A QUEER CHARACTER
A chorus of laughter broke out among the students. It certainly was
mirth-provoking to see that picture in place of the fire and clouds of
smoke from the volcano. The class was in an uproar.
Professor Long waited patiently until the noise had subsided. He even
allowed the wrong slide to remain on the screen. The boys finally ceased
laughing. Then the instructor spoke.
"I presume that was done as a joke," he said. "If so I think it was a
very poor one. I don't mind fun, but I like it in the right place. A
certain amount is good, even in the schoolroom."
His tone was sarcastic now, and Ned began to feel a little uncomfortable.
"You young gentlemen," and he seemed to hesitate at the word, "you young
gentlemen are sent here to learn. If you can do so and have fun, all
right. I am paid by the city to teach you. I am expected to put a
certain amount of knowledge into your brains. I can't unless you let
me. I'm not a magician."
"I thought you would be interested in this lecture. It seems you would
rather have a lot of horse-play and rowdyism instead. If I had known
that I might have provided a different set of pictures. But not in
school hours. The school authorities expect me to instruct you in
physics and chemistry; not in foolishness. Young gentlemen, the lecture
is over, but you can remain in your seats in the darkness until the
usual hour for dismissing the class."
This was a different ending to the joke than Ned had anticipated. It was
he who had put the wrong slide in with the others, having had access to
the laboratory that morning. There were several murmurs from the boys
not in on the plot. They did not relish sitting in the darkness for half
an hour.
Professor Long began putting away the apparatus. He withdrew the
firecracker slide and turned out the stereopticon. Then Ned did a manly
thing.
"Professor Long," he called, out of the darkness. "I want to apologize
to you and the class. I put the wrong picture into the pile. I'm sorry
and I'll not do it again."
A silence ensued. The boys wondered at Ned's pluck in acknowledging his
fault. But then he and his chums were that kind of boys.
"I can't excuse your conduct under any circumstances, Wilding," said
Professor Long, sternly. "Still I will admit I like your manliness in
admitting your fault. In view of what you have said, and as it is
evident the other boys had no hand in it, I will go on with the lecture.
But I must ask you to withdraw, and, as a punishment you will write out
fifty lines of Caesar after school."
It was a task that made some of the boys catch their breaths. But Ned
felt he deserved it, though he said to himself the joke was worth it. He
left the laboratory, and the lecture went on. He remained after school
and completed his penance. Professor Long, who had some experiments to
prepare for the next week's work, had also stayed after school.
"Don't do it again, Wilding," was all he said, and Ned was almost sure
he saw the teacher smile.
Ned found his chums waiting for him. They were a little diffident about
referring to the joke, but Ned had no such scruples.
"That was a sort of a boomerang," he remarked. "I spent fifty cents
getting that slide, and to think how it turned out! Long is pretty
touchy when it comes to his lectures. I guess I'll not monkey with 'em
again."
"Well, you missed a lot of fun," said Frank slowly. "He told us a lot of
interesting stuff about volcanoes."
"Bet none of 'em could match mine," came from Ned, with a laugh. "Mine
was up-to-date."
"What you going to do to-morrow?" asked Bart of his friends.
"Nothing special," replied Ned.
"Can't we arrange a ball game?" inquired Fenn.
"I tried to but couldn't," said Bart. "Supposing we all go fishing?"
"Fine!" was the general cry.
"All right, meet at the Point, with lines and poles, at nine o'clock
to-morrow and we'll go to the Riffles."
The Point was a tongue of land extending out into the river about a mile
above the town. It was a favorite place for swimming as there was a sort
of sandy beach there. The Riffles were a series of shallow spots about
two miles above the point, and from there on up was good fishing. The
river near the Riffles ran through a dense woods which were seldom
visited.
Promptly on time the boys were at the meeting place. They had with them
everything needed for a day's fishing, from bait and poles to a lunch
for themselves, as they did not intend coming back until afternoon.
The boys tramped through the woods toward the fishing holes, which they
had often visited. They were talking of the events of the previous day
at school, and Ned was explaining over again how he substituted the
wrong picture slide.
"Here, where are you boys going?" a voice suddenly hailed them from the
bushes that lined the path they were traveling.
They looked up, to see an old man, with a white straggling beard, which
fell almost to his waist, peering at them. He was half hidden by the
underbrush.
"Where you going?" he repeated.
"Fishing," replied Ned.
"Whereabouts?"
"Up at the Riffles," said Fenn.
"Better not," cautioned the aged person. "It's a dangerous place."
The man stepped forth into full view. The boys saw he was poorly
dressed. His trousers were quite ragged and his coat was torn in several
places. He wore no hat.
"What makes you think so?" asked Frank.
"Don't let it be known," the old man went on, "but the King of Paprica
holds dominion over the Riffles. He has forbidden any one, under pain of
being fed to the sacred crocodile, from taking the green bull frog from
the pool."
"He's crazy," whispered Bart.
"But we're after fish, not bull frogs," interposed Frank, who seemed
inclined to humor the strange man.
"Oh, in that case, don't forget to bait your hooks with soft soap," said
the old man, as he held up a warning finger. "Now remember, not a word
to the King of Paprica if you meet him. He knows I'm here on guard, so
don't tell him," and with that the old man, winking at Frank as though
there was a good joke between them, vanished amid the bushes.
"Well, of all queer things," said Ned softly.
"He's daffy," spoke Bart. "Escaped from some asylum, I suppose. However
he looks harmless. Come on, we don't want to get mixed up with him.
We're out for fish."
"I'd like to find out more about him," came from Frank. "He winked at
me as though it was some sort of a trick."
"Yes, the kind Ned played yesterday," exclaimed Frank.
"No more from yours truly," uttered the perpetrator of the wrong slide.
"No more jokes for a while. I'm going fishing. Come on."