CHAPTER XV
ON THE ROCKS
It was hard going for Dick, for his crutches sank into the sand nearlyto the depth of their rubber tips, but he persevered, and after some tenminutes of "crutching" arrived at the end of the beach where the pointof rock from which the place received its name advanced from the grassybluff and waded far into the breakers. Harold was not in sight when Dickreached the bottom of the ledge; but a few moments later when by carefulclimbing Dick had reached the seaward end of the rock, he came intoview. The receding tide had left a long and narrow pool in a cleft ofthe ledge, a pool whose sides were festooned with delicate seaweed andset with purple mussels and green and brown snails and in whose bottompink starfish crawled. Harold, perched at the edge of the pool, waslooking fascinatingly into the clear green depths and didn't hear thesoft tap of Dick's crutches until the older boy was almost beside him.Then he turned startledly, narrowly escaping a bath in the pool, andscowled at the intruder.
"Had to hunt for me, anyway, didn't you?" he asked sneeringly.
Dick paid the question no heed. Instead, he moved to the edge of thepool and peered interestedly into it. He didn't have to feign interest,he was interested. It seemed a long time to Dick since he had crouched,as Harold was crouched now, and gazed fascinatingly at the wonders of arock pool. Nor had he done it very frequently, for climbing over theledges is hard and risky work for a boy without two good legs. Haroldcontinued to frown at a wavering starfish in the depths, but presently,as Dick did not speak, he shot a curious glance at him.
"Gee," he said to himself, "you'd think he'd never seen starfish andthings before!"
Dick took off his hat and wiped his moist forehead. Then he loweredhimself cautiously to a seat on the rock. "Regular natural aquarium,isn't it?" he asked pleasantly. Harold's reply was an unintelligiblegrowl. "Lots of queer things in there," went on Dick musingly.
"Sure; I just saw a whale," replied Harold sarcastically.
"Did you? Your eyes must be pretty good," returned Dick, with a smile."I dare say, though, I see something you don't."
Harold viewed him suspiciously. Finally: "What?" he asked.
"A sea-anemone."
"A sea-what?"
"Sea-anemone." Dick laughed. "I sea-anemone; what do you see?"
"That's a punk joke!" scoffed Harold.
"I'm not joking. I'll point him out to you. Lean over this way. See thatpurplish-brown thing on the side near the bottom? Looks like a flower,sort of. See?"
"Sure! Is that it? It isn't a flower, though; it moves, don't it?"Harold was interested in spite of himself.
"Yes, it moves, and it isn't a flower. It's a polyp. It's name isMetridium something or other; I forget the rest of it."
"What's a polyp? An animal?"
"Y-yes, of a low order. About as much as a sponge is."
"Pooh, a sponge is a vegetable!" derided the other.
"Not exactly. Those things that move are little tentacles with which itfeeds itself," said Dick, pointing again at the anemone.
"What's it eat?" asked Harold curiously.
"All sorts of animal matter that floats around in the water and that isso small we can't see it."
Harold observed him suspiciously. "I don't believe it's alive at all,"he said presently. "It's just a sort of seaweed, and it moves becausethe water moves."
"Think so?" asked Dick. "Then put your hand down there toward it and seewhat happens."
"It won't--bite, will it?" asked Harold doubtfully.
"No, but it will show you whether it's alive or not. You needn't touchit," he added, noting the other's hesitancy. "Just put your hand near itor disturb the water."
Harold pulled his sleeve up and cautiously thrust an arm into the pool."Gee!" he exclaimed. "It shut its mouth!"
Dick laughed. "Doesn't look much like it did, does it?"
"No; it's an ugly little thing now," responded the other. "Say, that'sfunny, isn't it? Guess it's alive, all right."
"Yes; and it knows three things pretty well: It knows how to attachitself to the rocks, how to get food, and how to shut up shop whentrouble brews."
"What would it do if you took it out?"
"Die. Besides, it's stuck on there so hard you'd have to pull it topieces to get it off. I tried it once when I was a kid, and had to giveit up."
"I'd like to find a sea-urchin," said Harold. "I've got a lot ofstarfish and a horse-shoe crab and some razor-clam shells and two sharkeggs. I guess I'll get that big starfish down there, too."
"What's the use?" asked Dick. "It's just like those you've got. Let theold chap live and enjoy himself."
"I'll get it if I want to," replied Harold. "Say, what did you follow meout here for, anyway?"
"Because I told your mother I'd find you and send you to her. She's gotsomething to say to you."
"Sure! I suppose you went and told her a lot of lies about me."
"You don't suppose anything of the sort," responded Dick quietly.
"Well, anyway, I'm not afraid of her."
"Of course not, but you want to do what she wishes, don't you?"
"That's my business," replied the other ungraciously. "I do as Iplease."
