Harry Watson's High School Days Part 17

"Good boy!" exclaimed the others. "We'll make it up to you just as soon as we get back to Rivertown."

Such strong dislike, however, had he conceived for Harry, that Elmer could not bear the thought of being under obligations to him to the slightest extent, and with an angry movement he thrust his hand in his pocket, pulling out a five dollar bill.

"Here! Take this," he snarled at Dawson. "I was saving it out to get home on, but it doesn't amount to anything to me, and I suppose that five dollars Watson has is his spending money for the year."

The wanton brutality of the remark brought an angry flush to Harry's face, and clenching his hands, he started toward the rich youth. But with no desire to have any trouble in the town across the river, Dawson, Paul and Jerry quickly placed themselves between the two boys, while the senior took the extra money from Elmer and wrapped it with that which he had, giving back to Harry the bill which our hero's aunt had presented to him.

At first, the new member of the Pi Eta society was disposed to resent the act.

"Don't be foolish," exclaimed Dawson. "Craven and Snooks were the ones who smashed the apparatus-I don't know exactly how-but you never would find them willing to pay a cent unless they were guilty; and it is perfectly right that Craven should pay all the money he can rake or sc.r.a.pe together."

At this stinging comment, Elmer opened his mouth as though he intended making a retort; but second thought showed him the futility of so doing, and b.u.t.toning up his coat, he nodded towards Snooks and left the store with the bully.

As soon as they were gone, the senior turned upon the janitor.

"Tony, I never thought to find you in such a mess as this."

With tears in his eyes, the Italian spoke to the boys:

"I didn't want to, but my little girl, she is sick, and I need some money; and so when Elmer and Pud come to me and tell me they would give me fifty dollars if I will say Watson broke the stuff, I talked it over with my woman, and she say take it."

This confession of the janitor's, substantiating the idea which the boys had formed of the incident, together with the thought that his temptation had come from the fact that his child was ill, caused them to forego any further cross-questioning of the janitor, and they took their departure from the cigar store.

The return to Rivertown was much in the nature of an ovation for Harry, for not long was it after the committee appointed by the Greek letter societies started out than word of their purpose spread among the scholars.

With the letting out of school for the noon recess, the girls who were members of the Gamma Gammas and the Lambda Nus learned of the action of the boys, and forthwith they decided to cut cla.s.ses for the rest of the day.

Particularly caustic in their comments upon the action of the princ.i.p.al were Viola and Nettie; but as the older girls counseled a waiting policy, the two freshmen were prevented from doing anything that would further complicate the unfortunate case.

The action of the girls depleted the ranks of the school still further.

It was with difficulty the instructors could maintain any sort of discipline during the afternoon, and when the last session was over for the day, the boys and girls hastened down to the river, put on their skates and started across to the town of Lumberport.

Before they had reached the other side of the river, however, they met Dawson and the other boys returning, and as they saw the happy expression on their faces, their curiosity was aroused to a high pitch.

But though they plied them with questions, they were unable to extract any more satisfactory explanation from them than that the matter had been settled.

Loud were the protests at this terse announcement and the various friends of the boys who had gone across the river had drawn them aside and were striving their utmost to learn the real facts, when there was a loud shout from up the river.

Turning, the members of the Rivertown High beheld the red and white banners which were the colors of the high school at Springtown, and almost simultaneously with the recognition of the ident.i.ty of the approaching crowd, they heard the artillery like rattle of the school cheer.

"What's the matter with Springtown? What's up now?" exclaimed several of the boys.

"Give them the Rivertown cheer. All together now, everybody! Act as though you were alive," shouted Dawson, and swinging his arms in lieu of a baton he led the cheer, whose volume rolled up the river, breaking with defiance in the ears of the down-coming horde of skaters.

"The quickest way to find out what's doing is to go up to meet them,"

announced Jerry.

And without more ado, he and a few of the other boys started off up the river.

Ma.s.sed together as though they were defenders of a town repelling a hostile attack, the other boys and girls a.s.sumed a compact ma.s.s, watching the members of their own school as they sped toward the phalanx of the neighboring town.

No sooner had they noted the movement of the leaders among the members of Rivertown High, than the Springtownians checked their advance, and after a few moment's hesitation, they sent part of their number to meet the delegation from Rivertown.

The parley between the two groups was short; then the Rivertown members turned on their skates and started back to their schoolmates at top speed.

"Springtown's come down for a race," one of the boys announced. "Shall we give it to them?"

For years the schools in the neighboring towns were rivals in all branches of athletics, and though the percentage of victories had been with the scholars at the head of the river, there never was a time when they could propose any game that the boys and girls of Rivertown were not eager to take up the challenge.

Accordingly when the member of the high school on the bluff asked if his mates wished to accept the challenge of the Springtownians there was a mighty shout of "Yes."

"But who'll represent us?" exclaimed three or four of the seniors.

"Craven isn't in the bunch, Longback has a grouch, and Snooks is missing too," exclaimed Misery. "Why not call the boys' race off, and let Annabel represent Rivertown?"

"Now don't get funny," admonished Dawson. "There are plenty of us here who can uphold old Rivertown."

"Who?" demanded several voices.

"Jerry and Paul-and Watson," added another voice.

"How about it. You fellows want to make a try?"

"Who are we going up against?"

"The very best men in Springtown."

"Do they race fair?" asked Harry.

"Yes."

"Can't you get anyone else to go against them in my place?"

"It doesn't seem so. You heard what Misery said."

This parley was interrupted by the arrival of the advance guard of the scholars who had come down to challenge their rivals at Rivertown.

"Are you going to let us win by default?" asked one of the boys from Springtown.

"Not so you'd notice it. When it comes to count the winners, Springtown won't have a look in!" returned Dawson.

His words brought a cheer of encouragement from his schoolmates.

"Then let's get busy and start the races right away," announced the spokesman for the Springtownians.

"All right. Bring the men out. We have only three. How long is the race going to be?"

In response to this question various were the exclamations of opinion; some clamored for two miles, others a.s.serting that one was enough. When they could come to no definite conclusion, several of the leaders from each of the schools got together to try to settle the distance.