellows,” -he said, “to see the look on Bull’s face -when he saw me on the float. He was so flabbergasted -that he sat with his paddle in the air -and let the canoe drift down-stream with him! -I’ll bet that for a minute he thought it was my -ghost he saw!”</p> - -<p>Hope, I think, was a little disappointed in the -outcome of the race. She had wanted Poke to -prove a hero and instead of that he had only -proved a practical joker. And Hope, while her -sense of humor was extremely well developed, -failed to appreciate the joke as much as the boys -did. She confided to Poke some days later that -she wished he would learn to paddle perfectly -jimmy and then beat “that Gary boy” in a real -race. And Poke gravely consented to think the -matter over.</p> - -<p>For awhile speculation was rife as to the duration -of Gary’s term of probation, but after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span> -Cosgrove had settled into the position of right -guard and it was observed that that side of the -line appeared as strong as ever the school became -less concerned with Gary’s fortunes. -Cosgrove, although he had never played the -position before, soon became a proficient right -guard, and Curtis, accustomed to the other side -of the line, took very kindly to his change. -Crofton met and defeated three adversaries and -then ran into a snag in the shape of Chester -Polytechnic. “Poly” swept the Academy team -off its feet and won the game in a romp. But -“Poly” had a way of doing that, and Crofton -was not disheartened. The game proved that -the weakest place in the line was at left tackle, -where Marshall, willing and hard-working, -hadn’t the stamina for the position. And yet -Marshall was the best material in sight and -Johnny decided to keep him, trusting that in the -Hawthorne game Sargent, on one side, and Gil -Benton, on the other, would help him out. -After the Polytechnic game came a battle with -Cupples Academy, and Crofton crawled out -victor by a single goal from field. With two -contests remaining before the Hawthorne game -the season settled into the home-stretch. Graduates -ran out to Crofton for a day or two at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> -a time and looked the team over and gave advice -and sometimes took a hand in the coaching, -and ran back to college or business quite satisfied -with their devotion to alma mater. But the -man behind the team was Johnny, and Johnny -pursued the even tenor of his way, undisturbed. -Rumors of exceptional ability on the part of the -Hawthorne eleven might cause uneasiness to -others, but Johnny paid them no heed. He had -heard that sort of thing many, many times -before.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Jim was getting on with rapid -strides, and there came a day when the name -of Hazard was on every tongue. For on that -day Jim broke through Curtis, blocked a kick, -captured the ball and sped forty yards for a -touchdown. As the first team’s best that afternoon -was a field goal, Jim’s feat brought a victory -to the second, and he went off the field a -hero in the eyes of ten panting, happy players. -But brilliant tricks of that sort are not the common -lot of tackles and Jim’s best work was of -the sort that doesn’t show much. By now he -had learned how to handle Cosgrove, while -Curtis and he battled day after day with honors -fairly even. But while Jim was making fine -progress on the gridiron he was scarcely holding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span> -his own in class. A boy must be peculiarly -constituted to work heart and soul for the success -of his team and yet not show a falling off -at recitations. And Jim, since it was his first -attempt at serving two masters, was beginning -to find himself at outs with his instructors. -Oddly enough it was with Latin that he had the -most trouble those days and it was Mr. Hanks -who first scared him.</p> - -<p>“It won’t do, Hazard,” said the instructor -one day. “You’ll have to give more time to -your Latin. Don’t let me find you unprepared -again this month, please.”</p> - -<p>That night Jim settled down in the quiet and -seclusion of his own room and dug hard. And -the next day, and the next after that, Mr. Hanks -viewed him kindly. But in specializing on -Latin Jim had neglected his other studies and -he heard from that. Two weeks before the final -game Jim was looking worried and had become -so irritable that Hope declared she was certain -he was about to be ill. And unfortunately his -troubled condition of mind reflected itself in his -playing and on the second team it was whispered -around that Jim was getting “fine.” -And then came the game with Fosterville -School, one crisp Saturday afternoon in the first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span> -of November. And when it was over, with the -score 12 to 5 in favor of the enemy, the future -looked pretty dark for Crofton. For Marshall -had been dragged out of a play limp and white, -his usefulness to the team a thing of the past. -The doctor declared it only a severe wrench of -the left shoulder but Marshall took it badly and -Johnny knew that even if Marshall pulled -around in a week the accident had taken every -bit of fight out of him. And so it was that the -second lost another lineman to the first team, -for by the middle of the following week, after -trying out Parker and Hazard for the position, -the much coveted, but unhoped for, honor fell -to Jim.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</a><br /> -<small>THE SWORD FALLS!</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Jim broke into the first team on Wednesday.</p> - -<p>That night there was a celebration at -Sunnywood. Jeffrey began it with two bottles -of ginger ale which he produced after study -hour. They drank Jim’s health in that enticing -beverage and then Poke suggested that some -cake wouldn’t be half bad. So Hope was summoned -and Mrs. Hazard was appealed to and -the party adjourned to the dining-room where a -spread worthy of the occasion was speedily -forthcoming. Every one was very merry save -Jim. Jim was wondering when the sword -would fall, for he had flunked badly that morning -in mathematics and had barely scraped -through in Latin. And that was why he protested -when Poke had the merry thought of inviting -Mr. Hanks to the feast.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” said Jim, “let him alone, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“I think he ought to participate in our merry-making,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span> -Poke persisted. “You run up and -invite him down, Hope.”</p> - -<p>“Shall I?” asked Hope, her eyes dancing.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Jim. But the others insisted and -Hope hurried away on her errand.</p> - -<p>“Well, anyway, he won’t come,” predicted -Jim. But he did. He didn’t quite know what -it was all about, but he and Hope were very -good friends by now and he came unquestioningly, -smiling and blinking behind his huge -spectacles. It was explained to him that Jim -had that day attained to the utmost pinnacle of -success by being taken onto the Crofton Academy -Football Team, and Mr. Hanks murmured -“Dear, dear! I want to know!” nibbled at a -piece of cake and wondered how soon he could -in decency return to his interrupted labors upstairs. -Finally he did go back, shaking hands -with Jim in an absent-minded way first, with -one of Mrs. Hazard’s serviettes dangling from -his coat pocket. The party proceeded quite as -merrily without him, however. Poke rallied -Jim on his quietness.</p> - -<p>“I fear the sudden honor is too much for you, -Jim. You used to be rather a merry youth. -To-night you remind me of a graveyard gate -post. Why so sad?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I’m tired,” murmured Jim.</p> - -<p>“Then, Jim dear,” said Mrs. Hazard, “I -really think you had better not eat any more -cake. I’m sure that must be your fifth slice. -And you ate a great big supper.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t mean to say you’ve been counting -the slices!” ejaculated Poke. “Why, -that’s not like you, Lady.”</p> - -<p>“She couldn’t count all you’ve eaten,” declared -Hope. “You’re a—a gridjon!”</p> - -<p>“A what-on?” asked Poke anxiously.</p> - -<p>“A gridjon. A gridjon is a person who eats -too much.”</p> - -<p>“Webster or Hazard?” laughed Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“It’s a perfectly good word of my own,” replied -Hope with dignity.