CHAPTER II
A BROKEN WINDOW, AND GLORIOUS NEWS
"Gee whiz! Look who's coming out of the house on the rampage, willyou!" cried Bluff Masters, as the front door was flung open and anexcited man hurried down the steps toward the spot where the fourchums stood breathing hard after their recent exertions.
"It's old Isaac Chase, the meanest man in Centerville!" exclaimedJerry, in dismay.
"But we didn't break his old window, you know," expostulated WillMilton. "Here are lots of witnesses to prove it came from the otherside."
"Little he'll care about that," Bluff told him. "He must have seen usin the fight, and that settles it. Frank, you talk with him. I'd beapt to get sassy if he scolded too hard."
So it usually came about. Upon Frank's shoulders was laid the burdenof extricating them from numerous mishaps. But Frank rather likedbeing made the scapegoat; he certainly faced the angry old miser ofCenterville without showing a sign of alarm.
"Now you've gone and done it, you young rapscallions!" cried IsaacChase, so excited that he could hardly control his trembling voice. "Idon't know what this town is coming to, when a pack of boys areallowed to fight battles right on the public streets, and with stonesin their snowballs at that!"
He held up something he had in his hand, so that every one could see.It was a stone, there could be no doubt about that, with some of thesnow still adhering to its sides.
Bluff rubbed the side of his head at seeing this, as though wonderingwhether the missile that had struck him there had also been loaded inthat way.
"We're sorry, Mr. Chase, that your window was broken," said Franksteadily; "it was an accident, I give you my word about that. Ihappened to dodge a ball fired from the other side, and it wentthrough the glass."
"What! You here in this rowdy business, Frank Langdon!" exclaimed theother, as though more than surprised. "I shall have to see your fatherand make complaint, if the Chief of Police declines to back me up andarrest a few of you."
"As to that, Mr. Chase, I will tell my father all about it as soon ashe comes home from the bank. I know what he will say, though, and itdoesn't frighten me one bit. My father was a boy himself once, notlike some people who forget that they once used to play themselves."
"Don't be impudent to me, boy!" snapped the old miser angrily.
"I don't mean to be so, Mr. Chase," Frank continued; "and as for yourwindow, we will send a glazier around right away to put in a freshpane, and pay for it, too. I'm sure that is all you could expect fromus."
"That's a measly shame, Frank!" objected Bluff impetuously.
"When it was Andy Lasher who broke the window," added Jerry, filledwith righteous indignation. "You only ducked, Frank, when you saw itheaded your way. Perhaps Mr. Chase thinks you should have stood up andgot that snowball with the stone in its heart smashed in your eye. Itisn't fair for you to pay the bill. Let him go after Andy."
"No, I prefer settling the account myself, and not having any troubleabout it," Frank told his objecting chums. "Besides, we've had enoughfun out of the business to stand a little expense like that. Theinnocent often have to suffer for the guilty."
Some of the bystanders at this point tried to convince Mr. Chase thatFrank was entirely innocent of the whole transaction; but the miser,acting on the principle that "a bird in the hand is worth two in thebush," declined to let the generous offer Frank had made slip from hisgrasp.
"Someone's got to pay for my broken window," he insisted stubbornly,"and these boys admit they were connected with the rowdy crew thatmade themselves a disgrace to the town in front of my door. I shallexpect him to fulfill his offer, which you heard him make, Mr. Jenkinsand Mr. Mole. The sooner that window pane is replaced the better Ishall be pleased. That's enough."
With that he turned his back upon the group and hurried to reenter hishouse, as though fearful lest some of the spectators might endeavor toshame him out of accepting pay from an innocent party.
Frank and his three comrades stood talking with some of those who hadgathered when the crash of broken glass, followed by angry words inthe high-pitched voice of the miser, drew attention to the scene ofaction.
"Come, let's be moving along, fellows," Bluff finally remarked. Itgalled him to think they had been made the scapegoats by Andy Lasherand his set, though he knew only too well that once Frank's mind wasmade up to pay for the broken window nothing could change him.
True to his promise, Frank first of all visited the hardware store,and engaged the owner to send a man around at once to the home of themiser, so as to replace a twelve-by-twenty pane of glass.
"I expect to have a good many orders like that, Frank, before the dayis over," remarked the dealer, laughingly. "They always come with thefirst snow, for you boys must have your fling. A ball went wide of themark, did it, and picked out the window of Miser Chase's house tosmash?"
"But the trouble is, none of us threw it!" burst out Jerry, determinedthat the true facts should be known at any rate, even if they did haveto foot the bill. "Andy Lasher hid a stone in his last ball, andexpected to do Frank damage, for he shied it straight at his head; butFrank dodged, and bang went the glass!"
"Andy and his cowardly bunch pulled out like fun," Bluff hastened toadd; "and so we had to stand for it. But then Frank says we were inthe crowd that was fighting, and it wasn't fair that Mr. Chase, whowas an innocent party, should suffer from our fun. So I reckon we'llhave to put our hands in our pockets and pay your bill, Mr. Benchley."
