Kitabı oku: «Dave Porter and the Runaways: or, Last Days at Oak Hall», sayfa 4
CHAPTER VII
PHIL AND BEN MAKE A MOVE
So far Dave and Nat Poole had not met face to face. Our hero had seen the money-lender’s son a number of times, but Nat had always been with some of his cronies and had, apparently, not taken any notice.
But on the morning following the conversation just recorded, the pair came face to face in one of the narrow hallways.
“Good-morning, Nat,” said Dave, pleasantly.
“Morning,” grumbled the other student. He was about to pass Dave, but suddenly changed his mind. “So you got back, eh?”
“Yes, I’ve been back several days.”
“I heard that Link Merwell got away from you?”
“That is true.”
“Humph! If I had the chance to nab him that you had, I’d not let him get away.”
“We held Jasniff.”
“Maybe you let Merwell go on purpose,” continued the money-lender’s son, shrewdly.
“Not at all, Nat. He gave us the slip, clean and clear.”
“Humph!” Nat paused for a moment. “I got word from my dad that you almost smashed him up on the road with your auto.”
“Hardly as bad as that.”
“He is going to make your uncle pay for the damage done.”
“It wasn’t much.”
“It was enough. You want to be more careful with your car after this. You auto fellows seem to think you own the whole road.”
“What about your motor-boat, Nat?” asked Dave. He remembered how the money-lender’s son had played more than one mean trick while running the craft.
“Oh, my boat is all right, Dave Porter!” sniffed Nat; and then he moved on, with a scowl on his face.
“The same old Nat,” soliloquized our hero. “Too bad that he can’t make himself a bit more agreeable.”
That day was a particularly trying one in the classroom. The lessons were unusually hard, and Dave had all he could do to pass, especially in those studies presided over by Professor Haskers. Roger made one miss in his Latin and poor Phil made several, while Ben Basswood’s recitation was a complete failure.
As was usual with him, Job Haskers was exceedingly dictatorial, and said some cutting things that brought the blood to Dave’s face.
“You must do much better than this, Porter and Morr,” said the professor. “Otherwise I shall have to place you in the next lower class. You, Lawrence and Basswood, have failed so utterly that I will have to take your cases under immediate consideration. The class is dismissed.”
“The old bear!” growled Ben, under his breath.
He looked inquiringly at Phil, and the latter nodded knowingly.
Dave did not know what to do. He did not wish Phil and Ben to get into further trouble, yet he did not know how to interfere. Besides, he was suffering himself and hardly knew what to do on his own account.
“This is the worst yet,” cried Roger, as he and our hero came out of the classroom side by side.
“There go Phil and Ben,” returned Dave. “Roger, they have got some plan up their sleeve.”
“I believe you, Dave. I wish I knew what to do. Shall we go to Doctor Clay?”
“I’ve been thinking of that, Roger. But I hate to do it. I’d rather fight my own battles.”
“So would I.”
“Let us wait until to-morrow and see if things don’t take a turn for the better.”
“All right, just as you say. But it’s a shame, the way old Haskers treats us,” grumbled the senator’s son.
In the meantime Phil and Ben had gone on ahead. Both were exceeding angry and consequently not in a frame of mind to use their best judgment.
“It’s an outrage!” burst out the shipowner’s son. “An outrage, Ben! I am not going to stand for it!”
“Well, I am with you, Phil,” returned Ben. “But what can we do?”
“You know what I spoke about last evening?”
“Yes.”
“How about doing that?”
“I am with you, if you are game.”
“Of course we may make old Haskers tearing mad.”
“We’ll only face him with the truth, won’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Then, let us do it. And the sooner the better.”
“Yes, but we must see him alone.”
“Of course. I think we can manage it just before supper – when he goes up to his room to fix up for the evening.”
The two chums talked the affair over for a long time.
“I don’t suppose Dave will like this,” ventured Ben, presently. “What do you think?”
