CHAPTER IV
A PLOT TO "SQUARE UP"
"Phew! but this is a real picnic!" came softly from Phil. "He's as kindas they make 'em, isn't he?"
"It's a jolly shame," grumbled the senator's son. "To make us stay inthis stuffy classroom on such a fine evening as this."
"I am glad I finished with my lessons," was Dave's comment. "But I amsorry for you two. But, as there is no help for it, we might as well getto work. The sooner begun, the sooner done, you know." And he began towrite away vigorously on one of the pads the teacher had pointed out tothem.
"I wish old Haskers had to write it himself," growled Roger, as he, too,went at the task. "Oh, but isn't he the mean one! I don't see why thedoctor keeps him."
"He's smart, that's why," answered Phil. "I wish we could get square forthis. I'm sure Doctor Clay would have excused us, had he known thefacts. I've a good mind to go to him about it."
"Don't you do it, Phil," cried Dave. "It's not worth it. Get towork--and we'll think about squaring up afterwards."
In a minute more all three of the boys were writing as rapidly as theirfingers could travel over the paper. Roger was the best penman of thethree and finished several minutes before the others. He began to walkup and down the room, whistling softly to himself.
"Yes, I go in for squaring up with old Haskers," he said, rather loudly."He's about as mean----" And then he stopped short, as the door swungopen and the second assistant appeared.
"Huh!" he snorted. "Were you alluding to me, Master Morr?" he demanded.
Roger stammered, and his face turned red.
"Her--here are the words," he stammered.
"Two hundred, eh? Well, you may write a hundred more, and after this becareful of what you say." And then Job Haskers turned to Dave and Phil."That is all right, you two can go."
"Can I stay with Roger?" asked Dave.
"No, I shall remain here myself," was the cold answer, and then Dave andPhil had to leave.
"I'll wager Roger feels like hugging him," was Phil's comment. "He willwant to get square now, sure."
The two boys went out on the campus for awhile and then up to theirdormitory, where they found a small crowd assembled, some talking, and afew studying. The door to the adjoining dormitory was open, and thereLuke Watson was playing on a banjo, while another student was singing anegro song in a subdued voice.
"I say, Dave, will you explain something to me?" said a voice from acorner. The question came from Chip Macklin, Gus Plum's former toady.The small boy was working over a sheet of algebra sums.
"Certainly," said Dave, readily, and sat down by the other's side. "Now,what is it? Oh, I see. I got twisted on that myself once. This is theproper equation, and you can reduce it this way," and he was soon deepin the problem, with Chip looking on admiringly. When the problem hadbeen worked out and explained in detail, the small boy was verygrateful.
"And, Dave," he went on, in a low tone, "I--I want to tell yousomething. Be on your guard against Plum and Nat Poole."
"Why?"
"Because they are plotting mischief. I heard them talking in the gym. Idon't know what it is about, but they are surely up to something."
"I'll remember, Chip, and much obliged," answered Dave, and then heturned to the other boys, leaving the small youth to finish hisexamples.
"Hello, where have you been?" came from stout and lazy Buster Beggs. Hewas sprawled out on the end of a couch. "I noticed you didn't get tosupper till late, and went right off, directly you had finished."
"Had a special session with Haskers," answered Dave. "He wants me toimprove my handwriting."
There was a smile at this, for all the boys knew what it meant.
"Oh, that fellow is a big peach, he is!" came from Sam Day, who sat inone of the windows. "Yesterday, he made me stay in just because I askedTolliver for a lead pencil."
"He was mad because Polly Vane caught him in an error in grammar," addedanother youth. "Didn't you, Polly?" he added, addressing a rathergirlish-looking boy who sat near Chip Macklin.
"I did," was the soft answer. "It was rather a complicated sentence, butperfectly clear to me," explained the boy.
"I don't wonder, for Polly fairly lives on grammar and language," put inPhil. "I don't believe anybody could trip him up," and this complimentmade Bertram Vane blush like a girl. He was in reality one of the bestscholars in the academy.
"Which puts me in mind of a story," came from one of the cots. "An----"
"Hello, are you awake, Shadow?" cried Sam Day. "I thought you weresnoozing."
"So I was, but I am slept out, and feel better now. As I was saying, anold farmer and a college professor went out rowing together. Says thecollege professor, 'Can you do sums in algebra?' 'No,' answers thefarmer. 'Then you have missed a great opportunity,' says the professor.Just then the boat struck a rock and went over. 'Save me!' yells theprofessor. 'Can't you swim?' asked the farmer. 'No.' 'Then you have lostthe chance of your life!' says the farmer, and strikes out and leavesthe professor to take care of himself."
