A BOY AND A MOTOR CYCLE
With all the excitement Dave had not forgotten his studies and each day
he spent all the time that was necessary in preparing his lessons. He
had a faculty of concentrating his mind upon what he was doing and this
made learning easy.
"Going in for the medal of honor, I suppose," said Roger one day, as he
observed Dave grinding away at a Latin exercise. "Well, if you win it I
guess you'll deserve it."
"I am going to do what I can, Roger. I didn't come to Oak Hall just to
cut up."
The medal of honor had been promised by Dr. Clay to the pupil who
should stand highest in lessons and deportment at the end of the term.
It was a beautiful medal of solid gold, and many students secretly
hoped to win it. So far Polly Vane was in the lead, with Dave, Buster
Beggs, Sam Day, Roger, and a student named Langdale close behind.
"Langdale says he is going to win or die in the attempt," went on
the senator's son. "He is studying day and night, and so far his
deportment has been about perfect."
"Well, mine hasn't been--at least, not according to Job Haskers,"
answered Dave. "He marks me down whenever he can."
"He does that to all of us," said Sam Day, who was near. "I wish he'd
mark us up once."
"Which puts me in mind of a story," came from Shadow Hamilton, who was
resting on the end of a bed. "A clothing dealer was going to have a
fire sale. So he lit some damp paper in his stove and turned off the
draught, so that his stock got all smoked up. Then he called his son
Moses up. 'Make out new brice tickets,' says he to Moses. 'All right,
fader,' says Moses, and goes to work, and the next day he put out suits
of clothing labeled like this: 'Great Fire Sale! Suits marked down from
$9.00 to $7.98.' Soon a man came along to buy a suit. 'Why,' says he,
'that suit was only $5.50 two days ago.' 'Yes,' says Moses. 'Vos it?
Vell, ve haf der fire since, and now der suits vos all moth-broof!'"
"Phew! that's enough to drive all the lessons from a fellow's head!"
cried Dave, after a short laugh. "Where did you get it, Shadow?"
"Maybe he picked it out of the Old Farmers' Almanack," said Buster
Beggs.
"Which puts me in mind," began Shadow calmly. "A boy----"
"Not to-day!" interrupted Roger. "That's the fiftieth you've told this
week. I'm going out for a spin, boys."
"Going to try that new motor cycle?" queried Dave, looking up.
"Yes."
"Well, don't let it run away with you," and Dave smiled broadly.
"No fear," said Roger, with a laugh, and left the dormitory.
The senator's son had received a new motor cycle the day before. It was
a beautiful nickel-plated affair and Roger was very proud of it. He
knew a little about motor cycles, so it did not take him long to get
the machine in trim for use. He took a spin up and down the road, and
let Dave and some others try it, and all pronounced it a beauty.
Roger was soon on the motor cycle and speeding in the direction of
Oakdale. In the town he made a few small purchases, and then came away
for a spin in the direction of Rockville, taking a side road which he
thought in better condition than the main road.
The senator's son had covered a mile when he saw two boys on bicycles
approaching him. He reduced his speed, and as the pair came closer he
recognized Plum and Jasniff.
"Got your motor out, eh?" said the bully of Oak Hall, rather sourly.
"Yes," returned Roger, briefly.
"Can you get it to work?"
"The machine works perfectly."
"I'd rather have my bicycle," sneered Jasniff. "That thing makes too
much noise for me."
"So would I," added Gus Plum. "Too much noise and too much smell."
"I'd rather have the motor cycle, so there you are," answered the
senator's son, and moved on again, while the others did the same. "I
guess it's a case of sour grapes," he told himself.
Roger had just passed a bend of the road when something happened to
the battery which supplied the electric spark to ignite the gasoline.
He set the motor cycle against a rock, and it was a full quarter of an
hour before he could make the battery work. During that time somebody
came through the bushes near him and looked at the youth, but Roger
took no notice.
The motor cycle ready for use once more, the senator's son hopped
on the saddle and turned on the power. All seemed to go well and
presently, to make up for lost time, he put on all speed.
"It won't do to be late for supper," he reasoned. "Haskers will catch
me sure."
He passed another turn, between some high bushes. The way was now
downhill, leading over a small stream flowing into the Leming River.
The motor cycle took the down-grade at a rapid rate of speed, and
fearing an accident, Roger attempted to turn off the power and put on
the brake.
To his horror he could not move the power lever, which had become
caught in some manner. The motor cycle was now bounding down the road
at a terrific rate of speed. Just ahead was the little bridge. Roger
gave a vain tug or two. Then the machine struck the rough boards of the
bridge, made a turn against the stone wall, and heels over head the
senator's son went sailing over the stone wall to the rocks and water
below!
It was a terrible fall, much worse than that experienced by Dave and
Babcock when they had run into the fallen tree, and no sooner did Roger
land than his senses forsook him. His legs and part of his body went
into the water, while his head and arms rested on some sand.
The short autumn day drew to a close and Roger did not appear at Oak
Hall. The other students went to supper and then for the first Dave
learned that the senator's son had not gotten back.
"Where is Master Morr?" demanded Job Haskers, severely.
"He went out on his new motor cycle," answered Dave. "Perhaps he had a
breakdown."