“He isn’t hit as hard as we are,” answered Phil, lamely. “If he was – well, he might look at things in a different light.”
“That’s so,” answered Ben. But deep down in his heart he was afraid that our hero would not altogether approve of what he and Phil proposed to do.
The boys took a walk, and purposely kept out of the way of Dave and Roger. They did not return to the Hall until fifteen minutes before the first bell for supper. Then they came in by a side entrance and passed swiftly up the stairs and along the hallway to the room occupied by Job Haskers.
“Who is it?” asked the teacher, sharply, when Phil had knocked.
“Mr. Haskers, it is Phil Lawrence,” was the reply. “Ben Basswood is with me. We wish to see you.”
“Ah, indeed!” said the teacher, coldly. “You come to me at an unusual hour. You may see me to-morrow, before class.”
“Mr. Haskers, we wish very much to see you now,” put in Ben.
“We have got to see you,” added Phil, warmly.
There was no immediate reply to this. The boys heard Job Haskers moving around the room and heard him shut a bureau. Then the door was flung open.
“You insist upon seeing me, eh?” demanded the professor, harshly.
“We do, Mr. Haskers,” returned Phil, boldly.
“Very well, young gentlemen; step in.” And Job Haskers glared at the boys as he stood aside for them to enter.
“We came to see you, sir, about those Latin lessons,” went on Phil, finding it just then difficult to speak. He realized that Job Haskers was in no humor for being lenient.
“Well?” shot out the professor.
“We feel that we are not being treated fairly,” put in Ben, believing he should not make Phil do all the talking.
“Not treated fairly? I believe I am the best judge of that, Basswood.”
“Mr. Haskers, I hate to say it, but you are a hard-hearted man!” cried out Phil, the door being closed, so that no outsider might hear. “You are not giving us a fair chance. The other teachers have given me and Dave Porter and Roger Morr several weeks in which to make up those lessons we missed while we were away. You wish to give us only a week.”
“And you didn’t give me a fair chance to make up,” added Ben.
“See here, who is master here, you or I?” demanded Job Haskers, drawing himself up. “Boys, you are impudent! I will not stand it!”
“Yes, you will stand it,” cried Phil, throwing caution to the winds. “All we ask is a fair deal, and you have got to give it to us. We’ll make up those lessons, if you’ll give us a fair amount of time. I don’t intend to be put in a lower class for nothing.”
“And I’m not going to stand it either,” came from Ben.
“Ha! this to me?” snarled Job Haskers. “Take care, or I’ll have you dismissed from the Hall!”
“If you try it, it will be the worst day’s work you ever did, Mr. Haskers,” warned the shipowner’s son.
“What, you threaten me?”
“We are going to make you give us a fair chance, that is all. And if you’ll do that, we’ll give you a fair chance.”
“Why, why – you – you–” The irate instructor knew not for the moment how to proceed.
“Mr. Haskers, I think you had better listen to me,” pursued Phil.
“I have listened to all I care to hear.”
“Oh, no, you haven’t. There is much more – and you had better listen closely – if you care at all for your reputation here at Oak Hall.”
The professor stared at the boy and grew a trifle pale.
“Wha – what do you – er – mean by that, Lawrence?”
“I hate very much to bring this subject up, Mr. Haskers, but you practically compel me to do it. If you will only promise to give us a fair chance to make up our lessons, I won’t say a word about it.”
“Just what do you mean?” faltered the teacher.
“I know something about your doings in the past – doings which are of no credit to you. If you disgrace Ben and me by degrading us in classes, we’ll disgrace you by telling all we know.”
“And what do you know?” demanded Job Haskers, hastily.
“We know a good deal,” put in Ben.
“All about your dealing with the poor widow, Mrs. Breen,” added the shipowner’s son. “How you still owe her for board, and how you borrowed money to publish a book that was never issued.”
“Who told you that?” cried Job Haskers, stepping back in consternation. “Who told you that I had borrowed money from her, and that I owed her for board?”
