Dave Porter in the Far North: or, The Pluck of an American Schoolboy. Stratemeyer Edward
some books he had brought along from home, including a fine illustrated work on polar exploration which Jessie Wadsworth had presented to him. She had written his name and her own on the flyleaf, and of this inscription Dave thought a great deal.
"I've read a part of it already," he said to Gus Plum. "It's very interesting. Some day I'll let you read it, if you wish."
"Thanks, perhaps I will, Dave," said the former bully, and then with a meaning look at Dave he retired. He knew Dave had brought out the book merely in order that the other lads would not ask embarrassing questions.
"That is a great book," said Roger, looking it over. "Say, it must be fine to travel in the land of perpetual snow."
"Providing you can keep warm," added Phil.
"Talking about keeping warm, puts me in mind of a story," began Shadow Hamilton. "Now, if you'll listen I'll tell it, otherwise I won't."
"How much to listen?" asked Luke Watson, meekly.
"Nothing – this is free, gratis, for nothing."
"I mean, what are you going to pay us for listening, Shadow?"
"Oh, you go to Jericho!" growled the story-teller of the school. "Well, this is about two men who hired a room in a hotel. It was in the summer-time and the room was very hot. They opened the window on the court, but it didn't let in enough air. In the middle of the night one of the men got up in the dark. 'What you doing?' asked the other man. 'Looking for another window to open,' says the man who was up. Pretty soon he touched a glass and found what he thought was a window opening sideways. 'There, that's fine!' he said. 'It's pretty breezy – guess I'll pull up the cover a little,' said the other man, and then both slept well until morning. When they got up they found that the one fellow had opened the door to an old bookcase in a corner."
"Very breezy story," was Roger's comment.
"Quite a refined air about it," remarked Ben.
"How did opening the bookcase make the room cooler?" demanded Dave, innocently.
"Why, it didn't. The man thought – "
"But you said he was cooler. He even pulled up the cover on the bed!"
"Certainly. He got the impression – "
"Who?"
"The man. He thought – "
"How could he think if he was asleep, Shadow?"
"I didn't say he thought in his sleep. I said – "
"Well, he went to bed anyhow, didn't he?"
"Of course. But when he opened the bookcase door – "
"Oh, I see, it was a refrigerator in disguise. Why didn't you tell us that before, – how the block of ice fell out on the man's left front toe and injured his spine so he couldn't sing any more?" finished Dave, and then a laugh arose, in the midst of which Shadow made a playful pass as if to box Dave's ear.
"The next time I have a good story like that to tell I'll keep it to myself," he grumbled.
To change the subject, some of the boys asked Luke Watson to give them a song. Luke was willing, and getting out his banjo, tuned up, and soon started a ditty about "A Coon Who Lived in the Moon," or something of that sort. Then he began a breakdown, and, unable to resist, Sam Day got up and began to dance a step he had learned from his father's coachman at home.
"Good for you, Sam!" cried Dave. "That's fine!"
"Sam, you ought to join the minstrels," added Roger, and began to keep time with his hands, "patting juba" as it is termed down South.
Not to be outdone by Sam, Ben joined in the dance, and several lads began to "pat juba" as loudly as possible. Growing very enthusiastic, Ben leaped over a bed and back. Then Shadow Hamilton caught up a chair and began to gallop around, horseback fashion. The chair caught in a stand, and over it went, carrying a lot of books and poor Polly Vane with it.
"Gracious, this won't do," murmured Dave, as he set to work to pick up the books. "Hi, stop that racket, Shadow!" he called out. "Do you want to get us all into trouble?"
"Can't stop, I'm on the race-track!" yelled Shadow. "This is the last quarter. Bet I win!" and around the dormitory he spun again. This time he knocked over little Chip Macklin, sending him sprawling.
"Say, let up!" called out Roger, and catching up one of the books he took aim at Shadow. "If you don't stop I'll throw this at your head."
"Can't stop – let her go – if you dare!" called back Shadow.
Hardly had he spoken when the senator's son let the volume drive. As he did so the dormitory door opened and Job Haskers appeared. The book missed Shadow, who dodged, and struck the door, sending that barrier up against the teacher's nose so sharply that Job Haskers uttered a shrill cry of mingled pain and alarm.
CHAPTER VII
HOW JOB HASKERS WENT SLEIGH-RIDING
On the instant the noise in Dormitory No. 12 came to an end. Shadow Hamilton dropped the chair and sat upon it and Luke Watson swung his banjo out of sight under a bedspread. Dave remained on one knee, picking up the books that had been scattered.
"You – you young rascals!" spluttered Job Haskers, when he could speak. "How dare you throw books at me?"
He glared around at the students, then strode into the dormitory and caught Dave by the shoulder.
"I say how dare you throw books at me?" he went on.
"I haven't thrown any books, Mr. Haskers," answered Dave, calmly.
"What!"
"I threw that book, Mr. Haskers," said Roger, promptly. "But I didn't throw it at you."
"Ahem! So it was you, Master Morr! Nice proceedings, I must say. Instead of going to bed you all cut up like wild Indians. This must be stopped. Every student in this room will report to me to-morrow after school. I will take down your names." The teacher drew out a notebook and began to write rapidly. "Who knocked over that stand?"
"I did," answered Shadow. "It was an – er – an accident."
"Who was making that awful noise dancing?"
"I was dancing," answered Sam. "But I don't think I made much noise."
"It is outrageous, this noise up here, and it must be stopped once and for all. Now go to bed, all of you, and not another sound, remember!" And with this warning, Job Haskers withdrew from the room, closing the door sharply after him.
"Now we are in a mess!" muttered Roger.
"Isn't it – er – dreadful!" lisped Polly Vane, who had taken no part in the proceedings, but had been looking over Dave's book on polar explorations.
"He'll give us extra lessons for this," grumbled Roger. "Just wait and see."
The next day the weather remained fine, and a number of the students went out coasting on a hill running down to the river. Dave and his friends wished they could go along, as both Sam and Ben had big bobs capable of carrying six boys each. But after the school session they had to report to Job Haskers, and he kept them in until supper-time, doing examples in arithmetic.
"Say, Dave, we ought to square up for this," said Phil. "See what a lot of fun coasting we've missed."
"Just what I say," added the senator's son. "We must get even with old Haskers somehow."
"Remember the time we put the ram in his room?" said Sam, with a grin.
"Yes, and the time we put the bats in," added Phil. "My, but didn't that cause a racket!"
"Let us put something else in his room this time," said Ben.
"Oh, that's old," answered Dave. "We ought to hit on something new."
"If we could only play some joke on him outside of the academy," said the senator's son.
"He is going to Oakdale to-night; I heard him mention it to Mr. Dale."
"Did he say when he would be back?"
"Yes – not