CHAPTER VI
THE NEW LEAGUE
Professor Broadkins looked up, as if mildly surprised at the merrimentof the students. He glanced over into the walled city that he hadconstructed out of books, and then at Dutch. The sight of that worthy,with ink dripping from him appeared to solve the mystery.
"Why, er--Housenlager--what happened?" inquired the instructor. "Didsome one----?"
"It was the catapult," explained Dutch. "I--er----" he choked out.
Then the professor seemed to understand.
"Oh--ink!" he said, innocently. "You used the inkwell."
"Yes," assented Dutch. "I--er--put the bottle on the ruler, instead ofthe rock. I----"
"I understand," interrupted the substitute Latin instructor. "It is toobad. How did you come to make that mistake, Housenlager?"
Once more the class laughed, and the lads were not restrained.
"You had better go to the lavatory, and wash," went on the instructor."And I think you all have, by this time, a better idea of a catapultthan you had before, even though the wrong sort of missile was used. Wewill now proceed with the lesson."
It might fairly be presumed that not as much attention was paid to thefollowing instruction as was needed, but, at the same time, there was anexcuse. Dutch came back to the class toward the end of the recitation,with a clean collar and a different necktie, and when the lecture wasover he did not join in the mirth of his fellow students.
"Dutch was in bad that time, all right," remarked Sid with a laugh, asthe lads strolled out on the campus.
"A regular fountain pen," commented Tom.
"Want a blotter?" asked Phil, offering a bit of paper.
"Or a pen wiper?" added Frank. "Say, how did you come to make such amistake, Dutch?"
"Oh, let up, will you?" begged the badgered one. "It wasn't any mistake.I thought he'd get the ink instead of me."
"And he changed places with you," interposed Tom. "Well, mistakes willhappen, in the best of regulated classes."
"Oh say!" began Dutch. Then, despairing of changing the subject, unlesshe took drastic measures, he added: "How about coasting againto-night?"
"Say, I believe it would be sport!" chimed in Tom. "It's getting warm,and the snow won't last much longer. Let's get up a crowd, and go out onthe hill."
The idea met with favor at once, and soon plans were being made for amerry time.
"Telephone over to Fairview, and get your sister and her crowd, Phil,"suggested Sid.
"Listen to the lady-killer!" jeered Tom.
"Oh, let up," importuned Sid. "I guess I've got as much right as youfellows."
"That's the stuff! Stick up for your rights!" cried Frank.
Though the moon was not as glorious as on the previous evening, thenight was a fine one, and a merry party of young men and maidensgathered on the hill with big bobs, the gongs of which made clamorousmusic, amid the shouts and laughter.
There were several cliques of students, but Tom and his crowd, withPhil's sister and the girls who were her chums, clung together and hadmany a swift coast. It was when several were thinking of starting forhome that a party of lads, with a fine, big bob appeared on the hill.
"Who wants a ride?" challenged the leader, whom Tom recognized asShambler. "Come on, girls," he went on, addressing Ruth Clinton, witheasy familiarity. "Get on, we'll give you a good coast."
"We don't care to," said Ruth, turning aside.
"Oh, it's perfectly safe," insisted Shambler. "Come on! Be sports. Here,Gerhart--Langridge, help the girls on!"
"They don't need any help!" suddenly exclaimed Tom, stepping betweenShambler and Ruth.
"How do you know--are you their manager?" asked the new student with asneer.
"No--but I'm her brother," interposed Phil. "Come on, Ruth, we'll walkpart way with you." He linked his arm in hers, Phil and his chums begandragging their bob away, followed by Madge Tyler, Mabel Harrison andHelen Newton.
"Humph!" sneered Shambler, audibly. "I guess we got in wrong with thatbunch, fellows."
"Forget it," advised Langridge. "There are other girls on the hill, andit's early yet."
And that night, as the four chums tumbled into bed, though they did notspeak of it, each one had an uneasy feeling about Shambler. It was as ifa disrupting spirit had, somehow, crept into Randall.
If further evidence was needed of the pushing, and self-interestedspirit of Shambler the four chums had it supplied to them a littlelater, at an informal dance to which they were bidden at Fairview.
Tom and Phil came in from a walk one afternoon, to find Sid and Frankeagerly waiting for them in the room. No sooner had the two entered,than Frank burst out with:
"Come on, fellows, open yours, and see if they are the same as ours."
"Open what?" asked Tom, looking about the room. "You don't mean to saysome one has sent me a prize package; do you?"
"Or maybe Moses has sent in to say that I don't need to study any more;that I've done so well that I'm to be excused from all lectures, andthat my diploma is waiting for me," spoke Phil mockingly. "Don't tell methat, fellows; remember I have a weak heart."
"It's the invitations!" exclaimed Sid. "At least I think that's whatthey are. We got 'em, and here are two letters--one for you, Tom, andone for Phil. Come on, open 'em, and we'll answer, and go together."
"Go where?" demanded Tom. "Say, what's this all about, anyhow? What'sgoing on?"
"They're all excited over it," added Phil. "Like children."