“Never mind who told us,” said Ben. “We know it is true.”
“And you went to that lawyer, eh?” stormed Professor Haskers. “You got him to threaten a suit, didn’t you? I got his letter only this afternoon.”
“We went to no lawyer,” answered Phil.
“I know better! I see it all now! You want to get me into trouble – to disgrace me here!” Job Haskers began to pace the floor. “It is – er – a mistake. I meant to pay that lady but it – er – slipped my mind. And the book has been issued, but the publishers have not – er – seen fit to push it, that is why you and the world at large have not heard of it.”
“Mr. Haskers, we haven’t told anybody about this,” went on Phil, pointedly. “You can settle with that lawyer, whoever he may be, – and we’ll not say a word to anybody – that is, providing you’ll give us a fair chance in our lessons.”
“Ha! maybe you wish me to pass you without an examination,” cried the teacher, cunningly.
“No, sir!” answered Phil, stoutly.
“We simply ask for more time, that is all,” added Ben. “We don’t ask any favor. We can make up the lessons if you will give us as much time as the other teachers would give us.”
“You have not told anybody of this – this – er – affair of Mrs. Breen?”
“No.”
“It is all a mistake, but I should not like it to get abroad. It would hurt my reputation a great deal. I shall settle the matter in the near future. I do not owe that lady as much as the lawyer says I do, – but that is not your affair.” Job Haskers continued to pace the floor. “Now about your lessons,” he continued, after a pause. “If I – er – thought that I had really been too hard on you–” He paused.
“You certainly have been hard,” said Phil.
“And if you really need more time–”
“Give us two weeks more and we’ll be all right,” put in Ben.
“And if – er – if I should decide to do that, you will – er–”
“We’ll make good – and keep our mouths shut,” finished Phil.
“Very well. I will think it over, young gentlemen, and let you know to-morrow morning, before class. And in the meantime–”
“We won’t say a word to anybody,” said Ben, with a little grin.
“So be it;” and Job Haskers bowed. “There is the supper-bell. You may go now. Come to me just before class to-morrow,” he added; and then the two students passed out of the room, and the teacher shut the door after them.
CHAPTER VIII
AN UNUSUAL COMPACT
“He’ll do it – he is bound to do it!” cried Ben, as he and Phil hurried down to the dining-room.
“I think so myself, Ben,” answered the shipowner’s son. But, for some reason, he did not seem as joyful over the outcome of the interview as might have been expected.
“He won’t dare let this news become public property,” went on the other student. “He is too afraid of public opinion.”
“Ben, he thinks we got that lawyer to take the case up.”
“You told him we hadn’t.”
“But he didn’t believe it – I could tell that by his manner. And, Ben, do you know, after all, this looks to me as if we had, somehow, bribed him to be easy on us,” continued Phil, with added concern.
“Oh, don’t bother your head about that, Phil. We only asked for what is fair, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but–” And then the shipowner’s son did not finish, because he did not know what to say. In some manner, Phil’s conscience troubled him, and he wondered what Dave and Roger would say when they heard of what had occurred.
During the meal that followed but little was said by any of the boys. Once or twice our hero looked at Phil, but the latter avoided his gaze. As soon as the repast was over, Phil rushed outside, followed by Ben; and that was the last seen of the pair until it was time to go to bed.
“They have been up to something, that is certain,” was the comment of the senator’s son.
“Well, we can only wait and see what turns up,” answered Dave, thoughtfully. “I don’t think I care to ask them.”
In the morning, when Dave got up he looked over to where Phil was in the habit of sleeping. The bed was empty, and the shipowner’s son was gone.
“Dressed half an hour ago,” said another of the dormitory inmates.
“Went off again with Ben, I’ll wager,” murmured Roger. Ben was in another room, across the hallway, that term.
Dave and Roger had been hard at work the evening before, doing their best to make up the lessons they had missed while away from the school. They doubted if Phil and Ben had studied at all. With considerable curiosity they awaited the opening of the morning classes, to see what might happen. They felt that something was “in the air.”