</p> - -<p>But although Jim tumbled into bed in short -time he didn’t go right to sleep. Instead he lay -awake for quite a while wondering how long, if -he didn’t make a much better showing in class, -faculty would allow him to enjoy his new honors. -And when sleep did come to him finally it was -because he had comforted his conscience with -the firm resolve to buckle down to-morrow and -study as never before.</p> - -<p>But, alas, how many of our good resolutions -survive the night? The next day was filled with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span> -new experiences for Jim, and much hard, gruelling -work on the field, and a blackboard lecture -in dining hall after dinner. And so, when study -time came, he was tired and nervous and his -thoughts absolutely refused to concern themselves -with studies. And the following day Mr. -Groff, the mathematics instructor, lectured him -in front of the whole class, which didn’t improve -Jim’s state of mind a bit, and Mr. Hanks viewed -him sadly but forebore to reprimand him. In -his other studies he was doing fairly well as yet.</p> - -<p>There was no practice on Friday and Jim -locked himself up in his room, in spite of the -fact that Johnny had instructed them to stay -out of doors and take mild exercise, and heroically -studied. But the faculty of assimilation -seemed to have deserted him of late and it was -the hardest sort of work to make anything stick -in his memory for more than a minute. But he -kept at it until supper time and then emerged -tired and fagged.</p> - -<p>In the Merton contest the next day, the last -before the “big game,” Crofton showed flashes -of first-rate football. Although he didn’t say -so, Johnny was well satisfied, for he knew that, -barring accidents, his team would play at least -twenty per cent. better a week from that day.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span> -Crofton was still coming, and a team that is -coming is better than one that has reached the -zenith of its development. Merton went down -in defeat, 17 to 8, after a hard-fought battle. -Best of all, Crofton emerged from the fray with -scarcely a scratch, at all events with no real -injuries to any of her players. Jim played well -in that game. For four twelve-minute periods -he forgot all about Latin and mathematics and -thought and lived football. And Johnny, who -hadn’t liked the haggard look in Jim’s eyes, concluded -that his fears were groundless, and confided -to Captain Sargent after the game that -“That fellow Hazard is the best find of the -season.”</p> - -<p>And then, on Monday, the sword fell!</p> - -<p>He was summoned to the office at noon. -What Mr. Gordon said and what excuses Jim -offered are of small consequences. We are interested -in results. The result in this case was -that Jim emerged from Academy Hall feeling -that life was indeed a very tragic thing. That -afternoon Parker played at left guard on the -eleven and all the school knew that Hazard was -“in wrong with the Office.”</p> - -<p>Johnny was a philosopher. Such things had -happened to him before. He wasted no breath<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span> -in regrets nor recriminations. He picked the -next best man for Jim’s place and went ahead. -Perhaps he was a little grimmer in the face that -afternoon and a little more silent, but that was -all. Duncan Sargent, his nerves already jangling -as a captain’s nerves are likely to jangle -when the last week of the season arrives, was -in despair.</p> - -<p>“First it’s Gary,” he groaned, “and then -it’s Marshall and now it’s Hazard. Well, I’d -like to know what’s going to happen next! We -might as well hand the game to Hawthorne and -save the trouble of playing!”</p> - -<p>Poke, to whom these remarks were addressed -just before the beginning of practice, was as -gloomy as his captain. He had known nothing -of Jim’s misfortune until a few minutes before, -for Jim had not shown up at dinner hour and -Poke had not glimpsed him since morning.</p> - -<p>“Gee,” he muttered, “it’s all a surprise to -me. I never suspected that Jim wasn’t getting -on all right in class. You don’t suppose J. G. -will let him back in a day or two?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” answered Sargent despondently. -“What if he does? A fellow can’t -drop training for two or three days on the eve -of the big game and then play decently.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Jim could,” said Poke thoughtfully. “I -wonder where the chump is. I suppose he isn’t -here, eh?”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t seen him.” Sargent shrugged -his broad shoulders. “What’s more, I don’t -want to. If a fellow doesn’t think enough of -the success of his school to study a few silly -lessons we’re better without him.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, be good,” Poke chided. “It was only -two years ago that you were off for a whole -week for the same reason, Dun.”</p> - -<p>“And I learned my lesson,” said the other -gloomily.</p> - -<p>“Well, I suppose Jim Hazard’s learning -his,” replied Poke. “Only I wish he’d chosen -some other time. How’s Parker going to fit?”</p> - -<p>Sargent kicked viciously at a football that had -rolled up to them. “Rotten!” he said.</p> - -<p>Practice went badly that day, just as it’s -likely to on the Monday after a hard game, and -there was a general air of discouragement about -coach and players alike. The second team, -grumbling over the loss of another lineman, -smashed vengefully at their opponents and tied -the score in the second half of the scrimmage. -And so it stayed and the second credited themselves -with what was virtually a victory. Gil,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span> -Poke and Jeffrey walked home together after -practice and talked over Jim’s predicament.</p> - -<p>“Success,” said Gil, “was too much for -him.”</p> - -<p>“That’s not fair,” remonstrated Poke. -“Jim got onto the team late and has had to -learn a whole lot in a short time. Hang it, Gil, -I haven’t been doing any too well at studies, -myself, and I’ve been playing football long -enough to know the ropes. I don’t wonder that -Jim fell behind. The question now is can he -catch up and square himself with the Office before -Saturday?”</p> - -<p>“Is it all studies or one or two?” asked -Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>Poke shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t -know. Why didn’t he say something to some -of us? I noticed that he seemed rather down -in the mouth, but I didn’t suspect this. I -thought he was just worried for fear he -wouldn’t make good at playing.”</p> - -<p>“Who do you suppose started the trouble?” -asked Gil. “Who do you and Jim have, Jeff?”</p> - -<p>“Hanks in Latin and history, Groff in math, -Arroway in English, Lewellyn in French and -Thurston in physics.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it might be ‘Gruff,’” said Gil, “or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span> -it might be ‘Boots.’ (‘Boots’ was the popular -name for Mr. Thurston.) It isn’t likely -that Hanks had anything to do with it; nor -Lewellyn. As for English, why, no fellow has -trouble in that course.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not so sure about Nancy, though,” said -Jeffrey. “Ever since we turned him into a -tyrant he’s been pretty fussy about us having -our lessons. But I think it was probably Groff -that started the trouble. He gave Jim a calling-down -in class last week.”</p> - -<p>“Gruff always was a tartar,” grumbled Poke. -“I never knew a mathematics instructor who -wasn’t.”</p> - -<p>“Well, the question is,” observed Gil, “is -there anything we can do to pull Jim out of his -hole? There’s five days yet before the game. -Something might be done.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe Johnny would let him play -after being laid off,” said Poke gloomily. -“Dun’s got a grouch against him, too.”</p> - -<p>“Well, the first thing to do is to find him,” -said Jeffrey. “I haven’t seen him since -physics.