CHAPTER IX
THE PROFESSOR’S SHOES
Ned, Bob and Jerry tumbled out of the automobile in such haste that itmight have been called a “dead heat,” to use a sporting term. They madea rush for the little man standing at the side of the road near thepath of light from the automobile lamps.
“Professor Snodgrass!” cried Jerry.
“Is it really you?” demanded Ned.
“Our good luck has started!” was Bob’s contribution to the general fund.
As for the little man in the road, he did not seem to know what to door say.
“I beg your pardons, young gentlemen,” he said. “Are you students fromBoxwood Hall, or from the military academy here? I see you have amachine, and if you are from Boxwood Hall I would ask that----”
“We’re not _from_ Boxwood, but we want to _go_ there!” cried Jerry.“Don’t you know us, Professor Snodgrass? Take a look!”
He whirled the little man around into the light so he could look atthe three chums. Then a great change came over the professor’s face.
“Why--why--why, it’s the motor boys!” he cried. “Ned, Bob and Jerry!Bless my soul! But I _am_ glad to see you! What are you doing here? Ithought you were coming to Boxwood Hall, and I find you at the gates ofthe military academy.”
“It’s all a mistake, Professor! It’s all a mistake! It’s all wrong!”laughed Jerry. “It’s too long a story to tell now, but we’ll give it toyou by degrees. We’ve been ever since the early morning traveling fromCresville here, and more things have happened than you could shake astick at. But how comes it you are over here?”
“You may well ask that,” returned Professor Snodgrass. “I have had mytroubles too. I set off this afternoon to gather a few specimens of_lepidoptera_----”
“Leopards!” exclaimed Bob. “I didn’t know there were any around here.Did they break out of a circus?”
“Oh, my dear boy!” exclaimed Professor Snodgrass. “You must brush upon your Greek if you are to be one of my pupils. _Lepidoptera_ isformed of two Greek words, meaning a scale, or husk, and a wing, and by_lepidoptera_ we mean butterflies and moths.”
“Now will you be good?” murmured Jerry.
“I had heard of a certain rather rare variety of moth which had beenseen in this vicinity,” went on the professor, “and though it wasrather late in the year to hope to get a specimen, I set off thisafternoon with my specimen box and net, having finished my class work.I came over from Fordham to the town of Bundton by train. Bundton isthe nearest station to the military academy, and about fifteen milesfrom Fordham.
“But though I tramped all over the fields, and even ventured intoa swamp, where this moth is said to be sometimes seen, I wasunsuccessful. Not a one did I see. And I stayed so late that I missedthe last train back to Fordham, since the summer schedule has beenwithdrawn. So I started to walk, hoping I might find a garage on my waywhere I could hire a car. I had no idea of meeting you boys, thoughI remember now this is the day you said you would arrive. It is mostunfortunate!
“I mean it is unfortunate that I did not get the moth I was after, butI am very glad I met you boys. If you will kindly take me into your carI can put you on the shortest and most direct road to Fordham, whichI am as anxious to reach as are you, for I have some work to do inpreparation for to-morrow’s lessons.”
“Say! this is the best yet!” cried Bob. “To think of meeting you thisway! We’d about given up, and were going to ask the direction fromsome one in Kenwell Academy. Sort of asking aid and comfort of theenemy. I suppose they are the enemies of Boxwood Hall, when it comes tosports; aren’t they, Professor?”
“Rivals, not enemies,” answered the little scientist. “Yes, theyplay against our boys. I believe their football nine is to meet ourbasketball eleven soon.”
The boys laughed.
“What is the matter?” asked the professor.
“Nothing,” answered Jerry. “How are you, anyhow, Professor Snodgrass?”
“My health has been excellent, thank you. I like it very much atBoxwood, and I think you will also. I am very glad you came. And now, Ithink, we had better start. I should have been back hours ago, but itcould not be helped. I had forgotten about the change in the trains,and I counted on getting for the return trip one that I have oftentaken.”
“What’s that you have in your hand, Professor?” asked Ned, observingthat the little scientist carried a pair of overshoes in one handin addition to his specimen box which was slung on a strap over hisshoulder, and his butterfly net, which he carried in the other hand.
“In my hand? Oh, my overshoes, of course. Why, how careless of me! Andmy feet are soaking wet! I brought my rubbers with me in my specimenbox, thinking I might need them in the swamp. And it was very wet!
“I took them out, to put them on, and, just then, I saw what I thoughtwas a new kind of butterfly. I rushed for it, but it was only a leaf.”
“And you have been carrying your rubbers in your hand ever since?”asked Bob.
“I--I fear I have,” answered the collector, looking down at his wet andsoggy shoes. “It is very careless of me. But I dare say they will dryout on the ride to Boxwood Hall. How fortunate that I should have metyou!”
