CHAPTER III
AN ANGRY BULLY
"Well, why don't one of you fellows open the door?" demanded Peaches ina hoarse whisper from his point of vantage under the table. "If it's oneof the 'profs.' or a monitor, he'll get wise if you wait all thiswhile."
It might be explained that there was a rule at Excelsior Hall againststudents visiting in their classmates' rooms at certain hours of theday, unless permission had been secured from the professor or monitor incharge of the dormitory. Needless to say Peaches had not secured anysuch permission--the lads seldom did.
"Aren't you going to open it?" again demanded Peaches, from where he hadtaken refuge, so as to be out of sight, should the caller prove to besome one in authority.
"Yes--certainly--of course," replied Joe. "Tom, you open the door."
Once more came the knock.
"Open it yourself," insisted Tom. "It's as much your room as it is mine.Go ahead."
But there was no need for any one to first encounter the stern gaze ofsome professor, if such the unannounced caller should prove to be. Theknock was repeated and then a voice demanded:
"Say, you fellows needn't pretend not to be in there. I can hear youwhispering. What's up?" and with that the portal swung open and TeeterNelson entered. He advanced to the middle of the room and stood movingup and down on his tiptoes.
"I like your nerve!" he went on. "Having a spread and not tipping afellow off. Is it all gone?" and with a sweep of his arm he sent thepaper cover flying from over the half-emptied ginger ale glasses."Where's Peaches?" he demanded. "I know he's out, for I was at his den,and there's not a soul in. He's got a 'dummy' in the bed, but it's rank.Wouldn't fool anybody."
"Then you must have spoiled it!" exclaimed Peaches, sticking his headout from beneath the table, the cloth draping itself around his necklike a lady's scarf. "I made a dandy figure. It would fool even Sixteenhimself; and then I sneaked out. I made it look as natural as could be.I'll bet you did something to it."
"Only punched it a couple of times to see if it was you," retortedTeeter. "But say, what's going on? Why didn't you open when I knocked?"
"Thought it was a prof.," replied Joe. "Why didn't you give the codeknock. Tat--rat-a-tat-tat--tat-tat--and the hiss."
"That's right, I did forget it. But I got all excited when I found thatPeaches had sneaked off without telling me. Say, what's on, anyhow?Where's the feed? Give me something good."
"Nothing going but ginger ale," answered Joe, as Peaches crawled therest of the way out from under the table. "And I don't know as there'sany left."
"Gee, you fellows have nerve!" complained the newcomer.
"There's one bottle," said Tom, who had charge of the improvisedrefrigerator, and forthwith he hauled up the basket, at the sight ofwhich Teeter laughed joyously, and proceeded to get outside of his shareof the refreshments.
"What's doing?" he demanded, after his thirst was quenched, and whenthey were all seated at the table.
"We're going to have a snow battle," explained Peaches. "We were justtalking about it when you gave us heart disease by pounding on theoak."
"Heart disease; my eye!" exclaimed Teeter. "You should have a clearconscience such as I have, and nothing would worry you. That's good aleall right, Joe. Got any more?" and he finished his glass.
"Nary a drop. But go on, Peaches. Tell us more about the snow fight."
Whereupon the lad did, waxing enthusiastic, and causing his chums to getinto the same state of mind.
"It will be no end of fun!" declared Teeter. "We'll choose sides and seewhich one can capture the fort."
"When can we do it?" asked Tom.
"The sooner the quicker," was Joe's opinion. "The snow won't last long."
"Then we ought to start on the fort to-morrow and have the battle thenext day," was the opinion of Peaches.
Permission to have the snow battle was obtained from Dr. Fillmore thenext day, and the work of building the snow fort started soon afterlessons were over. Fortunately the white flakes packed well, and with afoundation of a number of big snowballs the fort was shortly in processof construction.
