OUT IN THE SHELL
"Guess we're caught all right," whispered Frank to his brother. "Why
didn't you take that stuff out of your pocket?"
"I didn't know it was in there. I don't care. We had to have some fun;
didn't we?"
"There's your idea of it, Andy. You're always doing something. I wish I
hadn't consented to it. But we're in for it now."
"Well, we won't squeal on the other fellows. We'll take our medicine
alone," said Andy grimly.
"Of course," replied the older lad.
By this time they were at the study of Dr. Doolittle. A soft light was
burning in the room, but the head of the school was not there. His
place was taken by his secretary.
"I would like to see Dr. Doolittle on very important business--very
important," said Mr. Callum pompously. "It is an outrageous piece of
vandalism that I have to report."
"I am very sorry," said Mr. Paterson, the secretary, quietly, "but Dr.
Doolittle does not wish to be disturbed. He is not feeling well."
"I demand to see him! I want these two boys expelled at once," said the
instructor. "They have insulted me, damaged my clothing and spoiled a
new hat. I want them expelled."
"Dr. Doolittle does not want to be disturbed," repeated Mr. Paterson.
"The recent disappointment about not getting more capital for the
school has told heavily on him, Professor Callum."
"I know, but that does not affect this case. He must take some notice
of it, and act at once on my complaint. These boys can not remain in
the school another day. Either they leave or I do!" and he shook an
accusing finger at the brothers.
"I will take a note of what you wish to say," went on the secretary,
who, in spite of his youth, did not seem to fear the irate professor.
"I will give it to Dr. Doolittle in the morning."
"I want to see him now."
"He is not to be disturbed," was the quiet answer. "Will you give me
the facts?"
It was only after much grumbling that Mr. Callum reduced his complaint
to writing. He told of the upsetting of the basket of chaff on his
head, and how he had discovered the tell-tale evidence in Andy's
pocket. He ended by making another demand for their dismissal.
Evidently he did not suspect any other lads of having had a hand in the
joke.
"Very well," said the secretary, "I will give this to Dr. Doolittle in
the morning. Have you boys anything to say?"
"I--we--that is I--" began Andy stumblingly.
"We have nothing to say now," interrupted Frank quickly, while the
professor glared at them.
"Then Dr. Doolittle will send for you when he wants you. That is all
now."
Still muttering threats against our heroes the professor withdrew, and
the lads slowly followed.
"What was your idea in not saying anything?" asked Andy of his brother
as they once more went toward their rooms.
"Why, don't you see? Poor Doc is off his feed. He's all knocked out
on account of this disappointment, and he doesn't care whether school
keeps or not. He won't pay any attention to Old Thorny's complaint and
we'll get out of it. Not that I'm anxious on that account, for I don't
believe he'd punish us much. But there's no use running your head into
danger that you can keep out of. You'll see, that complaint will go
under a mass of papers on the doctor's desk, and I doubt if he'll ever
see it. The secretary's talk about him not feeling well gave me the
tip."
"Good for you! But old Thorny won't let it drop."
"I don't suppose he will. But what can he do if the Doc won't pay any
attention to him? Take it from me Doc doesn't like Callum any more than
we do and he knows we fellows are down on him. If Doc wants his school
to be popular he'd better drop old Thorny."
"But even if Dr. Doolittle doesn't take any notice of the complaint and
punish us, old Thorny will have it in for us in class."
"He has anyhow, so it won't be anything new. All we've got to do is not
to give him any more chances at us than possible. I wish this hadn't
happened, but since it has we'll make the best of it."
"It was you fellows' fault for shoving me into the basket of chaff,"
declared Andy with an injured tone. "Otherwise none of it would have
gotten into my pocket and he wouldn't have suspected."
"Oh, well, what's the use of kicking? That's the way with most of your
jokes--there's a slip-up somewhere."
"Oh, you get out! If you played as many jokes as I do some of yours
would slip up once in a while, you old skate!"
Andy aimed a playful punch at his brother which the latter dodged, and
at once there was a friendly scuffle in the hall outside of their room.
"Here! Here! That will do! You boys are a disgrace to the school!"
exclaimed a rasping voice and the sour face of Professor Callum glared
at them. "Stop it at once, or I shall report you again."
"Say, isn't he the limit!" exclaimed Andy, as they went inside. "I'd
like to do something else to him."
"Oh, for cats' sake--quit," begged his brother. "I'm going to study."
Then quiet reigned in the little room and the boys were more or less
industrious over their books.
As Frank had predicted, Dr. Doolittle said nothing to them about the
complaint. In fact he did not appear at chapel the next morning, and
though Mr. Callum, who presided, glared at our heroes, and acted very
much as if he would have liked to censure them before the whole school,
it was an authority he dared not yet assume. But he took it out of them
in class, however, where he called on them more frequently in Latin
than on any of the other pupils. Fortunately Andy and Frank were well
prepared in anticipation of this and did not fail.