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose he’s feeling so mean he’s hiding -out somewhere,” Poke suggested. “I don’t -blame him for being cut up about it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jim, however, wasn’t very far off when the -trio entered the gate. He was sitting at the -table in his room with his books spread before -him looking disconsolately out of the window. -“No more athletics, Hazard, until your marks -are considerably better in all studies, Latin and -mathematics especially,” had been Mr. Gordon’s -ultimatum. Jim had spent the dinner -hour sitting on a spile near the bridge, gazing -into the water and wondering on the lack of -gratitude displayed by Mr. Hanks. For Mr. -Gordon had distinctly said that it had been the -Latin instructor who had made complaint. Jim -was through with the team and wouldn’t have -shown up at training table for anything. Nor -did he want to go home and face his chums at -Sunnywood just then. Besides, he was much -too disappointed and miserable to want anything -to eat. Of course, he had reflected, it was -all his own fault, but that knowledge didn’t seem -to make the situation any easier. He found a -little satisfaction in calling Mr. Hanks names. -It seemed to him that after the way they had -come to Nancy’s assistance with advice the least -he could have done was to have been a little more -lenient with Jim Hazard. He wished he had -never gone in for football; wished he had never<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span> -come to Crofton. Then the bell rang and he -dragged himself back along the river to Academy -Hall and a French recitation. After that -there had been physics, and then, when most of -the fellows were setting their faces toward the -field, he had hurried home and shut himself in -his room. His mother had sought entrance and -he had put her off with the plea that he was busy -studying, but as a matter of fact there had been -very little studying done that afternoon. His -thoughts simply refused to stay on his books. -It was almost dark now in the room, and through -the window the western sky was paling from -orange to gray. He heard the gate click and -then came the sound of footsteps on the stairs. -Some one knocked imperatively at his door.</p> - -<p>“Hello?” he growled.</p> - -<p>“We want to come in, Jim.” It was Poke’s -voice. And the tone told Jim that Poke had -heard.</p> - -<p>“I’m working,” replied Jim, more gruffly.</p> - -<p>“It’s time to quit. Open up, like a good -fellow.”</p> - -<p>“Too busy,” replied Jim. There was a -whispered conference beyond the door and then -footsteps died out along the hall. Jim felt more -lonely than ever then and wished he had let them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span> -in. But pride kept him there behind the locked -door until the supper bell rang, and then until -Hope came up to find why he wasn’t down. -Hope had to beg her hardest before she was admitted. -Then Jim said he wasn’t hungry and -wanted no supper. All he wanted was to be let -alone. So <a href="#i_p295">Hope</a> went out quietly, closing the -door after her, and, <a href="#i_p295">being a rather wise young -lady, prepared a tray</a>. After she had taken her -departure for the second time Jim sat and -looked at the tray for a long time; to be exact, -just as long as his courage lasted. Then he -gave in and ate everything in sight. After that -life didn’t look quite so dark, and when, presently, -Poke came knocking at the door again, -Jim bade him enter.</p> - -<p>They talked it all over then, Gil and Jeffrey -sort of happening in, and Poke was highly incensed -at Mr. Hanks’ conduct.</p> - -<p>“After what we did to help him!” he said -disgustedly.</p> - -<p>“He has only followed the advice we gave -him,” observed Gil dryly. “What goes for one -goes for all, Poke.”</p> - -<p>“He hasn’t a grain of—of gratitude,” -spluttered Poke. “And what’s more, I’d like -to tell him so, too.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span></p> - -<p>“If you talk so loud you won’t have to,” said -Jeffrey. “He will hear you now.”</p> - -<p>“Let him! He’s the limit!”</p> - -<p>“Stop calling names and let’s see what’s to -be done,” Gil counseled. “Think you can -catch up by Friday, Jim?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t know. I can’t seem to get down -to studying. I’ve been trying to all the afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I can’t promise that Johnny will take -you on again even if you get square with the -Office,” said Gil, “but seems to me it’s worth -trying. You get your books and go over to -Jeff’s room. After awhile we’ll go over to-morrow’s -stuff with you. Maybe between us -we can coach you up, Jim. I’m not much of a -Latin student myself, but Poke gets on pretty -well in that; so does Jeff. As for math, why, -I’ll do what I can for you there. What do you -say?”</p> - -<p>Jim thought a moment. He was still inclined -to feel hurt and imposed on. But the offer -was too good to be refused, and so,</p> - -<p>“All right,” he muttered. “I’ll try it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<a id="i_p295"> - <img src="images/i_p295.jpg" width="600" height="478" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_295">Hope, being a rather wise young lady, prepared a tray.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298-<br />299]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jim’s showing in class the next day was not -much better, but on Wednesday there was a -marked improvement. Every night Gil, Poke -and Jeffrey took him in hand and put him -through his paces in mathematics and Latin. -Jim was not stupid, and now that he had more -time and constant encouragement he went ahead -in good shape. If Mr. Hanks suspected the -sudden coolness exhibited toward him by Jim -and Poke he made no sign. Personally I don’t -believe that he gave it a thought. He had done -what his duty required of him in Jim’s case -and that was all. That his action had cost Jim -his position on the football team and deprived -the team of a good player he did not know. He -went his way serenely unconscious of the trouble -he had caused.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the team worked like Trojans -every afternoon, the football enthusiasm and excitement -grew to fever heat and Thursday -dawned. Thursday was the last day of practice. -The whole school marched to the field at four -o’clock, cheering and singing. Even Jim allowed -the others to persuade him to attend the -final practice, and he and the rest of the Sunnywood, -saving Mrs. Hazard, who had lost her -interest in football, now that Jim no longer -played, followed the procession, Hope wildly -enthusiastic and attracting many admiring -glances on the way.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was nothing spectacular about practice -that afternoon. After the preliminary work the -rest of the time was spent in a hard signal drill -and one fifteen-minute period of scrimmaging, -the latter being halted for minutes at a time -while one or other of the coaches, who had grown -quite numerous by now, criticized and lectured, -begged and threatened. Around the field, outside -the ropes which were already in place for -Saturday’s game, all Crofton cheered and sang. -Then the final whistle sounded, the second team -gathered together and cheered the first, the -first tiredly returned the compliment and players, -coaches and onlookers trailed back to the -gymnasium.</p> - -<p>Poke, a faded blanket hanging about him, -found Jim on the way out.</p> - -<p>“I spoke to Sargent about you, Jim,” he -panted, “and he says if you can get square with -the Office by Saturday he’s willing to give you -a chance in the game if he can. That is, of -course, if Johnny says so. I haven’t talked with -him yet, but I will. Of course, Jim, you won’t -get in at the beginning. You see, Parker’s doing -pretty well and it wouldn’t be fair to throw -him out at the last moment, would it? Besides, -you might be a bit stale, you know.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jim nodded gloomily. “I know. Much -obliged to you, Poke, but I guess it’s no use. -I don’t even know that J. G. will give me leave -to play yet. I’m pretty square with Groff, but -Nancy doesn’t love me much, I guess. Don’t -bother about speaking to Johnny. It’s all -right.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’ll see Johnny,” responded Poke -heartily. “You do the best you can and go -and have a talk with J. G. to-morrow. Why, supposing -you don’t get in for the whole game, Jim, -even a couple of periods is better than nothing at -all. And you’ll get your C if you only play two -minutes. Buck up and never say die, old -chap!”