CHAPTER VI GOOD-BYE TO BRILL
"Say, that was an explosion!"
"Who was that stood so close?"
"Was he hurt?"
These and a number of other cries and questions came from the students ofBrill who had witnessed the setting off, by Tom and Sam, of the last ofthe fireworks.
As for the two Rover boys, they knew not what to say. Both staredhelplessly for a moment at Professor Sharp.
"Hi! hi!" spluttered that individual. "Stop it! Do you want to blow me topieces? Oh, I'm all on fire!" And, seeing that his coat had ignited fromsome of the sparks, he commenced to dance around in terror.
"Here--wait, Professor!" called out Tom. "Let me knock out that fire!"And he began to beat out the flames with his hands.
"Don't--don't hit me so hard, Rover!" snarled the professor, for in hisexcitement Tom was pounding away harder than intended. Sam also cameforward to put out the sparks, and so did Dick and some others.
"Here, give me that broom, Tubbs!" cried the eldest Rover, and catchingthe article, Dick whipped off the red sweater and then used the broom tosweep from Asa Sharp what was left of the fire.
In a few seconds more the danger was over. In the meanwhile a big crowdcommenced to collect around the instructor and those who had set off thefireworks.
"This is an outrage!" fumed Professor Sharp. "An outrage! I'll have thelaw on you for it!" And he glared savagely at Tom and Sam.
"I don't see how you can blame us, sir," answered Tom, stoutly. "We werejust setting off the fireworks when you ran right into the midst ofthem."
"Nonsense! nonsense! You did it on purpose!"
"You certainly ran right into the things, just as we had lit them," saidSam. "I don't see how you can blame us for that."
"You'll see! I shall report to Doctor Wallington at once!" stormed AsaSharp, and hurried off with his face drawn down in sour determination.
"Phew! I guess we are in hot water, Tom!" whispered Sam.
"I don't see how he can blame us, Sam."
"Well, in one way, we had no right to set off the fireworks."
"Indeed! And why not, on the last day of the term, I'd like to know? Thedoctor saw us, and he didn't say anything about stopping."
"I really think it was Professor Sharp's fault," said Allen Charter, whohad been standing near. "He certainly ran right into the midst of thelighted fireworks. I saw him do it."
"Will you say a word for us, Charter, if we are reported to the Head?"asked Tom.
"Certainly."
"And so will I," added Stanley.
"And I--if you won't make me carry that horrid broom any longer," lispedWilliam Philander Tubbs.
"Say, I guess I'm as much to blame as anybody!" came from Spud, who hadfollowed Asa Sharp from the college building. And then he told of whathad happened between himself, Filbury and the instructor.
"I doubt if you hear any more about it," said Charter. And he waspractically right. The subject was barely mentioned by Doctor Wallington,and neither Tom nor Sam were censured for what had occurred. And that wasfair, for the Rover boys had really not been to blame.
Later in the evening the college boys had something of a feast. A numberhad "chipped in" and bought some soda water, ginger ale, ice-cream andcake in Ashton, and the improvised feast was held in the boathouse, whichwas strung with lanterns. Several of the students made speeches, otherssang, and Songbird was called on to recite an original poem, a requestthat pleased him greatly.
"Say, boys, Brill is a great place after all!" remarked Dick, when he andhis brothers were retiring for the night "At first I thought I shouldn'tlike it quite as well as dear old Putnam Hall, but I am graduallychanging my mind."
"This place grows on one," returned Tom. "I suppose by the time we finishup here we'll hate to leave, just as we hated to leave old Putnam."
"Well, we won't be college boys so very long," remarked Sam. "Almostbefore you know it, we'll be men and out in the world of business."
"And settled down, maybe, with a family of children to support," addedTom, with a grin.
After the strenuous times of the evening before, the Rovers were glad totake it easy on Tuesday. They finished the last of their packing and Tomplayed a last joke on William Philander Tubbs by placing in the trunk ofthe fastidious student a pair of old overalls and three old farm hatsfound in the barn of Brill. They were hidden in the middle of the dude'sthings, and he locked up the trunk without discovering them.
"I hope he unpacks that trunk when the ladies are around," said Tom."Then he can show 'em how he used to play farm hand, and wear three bigstraw hats at a time."
"It's too bad to part!" sighed Songbird. "Wish we were all going onanother treasure hunt!" And then he commenced to warble softly:
"I love to sail the briny deep! The briny deep for me! I love to watch the sunlit waves That brighten up the sea! I love to listen to the wind That fills the snowy sails! I love to roam around the deck----"
"And eat the fishes' tails!"
interrupted Tom. And then he went on:
"I love to swim upon the sand, And dance upon the brine, And write my name in salty waves, And hope for dinner time To come, so I can eat my fill Of sea-foam snaps and cream; And stand upon the quarter-deck A halfback of the team!"
