The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island Part 10

"That is right, Ned. Why don't you sing about good times in the cla.s.sroom when Asa Lemm is there?"

"Gee Christopher! what's the use of your throwing cold water on this camp meeting?" came from Walt Baxter, who sat on the edge of the bed munching an apple.

"Really, it's a shame the way you young gentlemen attempt to choke off Ned's efforts to please this congregation!" exclaimed Spouter Powell, who sat in an easy chair with his feet resting on the edge of a chiffonier. "Now, when a man's soul is overflowing with harmony, and beautiful thoughts are coursing through his cranium, and he is doing his utmost to bring pleasure----"

"Wow! Spouter is at it again! Somebody choke him off!" cried Randy, and catching up a pillow, he threw it at the head of the cadet who loved to make long speeches.

"Say, fellows, why won't some of you let me get a word in edgeways?"

came from Dan Soppinger, who stood with his back against the door leading to the hall. "I've been wanting to ask you a question for the last ten minutes. Who of you can tell me the names of the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth presidents of our country?"

"Oh, baby!" wailed Andy, throwing up his hands in comic despair. "Dan is worse than either Spouter or Ned."

"I thought you were going to put a padlock on that question box of yours, Dan," remarked Fred.

"I'll bet there isn't one of you can answer my question," retorted Dan Soppinger.

"Sure! I can answer it!" returned Andy readily. "What was that question?

Who was the first laundryman in Chicago?"

"No; I said, who were the fifth, the tenth, and the fifteenth----"

"Oh! I remember now--the fifth, tenth and fifteenth discoverers of the North Pole. That's easy, Dan. The fifth was Julius Caesar, the tenth, Benjamin Frank----"

"See here! I didn't say a word about the North Pole discoverers!"

e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the Human Question Box. "I said the fifth, tenth and fifteenth----"

"Men to find out how to manufacture oleomargarine out of pure b.u.t.ter,"

finished Andy. "Now that's a purely scientific problem, Dan, not an ordinary question. You want to take three pounds of oleomargarine and divide them by two pounds of unadulterated b.u.t.ter, then----"

"For gracious sake! has that boy gone crazy?" cried Dan Soppinger in despair. "I come over here and ask an ordinary question in history----"

"How do we know it's an ordinary question in history?" broke in Randy.

"The five, ten and fifteen sounds like a problem in higher arithmetic."

"Say, Dan, just forgive me for what I said, and I'll send you the answer day after yesterday on a postal card," announced Andy mournfully. "And I'll prepay the postage, too. Now, be a good boy, Son, and run along, and maybe some time papa will buy you a lemon stick," and at this remark there was a general laugh, in the midst of which Dan Soppinger threw up his hands, turned and left the room.

It was several days after the hunting expedition, and the Rover boys had settled down once more to their studies. This was the off hour in the evening, and, as was usual, a number of their friends had dropped in to see them.

"Only three weeks more to the winter holidays," announced Gif presently.

"What are you fellows going to do with yours?"

"We haven't decided yet, Gif, any further than that we're going home,"

answered Jack.

"If you feel like it, you had better come and pay me a visit. I know my folks would be only too glad to have you."

"And we'd be glad to have you come down to New York and stay with us, Gif," was the reply.

During the days that had gone by since the hunt, the Rover boys had had several little differences with Professor Lemm. The teacher had spoken to Colonel Colby about their coming in late, but the master of the Hall had pa.s.sed this matter over as being of no importance, somewhat to Asa Lemm's chagrin.

"Oh, how I love that man!" had been Andy's comment.

The weather had remained clear, but on Thursday of that week came another fall of snow, and by Friday this was in good condition for sleighing.

"I wonder if we can't get up a sleighing party for Sat.u.r.day afternoon and take out some of the girls from Clearwater Hall?" said Jack.

"We ought to be able to get some sort of box-sled down at the Haven Point livery stable," answered Randy. "Suppose we call the liveryman up on the 'phone and see what he has to say, and then call up the girls?"

This was done without delay, and, as a result, it was arranged that the liveryman should call at the school early Sat.u.r.day afternoon for the four boys and some of their chums, bringing with him a large box-sled drawn by four horses. Then the boys were to get the girls, and all were to take a ride until the supper hour. It was arranged that the four Rovers should go on the ride, and also Spouter Powell, Gif Garrison, Fatty Hendry, and some others.

"Of course, Fatty, we really ought to make you pay double price,"

remarked Andy to the fat boy, when the arrangements were being made.

"Nothing doing," grunted Fatty. "I don't weigh a bit more than Spouter or Gif."

"Oh, no, not at all--only about sixty pounds more!" remarked Gif.

Some of the girls attending Clearwater Hall had stated that they wished to do a little shopping in Haven Point before going on the ride, and so all had promised to meet the boys in front of the moving picture theater, which was a resort well-known to all of them.

"Now if the weather only remains good, we ought to have a peach of a time," announced Randy, after all the arrangements had been settled.

The weather remained good, and promptly on time the liveryman drove up to the entrance of the Hall with his big box-sled, which he had filled with straw and robes. Into the sled piled the boys, Fatty Hendry perching himself up on the front seat beside the driver.

Some of the lads had provided themselves with tin horns, and they set off on the trip with a grand flourish, a number of the cadets left behind gazing after them wistfully. But these lads were not utterly disconsolate, for the reason that skating and coasting were now both very good around the school.

The horses pulling the box-sled were fine animals, and in a short s.p.a.ce of time they jangled merrily into Haven Point, the boys blowing their horns loudly to attract attention.

In the meantime, Ruth Stevenson and May Powell, accompanied by Alice Strobell, Annie Larkins, and some of their chums from Clearwater Hall, had arrived in the town and gone to several of the stores on various errands. Then, a few minutes before the time appointed for meeting the cadets, they hurried over in the direction of the moving picture theater.

Several of the girls went into a drugstore close to the theater, leaving Ruth and May standing on the sidewalk, looking at the various gaudy billboards which were displayed there. The girls were discussing the picture of a well-known moving-picture actress, when suddenly Ruth felt some one touch her arm. Turning, she found herself confronted by a tall, heavy-set youth, rather loudly dressed, and accompanied by another boy, wearing a fur cap and fur-lined overcoat.

"Excuse me, but this is Miss Ruth Stevenson, I believe?" said the big youth, with a broad smile on his coa.r.s.e face.

Ruth was not at all pleased by being thus addressed, for she had recognized the fellow as Slugger Brown, and also recognized Nappy Martell. Nappy raised his cap and bowed pleasantly, both to her and to May.

"We just got back to Haven Point," said Slugger Brown smoothly. "Been away a short while, you know."

"And we thought we would go into the movies before going back to school," put in Nappy Martell. "Were you going in, too? If you were, let's go in together. I'll get the tickets," and he opened his coat to thrust his fingers into his vest pocket and bring forth a small roll of bills.

"Thank you, we are not going into the theater," answered May stiffly.

She did not like either Slugger or Nappy, and was sorry the pair had shown themselves.

"How about it?" broke out Slugger, taking hold of Ruth's arm in a decidedly familiar way. "Let's go in. You've got time enough."

"Thank you, but we have something else to do, Mr. Brown," responded Ruth icily.

"You can't do much outside on a cold day like this," went on the bully.

"Come on in--I'm sure it's nice and warm in there, and they've got some dandy pictures. Come ahead."