Jack Ranger's Western Trip Part 6

Then he stopped, seeming to realize he had said too much.

"I will ask Professor Grimm to smell of that," Jack continued, thrusting the rag under the teacher's nose.

"Arnica!" exclaimed the instructor. "The same that you used, and which enabled me to discover it was you who played the trick."

"It is arnica," Jack admitted, "but it happens I was not the only one who used it that night. I have also to show this article, which was picked up in your room, Professor Grimm," and Jack extended the spark plug Budge had given him.

"Ha! What is that?" asked Mr. Grimm.

"It is some part of an automobile," Dr. Mead said. "Who, of our students, has one. Ah! I begin to see," he added.

"Adrian Bagot, I will return your duster to you," Jack went on, walking forward and pa.s.sing the rust-stained automobile garment to young Bagot. "I had to borrow it from your room, but I am through with it now. You may also have your spark plug, and this rag I had to take from your wrist rather unceremoniously last night."

"You're a thief!" burst out Adrian, but Jack stopped him with a gesture.

"I'll not take that from you or any one else," exclaimed Jack. "Dr.

Mead," he went on, "I ask that you inquire of my friends, Sam Chalmers, d.i.c.k Balmore and Fred Kaler when they last saw Adrian in his auto."

"When did you?" Dr. Mead asked the boys.

"The night the bell was stolen," answered Sam, and the others agreed with his testimony. Jack told the story of the collision and how his ankle was injured.

"Is there anything else?" asked Dr. Mead.

"I think not," was our hero's answer, "unless Bagot has something to say."

"So you did it, eh?" asked Professor Grimm, turning to the new student. "I demand that he be punished, Dr. Mead," and Mr. Grimm did not even take the trouble to beg Jack's pardon for having falsely accused him.

"What have you to say, Bagot?" asked the head of the academy.

"Circ.u.mstances point strongly to you,"

Bagot mumbled something about it being only a harmless joke, and seemed quite confused.

"I will not ask you to tell on your companions," Dr. Mead went on sternly. "There must have been several of them. If they choose to come forward and admit their part, well and good. I will go no further with this, since the chief culprit is known. Ranger, you are fully vindicated, and I congratulate you on the effective manner in which you have proved your innocence."

"As for you, Bagot, seeing that it is your first offense, I will be lenient. I will suspend you for one week, and you are to make up all the studies you lose in that time. That is all."

With a scowl on his face, and an angry look at Jack, Adrian shuffled from the laboratory. The teachers followed Dr. Mead out, while Jack's friends gathered around to congratulate him.

"Didn't know you were such a chemist," spoke Sam.

"I'll have to play a march of victory on the jew's-harp and mouth organ at the same time!" burst out Fred Kaler.

"Well," admitted Jack, "it came out about as well as I expected."

"Betcherwhat!" exclaimed Budge, as he walked off, stretching his gum out at arm's length.

The news soon spread that Jack had been vindicated, and there was an impromptu celebration in his room.

"Lopsided lollypops!" exclaimed Nat Anderson. "We ought to do something to get even with Bagot, Jack."

"Oh, I'm satisfied, let it go as it is." "But we're not," Sam Chalmers put in. "You got vindicated all right, but an insult to you is one to all this crowd you travel with. I'll bet Dr. Mead has a sort of idea that some of us had a hand in the joke. We may not be able to prove we didn't, but we can get even with that sneak Bagot for making all the trouble."

"L-l-l-lets puncture h-h-h-is t-t-t-t-ti--" sputtered Will Slade.

"What's that about his necktie?" asked Sam with a grin.

"W-w-w-who s-s-s-said n-n-neck t-t-ti-?"

"I thought you were trying to, and I wanted to help you out," replied Sam.

"I-I-I-I ni-m-m-meant his autototototo--"

"Toot-toot!" sung out Fred. "All aboard! Where does your train stop, Will?"

"I know what you mean," put in Jack, coming to Will's relief. "But I don't want to do anything like bursting his auto tires. That's not my way."

"We can easily enough find a plan," Sam went on. "Will you join us, Jack?"

"You know I'm always ready for anything that's going."

"Then I'll try and think up something," Sam concluded. "But we'd better hustle now. Chapel bell will ring in five minutes."

CHAPTER V

TURNING THE TABLES

For several days after this there were review examinations so that all the students at the academy were kept busy, and there was little time for anything but study. At the end of the week Adrian Bagot returned from his period of suspension. He did not seem to have suffered much, and the boys heard him boasting of having ridden nearly a thousand miles in his auto.

One evening Sam and some of his chums paid a visit to Jack Ranger.

"Got anything on to-night?" asked Sam.

"Nothing special, why?"

"Well, I'll not tell you the particulars, and then, if anything happens you can truthfully say you never knew a thing about it. But if you want to see something, put on an old pair of slippers, so you can walk through the corridors softly, and follow us."

"Some fun?" asked Jack.

"Well, we wouldn't go to all this trouble if it was work or study,"

replied Sam with a grin. "But say nothing, only saw wood and come on."

Jack, nothing loath, did as he was told. He got an old pair of felt slippers, and noticed that the others were also wearing similar foot-gear.