"Humph! do you call that poetry?" snorted Songbird. "It sounds as muchlike it as a dog's bark sounds like a hymn!"
"Well, it would be a 'him' if he was a gentleman dog!" retorted Tom, andthen Songbird turned away in momentary disgust. But soon his good humorreturned and Tom and the others allowed him to "spout poetry" to hisheart's content.
It had been arranged that the Rovers, Dora, and the Laning girls shouldmeet at the Ashton depot, and it is needless to say that the three boyswere on time. They were alone, for Songbird and Stanley and some of theirother chums were going to take different trains.
"Don't forget to let me hear from you this summer!" said Songbird, onparting.
"Oh, we'll be sure to write," answered Dick. "Come and see me--if you getanywhere near my home," said Stanley.
"We'll remember that," returned Tom.
The boys were taken to Ashton depot in an automobile belonging to thecollege. Their trunks and dress-suit cases had preceded them, and as soonas they arrived they had their baggage checked straight through to OakRun.
"I see the girls' trunks," announced Sam, who had been looking the pileof baggage over. "We could get them checked, too, if we had theirtickets."
"Wonder where the girls are?" came from Tom, as he looked at his watch.
"How much time, Tom?"
"Ten minutes yet--and this train will most likely be late."
Rather impatiently the Rover boys walked up and down the platform.Presently they saw one of the Hope carryalls coming and went to meet it.
"They aren't in that," cried Sam, disappointedly.
"Another carriage coming from Hope?" queried Tom, of the carryall driver.
"Two of 'em," was the reply.
The second carriage arrived a minute later. It contained six girls andamong them was Grace.
"Dora and Nellie are in the last carriage," announced the younger Laninggirl. "I came on ahead to get the trunks and bags checked."
"We'll do that," answered Sam promptly. "Got the railroad tickets?"
"Yes, here they are," and Grace handed the tickets over.
It took several minutes to check the baggage, for the agent was busy, andall of the Rovers gave a hand in shifting the heavy trunks out to a placeclose to the tracks. Then Dick looked at his watch.
"Time for the train now," he announced. "Wonder why that carriage doesn'tget here?"
"Dick is getting nervous," said Sam, with a wink.
"Oh, you are all right--with Grace here," retorted his brother.
Tom had gone up to a bend of the road to take a look. Now he came backwith a shrug of his shoulders.
"Nothing but a farm wa
gon in sight," he announced. "And the horses arekicking up such a dust I can't see behind it."
"Oh, Tom, is it time for the train?" asked Grace, anxiously.
"It's three minutes past the time," answered Dick.
"Maybe the train is a good deal late," said Sam, hopefully. "I'll ask theagent."
He went off and in the meantime the others continued to watch the countryroad leading to the railroad station. All they could see was a cloud ofdust that betokened the coming of a big farm wagon, on the front seat ofwhich sat an old farmer.
"The train is coming!" cried Sam in dismay, on returning. "The agent saysit will be here in about two minutes."
"Two minutes!" burst out Dick and Tom.
"Oh, they'll get left!" moaned Grace. "What shall we do? I can't go homealone! And I've got their tickets!"
"Perhaps the agent will hold the train a bit," suggested Dick.
"I hear the train now!" cried Sam, as a distant whistle sounded throughthe air. A moment later they saw the cars, making a broad curve aroundthe distant hills.
Dick ran to the man who sold tickets and looked after the baggage.
"Say, we are waiting for some more passengers--some young ladies fromHope Seminary," he explained. "Can't you hold the train till they come?"
"Not much!" was the sharp answer. "The train is late already, and ordersare to make as short a stop as possible."
"They are coming!" yelled Tom. "I see them away down the road!"
"Oh, call to them to hurry!" burst out Grace.
"They can't hear me," answered Tom. "They are coming as fast as the teamcan go."
"Won't you hold the train just a couple of minutes?" pleaded Dick.
"No, sir!" And the agent spoke with a positive snap in his voice.
Dick looked across the tracks. The farm wagon had come up, and on theseat he recognized the fat and jolly Mr. Sanderson, the father of thegirl they had once saved from the annoyances of Dudd Flockley and JerryKoswell.
"I'll get Mr. Sanderson to do the trick for me!" he muttered to himself,and ran to where the farm wagon had come to a halt.