"Two hundredth time!" came in a solemn voice from the doorway to thenext room.
"Wha--what do you mean? I never told any story two hundred times," criedShadow Hamilton. "And that puts me in mind----"
"Shadow, if you tell another as bad as that, I'll heave you out of thewindow," came from Sam Day. "That has moss on it three inches th----"
"Oh, I know you, Lazy; you're jealous, that's all. You couldn't tell astory if you stood on your head."
"Can you, Shadow?" and then a general laugh went up, in the midst ofwhich the door opened, and Job Haskers entered. On catching sight of theunpopular teacher, Sam Day lost no time in sliding from the window-sillto a chair.
"Boys, we cannot permit so much noise up here!" cried Job Haskers. "Andthat constant strumming on a banjo must be stopped. Master Day, wereyou sitting in the window?"
"I--er--I think I was," stammered Sam.
"You are aware that is against the rules. If you fell out, the Hallmanagement would be held responsible. After school to-morrow you canwrite the words, 'Window-sill,' two hundred times. Hamilton, get up, andstraighten out that cot properly. I am ashamed of you." And then thehated teacher passed on to the next dormitory.
"I told you to get out of the window," said Macklin, as soon as theywere alone. "I was caught that way myself once, and so was Gus Plum."
"Lazy is going to learn how to write a little better, too," said Dave,with a grin.
At that moment Roger came in, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Made me write half of it over again," he explained. "Oh, it's simplyunbearable! Say, I am going to do something to get square, as sure aseggs is eggs."
"Eggs are eggs," corrected Polly Vane, sweetly.
"Oh, thanks, Polly. What about a tailor's goose?"
"Eh?"
"If one tailor's goose is a goose, what are half a dozen?"
"Tailor's geese, I suppose--but, no, you'd not say that. Let me see,"and the girlish youth dove into his books. "That's a serious question,truly!" he murmured.
"Well, I am willing to get square, too," put in Sam Day.
"So am I," grunted Shadow Hamilton. "There was no need to call me downas he did, simply because the cot was mussed up a bit. The question is,what's to be done?"
The boys paused and looked at each other. Then a sudden twinkle cameinto Dave's clear eyes.
"If we could do it, it would be great," he murmured.
"Do what, Dave?" asked several at once.
"I don't care to say, unless I am certain we are all going to standtogether."
"We are!" came in a chorus from all but Polly Vane, who was still deepin his books.
"What about you, Polly?" called out Roger.
"Me? Why--er--if a tailor's goose is a real goose, not a flatirongoose----"
"Oh, drop the goose business. We are talking about getting square withHaskers. Will you stand with the crowd?"
"You see, we don't want to make gooses of ourselves," said
Phil, with awink at Polly Vane.
"I'll stand by you," said Polly. "But please don't ask me to dosomething ridiculous, as when we dumped that feather bed down from thethird-story landing, and caught those visitors, instead of Pop Swingly."
"I was only thinking of Farmer Cadmore's ram," said Dave, innocently."He is now tied up in a field below here. I don't think he likes to beout over night. He'd rather be under shelter--say in Mr. Haskers' room."
"Whoop!" cried Roger. "Just the thing! We will store him away in oldHaskers' closet."
This plan met with instant approval, and the boys drew straws as towhich of them should endeavor to execute the rather difficultundertaking. Three were to go, and the choice fell upon Dave, Phil, andSam Day. The others promised to remain on guard and issue a warning atthe first intimation of danger.
"I think the coast will be fairly clear," said Sam Day. "I heard Haskerstell Doctor Clay he was going out to-night and would not be back untileleven, or after. That ought to give us plenty of time in which to dothe trick."
The three boys could not leave the dormitory until the monitor, JimMurphy, had made the rounds and seen to it that all was right for thenight and the lights put out. Then they stole out into the hallway anddown a back stairs. Soon they were out of the building and making forFarmer Cadmore's place.
As they left the Hall they did not see that they were being watched, yetsuch was a fact. Nat Poole had been out on a special errand and had seenthem depart. At once that student hurried to tell his friend, Gus Plum.
"Going out, eh?" said the big bully.
"Yes, and I heard them say something about making it warm when they gotback," returned Nat Poole.
"Humph! Nat, we must put a spoke in their wheel."
"I'm willing. What shall we do?"
"I'll think something up--before they get back," replied the bully ofOak Hall. "They haven't any right to be out, and I guess we've got 'emjust where we want 'em."