CHAPTER XV
DUNK GOES OUT
"Look at that!"
"Why, it's the same stuff!"
"There's a rose jar like the one I bought for seven dollars marked twoseventy-five!"
"Oh, the robber! Why, there's a handkerchief box, bigger than the one hestuck me with, and it's only a dollar!"
"Say, let's rough-house Ikey and that Jap!"
Andy, Dunk, and their three friends were standing in front of a Japanesestore, looking in the window, that held many articles associated withthe Flowery Kingdom. Price tags were on them, and the lads discoveredthat they had paid dearly for the ornaments they had so surreptitiouslyviewed in the semi-darkness, under the guidance of Ikey Stein.
This was several days after they had purchased their bric-a-brac andmeanwhile they had seen Ikey and Hashmi going about getting otherstudents into their toils.
"Say, that was a plant, all right!" declared Dunk. "I'm going to makeIkey shell out."
"And the Jap, too!" added Andy. "We sure were stuck!"
For the articles in the window were identical, in many cases, with thosethey had bought, but the prices were much less.
"I thought there was something fishy about it," commented Thad. "Neveragain do I buy a pig in a poke!"
"I'll poke Ikey when I catch him," said Bob.
"Here he comes now," spoke Ted, in a low voice. "Don't seem to see himuntil he gets close, and then we'll grab him and make him shell out!"
So the five remained looking steadfastly in the window until theunsuspecting Ikey came close. Then Andy and Dunk made a quick leap andcaught him.
"What--what is it?" asked the surprised student.
"We merely want your advice on the purchase of some more art objects,"said Andy, grimly. "You're such an expert, you know."
"Some other time--some other time! I'm due at a lecture now!" pleadedIkey, squirming to get away.
"The lecture can wait," said Dunk. "Look at that vawse for the holdingof the rose petals from your loved one. See it there--now would youadvise me to buy it? It's much cheaper than the one you and yourbeloved Hashmi stuck me with."
Ikey looked at the faces of his captors. He saw only stern, unrelentingglares, and realized that his game had been discovered.
"I--er--I----" he stammered.
"Come, what's your advice?" demanded Dunk. "Did I pay too much?"
"I--er--perhaps you did," admitted Ikey, slowly.
"Then fork over the balance."
"And what about my cracker jar--for the ashes of dead ancestors?" askedAndy. "Was I stuck, too?"
"Oh, no, not at all. Why, that is a very rare piece."
"What about that one in the window?" demanded Andy. "That's only rare tothe tune of several dollars less than I paid."
"Oh, but you are mistaken!" Ikey assured him. "It takes an expert totell the difference. You can ask Hashmi----"
"Hashmi be hanged!" cried Dunk, giving the captured one a shake. Alittle crowd had gathered in the street to see the fun.
"I--I'll give you whatever you think is right," promised Ikey. "Only letme go. I shall be late."
"The late Mr. Stein," laughed Andy.
"What about the rare satsuma piece you wished onto me?" demanded Ted.
"And that cloisonne flower vawse that has a crack in it?" Thad wanted toknow.
"That's because it's so old," whined Ikey. "It is more valuable."
"There's one in the window without a crack for three dollars less," wasthe retort.
"Oh, well, if you fellows are dissatisfied with your bargains----"
"Oh, we're not going to back down," said Andy, "but we're not going topay more than they're worth, either. It was a plant, and you know it.Now you shell out all we paid above what the things are marked at inthis window, and we'll call it square--that is, if you don't go aroundblabbing how you took us in."
"All right! All right!" cried Ikey. "I'll do it, only let me go!"
"No; pay first! Run him over to our rooms," suggested Dunk. They werenot far from the quadrangle, and catching hold of Ikey they ran himaround into High Street and through the gateway beside Chittenden Hallto Wright. There, up in Andy's and Dunk's room, Ikey was made todisgorge his cash. But they were merciful to him and only took thedifference in price.
"Now you tell us how it happened, and we'll let you go," promised Andy.
"It was all Hashmi's fault," declared Ikey. "I believed him when he saidhis brother in Japan had sent him a box of fine vawses. Hashmi said hedidn't need 'em all, and I said maybe we could sell 'em. So I did."
"That was all right; but why did you stick up the price?" asked Andy.
"A fellow has to make money," returned Ikey, innocently enough, and Dunklaughed.
"All right," said Andy's roommate. "Don't do it again, that's all. Whois Hashmi's brother?"
"One of 'em keeps that Jap store where you were looking in the window,"said Ikey, edging out of the room, "and the other is in Japan. He sentthe stuff over to be sold in the regular way, but that sly Hashmi fooledme. Never again!"
"And you passed it on to us," said Andy with a laugh.
"Well, it's all in the game."
"Still, we've got the stuff," said Ted.
They had, but had they known it all they would have learned that, evenat the lowered price they were paying dearly enough for the ornaments,and at that Hashmi and Ikey divided a goodly sum between them.
The college days passed on. Andy and Dunk were settling down to thegrind of study, making it as easy as they could for themselves, as didthe other students.
Andy kept on with his football practice, and made progress. He was namedas second substitute on the freshman team and did actually play throughthe fourth quarter in an important game, after it had been taken safelyinto the Yale camp. But he was proud even to do that, and made a fieldgoal that merited him considerable applause.
Mortimer had dropped out of the varsity team. There was good reason, forhe would not train, and, though he could play brilliantly at times, hecould not be depended on.
"I don't care!" he boasted to his sporting crowd. "I can have some fun,now."
Several times he and his crowd had come around to ask Dunk to go outwith them, but Dunk had refused, much to Mortimer's chagrin.
"Oh, come on, be a good fellow!" he had urged.
"No, I've got to do some boning."
"Oh, forget it!"
But Dunk would not, for which Andy was glad.
Then came a period when Dunk went to pieces in his recitations. He waswarned by his professors and tried to make up for it by hard study. Hewas not naturally brilliant and certain lessons came hard to him.
He grew discouraged and talked of withdrawing. Andy did all he could forhim, even to the neglect of his own standing, but it seemed to do nogood.
"What's the use of it all, anyhow?" demanded Dunk. "I'll spend fourmortal years here, and come out with a noddle full of musty old Latinand Greek, go to work in dad's New York office and forget it all in sixmonths. I might as well start forgetting it now."
"You've got the wrong idea," said Andy.
"Well, maybe I have. Hanged if I see how you do it!"
"I don't do so well."
"But you don't get floored as I do! I'm going to chuck it!" and he threwhis Horace across the room, shattering the Japanese vase he had bought.
"Look out!" cried Andy.
"Too late! I don't give a hang!"
Someone came along the hall.
"What are you fellows up to?" asked a gay voice. "Trying to break uphousekeeping?"
"It's Gaffington!" murmured Andy.
"Come on in!" invited Dunk.
"You fellows come on out!" retorted the newcomer. "There's a peach of ashow at Poli's. Let's take it in and have supper at Burke's afterward."
Dunk got up.
"Hanged if I don't!" he said, with a defiant look at Andy.
"That's the stuff! Be a sport!" challenged Mortimer. "Coming along,Blair?"
"No."
Mortimer laughed.
"Go down among the dead ones!" he cried. "Come on, Dunk, we'll make anight of it!"
And they went out together, leaving Andy alone in the silent room.
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