“Best piece of luck in the world!” cried Jerry. “Now, come on,Professor, and we’ll make short work of the distance. Fifteen miles Ithink you said it was to Fordham?”
“That is by railroad,” was the reply. “It’s a little longer by road, aswe have to skirt Lake Carmona. But if I know anything about you motorboys I know you won’t be long.”
“Indeed not!” cried Ned.
“Do you think we’ll be too late for supper?” asked Bob, and neither ofhis chums rebuked him.
“Well, I’m afraid it is a little late for the usual meal,” said theprofessor. “But I can invite you into my own residence and we will dinetogether. I shall like that above all things. Don’t worry about eating,Bob.”
“I won’t now, Professor,” and the stout youth sighed in relief.
They went back to the automobile, the boys looking with some curiosityat the lighted buildings of the military academy.
“That’s some place!” exclaimed Ned.
“Yes, it is considered a very good school,” the professor said, “butthey are absolutely _nil_ when it comes to zoology. They do notgive half the proper attention to it. At Boxwood Hall it is made aspecialty, though I have also to lecture on other subjects. And nowboys, tell me all about yourselves and your adventures.”
“First take off your wet shoes,” directed Jerry, as Professor Snodgrassentered the tonneau of the automobile. “You can wrap your feet in someblankets. It’s quite chilly to-night.”
“Thank you,” answered the professor. “I might, that is very true. Iwill do as you say.”
He removed his sodden foot gear and then, as Jerry turned theautomobile around, and set off on the road, directed by the professor,the boys took turns in telling of the happenings of the day, which weremany and varied.
On his side, Professor Snodgrass mentioned many points about BoxwoodHall, and answered, as best he could, questions regarding the nine, theeleven, the basket ball five and other lines of sport, for which thecollege was noted.
“What sort of fellows shall we meet?” Ned demanded.
“Oh, a very fine class,” the professor replied. “We have many sonsof wealthy parents here, as well as others, less well off in worldlygoods, but who are fine students. You’ll like it here.”
“I’m sure we shall!” exclaimed Jerry, and his chums murmured theirassent.
The boys could gather little idea of the nature of the country roundBoxwood Hall, as the darkness had fallen. But Professor Snodgrass knewthe roads well, as he said. All summer he had tramped them in search ofbutterflies and moths, which was his latest “fad,” if what to him was aserious matter may be so termed.
“Here we are!” exclaimed the little scientist, as he told Ned to make acertain turn. “Up this road, and then to the left, and yo
u’ll be nearmy house. I have a whole cottage to myself, and a most excellent cook.”
“Good!” murmured Bob.
“So you had better come in to supper with me,” went on the professor.“Afterward, I will take you in and introduce you to Dr. Cole, and Mr.Wallace Thornton, the proctor, with whom you will register. Then youwill be shown to your rooms, and can meet some of the boys.”
“Maybe we’d better put that off until morning,” suggested Jerry.
“Just as you like,” agreed the scientist.
As the automobile rolled on the three chums had a glimpse of manybuildings scattered over the green campus, which sloped down to theshores of Lake Carmona. It was too dark for the boys to see much, butwhat they had a glimpse of made them, more than ever, inclined to likethe place.
“It’s going to be great!” murmured Ned.
“That’s what!” agreed Bob.
“And when we get our motor boat here,” added Jerry, as he looked towardthe lake, “we will have _some_ times--believe me!”
“This is my residence,” put in the professor, indicating a small, red,brick building covered with ivy, as the boys could see in the glare ofthe automobile lamps. “Not all of the faculty have separate dwellings,but my zoological collections are so large that I needed plenty ofroom, so I was assigned to this house. It is very comfortable.”
“Where can we leave the auto?” asked Jerry.
“Oh, there is a garage on the premises, though I have no car. You maykeep yours there if you like.”
“Fine!” said Jerry.
For the time being they left the machine in the road, and proceeded upthe gravel walk. Jerry noticed that the professor seemed to be hobblingin a peculiar manner.
“Did you hurt your feet in the swamp?” the tall lad asked.
“Hurt my feet? No, not that I know of. Ah--I see! Bless my soul! I’veforgotten to put on my shoes that I took off to dry. I was wonderingwhat hurt me.”
Jerry had hard work to keep from roaring with laughter. For theprofessor, in his socks, was walking over the sharp gravel, carryinghis shoes and overshoes in one hand, and his butterfly net in theother. His face was a picture as he looked down at his feet in theillumination of the incandescent lamp on his front porch.
“Bless my soul!” he murmured again. “I am getting very forgetful, I’mafraid.”
“He’s not getting it--he’s _got_ it!” murmured Bob.
“Come in, boys, come in!” went on the professor, as he stepped off thegravel to the softer grass. “We’ll have a nice supper and a long talk.”
“Ah!” murmured Bob.
“It’s the supper he’s thinking of, not the talk,” said Ned to Jerry.