"Well, you're a lucky chap, then," said Dick pleasantly. "By the way,are you going to see the ball game Saturday?"
"Yes, I guess so. That is"--with elaborate concern--"unless you don'twant me to."
"I was going to say that if you'll ask for me at the gate I'll pass youin, Harold."
"Why, are they going to charge?"
"Yes; twenty-five cents."
"Gee, they've got a crust! Who'd pay twenty-five cents to see a lot ofwooden-heads play ball?"
"Well, we're hoping a lot will. Anyway, you won't have to. Just ask forme at the gate. I guess it will be a pretty good game. Do you likebaseball?"
"I suppose so."
"Do you play?"
"Sure! What do you think I am--a wooden Indian?"
"That's good. They have a pretty good team at Rifle Point. Maybe you'llmake it some day."
"There isn't any maybe about it. I'm going to."
"I hope so. Well, I must be getting back. You coming along? It must bevery nearly lunch time."
"No, I'm not," growled Harold. "I'll come when I'm ready."
"All right. By the way, we won't have any lessons to-morrow. Nothingdoing until Monday. Meanwhile you see if you can't get the better ofthat algebra, like a good fellow. So-long!"
"Long!" muttered Harold.
Dick pulled himself up and fixed his crutches and began the laborioustask of climbing back up the rock and across to the beach. Fortunatelyhis rubber tips held well, and he was soon at the top of the ledge. Butthere misfortune overtook him. Just what happened he couldn't have told,but the result he was very certain about. For one crutch flew out fromunder him, he spun half around on the other and fell backward, his headcoming into violent contact with the granite ledge. For an instant hewas too dazed to move. His head rang and buzzed like a bee-hive. Infalling he must have cried out involuntarily, for almost before he hadgathered his faculties together and made a move to get up he heardfootsteps pattering on the rocks, and then the anxious voice of HaroldTownsend:
"Are you hurt, Lovering? What happened?"
Harold ran to him, and bent over him with very genuine concern.
"I--I'm all right, thanks," replied Dick, a trifle vaguely. "I fell.That rock is some hard, Harold!" He rubbed his head ruefully andgrimaced as his hand came in contact with the swelling bruise. "Justgive me a hand, will you? And kick that crutch this way, please."
"Here's your crutch," said Harold, "but just you wait where you are aminute." He sped away down the slope of the rock, and Dick, with hishead throbbing, for once could not but feel a qualm of envy. In a momentthe younger boy was back. He had dipped his handkerchief in the water,and now he offered it a trifle shyly to Dick. "Put it on your head," hesaid gruffly. "It'll make it feel better."
"Thanks, Harold." Dick applied the wet compress to the bump. "It
wasstupid of me to keel over like that," he said. "I don't know when I'vefallen down before."
"I should think you'd have lots of falls," replied Harold. "I think youget around mighty well, Lovering. How does it feel now?"
"Better, thanks. Just sort of give me a boost, will you?"
Harold assisting, Dick got to his feet, or, rather, his crutches, and,with the younger boy watching anxiously, went on down the ledge to thebeach.
"You needn't come unless you're ready to," said Dick. "I'll be all rightnow, Harold."
"I guess I'll go, too," replied Harold carelessly. "It's most lunchtime."
They walked along in silence for a way, and then Dick asked: "Do youknow who Caspar Billings has got to take Morris Brent's place onSaturday?"
"Fellow named Jensen. Do you know him?"
"No, I think not. Pretty good, is he?"
"I guess so. Loring says he is. Say, Mason's going to pitch for us. Didyou know that?"
"Mason? Oh, he is the fellow who was to have played in the last game anddidn't get here. Is he a wonder, Harold?"
"Is he!" Harold chuckled. "You just wait and see. You fellows won't beable to touch him!"
"As good as that, eh? By the way, who scores for your team?"
"I don't know." Harold shrugged his shoulders. "Nobody, I guess. Why?"
"I should think you'd like to do it."
Harold considered. "I guess," he answered finally, "I don't know howwell enough."
"I can show you. You bring a book Saturday and sit by me, and I'll makea professional scorer of you in no time."
"Too much trouble," replied the other indifferently.
"It isn't trouble at all, Harold; it's fun. Better try it some time.It's a good thing to know."
Presently Harold asked: "Why aren't you coming to-morrow?"
"Because we haven't been getting on very well, Harold. I thought itmight be a good idea for us to stop for a couple of days and think itover; see whether we want to go on with it or not, you know. If wedecide that we do, we'll start all over again Monday and do the thingright."
"Humph!" muttered Harold. "What did you tell my mother?"
"Oh, just that I wasn't willing to go on and take her money withoutaccomplishing something," replied Dick cheerfully. "I told her you couldstudy as well as your brother if you wanted to----"
"She's always beefing about Loring!" grumbled the boy.
