THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM
Fortunately a loose brick lay handy and with this Dick smashed out the
panes of glass in the cellar window. Another window was opposite,
and this he likewise demolished. At once a current of pure air swept
through the place.
"Hold him up to the window," said Dick as he staggered around. And he
and Sam raised Tom up as best they could.
"If we could only get outside," mumbled Sam. His head was aching worse
than ever.
"I'll see what I can do," answered his oldest brother, and stumbled up
the narrow stairs. To his joy, the door above leading to the kitchen
of the house was unfastened.
Not without great labor did the two brothers carry Tom to the floor
above. Then they went after Stanley, who was conscious, but too weak
to walk. As they stumbled around they sent several empty liquor
bottles spinning across the floor, and one was smashed into pieces.
"I wish I knew how to revive him," said Dick as he and Sam placed Tom
near the open doorway. "Wonder if there is any water handy?"
"Oh, my poor head!" came from Stanley. "I feel as if I had been
drinking for a month!"
"Wonder what it was?" murmured Sam. "I--I can't make it out at all."
"Nor I," added Dick. "But come, we must do what we can for Tom." And
he commenced to loosen his unconscious brother's tie and collar.
Suddenly a form darkened the outer doorway of the kitchen, and to the
surprise of the boys Professor Abner Sharp showed himself. He was
accompanied by Professor Blackie.
"Ha! So we have caught you, have we?" cried Professor Sharp, in tones
of evident satisfaction. "Nice doings, these, for students of Brill.
Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?" And he glared maliciously at the
Rovers and Stanley Browne.
"Oh, Professor, can you--er--help us?" murmured Stanley. "We--er--are
in a lot of trouble."
"So I see," answered Abner Sharp chillily. "Nice doings, I declare!
Don't you think so?" he added to the other professor.
"It is too bad," murmured Professor Blackie. "I thought them all
rather nice lads."
Dick's head was still dizzy, so he could not catch the import of the
professor's words. He continued to work over Tom, who just then opened
his eyes.
"Gi--give me a--a drink!" murmured poor Tom. His throat seemed to be
on fire.
"Not another drop!" shouted Professor Sharp. "Not one! This is
disgraceful! Look at what they have been drinking already!" And he
pointed to the bottles scattered around.
"Say! What's the matter with you?" asked Sam, sleepily and angrily. He
was doing his best to pull his wits together, and thus overcome the
effects of the strange vapor.
"There is nothing the matter with me!" roared Professor Sharp "The
matter is with you, Rover. You have been drinking too much."
"Me? Drinking?" stammered Sam, "No, sir!"
"Rover, you may as well admit it," came from Professor Blackie. "It is
a sad state of affairs."
"But I haven't been drinking."
"We know better. Look at the evidence!" roared Abner Sharp, pointing
to the bottles. "Why, your very clothing smells of rum!" he added,
smelling of Dick's shoulder.
"Sam has told you the truth. We haven't been drinking," said Dick.
"Rover, it would be better if you did not add falsehoods to your other
shortcomings," said Professor Blackie. He was usually a very mild man,
and had little to say outside of the classroom.
"You are mistaken," murmured Dick. It was all he could say, for he was
still too bewildered to make a clear note of what was going on.
"This one seems to be the worst of all," said Abner Sharp, turning to
Tom. "He must have drunk more than the others."
"He will have to sleep it off," answered Professor Blackie. "Too bad!
Too bad! Why will young men do such things?" And he shook his head
sorrowfully.
"I believe what the note said. This has been a regular hangout for the
Rovers and their chums," said Professor Sharp severely. "It is high
time it was broken up."
"Yes yes," answered the other instructor How shall we--er--get them
back to Brill?"
"I'll see about that. They must have some sort of a carriage here, or
maybe somebody was going to call for them."
"Shall I take a look around?"
"If you will."
Professor Blackie looked around the house and grounds and then went
through the tangle of a garden to the roadway. He espied Songbird
coming along, driving the team rapidly and singing to himself.
Songbird had passed an all-too-short hour with Minnie Sanderson.
"Stop, Powell!" cried the professor.
"I was going to, sir," answered the would-be poet cheerily. "How is
this, Professor Blackie? Did you come to hunt for the ghost, too?"
"Ghost? I came for no ghosts--since there are no ghosts," was the
quiet answer. "Were you to stop here?"
"Yes, sir, to pick up the three Rovers and Stanley Browne. They must
be somewhere about. They came to explore the old house and to settle
this ghost story."
"I think they came more for spirits than for ghosts," answered
Professor Blackie dryly, "Then you know all about it, eh?"
"Why, yes."
"Then you knew they came here to drink and to carouse generally," went
on the instructor, and his voice grew stern.
"Drink? Carouse? What are you talking about?" gasped Songbird. "The
Rovers don't drink at all, and Stanley Browne drinks very little."
"Of course you wish to shield them, but it will do little good,
Powell. Professor Sharp received word of what was going on, and he
asked me to accompany him here. We have seen a sad sight. What Doctor
Wallington will say when he hears of it, I cannot tell. I am afraid,
however, that he will deal severely with the offenders."
"Professor Blackie, what you say is a riddle to me," answered
Songbird. "I don't understand you at all."
"Then come with me, and perhaps you will understand," was the
instructor's reply, and he led the way to the rear of the deserted
house.
All of the students and Professor Sharp were now outside, on or near
the back porch. Tom had recovered his senses, and Sam had obtained for
him a drink of water from an old well. Much to the astonishment of the
students, the professor had caught sight of a liquor flask in Tom's
pocket, and had snatched it away.
"Here is evidence you cannot deny!" cried Abner Sharp in triumph. "All
but empty, too!" he added, after shaking the flask and smelling of it.
"How did that--that get in m--my pocket?" mumbled poor Tom. He was
still hazy in his mind.
"You probably know better than anybody else," retorted Professor
Sharp. "And you can tell, too, where the liquor went to," he continued
with a sneer.
"You're a--a--contemptible old sneak!" cried Tom wrathfully, "and if I
didn't feel so--so dizzy I'd knock you down!"
"Tom!" cried Dick warningly. He was growing a little clearer in his
mind, and could see that a terrible mistake had been made.
"You'll not knock anybody down, you young villain!" roared Abner Sharp
in a rage. "I'll teach you to come here and drink and carouse, and
bring disgrace upon the fair name of Brill College! I'll have you
dismissed and sent home in disgrace!"
"You're making a mistake--" began Dick.
"No, there is no mistake. Of course you wish to hide the truth, and
smooth matters over, but it won't go with me, nor with Professor
Blackie, either," stormed Professor Sharp. "We know what we see and
what we smell. You young fellows are a disgrace to Brill, and the
sooner everybody knows it, the better. Now, then, march to the
roadway, every one of you, and no more back talk!"
"But, sir--" began Stanley in dismay.
"Not another word!" cried Abner Sharp. "If you have anything more to
tell, you may tell it to Doctor Wallington."