CHAPTER VI--GOOD-BY TO OAK HALL
"Where in the world have you boys been? Why didn't you come back in timefor supper? Don't you know it is against the rules to stay away likethis?"
Thus it was that Job Haskers, the second assistant teacher of Oak Hall,greeted Dave and his chums as they came in, after leaving the big sleighand settling with Homer Opper.
"We are sorry that we couldn't get here before, Mr. Haskers," answeredDave. "But something unusual happened and we were delayed."
"I'll not accept any excuses!" snapped the teacher, who had notforgotten how the boys had hurried away without listening to his callfrom the window. "I think I'll send you to bed supperless. It is no morethan you deserve."
"Supperless!" gasped Buster, in dismay. "Oh, Mr. Haskers, we don'tdeserve such treatment, really we don't!"
"We have been robbed--that is what delayed us," declared Phil. "I guesswe had better report to Doctor Clay, or Mr. Dale," he went on,significantly.
"You can report to me," answered Job Haskers, with increased severity."There is no need to bother the doctor, and Mr. Dale has gone away forover Sunday."
"Well, boys, back again!" cried a cheery voice from an upper landing,and then Doctor Clay came down, wearing his gown and slippers. "A wildstorm to be out in. I am glad you got back safely."
"They are late--and you said you gave them no permission to be out afterhours," said Job Haskers, tartly.
"Hum! Did I?" mused the kindly head of the school. "Well, when it stormslike this it, of course, makes some difference."
"We would have been back in time only we were robbed of our skates andsome other things," answered Dave. "We had to walk a long distancethrough the storm, and we'd not be here yet if we hadn't managed to hirea farmer to bring us in his sleigh."
"Robbed!" echoed Doctor Clay, catching at the word. "How was that?" Andhe listened with keen interest to what the boys had to tell. Even JobHaskers became curious, and said no more about penalizing them for beinglate.
"And you are sure the fellows were Merwell and Jasniff?" asked theassistant teacher.
"All I know on that point is what Mallory and his chums had to say,"answered Dave.
"I think it would be like that pair to follow you up," said Doctor Clay,with a grave shake of his head. "They are two very bad boys,--worse,Porter, than you can imagine," and he looked knowingly at Job Haskers ashe spoke. "Now go in to supper, and after that, you, Porter, Morr, andLawrence, may come to my study and talk the matter over further."
Wondering what else had happened to upset the head of the school, Davefollowed his chums to the dining-hall. Here a late supper awaited thecrowd, to which, it is perhaps needless to state, all did full justice.
"Do you think we can track Jasniff and Merwell?" asked the senator'sson, during the course of the repast.
"I don't," answered Dave frankly. "For they will do their best to keepout of our way."
A little later found Dave, Phil, and Roger in the doctor's privatestudy, a sort of library connected with his regular office. The head ofOak Hall was reading a German historical work, but laid the volume downas they filed in.
"Sit down, boys," said Doctor Clay, pleasantly, and when they wereseated, he added: "Now kindly tell me all you know about Merwell andJasniff."
"Do you want to know everything, Doctor?" asked Dave, in some surprise.
"Yes,--and later on, I'll tell you why."
"All right," answered the youth from Crumville, and he told of the manythings that had happened, both at the school and at home--not forgettingabout the auto ride in which Laura and Jessie were supposed to haveparticipated.
"It all fits in!" cried Doctor Clay, drawing a deep sigh. He tapped thetable with the tips of his fingers. "I wonder where it will end?" hemused, half to himself.
"You said that Merwell and Jasniff were worse than we imagined,"suggested Dave, to draw the doctor out.
"So I did, Porter. I will tell you boys something, but please do not letit go any further. Since Jasniff and Merwell became pupils at RockvilleMilitary Academy and since they ran away from that institution they havebeen doing everything they could think of to annoy me. They have sentfarmers here with produce that I never ordered, and have had publisherssend me schoolbooks that I did not want. Worse than that, they havecirculated reports to my scholars' parents that this school was runningdown, that it was in debt, and that some pupils were getting sickbecause the sewerage system was out of order. Some of the parents havewritten to me, and two were on the point of taking their boys away,thinking the reports were true. Fortunately I was able to prove thereports false, and the boys remained here. But I do not know how farthese slanders are being circulated and what the effect will be in thefuture."
"And you are sure they come from Merwell and Jasniff?" questioned Phil.
"I am sure at least one letter was written by Merwell, and one farmerwho brought a load of cabbages here said they were ordered by two youngmen who looked like Merwell and Jasniff."
"Oh, nobody else would do it!" cried Roger. "Merwell and Jasniff areguilty, not the least doubt of it! The question is: How can we catchthem?"
"Yes, that is the question," said Doctor Clay. "I have notified thelocal authorities to be on the watch for them, and now I think I shallhire a private detective."