The hardware man nodded his head. There was a twinkle in his eye as heobserved Frank Langdon. He knew the sort of reputation Frank had inCenterville, although the latter had not been a resident there muchmore than three years, having come from away off in Maine at the timehis father took the local bank over.
"Believe me, I'll let you boys off as lightly as I can, and not loseby it," was what he told them. "I like the manly way you stand up andtake hard knocks. If I had a boy, I'd want him to be just your style,Frank."
As the four chums went away, Jerry chuckled.
"That was as neat a compliment as you ever had paid you, Frank, do youknow it?" he asked the other.
Frank smiled, but he did not look displeased.
"I'm glad Mr. Benchley has such a good opinion of the outdoor chums,"he remarked, "for he meant every one of you, as well as me, when hesaid that. We try to do the right thing most times; and yet therenever were four boys more fond of having a jolly time than thisbunch."
"That's so," Bluff declared sturdily, "and we've had lots of dandyvacations in the past, too. What's bothering me is where we ought togo to spend this unexpected time that's been given to us through thefire at the college."
"We'll figure all that out in a day or so, never fear," Will observed.
"Yes," added Jerry, "leave it to Frank, and he'll arrange the details.Chances are we'll be dropping in to see how old Jesse Wilcox isgetting on with his muskrat trapping. I think I'd enjoy another turnup there in the woods."
"One thing sure," said Frank, "we must arrange to go away_somewhere_, and do a little hunting again. Just the thought ofit gives me a warm feeling around my heart."
"Same here," Bluff told him cheerfully; "I never feel happier thanwhen I smell the woods and get on the trail of game. That gloriousspell we had out on Mr. Mabie's ranch among the Rockies has haunted meever since."
They talked it over as they sauntered in the direction of their homes.It happened that Will Milton's house was the first they came to.
"I saw the postman come out of our gate," Will commented. "I wonder ifhe brought Uncle Felix the letter he's been expecting for some days.You see, he's got a bad attack of rheumatism; yet he says he must tryto get away Down East on some very important business. Between you andme, he never will be able to do it for days or weeks, he's thatdoubled up."
"Run in, if you feel like it, Will," Frank told him. "We'll wait outhere for you."
"Yes," added Jerry, as if it might be an afterthought, "and whileyou're about it, Will, just mention
to Uncle Felix that there are fourhusky boys around, with considerable time to burn just now, and if hewants anybody to take that trip for him we might be coaxed into doingit, if he'd stand for expenses."
At that all of them laughed, as though they considered it a joke. Willleft them shying a few snowballs at a tin can Bluff had set on afence-post.
"If we're going to get in many affairs like the one we just had withAndy Lasher and his crowd," the latter remarked, "it stands to reasonwe want to tune up some in our heaving. My baseball arm is out ofpractice, and I'm ashamed to say that three out of four balls I firedmissed their mark."
"Oh, well, I noticed a lot of dodging being done," commented Frank;"and only for that all of us might have made more bull's-eyes."
"Chances are that Andy will have a circle around _his_ left eyeafter that smash he got," observed Jerry. "A hard snowball can stinglike fun when it catches you there."
"Yes, look at my right cheek, if you want to prove that," Bluffadvised them. "I got caught there, and it keeps on burning like a hotiron. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a piece of coal or a stonein that ball. They must have fixed up a lot of ammunition that waybefore they tackled us."
"Seems to me Will's a long time coming out again," complained Jerry."He's always so much taken up with that photography of his that anyold time he's liable to remember something and go to work at it,forgetting all about his chums, who may be kicking their heels in theback yard waiting for him."
"Oh, I don't think he's quite that forgetful!" laughed Frank. "Youknow he said Uncle Felix, who loaned us his houseboat to make thattrip down the Mississippi to New Orleans, was expecting some importantmail to-day. Perhaps he's held Will up to tell him about something.You know Uncle Felix thinks heaps of our chum; yes, and of all therest of us in the bargain."
"There he comes!" exclaimed Bluff.
"And, say, he seems to be in a terrible hurry," added Jerry, beginningto show a touch of excitement himself. "Look at him waving his hatover his head? And do you see how he's grinning from ear to ear? Nowwhat d'ye reckon can have happened?"
"Oh, Uncle Felix, don't I love you!" muttered Bluff, as if a suddenbrilliant idea had come into his mind.
"What's Uncle Felix got to do with it?" demanded Jerry.
"Hold your horses a minute, and listen to what Will's going to giveus," was all the other would say; for, to tell the truth, he himselfhad not been able to more than dimly suspect what was coming.
Will came hurrying up, and when he spoke his words gave them a thrill.
"What d'ye think, fellows," he exclaimed joyously; "we're on thehighroad to another glorious trip like some of the ones we've enjoyedin the past!"
"Is it Uncle Felix?" gasped Jerry.
"Yes," came the quick response; "he wants all four of us to go up to alogging camp in Maine and do that important business for him!"