TOM IN TROUBLE
"Look out, the flagpole is coming down!"
"Stand from under, or you'll be killed!"
Crack! came from the pole, and now many saw that it was breaking off
close to the ground. Some of the students had clung to it during the
contest, and the strain had been too much for the stick, which was
much rotted just where it entered the ground.
Those on the outside of the crowd ran away with ease, but not so those
who were hemmed in. Two of the smallest of the freshmen, Billy Dean
and Charley Atwood, could not move fast enough, and one fell over the
other, and both went down.
"Save me!" gasped one of the lads.
"Don't let the pole come down on me!" screamed the other.
The flagstaff was falling swiftly, and Dick and many others saw that
it would fall directly across Dean and Atwood unless its progress was
stayed.
"Hold it up! Hold it up!" yelled Dick. "Hold it up, or they'll be
killed!"
He put up his hands to meet the pole, which was coming down across
the front of the campus. Tom did likewise, and so did Frank Holden,
Stanley Brown, and several others, including an extra tall and
powerful senior.
It was a heavy weight, and for the moment the boys under it thought
they would have to let it go. Over came the pole, and when it rested
on the boys' hands the top overbalanced the bottom and struck the
ground, sending the lower end into the air. As this happened Billy
Dean and Charley Atwood were hauled out of harm's way. Then the pole
was dropped to the campus with a thud.
For several seconds all who stood near were too dazed to speak. Then
a cheer arose for those who had held the flagstaff up long enough for
the small youths to be rescued.
"Say, that was a close shave!" exclaimed Sam, He, like a good many
others, was quite pale.
"It was indeed," said a senior who had come up. "The fellows who held
the pole up deserve a good deal of credit."
"Dick Rover suggested it," said Songbird, "Good for you, Dick!" he
added warmly.
The falling of the flagstaff sobered the whole party of students, yet
the freshmen were jubilant over the fact that they had won in the
colors contest.
"And we'll wear the colors this term," cried Tom proudly.
"So we will!" called out others in a chorus. "We'll wear 'em good and
strong, too!" And they did. The very next day some of the lads came
out with neckties twice the ordinary size, and with hat bands several
inches wide, all, of course, in the Brill colors.
Billy Dean and Charley Atwood were much affected by what had occurred,
and quickly retired from the scene. But later both of the small
students thanked Dick and the others for what had been done for them.
The broken flagstaff was hauled away by the laborers of the place, and
inside of a week a new pole, much larger than the old one, and set in
concrete, was put up.
For several days after the contest over the colors matters ran along
smoothly at Brill. The Rover boys made many more friends, and because
of his work during the necktie rush Dick was chosen as the leader of
the freshmen's class.
"On Friday I am going to fix Tom Rover," said Jerry Koswell to Dudd
Flockley. "Just wait and see what I do--and keep your mouth shut."
"I'll keep my mouth shut right enough," answered Dudd, "but what's in
the wind?"
"I'm going to pay off Professor Sharp for some of his meanness--and
pay off Tom Rover at the same time."
"Give me a map of the proceedings. I'm too tired to guess riddles,
Jerry."
"Well, you know how Sharp called me down to-day in English?"
"Sure!"
"Well, I've learned that he just received a new photograph of some
lady--I think his best girl. He has it on the mantle in his room. I'm
going to doctor that picture, and I'm going to lay the blame on Tom
Rover."
"How will you do it?"
"By using something I got out of Rover's dress-suit case."
"Oh, I see!"
"Sharp will suspect Rover at once, because he and Rover had a few
words yesterday."
"Good! I hope he catches it well--Rover, I mean," answered Dudd
Flockley.
Saturday was more or less of a holiday at Brill, and the three Rover
boys planned to go to town. Incidentally, they wished to learn if Dora
Stanhope and the Laning girls had as yet arrived at Hope Seminary.
They had received no letters from the girls since coming to Brill, and
were growing anxious.
Tom was dressing to go to town when there came a knock on his door,
and one of the proctors presented himself.
"Thomas Rover, you are wanted at the office immediately," said the
man.
"What for?" asked Tom.
"Don't ask me, ask Professor Sharp," answered the proctor, and looked
at Tom keenly.
Wondering what could be the matter, Tom finished dressing, and in a
few minutes presented himself at the office. President Wallington and
Professor Sharp were both waiting for him.
"So you've come at last, have you, you young rascal!" cried Abner
Sharp angrily. "How dare you do such an outrageous thing?"
"Gently, professor," remonstrated the president of Brill. "You are not
yet certain--"
"Oh, he did it, I am sure of it!" spluttered Professor Sharp. "I
declare I ought to have him locked up!"
"Did what?" demanded Tom, who was much mystified by what was going on.
"You know well enough, you young reprobate!" stormed the instructor.
