"HARDTACK" RALLY
"Well," commented Fred, as they made their way toward the bus which was
filling up rapidly, "I'm glad that he's the exception and not the rule.
A very little of him will go a good way with me."
"Yes, that's a case where 'enough is plenty,'" assented Granger.
The Rushton boys' bags were slung into a wagon standing alongside the
bus and their trunks followed. Then the lads took the only seats
remaining in the bus, the door slammed to and they were on their way to
Rally Hall. The students inside were in high spirits, and as the Rushton
boys looked around at their companions they were ready to believe Melvin
Granger's statement that they were all around good fellows. Brown as
berries from their summer outings, full of the zest of living, their
bright eyes and boisterous laughter showed that they were kindred
spirits to the newcomers.
"I don't see our grouchy friend here with the rest," Fred remarked, as
he looked around.
"Not with the common herd," grinned Melvin. "There he goes now," as they
heard the honk of a horn, and an automobile swept by, leaving a cloud of
dust behind it.
In the driver's seat, holding the wheel, was their acquaintance of the
train, while slumped down beside him was a smaller youth, with little,
shifting eyes and a retreating chin.
The fellows in the bus looked at each other understandingly.
"Andy and his valet," one of them remarked.
"Yes," replied Granger, to the unspoken question in the eyes of the
brothers, "he's got an auto of his own. Keeps it in a garage down in the
village."
"To tell the truth," he went on, "that's half the trouble with Shanks.
He has more money than is good for him. His father's a millionaire they
say--got a big woolen mill somewhere down in Massachusetts. But if he
knows how to make money, he doesn't know how to bring up a boy. Andy's
the only son, and his father lets him have all the money he wants, and
doesn't ask him what he does with it. He's always been allowed to have
his own way, and it's only natural that he should think he owns the
earth. And that's one of the reasons he wanted to have four seats to
himself in the train this morning, even if some one else had to stand."
"One of the reasons, you say. What are the others?" asked Fred.
"Well, I guess the others must be set down to Andy's unfortunate
disposition," laughed Granger. "There are other fellows here who have
rich fathers, but they're good fellows just the same."
"Was that really his valet who was in the auto with him?" asked Teddy.
"No," replied Melvin, with a smile, "that's only the name the fellows
gave to Sid Wilton. He plays second fiddle to Shanks. He's always at his
beck and call, and ready to fetch and carry for him. He jumps through
the hoop and rolls over and plays dead whenever Andy gives the word.
"But here we are now," the other youth went on, as the bus turned from
the road into a broad avenue, shaded by elms and maples. "Behold,
gentlemen and fellow citizens," he jested, "the far-famed institution of
learning known as Rally Hall!"
The boys leaned out eagerly to see what would be their home for many
months to come.
Before them rose a massive building, three stories in height, made of
pressed brick and with white granite facings. A wing at right angles to
the main building on each side, gave it the form of three sides of a
square.
A wide flight of stone steps led to the main floor, which was devoted to
class rooms and the offices of the institution. On the second floor were
the dormitories, varying in size, and containing from eight to twelve
beds each. The rooms of the principal and teachers occupied the greater
part of the third floor, while a section in the left wing was set apart
for the janitor and the other employees of the school.
Before the building stretched a large campus, covering several acres.
Most of it was lawn, although it was interspersed with bits of woodland.
On one side of it was a large frame building, used as a gymnasium, and
immediately adjoining was the athletic field. This was very large and
was kept in superb condition. There were a number of tennis courts, but
the major part was reserved for baseball and football. A full-sized
diamond was surrounded with smooth turf that shone like green velvet,
though browning a little in places under the September sun. A half mile
running track encircled the whole field.
Directly in front of the Hall, at the foot of the gently sloping campus,
lay Lake Morora. It was about two miles in length by three-quarters of a
mile wide and was dotted by several tiny islands. It was the most
beautiful body of water the boys had ever beheld, and they fell in love
with it at once.
"My! isn't it a peach?" murmured Teddy.
"It sure does make a hit with me!" agreed Fred emphatically.
"It's a dandy, all right," was Granger's comment, "and the fellows have
no end of fun on it. But come along now," he added. "You'll have plenty
of time later on to ask 'what are the wild waves saying?' But just at
present, we'd better hunt up old Hardtack."
"Hardtack?" asked Fred wonderingly.
"Sure!" grinned Granger, "the boss of this shebang."
"Oh!" exclaimed Fred, a light breaking in upon him, "you mean Dr.
Hardach Rally?"
"Dr. Hardach Rally," said Melvin, with mock solemnity, "is the very man
I mean.
"Naturally," he went on, "I don't call him 'Hardtack' to his face. It
wouldn't be exactly healthy to do it."
"Hardtack," chuckled Teddy. "Wouldn't Uncle Aaron have a fit if he knew
the fellows called him that?"
"The name fits pretty well, too, I guess," laughed Fred. "From what
we've heard, he must be a terror."
"Oh, I don't know," rejoined Granger. "He isn't exactly a cooing dove in
disposition, and if a fellow tries any monkey business, he comes down on
him like a thousand of brick. Still, he's not such a bad kind after all.
He's pretty severe, and he won't stand for a shirk or a crook. But if a
fellow's white and tries to do the square thing, he'll get along and not
find Hardtack too hard to digest."
By this time they had mounted the steps, and Granger, who had taken an
instant liking to the boys and had made himself their "guide,
philosopher and friend," led the way to the private office of the head
of Rally Hall.
A gruff "come in" was the answer to his knock, and they entered the
study.
It was a large square room with a polished hardwood floor. Behind the
flat mahogany desk sat Dr. Hardach Rally.
He was lean and spare and above middle height. He wore a pair of horn
spectacles through which peered a keen, uncompromising pair of eyes. He
gave the impression of a stern man, but nevertheless a just one.
"Good afternoon, Granger," he said stiffly, and his eyes rested
inquiringly on the two boys.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Rally," replied Granger. "These friends of mine are
Fred and Teddy Rushton. I met them at the railroad station."
Dr. Rally shook hands with the newcomers and asked them to be seated.
Then Granger excused himself and with a whispered "see you later"
hurried from the room.