</p> - -<p>Jim nodded again and Poke, clapping him on -the shoulder, hurried into the gymnasium. They -were cheering again now, cheering each member -of the team in turn, from Sargent down to the -latest member, Parker. There was no cheer for -Hazard, though. Jim had got parted from -Hope and Jeffrey, and presently he edged his -way out of the gathering and strode home alone -and forlorn through the twilight.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</a><br /> -<small>FRIDAY AND ILL-LUCK</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">“I think,” remarked Mr. Groff, the next -morning, “that I could count on one hand -the students who have studied their algebra. -Wyman, Latham, Nutter, Hazard—if there is -another I’d like to hear from him.”</p> - -<p>Thirty-odd hands went up. Mr. Groff smiled -gently and sorrowfully.</p> - -<p>“If football plays may be worked out by -algebra, I believe you. We will repeat to-day’s -lesson to-morrow. I trust that as the football -season will be over on Monday we may then -return to our studies. Dismissed.”</p> - -<p>Events transpired so rapidly that day that it -is difficult to tell of them in order. First of -all, though, just before noon it was known that -Curtis, formerly of the second and now playing -right tackle on the first team, had been -summoned home because of sickness in the -family. Consternation prevailed. At two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span> -o’clock Curtis went off, bag in hand, torn between -anxiety and disappointment. Before that -Duncan Sargent and Johnny Connell had spent -a troubled hour trying to rearrange their line -of battle. At dinner time Johnny pedaled along -the road, jumped from his wheel in front of -Sunnywood Cottage, rang the bell impatiently -and demanded Jim.</p> - -<p>“Look here, Hazard,” began Johnny when -Jim reached the porch, napkin in hand, “we’ve -lost Curtis. He’s gone home. Some of his -folks ill. We’ve got to have another lineman. -There’s no one on the second heavy enough -to stand up in front of Hawthorne. Either you -or Gary must come back. I don’t care which, -but the first of you to report to me, all square -with the Office, starts the game to-morrow. I’ve -seen Gary and told him the same thing. Now -you have a talk with Mr. Gordon right away, -understand? And let me know what he says. -Come to me after school. If he lets you play -you’ll have to learn the new signals this evening. -Now hurry up and finish your dinner, and -don’t stuff yourself. Then see Mr. Gordon at -once.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” replied Jim, his heart thumping -hard at the thought of getting back to the team.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span> -“I’ll see him in fifteen minutes. Where will -I find you?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be in the gym at two. Before that -you’ll find me around Academy somewhere. -Get a move on. Tell Gordon you’ve <em>got</em> to -play; tell him we’ve got to have you!”</p> - -<p>And Johnny hurried through the gate, -jumped on his bicycle and tore back to school. -Fifteen minutes later Jim, breathless and anxious, -ran up the steps of Academy Hall, hurried -down the corridor and entered the Office.</p> - -<p>“Can I see Mr. Gordon, please?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Gordon has gone to Boston,” replied -the secretary in his best official voice. “He -left at twelve o’clock.”</p> - -<p>Jim’s heart sank. “When will he be back, -please, sir?” he asked. The secretary -frowned.</p> - -<p>“He is not in the habit of informing me -very closely as to his plans. I believe, however, -that he expects to return sometime to-morrow -forenoon.”</p> - -<p>“To-morrow forenoon!” gasped Jim.</p> - -<p>“Exactly.” The trouble in the boy’s face -softened the secretary’s manner. “What was -it you wanted? Is there anything I can do for -you?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span></p> - -<p>“No, sir, thank you,” answered Jim. He -went out, closed the heavy oak door softly and -dragged his feet along the corridor. At the -corner he drew aside and Brandon Gary hurried -by him in the direction of the Office. Jim -smiled wanly. Gary and he were in the same -boat.</p> - -<p>On the front steps he paused, hands thrust -deep in his pockets and tried to think what to -do. It still lacked twenty minutes of recitation -time and he had the sunlit entrance to himself. -But he could see no way out of his -quandary. Only Mr. Gordon could lift the -ban and Mr. Gordon had gone away. Jim -seated himself on the top step and stared unseeingly -at the wooded slope beyond the river. -Footsteps echoed in the corridor and Brandon -Gary came out. He saw Jim, hesitated and -then leaned against the doorway. Jim looked -up and their eyes met. Gary nodded.</p> - -<p>“Hello,” said Jim morosely.</p> - -<p>“Say, Hazard, you and I are both up against -it, aren’t we?” said Gary. “I’d like to know -what business J. G. has going away at a time -like this.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose to-morrow morning will be too -late,” responded Jim discouragedly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, he won’t be back until noon. He’ll -come on the express that gets in just before -dinner. Gee, Hazard, I’d like to play to-morrow! -I’ve been thinking he might let me off -before this, but he didn’t, and I made up my -mind I wouldn’t ask. But now it’s serious. -With Curtis gone the old team’s up against it, -I guess.”</p> - -<p>Jim nodded. Gary seated himself on the -other side of the steps. Silence held them for a -minute. Then Jim sighed.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he said, “I guess I’ll look up -Johnny and tell him. I promised to let him -know.”</p> - -<p>“So did I,” said Gary. “Look here, -Hazard, do you think it would do any good to -talk to Nancy?”</p> - -<p>Jim considered a moment.</p> - -<p>“I don’t see what he could do, Gary.”</p> - -<p>“He might telegraph to J. G. and ask him to -let us off.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe Nancy would do that,” replied -Jim doubtfully. “Besides, we don’t -know where he is, do we?”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Gordon can tell us. Look here, will -you go and see him with me? Maybe we can -talk him into it. I’ll apologize to him, if he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span> -wants me to. I’ll do anything to help the team -out.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’ll go,” answered Jim, brightening a -little. “If we walk up the road maybe we’ll -meet him.”</p> - -<p>They sprang up and hurried off side by side, -choosing the road instead of the wood path, -since if they took the latter they might miss the -instructor. They hadn’t far to go. As they -walked briskly around the curve behind the -Principal’s residence Mr. Hanks came into -sight a few rods away.</p> - -<p>“You start it,” whispered Gary. “You -know him better. I’ll dig in afterwards.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Hanks, may we speak to you a minute, -sir?” asked Jim as the instructor met them. -Mr. Hanks dropped the hand holding the book -he had been reading and brought his thoughts -back with a visible effort.</p> - -<p>“Er—certainly.”</p> - -<p>“Gary and I, sir, are both in wrong at the -Office, as you know. Now Curtis has gone home -and the team’s in a bad way for a fellow to -take his place in the line. We’ve been to see -Mr. Gordon and he’s gone away and may not be -back until to-morrow noon. That will be too -late, sir. Wouldn’t you be willing to say a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span> -good word for us, sir, to Mr. Gordon? Tell -him we—we’re sorry and—and all that, and -ask him if we can’t play to-morrow?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks looked blank. “I—I don’t -quite understand,” he said. “You want me to -intercede for you with Mr. Gordon?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” answered Gary. “I guess I deserved -what I got, Mr. Hanks, but I’ve been on -probation for nearly a month now. I’m sorry -for what I did and I—I beg pardon, sir, I -wouldn’t have asked any favors for myself, -sir, but the team’s in a rotten mess now that -Curtis can’t play and it needs me badly, needs -both of us.”</p> - -<p>“I—I’m afraid, I don’t quite get your meaning -about this—this team. What sort of a -team is it, Gary?”</p> - -<p>“Why, the football team, sir! To-morrow’s -the big game of the season, you know; -Hawthorne. And we’re going to get licked as -sure as shooting if either Hazard or I don’t get -back.”