"See here, Professor Sharp, I'm neither a rascal nor a reprobate, and
I don't want you to call me such!" cried Tom, growing angry himself.
"You are, and I will have you to understand--"
"I am not, and if you call me bad names again I'll--I'll--knock you
down!" And Tom doubled up his fists as he spoke.
"Rover, be quiet!" exclaimed Doctor Wallington, so sternly that both
Tom and Professor Sharp subsided. "I'll have no scene in this office.
You must behave yourself like a gentleman while you are here.
Professor, you must not call a student hard names."
"But this outrage, sir!" spluttered the instructor.
"We'll soon know the truth of the matter."
"I'd like to know what you are talking about," said Tom. "I haven't
committed any outrage, so far as I know."
"Didn't you do this?" cried Abner Sharp, and thrust under Tom's nose
a photograph of large size. The picture had once represented a fairly
good-looking female of perhaps thirty years of age, but now the hair
was colored a fiery red, and the end of the nose was of the same hue
while in one corner of the dainty mouth was represented a big cigar,
with the smoke curling upward. Under the photograph was scrawled in
blue crayon, "Ain't she my darling?'"
The representation struck Tom as so comical that he was compelled to
laugh outright; he simply couldn't help it. It was just such a joke
as he might have played years before, perhaps on old Josiah Crabtree,
when at Putnam Hall.
"Ha! So you are even willing to laugh in my face, are you!" almost
screamed Abner Sharp, and rushing at Tom he caught the youth and shook
him roughly. "Do you--er--know that this lady is my--my affianced
wife?"
"Let me go!" cried Tom, and shook himself loose. "Excuse me, sir. I
know I hadn't ought to laugh, but it looks so--so awfully funny!" And
Tom had to grin again.
"Rover!" broke in the president of Brill sternly, "aren't you ashamed
to do such a thing as this?"
"Why--er--what do you mean, sir?"
"Just what I said."
"Oh!" A light began to break in on the fun-loving Rover's mind. "Do
you think I did this?"
"Didn't you?"
"Of course he did!" fumed Professor Sharp. "And now he is willing to
laugh over his dastardly work!"
"I didn't do it, sir," said Tom firmly.
"You are certain?" It was the head of the college who asked the
question.
"Yes, sir. I never saw that picture before."
"But I have the proof against you!" fairly shouted Abner Sharp. "It is
useless for you to deny your guilt."
"I say I am not guilty."
"Isn't this your box, Rover?"
As Professor Sharp uttered these words he brought to light a German
silver case which Tom had picked up in a curiosity shop in New York.
The case had his name engraved on it, and contained pencils, crayons,
and other things for drawing.
"Where did you get that?" demanded the youth.
"Never mind where I got it. Isn't it yours?"
"Yes."
"Ha! Do you hear that, Doctor Wallington?" cried Abner Sharp in
triumph. "He admits the outfit is his!"
"So I see," said the president of Brill, and if anything his face
grew a trifle more stern. "Then you admit your guilt, Rover?" he
questioned.
"What! That I defaced the photograph?"
"Yes."
"No, sir! Didn't I say I had never seen the picture before?"
"This photograph was in Professor Sharp's room, on the mantel. The
room was locked up, and the professor carried the key. This box was
found on the table, beside some books. You had some difficulty with
the professor a day or two ago in the classroom."
"I didn't touch the picture, and I haven't been near Professor Sharp's
room," answered Tom stoutly. "If I was there, would I be fool enough
to leave that box behind, with my name engraved on it? And if the door
was locked how would I get in?"
"Did you lend the box to anybody?"
"No. The fact is, I--er--I thought I had left the box home. I--Oh!"
"Well?"
"I think maybe the box was in my dress-suit case, the case I lost. But
it wasn't in the case when it was left at my door that morning."
"Oh, nonsense!" muttered Professor Sharp. "He is guilty, sir, and he
might as well own up to it first as last."
"I have told the strict truth!" cried Tom hotly. "I am not in the
habit of telling falsehoods."
"Have you any other proof against Rover, Professor Sharp?"
"Not now, but I may be able to pick up more later."
"Hum! This is certainly a serious matter. Rover, you will go to your
room and remain there until I send for you again."
"Can't I go down to town?" asked Tom.
"Not for the present. I intend to get to the bottom of this affair,
if I possibly can. If you are innocent you shall not suffer. But at
present it looks to me as if you were guilty. You may go."
"But, sir--"
"Not another word at present. I have other matters to attend to. I
shall call on you later. But remain in your room until I send somebody
for you."
An angry answer arose to Tom's lips, but he checked it. In the college
Doctor Wellington's word was law, and he knew he would only make
matters worse by attempting to argue. With a heavy heart he turned,
gazed coldly at Professor Sharp, and left the office.