Several of the other boys who were members of Rivertown High, among them
Paul Martin and Jerry Post, had reached the turn just in time to see the
sled as it took its mad leap over the embankment.
For a moment, they, as well as the girls, gazed in silence at the spot
where the double-runner with its lone passenger had disappeared. Then,
as with one accord, they broke into lusty cheers at the aversion of the
tragedy which had seemed inevitable.
But their joy was quickly checked.
"Don't cheer! You don't know what has happened to that nervy chap!"
shouted Paul Martin.
And as his words brought silence, he and Jerry rushed to the edge of the
embankment, while the others followed.
Fortunately Harry had landed in a pile of underbrush, and as the
white-faced boys and girls lined the rail he was picking his way out,
none the worse for his experience save a few rents in his clothes.
The sight of the boy, safe and sound, brought a reaction from the
terror, and wildly the scholars cheered, while Paul, Jerry and Longback
ducked under the guard-rail and slipped and slid down to meet the hero.
"Hurt?" asked Jerry, anxiously.
"Nowhere, except in my clothes," returned Harry--and again prolonged
cheers greeted his ears.
Many were the willing hands that were extended to help draw him up into
the road, and when they had succeeded, he became immediately the centre
of an excited, admiring group.
"I think that was just perfectly splendid of him!" exclaimed Viola.
"Some of you boys introduce me to him, won't you?"
As she spoke, the girl, whose beauty and wealth made her the favorite of
the school, looked straight at Elmer--but he gave no sign that he noticed
her.
Their leader having thus given the stamp of approval to Harry, the other
girls quickly pressed forward, all talking and chatting at once.
But no one responded to Viola's request and, flushing, she turned away
while the new student grew very red, as he looked from one to another of
the boys who had invited him to steer the double-runner.
The situation was awkward in the extreme and Harry, diffident and
sensitive as he was, felt it keenly. Yet he was the one to relieve it.
"Hey, you Snooks, you'd better go down and get your sled--or do you want
me to do that?" he called.
"So it was one of Pud's tricks?" exclaimed Nettie. "We might have known
it, Viola. Pud, I think you're perfectly horrid!" and with all the
dignity of her fifteen years, the girl turned her back on the bully and,
putting her arm through Viola's, led her away down the hill. But as they
went, both girls smiled at Harry.
During the embarrassing scene, Longback had whispered to some of the
other boys who Harry was, and Jerry and Paul immediately took him in
tow.
"If you don't mind, we'll walk home with you, Watson," exclaimed Jerry.
And glad of the chance to escape the attention of the other members of
Rivertown High, Harry started off, accompanied by the two boys who were
later to become his chums.
The story of Harry's quick-wittedness and courage had proceeded him,
thanks to Viola and Nettie; and as he walked down the main street of the
town to the comfortable home of his aunt, many were the glances directed
toward him.
"Rather a bad start, I'm afraid," he said to his companions, with a
feeble attempt at a smile.
"Bad? I should say it was a corking fine one!" returned Paul, sincerely.
"It isn't many fellows who can become a hero and at the same time get
the best of Pud Snooks!"
The mention of the bully caused Harry to grow serious.
"I'm afraid it will make Snooks down on me," he said. "He had no idea
that those little girls would be in the road."
Well did Jerry and Paul know that the outcome of the bully's trick,
sensational as it had been, would, indeed, arouse his anger against the
boy who had turned the tables on him; and though they tried to disabuse
Harry's mind of the idea, it was with relief that they reached the gate
of the Widow Watson's house.
Despite Harry's cordial invitation, both boys declined to go in, and he
entered the house feeling strangely alone.
His aunt's greeting and loving words of praise after she had heard of
his experience, however, did much to restore his good spirits.
"Who is Viola?" he asked, as they were seated at dinner.
"She is the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Rivertown," replied
the widow, a shade of sorrow passing over her face. "What makes you
ask?"
"Because she said my steering over the embankment was perfectly fine!"
Again the cloud passed over Mrs. Watson's face and this time it did not
lift.
"She's a very sweet and lovely girl, Harry," she replied. "But she isn't
the sort you should choose for a companion."
At the words, the boy looked up quickly at his aunt and what he read in
her face made him flush.
"I mean, she is very rich and I think--that is, I have heard--her family
intend her to marry Elmer Craven."