</p> - -<p>“Am I to understand,” asked Mr. Hanks in -puzzled tones, “that Mr. Gordon has forbidden -you to play in the game?”</p> - -<p>“Why, of course,” replied Gary a trifle impatiently. -“I haven’t played since he put me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span> -on probation. And Hazard here had to give up -last Monday. You can’t play if you don’t keep -up with your studies.”</p> - -<p>“Really! I didn’t know that. I fear I am not -sufficiently conversant with the customs here. -I understand, then, that you want to take part -in this—this contest to-morrow. Is that it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” chorused Gary and Jim eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Why—why—yes, I shall be glad to say -a good word for you both. Your work in class -has been very satisfactory since—since the -occasion we both, I am sure, regret, Gary. As -for Hazard, he seems to have taken hold earnestly -with his studies of late. But—but if -Mr. Gordon is away I don’t just see how—that -is—”</p> - -<p><a href="#i_p311">“We thought you might send him a telegram,” -said Gary boldly.</a> “Tell him we’re -needed on the team and that you’re willing we -should play and ask him to give us permission.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think,” asked Mr. Hanks doubtfully, -“I should be within my—er—authority? -It—it has the appearance of interference -with the Principal’s affairs.”</p> - -<p>“No, sir, it would be all right. It’s been -done lots of times. You see, Mr. Hanks, you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span> -had us punished and you have a right to ask -for pardon. And, besides, sir, it isn’t just for -us personally, it’s for the whole school! If we -don’t play we’ll be licked by Hawthorne! And -you don’t want that to happen!”</p> - -<p>“Er—no, I suppose not. Naturally a victory -is much to be desired. But—but a telegram? -Wouldn’t a letter do?”</p> - -<p>“He wouldn’t get it in time, sir. We’ll have -to know right off; to-night or to-morrow morning -at the latest. Please say you will, Mr. -Hanks!”</p> - -<p>“We-ell, yes, Gary, I’ll do as you ask. Now -what is the address?”</p> - -<p>“We don’t know yet, sir. We’ll ask Mrs. -Gordon for it. If you will just write out -the telegram now, sir, I’ll get the address and -take the message down town right after -school.”</p> - -<p>“Very well. If you will accompany me to -the hall I will—er—attend to it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 399px;"> -<a id="i_p311"> - <img src="images/i_p311.jpg" width="399" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_309">“We thought you might send him a telegram,” said -Gary, boldly.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312-<br />313]</a></span></p> - -<p>At a few minutes before four o’clock Gary -sent the message at the telegraph office in the -village. Mrs. Gordon had willingly supplied -her husband’s address in Boston. There was -nothing to do now but wait. Johnny was far -from satisfied with events, but told Gary and -Jim to report that evening and receive instructions -in signals. Jim was a different boy now. -At Sunnywood excitement reigned supreme. -Supper was a very perfunctory meal, for every -one was too busy listening for the footsteps of -a messenger boy to eat much. Even Mr. -Hanks, suddenly drawn into the swirl of school -affairs, displayed a mild interest in events. At -eight o’clock no reply had been received and -Hope put forward the explanation that Mr. -Gordon, who was stopping at an hotel, had gone -out to dinner with friends.</p> - -<p>“He will find the telegram when he gets back -to the hotel this evening,” she declared cheerfully. -“There’s no use getting worried, Jim. -It will be all right. You see if it isn’t.”</p> - -<p>Right or wrong, Jim was forced to leave the -house at twenty minutes past eight and hurry to -the locker rooms in the gymnasium, where Sargent, -Johnny and Arnold, the quarter-back, -were awaiting him and Gary. For a solid hour -and ten minutes the two boys were coached in -the new signals, and not until they were letter-perfect -were they allowed to depart. By that -time Jim’s head was in a whirl. He and Gary -walked back together through the frosty darkness, -discussing the chances of the telegram<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span> -coming that night and speculating as to what -its tenor would be when it did come.</p> - -<p>“Like as not,” said Jim, who was tired and -low-spirited by this time, “he will refuse to let -us off.”</p> - -<p>“I have a feeling it’s going to be all right,” -answered Gary cheerfully. “Guess I’ll walk -on to your place and see if it’s come.”</p> - -<p>And it had. Hope met them at the door with -the news and they went upstairs to Mr. Hanks’ -room. The instructor fumbled around on his -desk and finally found the message. He -handed it to Gary. Gary read it with a broad -smile, that trailed away toward the end, and -handed it to Jim. This was the message:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="noi hang2"><span class="smcap">Mr. Artemus Hanks</span>,<br /> -<span class="smcap">Care Mrs. Hazard</span>, Crofton, Mass.</p> - -<p>Gary’s probation lifted. Please inform him. -Hazard must pass examination in Latin before he -can take part in athletics.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">John Gordon.</span><br /></p> -</div> - -<p>Jim reread the telegram and then laid it -back on the desk. “That lets me out,” he said -quietly. “I’m glad you’re all right, though, -Gary. If you play they won’t need me, anyway. -Thank you, Mr. Hanks.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You’re very welcome, Jim. I—I regret -that the result in your case is so disappointing.”</p> - -<p>Jim went down to the door with Gary and -bade him good night. “Glad you can play, -Gary,” he said. “And I hope we win.”</p> - -<p>“We will if I can bring it about,” replied -Gary warmly. “I wish you were going in, -too, though, Hazard.” He hesitated a moment -on the steps. “Thanks for helping me. -Come and see me some time, will you?” At -the gate he turned again. “Oh, Hazard, I -say!”</p> - -<p>“Yes?” replied Jim from the doorway.</p> - -<p>“How about your rooms here? Haven’t got -one I could have after Christmas recess, have -you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, there’s one empty. It isn’t as good -as—as the one you saw, Gary, but it’s not bad.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll come around and have a look at it some -day. Jones’s is the limit! Good night.”</p> - -<p>“Good night,” answered Jim tiredly.</p> - -<p>Then he went upstairs to face the sympathy -of Gil and Poke and Jeffrey.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</a><br /> -<small>HAWTHORNE COMES TO CONQUER</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">The day of the Hawthorne game dawned -cold and gray, with a chill breeze out of -the east that held a tang of the ocean thirty -miles away. Hawthorne came along, nearly -two hundred strong, early in the forenoon and -took possession of the village, taxing the capacities -of the railroad restaurant and the -various lunch rooms to the limit. At Sunnywood -Gil and Poke, veterans though they were, -showed unmistakable nervousness all the -morning, and it took the required efforts of -Jim and Jeffrey to amuse them. By eleven -o’clock the sun had peeped for an instant -through the gloom, promising better things for -the afternoon. The football team dined at -twelve that day, so at Sunnywood the dinner -hour was set forward correspondingly. At one -Gil and Poke, happy and cheerful now that the -time of waiting was past, set off to the field.</p> - -<p>“If you don’t win, Poke Endicott,” called<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span> -Hope from the porch as the boys started down -the road, “I’ll never speak to you again!”</p> - -<p>“After that threat,” laughed Poke, “I shall -simply eat ’em alive, Hope!”</p> - -<p>The rest of the household, Jim, Jeffrey, Hope, -Mrs. Hazard and Mr. Hanks started an hour -later. Mr. Hanks, having had football thrust -suddenly into his philosophy, displayed an -amazing interest and curiosity. “You see,” -he confided to Mrs. Hazard, “I have never witnessed -a game of football. This may seem -strange to you, for my college was, I believe, -very successful at the game. The fact is, however, -that I never had time to attend the contests. -I am really quite curious to see how the -game is played. I think it must be—er—quite -interesting.”