"And that if you didn't want to there wasn't much use in my coming.Well, I'll cut through here for the car. I'll see you Monday, Harold."
"What about Saturday?" asked the other. "You said----"
"Of course! Look me up, and bring your score-book."
"Haven't any."
"You can get one at Wadsworth's, on Common Street. Or I'll buy one foryou, if you like."
"You needn't. It's too much like work. So-long!"
Dick returned to Clearfield more encouraged. If only Mrs. Townsend woulddo as she had agreed to, he believed that he could manage Harold andearn the money that was being paid him. He had about given up hope offinding more pupils, and so could ill afford to lose Harold. Hecertainly didn't want to, he reflected, but he would in an instantrather than make no better progress than he had been making.
At practice that afternoon, Gordon told him that Morris had asked to seehim, and Dick agreed to call at the Brents' for a few minutes beforesupper. Morris was pathetically glad to see the two boys and very loathto have them go again. Mrs. Brent looked in for a short time and Louisemet them on their way out and thanked them for coming. She looked rathertired, and Gordon spoke of it.
"It's been so hot to-day," she explained, "and I've been indoors a gooddeal since Morris was hurt. He can't read to himself yet, and so I haveto do it for him. Of course, I'm very glad to, but it is hard work in away. I wonder if either of you have any books he'd like. I've read abouteverything I can find."
"I think I have," responded Dick. "I'll bring two or three over. I guesswhat Morris wants is a rattling good adventure story."
"Yes; he's crazy to hear stories about ships and pirates and hiddentreasure, you know. About the only other thing he cares about is thebaseball news. I read that to him every morning, and I'm getting to bequite--quite learned."
"I suppose," said Dick, "the doctor won't let you move him out to thePoint yet."
"He says we can go in about another two weeks. I think it will be muchbetter for Morris. He's getting fearfully tired of that room up there.And it is hot, you know. Thank you both for coming, and do come againwhen you can. I guess it isn't much fun for you, but Morris looksforward to it all day."
"She's a nice girl," commented Dick, as they passed through the gate."Pretty, too."
"She _is_ nice," agreed Gordon. "I guess when a fellow's laid up likethat a sister's a pretty good thing to have around."
"Yes," said Dick. And, after a moment, he added: "I'll find those booksand take them around to-morrow morning."
"I would," approved the other. "You're certain to find her in then."
"Don't be a chump, Gordie! She's only a kid!"
"She's as old as I am, except for a few months. And if you call me a kidI'll lick you."
"If you do, I'll suspend you," replied Dick sternly.
Gordon laughed. "I hope I'd get as much fun out of it as Jack isgetting," he said. "He confided to me to-day that you were a finemanager. 'I tell you, Gordon,' he said, 'a manager's got to have plentyof discipline!' If you could only fire Jack for good and all, he'd loveyou like a brother, Dick!"
"I sort of wish we were going to have him in the game Saturday," saidDick. "We'll miss his batting, I guess."
"I wonder if this fellow Mason is as good as they seem to think him.Anyone know where he comes from?"
"I didn't ask. He's probably better than Porter, though. I have afeeling that we're due to get the short end of the score day afterto-morrow."
"I wouldn't be surprised. I hope to goodness Harry can play. If he isout of it, we will be in a mess!"
"How is Tom getting on with his shingling or painting or whatever it ishe's doing?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"Well, it would be a good thing if he could come out and practice alittle more. It's too bad we can't find another fellow to help out withthe pitching, Gordie. If Tom got sick we'd be in a fix."
"We surely would! But I don't believe Tom was ever sick in his life.Anyway, he was pretty fit to-day. I caught him for a few minutes, and hehad everything there is."
Dick smiled. "Tom has just three balls, Gordie: an out, a pretty gooddrop, and a fast one that's a peach. That's all he needs, though. If hemixes them up right he can get by. But we've got to find our batting eyeSaturday if we're to win. How about the line-up? Think we'd betterchange it?"
"Yes, I do. This fellow Shores had better follow Lanny, don't you think?He seems to think he can bat, but he didn't connect with muchyesterday."
"Maybe he was embarrassed," suggested Dick, with a smile.
"Embarrassed!" said Gordon. "Yes, about as much embarrassed as abull-pup! Maybe he will do better in a game, though. Well, so-long,Dick. I'll have to hustle or I'll be late for supper."
"Coming around to-night?"
"I don't believe so. I told Lanny I'd go over there. See you to-morrow,though."
"Come over in the morning, will you? I'm not going out to the Pointto-morrow."
"You're not? You haven't quit, have you?"
"No, not yet. I'm giving Harold a day or two to think over his sins.Good-night."
"I say, Dick, don't forget your call."
"What call?" asked Dick, from the end of the hedge.
"Why, on Miss Brent!"
"You'll sit on the bench if you're not careful," laughed Dick.