to wander in their direction, the two boys buried their heads in their books; and Elmer was forced to forego asking his chum what scheme he was thinking out.
But when school was over for the day, he quickly learned.
“Play hockey, Watson?” asked Socker, joining a group of boys who had gathered about Harry.
“Yes.”
“Then come on down to the river and we’ll have a game.”
“It will depend upon whether my trunk has arrived or not. If it hasn’t come since I was at aunt’s for dinner, I won’t be able to play because my skates are in it.”
“I have an extra pair at the house you can take,” interposed Paul. “The rest of you fellows go down to the river; and Harry and I’ll join you as soon as we can.” And falling into step beside the boy who was soon to become his crony, Paul Martin started down the hill which had been the scene of the memorable incident in the morning.
To his delight, Harry found that his trunk had arrived, and it was but the matter of a very few minutes for him to open it and take out his skates.
At the river, they found a merry crowd of boys and girls, and quickly Harry and Paul sat down to put on their skates.
“Now Sam, you go over and bring Mr. Watson back with you as soon as he’s got his skates on,” commanded Viola, who, with Nettie, had been keeping a lookout for the boy whom she had been unable to meet in the forenoon.
None too willingly, the fellow started, but before he could reach Harry, the boy was on his feet, and hockey stick in hand, was skimming over the ice to where those who were to play were lined up, some quarter of a mile up the river.
“Isn’t that provoking!” pouted Viola, as she noted his action. “But I’m going to meet Harry Watson – even if I have to introduce myself. Come on, Nettie, let’s skate over and watch the game.”
With the arrival of Harry and Paul, Socker exclaimed:
“Watson, you’ll play on Jerry’s team. Let’s get the game started as soon as we can. It’ll be dark before long.”
Quickly the boys took their positions, and Socker and Elmer noticed with delight that the boy who had incited their enmity was playing “rover.”
After the puck was put in play, it was dribbled back and forth; then, as Paul noticed Harry was keeping well out to one side, he shot the rubber to him.
Nursing it carefully, he dashed in, that he might have a less difficult angle from which to try for goal.
“Get him! Block him! Don’t let him score!” cried Socker to his team-mates, and with a rush they skated down upon Harry with tremendous momentum.
For several moments, Jerry watched the strange play of his opponents – for they had left their positions uncovered; then it dawned on him what their purpose was and he charged down to Harry’s rescue, at the same time shouting:
“Shoot it across, Watson! Shoot it across!”
With a deft twist of his wrist, Harry sent the rubber spinning over the ice just in front of Socker and his players.
But instead of checking themselves and going after it, they continued straight at the new student.
Surprised, but believing that their speed was such that they were unable to turn quickly, Harry grinned at them, wheeled on his right skate with a suddenness that would have done a professional proud, and sought to go around them.
Clever as was his move, however, it came too late.
With terrific force, Socker, Elmer and another boy crashed into him – and as they all went down, there was a resounding whack.
“Pretty raw work, Craven!” snapped Jerry, as he caught the richest boy in Rivertown High School by the collar and jerked him off the pile.
“What do you mean?”
Jerry, however, was too engrossed in the task of getting the others off Harry to reply.
But when he had succeeded, the new high school scholar lay on his back, motionless.
CHAPTER IV – HARRY SHOWS HIS GRIT
Abashed at the sight of the boy lying white and still on the ice, the other hockey players gazed at one another.
“He’s shamming!” growled Elmer.
“You know better than that!” retorted Jerry.
“What do you mean?”
“That you and Socker deliberately ran into Watson – and you know it as well as I do!”
“I saw Socker give him the knee!” interposed Paul.
Intense was the feeling between the two teams, and instinctively the boys who had been playing lined up with their respective captains. But before the argument became more bitter, Harry opened his eyes, gazed about him in a dazed manner, and then sat up.
“Got a bit of a knock, didn’t I?” he smiled. “I say, did I score a goal?”
At the question, all the boys turned to look toward the net of Socker’s team, having forgotten in their excitement to notice where the puck had gone.
“Jove, but you did!” cried Paul. “Good boy, Harry!”
Instantly the other members of the team with which Harry was playing took up the cry and Elmer and his companions skated away to hide their chagrin.
“Here comes Longback; we can put him in, and you can get out of the game!” exclaimed Paul, helping Harry to his feet.
“Not much – that is, if you are willing I should keep on playing,” returned Harry. “I’m all right now; and I should like to show those other fellows that I’m not a pillow!”
“But can you stand the handling?” asked Jerry, anxiously.
“Leave it to me – I’m no rag-doll,” retorted Harry. “If they are up to any tricks, I know a thing or two!”
The gameness of the new student appealed to all the members of the team on which he was playing, and without further comment they lined up for the next play.
Surprised to see Harry still in the line-up, Socker skated over to Elmer and held a brief consultation with him, but their whisperings were interrupted by the puck being put into play.
As luck would have it, the rubber was sent straight toward Elmer and, with a clever stop, he dribbled it along toward Harry, evidently thinking that he would be able to pass him easily because of his seemingly dazed condition.
But Harry realized his purpose and, with a burst of speed, he rushed in, snatched the puck, steadied his stick – and then drove it spinning toward the goal net, sending it past the tender.
“Good boy!” shouted his team-mates. And the cheer was immediately taken up by the boys and girls who had gathered to watch the game.
Smarting more under the thought that the fellow they had sought to humiliate had succeeded in turning the tables against them