"Oh! for cats' sake open 'em, and don't keep us waiting," begged Frank,as he reached for two envelopes that lay on the table. The missivesunmistakably bore evidence of being "party bids," but Tom kept up thetantalizing tactics a little longer, by turning his over from side toside, pretending to scrutinize the postmark, and then ended by gentlysmelling of the delicate perfume that emanated from it.
"Smells good enough to eat," he said, while Phil was tearing his open.
"It's an invitation all right," remarked Ruth's brother. "The girls areto give a little dance to-morrow night. Shall we go?"
"Well, rather!" exclaimed Sid quickly.
"Listen to him," mocked Tom. "About a year ago he would no more think ofgoing where the girls were than he would of taking in a lecture on thedead Romans. But now. Oh shades of Apollo! You can't keep him home!"
"Oh, dry up!" exclaimed Sid.
"Humph!" mused Phil. "I suppose we _can_ go."
"Sure; it'll be fun," agreed Frank.
"How about you, Tom?" asked Sid. "You're coming, aren't you?"
"Sure. I was only joking," and then Tom went over to his bureau andbegan rummaging among the contents of a certain drawer--contents whichwere in all sorts of a hodge-podge.
"By Jove!" cried Tom. "It's gone!"
"What?" inquired Frank.
"That new tan-colored tie I bought last week. It just matched my vest.Who took it?" and he faced his chums.
"How dare you?" burst out Phil, with pretended anger. "To accuse us,when there are so many other guilty ones in Randall! How dare you?"
"Come on, fork it over, whoever took it!" demanded Tom. "Some of youhave it. Caesar's side-saddles! A fellow can't have anything decent hereany more! I'm going to have locks put on my bureau!"
"What do you want of that tan-colored tie, anyhow?" asked Sid.
"Oh, so you're the guilty one!" cried Tom. "I'll get it," and he strodeover to his chum's bureau, where, from a drawer, after a short search,he pulled the missing tie.
"All crumpled up, too!" he exclaimed, as he looked at it ruefully. "I'llfix you for this, Sid."
"Oh, I didn't mean to muss it so. I just borrowed it to wear the othernight, and we got to skylarking, and----"
"Skylarking with a girl!" cried Frank aghast. "Say, you are going some,Sid."
"Oh, I only tried to----"
"Kiss her--I know," went on Frank relentlessly. "You ought to be giventhe 'silence.' But in view of the fact that there are mitigatingcircumstances, and that you wore another fellow's ti
e, we will suspendsentence. But don't let it occur again. Now about this glad-rag affair."
"That's it," broke in Phil. "I don't see why Tom made such a fuss aboutthat tie. He can't wear it to the dance, anyhow."
"Why not? Is it a full-dress affair?" asked the owner of the tan scarf,as he carefully smoothed it out.
"Sure it is."
"Oh, then that's different. I didn't know."
"And you bully-ragging me the way you did!" reproached Sid. "Never mind.I still have some friends left. But I'll pay for having your little newtie put in shape again, Tommy my boy. I'll buy you new inner tubes forit, and a shoe, and you can have all the gasolene you want to make itgo."
"Oh, shut up!" retorted Tom, and he began to rummage in his drawer oncemore.
"What now?" asked Phil.
"My studs. I suppose some one has pinched them."
But no one had, and Tom's sudden energy in looking to see if he had allthings needful for the dance suggested to the others that they mightprofitably do the same thing.
The invitations, which had come by special delivery, were put away withsimilar ones, and other relics of good times in the past, and then theboys began talking about the coming affair. Lessons for the next daywere not as well prepared as usual, as might easily be imagined.
And the night of the dance! For the preserving of the reputations of myheroes in particular, and all young men in general I am not going togive the details of the "primping" that went on in the rooms of the fourinseparables.
"It is simply disgraceful to see decent, well-behaved and seeminglyintelligent human beings behave so," Holly Cross remarked as he droppedin when the four were getting into their "glad rags." He went on: "Inever would have believed it--never, if I had not seen it with my owneyes."
"Get out! You're mad because you're not going," said Tom, as he made uphis white tie for about the fifth time.
"I wouldn't so lower myself!" shot back Holly, as he went out.
But at last the boys were ready, and, talk about girls taking a longtime to--well, but there, I promised to say nothing about it. Anyhow, atlast they were off.
The dances at Fairview were always enjoyable affairs, and this one wasno exception. The girl friends of our heroes were awaiting them.
"I hope your cards aren't all filled," greeted Tom.
"There is _one_ dance left for each of you," spoke Madge Tyler, but herlaughing eyes stopped the protest that arose to Tom's lips.
"You don't mean it!" he burst out, as he took the program from her. Thena look showed him that there were many vacant spaces which he proceededto fill. Madge laughed mischievously.
"Whose name was down here, that you rubbed off?" demanded Tomsuspiciously. Miss Tyler blushed.
"Oh, that's some of your Randall manners," she burst out.
"Randall manners! What do you mean?" asked Tom.
"A little while ago," she explained, "just before you boys came, I wasstanding near a pillar. Someone came up behind me, and snatched myprogram from my hand. Before I could stop him he had scribbled his namedown. But I rubbed it out."
"Do you mean a Randall man did that?"