"Humph! You are improving, considering the disgraceful manner in which
you behave," said the teacher grimly, as he dismissed the class.
"That's all right. You didn't manage to keep us in," remarked Andy in a
low voice to his brother as he glanced at the teacher.
"And we can get at the shell, and see if we can patch it up," said the
elder brother. "Come on, Jack and Ward. Let's have a look at it by
daylight."
It was rather a sorry-looking rowing craft that was taken down
from the barn loft a little later. It needed many repairs. Some
of the outriggers were bent and one was broken. But the boys were
enthusiastic, especially Andy and Frank, and they managed to infuse
some of their spirit into their companions.
"We can fix it!" declared Frank. "All it needs is a few patches, and to
have the outriggers fixed. I wonder where the oars are?"
"There used to be some overhead in the boathouse," said Bill Spalter.
"Maybe they're there yet."
"Only two that are any good," reported Jack, after an investigation.
"We'll have to raise money for the others. And I'm broke."
"Same here," added Ward ruefully, "though my allowance is due in about
three weeks."
"I fancy we have a few cents left," spoke Frank. "We haven't used
up all our whale prize money yet," and they explained how they had
secured the funds.
The next week was a busy one, for every moment they could spare from
their lessons our heroes and their chums were busy working over the old
shell. Two new oars had been purchased, Frank and Andy advancing the
money, and they also supplied enough to purchase material for repairs.
"Well, we've got a crew at last," remarked Frank one night, when the
four boys were gathered in the room of the Racer boys.
"But we don't know what kind it is," said Jack. "We ought to go for a
trial spin."
"Yes, the shell is ready for the water now," spoke Andy. "How about a
trial to-morrow afternoon, Frank?"
"I can't go then, but I can the next day. I have a date for to-morrow."
"Out at Dailsburg, I'll wager," exclaimed his brother.
"Yes, I've heard from dad about those bonds and he's going to try to
sell them. I want to get them and send them on. But the next day will
be time enough. I want to let Mrs. Morton know as soon as possible."
They talked of racing and other matters, of the prospect of a match
with Waterside, and whether or not a football team could be organized
with the raw material available. Then came the striking of the warning
hour that marked the close of the time when visits might be paid.
"Time for us to skip, unless we want Thorny after us," said Jack.
"Heard anything more about his kick on the chaff?"
"No, though he's been after Doc about it. You see he hasn't really any
good evidence against me, and he knows it," said Andy. "Just because I
had some chaff in my pocket doesn't say I did it."
"That's right--any more than it proves that I'm a horse because I slept
in a stable and caught cold," put in Jack with a laugh. "Well, so-long,
fellows," and the callers were gone.
A little additional patching was done to the shell the next day by
Andy, Ward and Jack. Frank went off to Dailsburg, promising to come
back early. But it was late when he got in, and he just escaped being
caught by a monitor.
"What'd you do; stay to grub?" asked Andy, half complaining.
"Yes, they asked me to."
"Did you get the bonds?"
"Yes, and I'm going to mail them to dad. How's the shell?"
"Ready for the race. Are you going to challenge Waterside?"
"Sure, as soon as I see how you and I and Jack and Ward row in it. I
don't hear that any of the other fellows want to try, so I guess we'll
have to be the crew."
"Sure thing. Say, the football fellows are keeping right on with their
practice."
"Glad to hear it. We may be able to get up an eleven after the rowing
stops. But it will cost a heap sight more to get the gridiron in shape
than it did to fix up the old shell. However, something may turn up.
Did anything happen while I was gone?"
"Oh, I had a little run-in with Luke Moss, Welter's crony. He
threatened to punch my head."
"I'd like to see him try it," said Frank half-savagely. "Well, I've got
to do some studying."
Quite a crowd assembled at the river's edge the next day to see the
repaired shell put in the water. Word had gone round that there might
eventually be a race with Waterside and the boys were all anxious to
see Frank and his chums in the try-out.
"Jove! It doesn't seem possible that old Riverview is really going to
be represented in athletics at last," remarked a senior.
"Oh, it will be a hot representation if the Racer boys are in it,"
sneered Welter, but no one paid much attention to him.
"Look out how you get in her," advised Frank, when he had taken his
place in the frail shell. "Don't upset her."
"It's so long since I rowed in one that I've almost forgotten how,"
returned Jack.
"Oh, well, it will come back to you," declared Andy.
They were soon out in the stream, pulling well together, but slowly.
There was a cheer from the little group of schoolboys. Somewhat distant
from them stood two youths. They were Gerald Welter and his crony.
"I suppose those Racer lads and the other two think they are the whole
cheese," sneered Luke.
"Yes," agreed Welter, "but I'll take the starch out of them soon. There
won't be any racing in that shell."
"Why, what are you going to do?" Luke wanted to know.
"You'll find out pretty soon," muttered the bully. "I'm going to get
even with that Frank Racer and his brother if it's the last thing I do.
You'll see."
Then the two unpopular lads walked off while the other students trailed
along the river bank, following the shell.