</p> - -<p>When the Sunnywood party arrived Hawthorne, -looking in its black and orange like an -army of young Princetonians, was on the gridiron -warming up for the fray. Along the -ropes on the other side of the field Hawthorne’s -supporters were already shouting to the sky. -The sun, still coy, broke through every few -minutes and cast a pallid wash of gold over the -sere turf. It was cold enough for rugs and -heavy coats, and Hope was secretly pleased<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span> -that she had managed to snuggle in between her -mother and Mr. Hanks. Beyond Mrs. Hazard -sat Jim with Jeffrey beside him. By a quarter -to two the Crofton side of the field was three -and four deep along the ropes and at ten -minutes to the hour two things happened simultaneously; -the Crofton eleven, brave and colorful -in new uniforms of crimson and gray, -trotted onto the field, and the sun burst through -the murk in a sudden blaze of glory.</p> - -<p>“That,” cried Hope ecstatically, “means -that we shall win!”</p> - -<p>Crofton took the field for practice, Gary, -back in his togs once more, racing down the -gridiron like a colt. A moment later Gil ran up -and called to Jim across the rope.</p> - -<p>“Come on and be our linesman, Jim. You -see,” he continued as Jim ducked under the -barrier and strode across the field with him, -“you’ll be nearer things and can watch the -game a heap better. There’s your partner in -crime over there with the chain. Introduce -yourself like a gentleman, shake hands and welcome -him to the funeral. They’ve got a pretty -husky set of men, haven’t they? That’s Gould, -the little chap talking to Johnny. He’s the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span> -man we’ve got to watch to-day. Gee, I wish -you were playing, Jim!”</p> - -<p>“So do I. Is Gould their quarter? He -doesn’t look such a wonder, does he?”</p> - -<p>“Wait till you get a good look at his face. -There’s the whistle. Wish us luck, Jim!”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey moved into the seat next to Mrs. -Hazard, depositing an extra coat beside him so -that Jim might have his place if he returned. -Hawthorne spread herself over the west end -of the field to receive the kick-off, Duncan Sargent -patted the tee into shape, poised the ball -and looked around him. “All ready, Hawthorne? -All ready, Crofton?” questioned the -referee. Both teams assented, the whistle blew, -Sargent sent the ball spinning down the field -and the game was on.</p> - -<p>Crofton displayed her offensive ability at the -start. Johnny had instructed the team to get -the jump on Hawthorne in the first minute of -play and carry her off her feet if possible. Arnold -obeyed directions to the letter. From the -first line-up, after the full-back had caught and -carried the ball to his thirty-five yards, Poke -Endicott tore off eighteen yards outside of -tackle and began a rushing advance that took<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span> -the ball to Hawthorne’s fifteen-yard mark. -Hawthorne stiffened as the play neared the -goal line and Arnold tried a forward pass to -Tearney, right end. This failed and the ball -went to the Orange-and-Black. But on the very -next play Hawthorne’s left half fumbled and -Benson, Crofton’s full-back, dived into the -scramble and recovered the pigskin. Crofton’s -machine started up again and after three rushes -Poke shot through and over the goal line for a -well-earned touchdown. Sargent kicked goal.</p> - -<p>The crimson-and-gray flags waved madly and -three hundred voices cheered and yelled. In -just five minutes Crofton had swept her opponent -off her feet and scored six points! That -was surely cause for rejoicing. Even Mrs. -Hazard clapped her hands, and Mr. Hanks, just -beginning to understand the scheme of things, -beamed delightedly through his spectacles. As -for Hope, why Hope was already breathless -from screaming and trembling with excitement. -Jeffrey, seeing more of the game than the -others, better appreciated the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup de main</i> that -had put Crofton in the ascendancy at the very -beginning of the battle. But he wondered -whether the Crimson-and-Gray would show an -equally good defense. That was the only scoring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span> -in the first period of fifteen minutes. -Crofton suffered a penalty for holding shortly -after the touchdown had been made, and later -was set back for off-side. However, the loss of -twenty yards had no effect on the final result, -for neither side came near scoring, and the -quarter ended with the ball in Crofton’s possession -on her rival’s twenty-seven yards.</p> - -<p>Hawthorne’s chief mainstay was her quarter-back, -Gould, a remarkable all-around player. -A brainy general, a certain catcher of punts, a -brilliant runner either in a broken field or an -open and a clever manipulator of the forward -pass, Crofton held him in great respect. Hawthorne’s -team was, in a manner, built around -Gould, and in that lay whatever weakness it -possessed. Johnny had coached his players for -a fortnight to stop Gould, knowing that aside -from his performances Hawthorne had very little -to offer in the matter of ground-gaining -feats. And throughout the first period Gould -failed to get away with anything. Crofton -watched him as a cat watches a mouse and every -move of his was smothered. One twenty-yard -sprint around Tearney’s end was the best he -could do, while whenever he caught a punt in the -backfield Tearney and Gil were down on him to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span> -stand him on his plucky little head the instant -the ball was in his arms.</p> - -<p>The second period began with Crofton in -high feather. Benson and Smith, left half, each -made short gains, and then Arnold tried a forward -pass from Hawthorne’s twenty-five yard -mark. He threw too far, however, and the -Orange-and-Black received the ball on its thirteen-yard -line. Gould kicked, and, thanks to -two holding penalties, Crofton was forced back -into its own territory in the next few minutes. -Then Arnold’s punt went to Gould on his forty -yards. With the first real flash of form he had -shown, the little quarter-back tore off fifteen -yards. From the center of the field and close -to the side-line he made his first successful forward -pass, a long, low throw along the edge of -the field to his right end who caught the ball -over his shoulder and ran to Crofton’s thirty-four-yard -line. A try at the line netted two -yards. Then Gould again hurled the pigskin, -this time selecting his left end for receiver and -sending a low drive to him on Crofton’s -twenty-five-yard line. For a moment it looked -as though Hawthorne would score there and -then and the runner sprinted to Crofton’s -eight-yard line before he was pulled down from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span> -behind. Across the field Hawthorne was wild -with joy and two hundred of her loyal sons -shouted and danced with delight. Then Hawthorne -tried one rush and lost a yard. Crofton -was now plainly over anxious and when, on the -next play, Gould sent his right half-back at the -right wing on a delayed pass, Tearney was -drawn in and the orange-and-black player simply -romped across the line for a touchdown. -From this Hawthorne’s right end kicked a goal -from a difficult angle and the score was tied.</p> - -<p>Then, it seemed, that Hawthorne had found -herself. Success breeds success. The Orange-and-Black -took heart and after Crofton had -kicked off again Gould ran the ball back thirty -yards, eluding half the Crofton team, and -placed it on her enemy’s forty-five-yard line. -Crofton’s defense was now severely tested. -Gould gave the ball to his half-backs and his -full-back and twice Hawthorne made first down -by short line plunges. The vulnerable spot in -Crofton’s defense was at left tackle where -Parker, willing enough though he was, lacked -experience and weight. On her twenty-five-yard -line Crofton stiffened up and Gould tried a -forward pass that proved illegal. A plunge at -center gave the ball to Crofton, and Arnold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span> -punted on the first down. Gould caught the -ball and was promptly laid on his back by Gil. -A penalty for holding forced Hawthorne back -to her thirty yards. Gould tried an end run -that gained but seven yards and punted on the -next down. Crofton made three yards -through right tackle and then Arnold got off -a beautiful forward pass to Gil, and the latter, -by squirming and crowding, finally reached -Hawthorne’s twenty-yard line. Two rushes -failed to gain much distance and Arnold -dropped back to the thirty-yard line and, with -every watcher holding his breath, drop-kicked -the oval over the cross-bar. It was Crofton’s -turn to exult and exult she did, while from the -opposite side of the gridiron Hawthorne hurled -defiance. A moment later the first half ended, -the score 9 to 6; Crofton ahead by three points.