"He did."
"Who was he?"
"Mr. Shambler."
"That lout again!" murmured Tom. "I'll teach him a lesson."
"No, don't," begged Madge. "I told him what I thought of him myself."
"Good!" exclaimed Tom, and then he detailed the circumstances to hischums. They agreed that Jake Shambler would have to be taught a severelesson if his "freshness" did not subside soon.
Not at all rebuffed by what had happened, however, Shambler asked someof the other girls in Miss Tyler's set to dance with him, but theyrefused. However he managed to find some partners, including the girlwho had invited him. He greeted our heroes with breezy familiarity, andthey could do no less than bow coldly. But Shambler did not seem tomind.
The dance went on, and the inseparables had a fine time. Doubtless theirgirl friends did also, and it was not until an early hour that theaffair ended.
"And to think that we won't have another for at least a month!" groanedTom, as he and his chums wended their way Randallward.
"And you're the chap that was making such a fuss about a tan tie,"murmured Sid. "Look at yours now. There's nothing left of it."
"No, nor my collar either," replied Tom, feeling of his wilted linen,for he had danced much.
A week, in the early Spring, can work wonders. One day there may be snowcovering everything. Then a few hours of warm sun, a warm South wind,and it seems as if the buds were just ready to burst forth.
So it was at Randall. The brown grass on the campus began taking on alittle hue of green. There was a spirit of unrest in the air. Lectureswere cut in the most unaccountable way. Several lads were seen out onthe diamond wherefrom the frost was hardly yet drawn. Balls began to betossed back and forth.
Down by the river, where, because of the sloping land, it was dryer thanelsewhere a little group of lads were gathered about one of theirnumber.
"Now for a good one, Grasshopper!" someone cried.
"I'm going to do seventeen or bust a leg!" came the answer.
"What's going on over there?" asked Tom of his three chums, who werestrolling about.
"Pete Backus is doing his annual Spring hop," said Phil.
"Let's go watch him," suggested Sid.
"He's getting in training for the games," declared Frank. "I think I'llenter myself if they hold 'em."
"Well, there's been a lot of talk lately," put in Tom. "Exter Academy ishot for 'em, and I understand Boxer Hall and Fairview would come inwith us, on a quadruple league for the all-around championship. Butlet's look at Backus."
"How much?" cried the long-legged lad as he made his jump. "Did I beatmy record?"
"Sixteen-nine," announced a lad with a measuring tape.
"I'll make it seventeen!" declared Grasshopper. "Oh, hello, Tom!" hecried. "Say, are you going in for it?"
"For what?"
"The games--new league--didn't you hear about it?"
"No!" cried the quartette in a chorus.
"Oh, it's going to be great," went on the lad who imagined he was ajumper. "I'm going in for the running broad, and maybe the high. I'mpracticing now."
"Say, tell us about it," begged Phil.
"Oh, there's nothing settled," interposed Jerry Jackson. "Some of thefellows are talking of getting up a league for all-around athletics, andI think it would be a good thing."
"Is it only talk so far?" asked Tom.
"That's all," replied Joe Jackson, the other Jersey twin. "But there isgoing to be a preliminary meeting in a few nights, and then it will bedecided. Are you fellows in for it?"
"We sure are!" cried the four friends.
The idea spread rapidly, and a few nights later there was a preliminarymeeting in the Randall gymnasium concerning the new league.Representatives were present from Fairview, Boxer Hall and Exter, andone and all declared themselves in favor of something to open the seasonbefore the baseball schedule had the call.
"What will you go in for, Tom?" asked Sid, as the four inseparables werein their room after the committee session.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I won't do much. I'm going to save myself forthe diamond. There's enough others to uphold the honor of Randall. Thereare Frank, and Phil and you."
"But we want a good representation. How about the mile run for you?"
"Nothing doing. Frank, you ought to go in for the hammer throw, the shotput, and for the weight throwing."
"Maybe I will. I understand there are some good lads at those sports atBoxer and Fairview."
"Yes, and some here."
"Shambler's going to enter, I hear," added Phil.
"What for?" queried Sid.
"The mile run, and some jumping."
"Well, he looks good, though I don't exactly cotton to him. Say, thingswill be lively here soon," commented Frank. "I guess I'll begintraining."
"Better come in, Tom," advised Sid.
"No, I'll wait a while."
"It isn't about that trouble at home; is it?" asked Sid in a low voice.
"Well, in a way, yes," admitted Tom. "You see I don't know when I mayhave to leave here, and it wouldn't be just right to enter for a contestand then have to drop out."
"Do you think it would be as bad as that?"
"It might be--there's no telling."
"Tom," said Sid, and his voice took on a new tone. "I think you ought toenter, and practice up to the last minute. If you have to drop out, ofcourse, that's a different matter. But I think you ought to do yourbest."
"Why? There are plenty of others. Why should I?"
"Why? For the honor of Randall, of course. You never were a quitter,and----"
"And I'm not going to begin now," finished Tom with a smile. "I'll enterthe games, Sid."
"I thought you would," was the quiet answer.
For the Honor of Randall: A Story of College Athletics Page 6