A better day for a snow battle could not have been desired. It was justwarm enough so that the snow stuck, and yet cool enough so that theexertion would not be unpleasant. The fort was at the far end of the bigschool campus, and all about it the ground had been practically clearedof snow to build it. This made it necessary for the attacking party tocarry their ammunition from afar. As for the defenders of the fort, theyhad plenty of snow inside, and, as a last resort they could use part ofthe walls of the structure itself to repel the enemy.
The lads had made wooden shields for themselves, some using the heads ofbarrels, with leather loops for hand and arm. Others were content withsomething simpler, a mere board, or a barrel stave.
Sides had been chosen, and, somewhat to his own surprise, Joe Matson wasmade captain of the attacking force.
"We want you because you can throw straight and hard," explained Teeter,who was a sort of lieutenant of the attacking army.
"Soak those fellows good!" pleaded Peaches.
"We've got to look out for icy balls," cautioned Tom.
"How so?" asked Joe, as he looked toward the fort where Frank Brown, ascaptain, was marshalling his lads.
"I heard that Hiram Shell and Luke Fodick soaked a lot of snowballs inwater last night, and let 'em freeze," went on Tom. "They're just meanenough to use them."
"That's right," agreed Peaches, "and we made it up not to throw thatkind. Well, if we catch Hiram or Luke using 'em we'll make a protest,that's all."
"Say, are you fellows all ready?" asked Frank Brown at length, as helooked to see if he and his mates had a good supply of ammunition.
"Sure," answered Joe. "Yell when you want us to come at you."
"Any time now," replied Frank. "Get on the job, fellows!" he called tohis force.
The snow battle began. Joe and his lads had boxes and baskets ofsnowballs piled where they could easily get them. They took them withthem, up to the very walls of the fort, certain boys being designated asammunition carriers.
The fight was fast and furious. The air was thick with flying balls; andthe yells, shouts, cries, and laughter of the lads could be heard afar.
Up to the fort swarmed Joe and his mates, only to be driven back by awithering fire. Then they came once more to the attack, pouring in adestructive rain of white balls on the defenders of the snow fort. Butthis resulted partly in disaster for the attacking foe, as several oftheir number were captured.
"At 'em again!" ordered Joe, after a slight repulse. "We can capturethat place!"
Once more they swarmed to the attack, and with very good effect,delivering such a rattling volley of balls, that the defenders werethrown into confusion, and could not send back an answering firequickly enough.
"Swarm the walls! Swarm the walls!" yelled Joe.
He and his lads scrambled up, their pockets filled with balls. Down uponthe hapless foe they threw them, and in another moment the fort wouldhave been theirs.
"Repel boarders! Repel boarders!" sang out Hiram. "Come on, fellows,give 'em an extra dose!"
Joe saw the bully, and Luke, his crony, rush to a corner of the fort andtake something from a wooden box. The next instant several lads utteredcries of real pain, as they felt the missiles of almost solid ice hitthem. Joe understood at once.
"The mean, sneaking coward!" he cried. In his hand he held a largesnowball. It was hard packed, but did not equal the ice balls in anyparticular. Yet it was effective.
Joe saw the chance he wanted. Hiram had drawn back his hand to throw oneof the missiles he and Luke had secretly made, when, with a suddennessthat was startling, Joe threw his large snowball full in the bully'sface.
Hiram caught his breath. The ball he had intended throwing fell from hishand. He staggered back, his face a mass of snow. Then he recoveredhimself, cleared his eyes of the flakes and, with a yell of rage sprangforward.
"I saw you throw th
at, Joe Matson!" he cried. "You had no right to pitchit with all your might at such close range."
"I had as much right as you and Luke have to use iceballs," retorted ourhero.
"I--I'll fix you for that!" threatened Hiram, boiling over with wrath,as he scrambled up the inner walls of the fort and stood before Joe."I'll knock you into the middle of next week! I'll teach you how tobehave. I'm going to lick you good," and he drew back his fist, andaimed a mighty blow at our hero.