"If he was not sure he could get back in time he should not have gone
out," snapped the disagreeable teacher.
Supper over, some of the students retired to their dormitories while
others sought the library and the gymnasium. Dave and Ben looked
around for Roger, but as he did not put in an appearance they obtained
permission from Andrew Dale to go out on their bicycles and make a hunt
for the missing one.
"He must be somewhere in this vicinity," said Dave.
"He said he was going to Oakdale and would then come back by the Cass
Brook road," returned Ben.
"Let us take to the Cass Brook road then, Ben. Maybe we'll meet him."
With their bicycle lamps lit and turned up brightly, the pair set
off, and were soon out of sight of Oak Hall. The road was smooth and
they made rapid progress. Ben took to one side of the road while Dave
pursued the other. All was dark and quiet, not a breath of air stirring
the almost leafless trees.
A mile covered, they slowed down, to peer into the bushes beside the
road. They were now within half a mile of the bridge where Roger had
taken the tumble.
"Hello! here comes somebody!" cried Dave, presently, and looked ahead.
The rays of the bicycle lamp fell on a figure covered with dirt and
dripping wet. "I declare, it's Roger!"
Dave had scarcely uttered the words when the figure tottered and fell.
Riding up, the two boys dismounted and rushed forward. Roger lay in the
middle of the road, his face resting on one arm.
"Roger what is it?" asked Dave. "Are you badly hurt?"
"I--I took a header--over the bridge!" gasped the senator's son, when
he could speak. "I--fell in th--the water!" His teeth began to chatter.
"My, but it was co--co--cold!"
"Any bones broken?"
"I--I reckon no--not. But I am awfully we--weak!"
"Where is the motor cycle?" asked Ben.
"I--I do--don't know."
"Here, put on my sweater," said Dave, and hastened to take off that
which was wet. "We must get him to the Hall somehow," he added.
"If he isn't hurt he had better walk," returned Ben. "It will help to
get his blood in circulation."
"Maybe I can walk if you'll help me," answered Roger.
The two bicycles were hidden in the bushes and Dave got on one side of
the senator's son and Ben on the other. Thus supported, the sufferer
started again for Oak Hall. He was hurried along as fast as possible,
and arrived there feeling somewhat warmer than when discovered by Dave
and Ben. Under Dr. Clay's directions he was put to bed and given some
hot tea to drink. Only his left hand was bruised and this was washed
and plastered up.
Having gotten Roger to Oak Hall, Dave and Ben received permission to go
back to the brook road for their wheels. They found the bicycles where
they had left them, and then went on a hunt for Roger's motor cycle.
"It certainly ought to be at the bridge," said Ben.
"If it didn't blow up," answered Dave, "or run off of its own accord.
Roger said he couldn't shut off the power."
"If it ran off alone I don't think it would go very far, Dave."
The bridge reached, they looked around in all directions but could see
nothing of the motor cycle. They went down to where Roger had landed
and saw the impression of his body and feet in the wet sand.
"He can thank his stars that he didn't break his neck," said Dave.
"This beats the fall Paul and I took."
"It's queer you never got to the bottom of that accident, Dave."
"Maybe I will, some day. I am certain that tree didn't fall of itself."
Having spent fully a quarter of an hour in looking for the motor cycle
without success, there seemed to be nothing to do but to return to Oak
Hall. This they did, and stored their wheels in the room set apart at
the gymnasium for that purpose.
"Didn't find the motor cycle, eh?" said Sam Day, who was practising on
the rings. "That is certainly queer."
"Maybe the motor cycle was stolen," suggested Shadow.
"Who would steal such a machine?" asked Ben. "Very few know how to run
them."
"They might have taken it away in a wagon. Some people are mean enough
to steal anything they lay hands on."
Dave and Ben spent some time in cleaning their bicycles and in oiling
them. Then they left the gymnasium in company with Sam Day and several
others. As they approached the Hall, Macklin came running out.
"Did you hear the news?" cried the younger student.
"News?" queried Dave. "What news?"
"About Roger Morr?"
"We know he had a bad tumble, and we know we can't find his motor
cycle," said Ben.
"Oh, so the machine is gone too," went on Chip Macklin. "Well, that
certainly beats all!"
"What beats all?" asked Dave.
"This whole affair about Roger. When they put him to bed they didn't
give his clothing much attention. Now they have just found out that he
either lost everything he had or else he was robbed."
"Lost? Robbed?" cried Dave. "Are you sure of this?"
"Yes. You can go up yourself if you wish."
"I will," said Dave, and ran up to the dormitory. Several boys were
present and also Dr. Clay and Andrew Dale.
"This is remarkable and must be investigated," Dr. Clay was saying.
"Ah, here is Master Porter now. Did you find the motor cycle?"
"No, sir, it wasn't in sight anywhere. Ben and I looked high and low
for it."
"Then that must have been stolen too," said Andrew Dale.
"They tell me Roger was robbed," said Ben. "What did he lose?"
"Lost a whole lot of things," replied Roger himself. "My watch and
my diamond stickpin, and a gold ring, some loose change, and forty
dollars that father sent me for some new books I've been ordering!
Somebody cleaned me out for fair!" And the senator's son spoke very
disconsolately.