</p> - -<p>Jim returned to his party on the seats and -squeezed himself down beside Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it just glorious?” cried Hope, her -cheeks crimson and her hair, loosened by the -breeze, fluttering about her face.</p> - -<p>“Glorious!” laughed her brother. “It’s -jimmy!”</p> - -<p>“Can we hold them, do you think?” asked -Jeffrey.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[325]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jim shook his head. “I don’t know. I -heard Johnny tell Duncan Sargent a minute -ago that he’d give a hundred dollars if the -game were over. If Hawthorne pounded away -at the left side of our line she could gain like -anything. Parker’s doing the best he can but -he can’t stop them. How do you like the game, -Mr. Hanks?”</p> - -<p>“Very much indeed. I—I find myself -quite excited. Hope has been instructing me in -the—er—fine points, but I fear she has found -me a very stupid pupil.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t think I can give you more than -a C,” laughed Hope. “And mama gets a D -minus. Awhile ago she wanted to know why -the tall man in the white sweater didn’t play -harder!”</p> - -<p>“Well, nobody told me he was the referee, or -whatever he is,” declared Mrs. Hazard. “For -my part I think I’d much prefer to be he.”</p> - -<p>“Jim, I hope we just—just gobble them up -this half,” said Hope.</p> - -<p>“Gobble them up,” repeated Mr. Hanks. -“Is that—er—a football term or do you use -the phrase metaphorically?”</p> - -<p>“She means eat ’em alive, sir,” laughed Jeffrey.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We won’t do that,” said Jim with a shake -of his head. “All we can hope to do is hold -them where they are. Isn’t Gil playing a peach -of a game? And Poke, too. Did you see him -go through for that touchdown? He was like -a human battering ram!”</p> - -<p>“How’s Gary doing?” asked Jeffrey.</p> - -<p>“Putting up a great game; playing a heap -better than Sargent, I think. But I suppose -that’s natural enough. Sargent’s captain and -that always puts a chap off his game, they say. -If I was that Hawthorne quarter I’d plug away -at Parker and Sargent, and I’ll bet I’d make -some bully gains.”</p> - -<p>“They probably will this half,” said Jeffrey. -“Their coach has probably seen just what you -have. Somebody ought to tell Gould, too, that -he is punting too low. He doesn’t give his ends -a chance to get down the field. We’ve gained -every time on exchange of kicks.”</p> - -<p>At that moment a voice cried, “Hazard! -Hazard! Is Hazard here?”</p> - -<p>Jim jumped to his feet and answered. A -substitute player in a much begrimed uniform -ran up. “Johnny wants to see you at the -gym,” he called. “Come right up.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What the dickens does he want?” muttered -Jim. “Keep my seat for me, Jeff.”</p> - -<p>He found Johnny in the midst of wild confusion. -Rubbers were busy with strains and -bruises, twenty fellows were talking at once. -The close air of the locker-room was heavy with -the fumes of alcohol and liniment. Johnny was -deep in conversation with captain and manager.</p> - -<p>“You wanted to see me?” asked Jim, pushing -his way through the crowd.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I do! Look here, Hazard, where do -you stand?”</p> - -<p>“Stand?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Johnny impatiently. “Isn’t -there any way you can play this half?”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid not,” answered Jim. “Mr. -Gordon wired that I’d have to take an exam before -I could play.”</p> - -<p>“You didn’t take it?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir. There wasn’t any way to take it -that I knew of.”</p> - -<p>Johnny looked at Sargent questioningly. -“You wouldn’t risk it, would you?” he asked -in a low voice. Sargent shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I’d be afraid to. J. G.’s a tartar about that -sort of thing. Better try Needham.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[328]</a></span></p> - -<p>“All right.” Johnny nodded to Jim. -“Sorry. Thought maybe you could manage -somehow to help us out. Better not go against -faculty, though.”</p> - -<p>“I’m willing to risk it if you need me,” replied -Jim quietly.</p> - -<p>“I won’t have it,” said Sargent decisively. -“You’d get fired as sure as fate, Hazard. -Much obliged, just the same.”</p> - -<p>“Time’s up!” called Johnny.</p> - -<p>Jim walked back to the field despondently. -If they had given him any encouragement, he -told himself, he’d have risked J. G.’s displeasure -and played. When he reached his seat -Jeffrey asked:</p> - -<p>“What was it, Jim?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing much. Johnny thought maybe I -could play in this half. They’re taking Parker -out. Needham’s going in. He will be twice as -bad as Parker, I guess.”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t Johnny know?”</p> - -<p>“About me? I guess so. He seemed to -think I might have taken an exam somehow. I -didn’t see how I could have, do you?”</p> - -<p>Jeffrey shook his head. “No, I don’t.” -Jim glanced along to find Mr. Hanks peering -interestedly through his spectacles.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[329]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 411px;"> -<a id="i_p329"> - <img src="images/i_p329.jpg" width="411" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_330">Jim takes his examination on the football field.</a></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[330-<br />331]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Do I understand, Jim,” he asked, “that -you could play if you passed an examination?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, I suppose so. That’s what Mr. -Gordon wired, you know.”</p> - -<p>“Do they—er—need you, do you think?”</p> - -<p>“They seem to think so,” answered Jim. -“They want a fellow to take Parker’s place.”</p> - -<p>“Well—well—” Mr. Hanks’ eyes snapped -behind the thick lenses of his glasses—“do you -think you could pass an examination now?”</p> - -<p>“Now!” exclaimed Jim. “Why—why—do -you mean—”</p> - -<p>“I mean now!” repeated Mr. Hanks crisply.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir!”</p> - -<p>“Then I’ll examine you, and if you pass—”</p> - -<p>“Jeff,” cried Jim, as he jumped to his feet, -“run over and tell Johnny to find some one to -take my place with the line. Tell him <a href="#i_p329">I’m taking -my exam!</a> Tell him to get me some togs -and I’ll be ready to play in—” He stopped -and looked at Mr. Hanks.</p> - -<p>“Ten minutes!” said the instructor.</p> - -<p>Jeffrey seized his crutches and hobbled -quickly away, while Mr. Hanks and Jim left -their seats and disappeared behind the throng. -At that minute the Crofton team trotted back -on to the field and the cheering began again.