Just before the last bell rang Phil and Ben appeared, their faces wreathed in smiles.
“It’s all right, fellows!” cried the shipowner’s son, merrily. “It’s all right!”
“Now we can take our time making up those missed lessons,” added Ben.
“You went to old Haskers?” queried Roger.
“We sure did,” answered the shipowner’s son.
“And told him about–” began our hero.
“Never mind what we told him, Dave,” interrupted Phil. “We did tell him that we wanted to make up the lessons but couldn’t do it in the time he had allotted. He argued it, at first, but now he has agreed to give us the same time Mr. Dale did, three weeks.”
“Good!” exclaimed Roger.
“You, or all of us?” asked our hero.
“All of us. I think he’ll speak to you at recess – he said he would.”
“What did he say when you – when you mentioned Mrs. Breen?” asked Roger.
“Hush, somebody might hear you!” returned Phil, in a whisper. “We have promised to keep that quiet.”
“But the poor woman–” began Dave.
“Will get her money, never fear. A lawyer has already written about it, and old Haskers says he will pay up. He claims it is all a mistake. But he doesn’t want anybody at Oak Hall to get wind of it.”
There was no time to say more, and evidently neither Phil nor Ben felt in the humor to discuss the affair. The early morning lesson proceeded as usual, but it was noticed that Professor Haskers was much subdued in his manner towards the students.
“Porter and Morr, I wish to speak to you at recess,” said he, coming down to where the two lads sat. “Kindly remain here.”
When the other students had left the classroom the instructor came to our hero and his chum and motioned for them to follow him to a private room close by.
“I wish to speak to you about the lessons you are to make up,” said Job Haskers, after clearing his throat several times. “I understand that you want more time.”
“We would like to have more time, yes,” answered Dave, briefly, and looking the teacher full in the face.
“Can you do the lessons in three weeks?”
“Yes, Mr. Haskers,” said Dave, and Roger nodded his head.
“Then you can take that much time. But, remember, I shall expect you to – to – er – to make up the lessons.”
“Yes, sir,” came from both students.
“If you need more time – or any assistance – possibly I can arrange it,” went on Job Haskers, eagerly.
“Thank you, if you give me three weeks I am sure I can make up the lessons to your satisfaction, Mr. Haskers,” came from our hero.
“And so can I,” added the senator’s son. “Anyway, I’ll try my level best.”
“Very well, then, we will let it stand that way.” There was a pause and the instructor bit his lip several times. “By the way, I – er – understand that there is a very unpleasant rumor going around concerning me,” he proceeded. “It is all a mistake which I shall try to clear up without delay. I trust that you will not attempt to – er – to circulate that rumor any further.”
“Mr. Haskers, do you mean about that affair with Mrs. Breen?” demanded Dave, bluntly.
“Yes. I have already explained to Lawrence and Basswood that it is a mistake, and that the widow will be paid all that is due her. But if this should – er – be mentioned here–” The teacher stopped short and looked sharply at Dave and Roger.
“Mr. Haskers, let us understand each other,” answered Dave, quickly. “I have no desire whatever to get you or anybody else into trouble. Nor do I want to ask you for any favors. I think we are justly entitled to more time in which to make up those lessons, and now that you have granted that time, I shall do my best to make good. As for that Mrs. Breen affair, I think that poor old lady ought to have her money. I understand some lawyer is going to try to collect it for her. Well, if you settle the matter I shall feel very glad; and you can rest assured that I will not say a word about the matter to anybody in this school, or anywhere else.”
“You – er – you give me your word on that, Porter?” demanded the instructor, eagerly.
“I do.”
“And you, Morr?”
“Yes, sir,” answered the senator’s son.
“Who else is there who knows about this – er – unpleasant affair?”
“Phil Lawrence and Ben Basswood,” answered Roger.