"He's rich, too, isn't he?"
"Yes."
Deeply did it grieve the good woman to speak the words she had, but she
believed it would be best for her nephew to realize the social
difference that existed between Viola and himself, that he might be
spared the humiliation and embarrassment in the future. Though they
allowed their daughter to attend the Rivertown High School, the Darrows
were proud and arrogant people and always did all in their power to
prevent the girl from mingling with her schoolmates.
But though Mrs. Watson strove to offset the sting of her statement, the
rest of the dinner was eaten in comparative silence, and Harry set out
for school with a heavy heart.
Not far had he proceeded up the main street, however, before he caught
sight of a form he recognized as that of the bully who had been the
ringleader in the trick which had so nearly ended in a tragedy.
"Hope he won't come up and try to smooth things over," said Harry to
himself. But the next moment, his anxiety on this score was allayed.
Pud was busy making snowballs and storing them under his arm.
"Wonder if he's going to vent his disappointment on me," mused Harry,
taking his hands from his pockets that he might be ready to return the
bombardment, should the bully open on him.
Yet when he saw the bully's victim, Harry's anger at the fellow was
greater than ever.
As the new student passed a cross street, he saw Pud jump behind a tree
and then, peering from one side, hurl one of the half dozen snowballs he
had under his arm.
Turning to see at whom they were aimed, Harry was amazed to behold a
bent and aged man, hobbling along the sidewalk with the aid of a cane.
The snowball knocked the cane from the man's hand and as it fell, the
aged cripple tottered.
With an exclamation of disgust, Harry rushed up behind the bully and,
seizing his arm, jerked it so that the remaining snowballs fell to the
sidewalk.
The thought that anyone had seen his cowardly act in snowballing the
aged man shamed the bully, but only for the moment.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded, fiercely, whirling round to
face the interrupter of what he considered his sport. And as he beheld
the boy who had brought disgrace upon him in the morning, his face grew
white with anger. "Oh, it's _you_, is it?" he went on. "Who do you think
you are, anyhow? Just because you couldn't steer the sled and went over
the embankment is no reason why you should think you are so much!"
"You know I could steer that sled, and only went between the posts to
keep from running into the girls," returned Harry. "But that has nothing
to do with the present matter. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, to
throw snowballs at an old man!"
"Oh, nobody cares about old Jed Brown!"
"Well, you can't snowball him when I'm round!"
"Oh, is that so? Who's going to stop me, I should like to know?"
"I am."
[Illustration: HARRY RUSHED UP BEHIND THE BULLY AND SEIZED HIS ARM.]
"You?" And, after standing for several seconds, during which he looked
Harry over from the top of his head to his feet, the bully burst into
laughter. "So _you_, whom I could pick up and carry on one finger, are
going to stop my doing anything I want to, eh? That _is_ a good one.
Why, kiddo, there is enough of me to make three of you and then some."
The tone in which Pud spoke sent the color flushing to Harry's face.
"Where I come from, it isn't so much the size that counts as it is the
heart!" he retorted. "And a fellow who will snowball an aged man can't
have very much real heart!"
An instant the bully glowered at Harry, then made a rush toward him.
"You're getting altogether too fresh, young feller!" he hissed. "Because
of you, I'm getting into all sorts of trouble--and I'm not going to stand
it! If I want to snowball or do anything else to old Jed Brown, I'm
going to, understand?" And as though to give more force to his words,
Pud stooped down to pick up one of the missiles the new student had
knocked from his arm.
Before he could reach it, however, Harry threw out his foot and crushed
the snowball, then with more quick movements demolished the others.
Never had anyone so thwarted the Rivertown bully before and, for the
moment, the big hulk of a boy stood gazing at his discomfiter in
amazement. But only for a moment.
With a snarl, he shook his fist under Harry's nose.
"You seem to be looking for trouble--and now you're going to get it!"
Though the bully was much larger than Harry, the latter did not cower
before him.
So engrossed had the boys been in their quarrel that they had failed to
notice the approach of Principal Larmore. But he made his presence known
just as Pud drew back his arm to strike.
"Snooks, go about your business!" he exclaimed. "I'm ashamed to think
you should seek to pick a quarrel with the very boy who prevented your
trick with the sled from having a very serious ending!"
As Harry had said, the bully was a coward at heart, and growling to
himself, he slunk away.