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[332]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV</a><br /> -<small>JIM PASSES AN EXAMINATION</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p class="cap">Instructed by its coach, Hawthorne began -to hammer the right side of Crofton’s -line at the start. Gould hurled his backs time -and again at Needham and at Captain Sargent. -Gain after gain was made, Needham proving no -harder to penetrate than Parker had been. -Sargent was a tougher proposition, but even he -was weakening. The first ten minutes of the -third quarter was a rout for Crofton. From -their forty yards to Crofton’s twenty-five the -Hawthorne players swept, and then, just when -success seemed within their grasp, a fumble -lost them the ball. Gil reeled off twelve yards -through the center of the Hawthorne line and -Smith and Benson plugged away for another -down. Then Hawthorne held stubbornly and -Arnold kicked. After that Hawthorne came -back again, slowly but surely, banging the right -guard and tackle positions for gain on gain, -and now and then sending Gould on an end run<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[333]</a></span> -for the sake of variety. Both teams were tiring -now and the playing was slower. After a -particularly vicious plunge at his position Sargent -remained on the ground when the play was -over and it was a good three minutes before he -was on his feet again. Then Smith was hurt -and a substitute went in for him. With three -minutes of the third period remaining, the ball -was down on Crofton’s eighteen-yard line and -the Crimson-and-Gray was almost in her last -ditch. Had Gould chosen to try a goal from -field there he might have tied the score, but -the plucky little general was out for a victory -and insisted on a touchdown. He himself took -the ball for a plunge through left tackle and -got by for three yards. Then a delayed pass -went wrong and there was seven to gain on the -third down. There was a consultation and -Gould fell back as though he meant to kick. Instead -of that, however, he tried a short forward -pass that went to Gil instead of to one of his own -side and for the moment the advance was -stayed. On the second down Arnold punted to -midfield. For once Gould signaled a fair -catch. Again Hawthorne took up the attack, -but before she had made much headway the -whistle sounded.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[334]</a></span></p> - -<p>At that minute, over behind the row of Crofton -sympathizers, Mr. Hanks nodded his head -twice.</p> - -<p>“You pass, Jim,” he said.</p> - -<p>Johnny was looking anxiously about when -Jim leapt over the rope.</p> - -<p>“All right!” he cried. “There are your -togs. Get into them.”</p> - -<p>Jim, walled from gaze by a quickly formed -ring of substitutes, changed quicker than ever -he had in all his life. Out on the field the -whistle blew and the two lines formed again. -Finally Jim was ready and Johnny seized him -by the arm and led him along the side-line.</p> - -<p>“Wait till this play is over,” he said. -“Then go in for Needham, and play low, -Hazard. Get the jump on those fellows and -break it up! Understand? <em>Break it up!</em> You -can do it; any one with an ounce of ginger can. -There you are! Scoot!”</p> - -<p>And Jim scooted!</p> - -<p>“Left tackle, sir!” he cried to the referee. -That official nodded. Needham, panting and -weak, yielded his headgear and walked off to receive -his meed of cheering. Arnold thumped -Jim on the back ecstatically.</p> - -<p>“Oh, look who’s here!” he yelled shrilly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[335]</a></span> -“Well, well, well! Now let’s stop ’em, -Crofton!”</p> - -<p>“Look out for the left half on a cross-buck,” -whispered Sargent from between swollen lips. -“And get low, Hazard. We’ve got to queer -this, you know, we’ve got to do it!”</p> - -<p>“All right,” answered Jim quietly, eyeing -his antagonist shrewdly. “Here’s where we -put ’em out of business.”</p> - -<p>“Hello, son,” said the opposing tackle as the -lines set again. “How’d they let you in? -Watch out now, I’m coming through!”</p> - -<p>But he didn’t. Jim beat him by a fraction of -a second and had his shoulder against his stomach -and was pushing him back before he knew -what had happened. Sargent, having no longer -to play two positions, braced wonderfully. In -three plays Hawthorne discovered that the left -of the opponent’s line was no longer a gateway. -Learning that fact cost her the possession of -the ball, for she missed her distance by a half-foot. -Crofton hurled Gil at left guard and -piled him through for four yards. Then came -a mix-up in the signals in which Smith’s substitute -hit Hawthorne’s line without the ball. Arnold -kicked, but his leg was getting tired and -Gould got the oval twenty yards down the field.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[336]</a></span> -On Crofton’s forty-yard mark Gould got off a -short forward pass that took the team over two -white lines. Then an end run netted nothing -and again Gould kicked. Benson got under the -ball, caught it, dropped it, tried to recover it -and was bowled aside by a Hawthorne forward -who snuggled the pigskin beneath him on -Crofton’s twelve-yard line. Two plunges netted -nothing and Gould fell back for a kick from -the twenty-eight-yard line. Although half the -Crofton team managed to break through and -though Gil absolutely tipped the ball with his -fingers, the oval flew fair and square across the -bar and Hawthorne had tied the score!</p> - -<p>With four minutes to play the teams took -their places again. Sargent kicked off and Gil -and Tearney again downed Gould in his tracks. -A try at a forward pass failed and an on-side -kick went out at Crofton’s forty-five yards. -The ball was brought in and then Arnold -pegged at Hawthorne’s center for twenty yards. -A fumble by Gil was recovered by a Hawthorne -end and again the Orange-and-Black started for -the Crofton goal. But there was little time -left now and along the side-lines every one was -agreed that the contest would end in a tie. -But football is always uncertain. When two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[337]</a></span> -minutes remained and the ball was in Hawthorne’s -possession on her opponent’s thirty-eight -yards, after two exchange of punts, Gould -dashed off around Gil’s end of the line and with -good interference gained almost fifteen yards. -Hawthorne took heart at this and her cheers -boomed across the field. A plunge at right -tackle gave her five more. Then the unexpected -happened.</p> - -<p>Gould dropped back into kicking position, -but when the ball went to him he poised it and -waited to find his end to make a forward pass. -Jim, hurling himself past his opponent, dodged -a half-back and before Gould could get the ball -away, was upon him. Down went the little -quarter and away bobbed the ball. An instant -of wild scrambling and then <a href="#i_frontis">Jim</a> was on his -feet again, the ball was scooped up into his arms -and he <a href="#i_frontis">was off with a clear field ahead</a>. After -him came the pursuit, foe and friend alike trailing -backward along the gridiron. Past the middle -of the field, and still well ahead, Jim dared -turn in toward the center of the middle of the -field. Then Gould, making what was his pluckiest -effort of all that long, hard-fought game, almost -reached him. But behind Gould was Gil, -and Gil it was who, just as the quarter-back’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[338]</a></span> -arms stretched out to bring Jim to earth, threw -himself in front of the enemy. Over they went -together, rolling and kicking, and Jim, with his -breath almost gone, staggered and fell across -the goal line.</p> - -<p>What if Andy LaGrange, called on to kick -the goal in place of Sargent, did miss it by yards -and yards? The game was won! For another -year the Crimson-and-Gray held the championship!</p> - -<p>Crofton was still shouting, still waving, still -cavorting when LaGrange missed that goal, and -still at it when, after two plays, the final whistle -sounded. Hope, standing on the seat, -flourished her flag wildly.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it perfectly jimmy?” she cried.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks, beaming satisfiedly through his -spectacles, assented. “It is. We—er—as -you would say, ‘gobbled them up’!”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t we just? And didn’t Jim do beautifully, -Mr. Hanks?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Hanks nodded slowly. “Yes,” he replied, -“your brother passed a very creditable, -if somewhat hurried examination.”</p> - - -<p class="p2 noic">THE END</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="tnote"> -<p class="noi tntitle">Transcriber’s Notes:</p> - -<p class="smfont">Printer's, punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently -corrected.</p> - -<p class="smfont">Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.</p> - -<p class="smfont">Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Crofton Chums, by Ralph Henry Barbour - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CROFTON CHUMS *** - -***** This file should be named 60894-h.htm or 60894-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/8/9/60894/ - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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