"Do it, Doctor," said Dave eagerly. "I will pay half the expense. I knowthat my father will approve of such a course." And so the matter rested.The private detective came to Oak Hall two days later, and afterinterviewing the doctor and the boys, said he would do his best to rundown Link Merwell and Nick Jasniff.
It snowed hard for a day and a night and when it cleared off the boyshad considerable fun snowballing each other and in coasting down a longhill leading to the river. Pop Swingly, the janitor, came in for hisfull share of the snow-balling and so did Jackson Lemond, usually calledHorsehair, the Hall carryall driver. Horsehair was caught coming fromthe barn, and half a dozen snowballs hit him at the same time.
"Hi, you, stop!" he spluttered, as one snowball took him in the chin andanother in the ear. "Want to smother me? Let up, I say!" And he tried torun away.
"These are early Christmas presents, Horsehair!" sang out Ben, merrily,and let the driver have another, this time in the cap.
"And something to remember us by, when we are gone," added Gus, hittinghim in the arm. Then the driver escaped. He felt sore, and vowed hewould square up.
"Maybe he'll report us," said Ben, after the excitement was over.
"Not he," declared Gus. "He's not that kind. But he'll lay for us,--justyou wait and see." And Gus was right. About half an hour later he andBen were told that somebody wanted to see them at the boathouse. Theystarted for the building, walking past the gymnasium, and as they didso, down on their heads came a perfect avalanche of snow, sent from thesloping roof above. When they clawed their way out of the mass andlooked up they saw Horsehair standing on the roof, snow-shovel in hand,grinning at them.
"Thought I'd give ye some more snow fer snowballs," he chuckled. "Hereye are!" And down came another avalanche, sending the boys flat a secondtime. When they scrambled up they ran off with all speed, the merrylaughter of the carryall driver ringing in their ears.
At last came the final session of the school, with the usual exercises,in which Dave and his chums participated. Nearly all of the boys weregoing home for the holidays, including Dave, Phil, Roger, and Ben. Daveand Ben were, of course, going direct to Crumville, and it was arrangedthat Phil and the senator's son should come there later, to visit ourhero and his family and the Wadsworths. Nat Poole was also going home,and would be on the same train with Dave and Ben.
"I wish he wasn't going with us," said Ben. "I'm getting so I can't bearNat at all."
"Well, he isn't quite as bad as he was when he chummed with Merwell andJasniff," answered our hero. "I think their badness rather scared Nat.He is mean and all that, but he isn't a criminal."
"Well, I think some meanness is a crime," retorted Ben.
Th
e boys had purchased gifts for Doctor Clay, Mr. Dale, and some of theothers, and even Job Haskers had been remembered. Some of the studentshad wanted to ignore the tyrannical teacher, but Dave and his chums hadvoted down this proposition.
"Let us treat them all alike," said Dave. "Perhaps Mr. Haskers thinks heis doing right."
"Yes, and if we leave him out in the cold he may be more hard-heartedthan ever," added Gus, with a certain amount of worldly wisdom.
Dave carried a suit-case and also a big bundle, the latter filled withChristmas presents for the folks at home. Ben was similarly loaded down,and so were the others.
"Good-by, everybody!" cried our hero, as he entered the carryall sleigh."Take good care of the school until we come back!"
"Good-by!" was the answer. "Don't eat too much turkey while you aregone!" And then, as the sleigh rolled away from the school grounds, thelads to leave commenced to sing the favorite school song, sung to thetune of "Auld Lang Syne":
"Oak Hall we never shall forget, No matter where we roam; It is the very best of schools, To us it's just like home! Then give three cheers, and let them ring Throughout this world so wide, To let the people know that we Elect to here abide!"
"That's the stuff!" cried Roger, and then commenced to toot loudly on atin horn he carried, and many others made a din.
At the depot the boys had to wait a little while. But presently thetrain came along and they got aboard. Dave and Ben found a seat near themiddle of the car and Nat Poole sat close by them. He acted as if hewanted to talk, but the others gave him little encouragement.
"Nat has something on his mind, I'll wager a cookie," whispered Ben toDave.
"Well, if he has, he need not bother us with it," was Dave's reply. "Iam done with him--I told him that some time ago."
The train rolled on and when near the Junction, where the boys had tochange to the main line, a couple in front of Ben and Dave got up,leaving the seat vacant. At once Nat Poole took the seat, at first,however, turning it over, so that he might face the other Oak Hallstudents.
"I want to talk to you, Dave Porter," he said, in a low and somewhatugly voice. "I want you to give an account of yourself."
"Give an account of myself?" queried Dave, in some astonishment, for hehad not expected such an opening from Nat. "What do you mean?"
"You know well enough what I mean," cried the other boy, and now it wasplainly to be seen that his anger was rising. "You can blacken your owncharacter all you please but I won't have you blackening mine! If youdon't confess to what you've done, and straighten matters out, as soonas we get to Crumville, I am going to ask my father to have youarrested!"