“No other students?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Very well, then.” Job Haskers drew a breath of relief. “See that you keep your word. And about the lessons – if three weeks are not long enough, I may – er – be able to give you a little more time.”
“That time will be enough,” replied Dave.
“We’ll make it with ease,” added Roger.
“Then that is settled, and you may go,” and so speaking, Job Haskers left the room. The two boys followed him, and went out on the campus.
“How did you make out?” questioned Phil, as he ran up to them.
“We got our time,” answered Roger.
“But let me tell you one thing,” said Dave. “After this Haskers is going to hate us worse than ever.”
“I don’t see why,” declared the shipowner’s son. “I think we are letting him off mighty easy.”
“He feels as if he had been forced into doing what we want,” went on Dave. “I think he looks at it as if you had used that Mrs. Breen incident as a club over him.”
“Well, it was a club in one sense, Dave.”
“I know it, Phil, and, although I am glad we have won out and gotten that extra time, still I am sorry that you and Ben went to him as you did.”
“Humph! did you think I was going to sit still and be put back into a lower class?”
“Maybe it might have been better if you had gone to Doctor Clay.”
“I don’t think so,” replied Phil, shortly; and then the school-bell rang again and all the boys had to go to their next classes.
In spite of the cloud that thus hung over the affair, every one of the chums was glad of the extra time in which to make up the lost lessons. Not one of them had to grind away as hard as before, and Dave took a little time off, in which to send a letter to his father and another to Jessie.
The next day was warm and pleasant and, after school-hours, Roger proposed to Dave that they take a walk up the woods road back of the school.
“All right, a walk in the woods will do us good,” was the answer. “Shall we ask some of the others?”
“If you wish,” and in the end Phil went along, and also Buster Beggs and Gus Plum.
“My, but I had a run-in with old Haskers this afternoon,” said the stout youth. “I came close to carrying the matter to the doctor.”
“What was it about?” questioned Dave.
“Oh, nothing at all, to my way of thinking. I went to the library to get a book and he accused me of wasting my class time. He was very ugly. I won’t stand for much more of it,” grumbled Buster.
Dave said no more, but he and Roger exchanged glances. Evidently the irate instructor was going to “take it out of somebody,” as the saying goes.
The boys walked on and on, along the road, until Oak Hall was left far behind. Soon Buster forgot his troubles, and the crowd were chatting gayly of many things.
“Call for candidates for the baseball team next Saturday,” announced Gus Plum. “I hope we get up a team this year that knocks the spots out of Rockville Military Academy and all the other institutions we cross bats with.”
“Are you going to try for the nine this term, Gus?” questioned Dave.
“Sure! Why not? You’ll try, won’t you?” went on the big youth, in surprise.
“No, I’ve decided not to go into athletics this term, Gus. I want to give all my time to my studies.”
“Yes, but the nine needs you, Dave!” put in Buster. “I heard some of the fellows talking about it only yesterday. They had you slated for your old position.”
“Well, if Gus wants to play, he can fill the box,” answered Dave.
“But we need more than one pitcher,” insisted Buster.
“There are plenty of new students coming along. I hear Thomas is a good one, and so is Ennis.”
“I’m not going to play, either,” said Roger. “I want to graduate with all the honors possible.”
“How about you, Phil?”
“I – I think I’ll play,” answered the shipowner’s son, rather lamely. “I’ll see about it later.”
“Well, I don’t want to neglect my studies,” said Gus Plum. “But I have done some hard work this winter and so I am pretty well ahead. I didn’t lose time going to Cave Island, you know,” he added, with a smile.
“Well, it was worth it – losing that time,” answered Dave. “It saved Mr. Wadsworth from ruin, and that’s a good deal.”
“If the baseball nine–” commenced Buster, and then broke off short. “What was that?” he demanded, as a cry from a distance broke on the ears of all.
“It’s a woman’s voice!” cried Dave, quickly. “She is calling for help! Come on and see what is the matter!” And he started off on a run, with his school chums at his heels.
