a bit of it!" exclaimed Phil. "Let us pass around the hat. We are all in this as deep as you." And so it was decided that all of the students of dormitories Nos. 11 and 12 should contribute to the fund for mending the broken sash. Then, as Andrew Dale came around on a tour of inspection, all hopped into bed and were soon sound asleep.
CHAPTER VII
GUS PLUM'S MYSTERIOUS OFFER
When Doctor Clay came to his desk on the following morning, he found an envelope lying there, on which was inscribed the following:
"To pay for the broken window. If it costs more, please let the school know, and we'll settle the bill." Three dollars was inclosed.
This caused the worthy doctor to smile quietly to himself. It took him back to his college days, when he had aided in several such scrapes.
"Boys will be boys," he murmured. "They are not villains, only real flesh-and-blood youngsters."
"You are going to punish those boys?" demanded Job Haskers, coming up.
"If we can locate them."
"Humph! I'd catch them, if it took all day."
"You may do as you think best, Mr. Haskers; only remember you have young gentlemen to deal with. I presume they thought it only a harmless prank."
"I'll prank them, if I catch them," growled the assistant to himself, as he walked away.
Word had been passed around among the boys, and when the roll was called all were ready to "face the music."
"Who knows anything about the proceedings of last night?" began Job Haskers, gazing around fiercely.
There was a pause, and then a rather dull boy named Carson arose.
"Great Cæsar! Is he going to blab on us?" murmured Phil.
"What have you got to say, Carson?" asked the teacher.
"I – I – I kn-know wh-what happened," stuttered Carson.
"Very well, tell me what you know?"
"A ra-ra-ra-ram got into your ro-ro-ro-room, and he kno-kno-kno-knocked you d-d-d-down!" went on the boy, who was the worst stutterer at Oak Hall.
"Ahem! I know that. Who put the ram in my room?"
"I d-d-d-d – "
"You did!" thundered the teacher. "How dare you do such a thing!"
"I d-d-d-d – "
"Carson, I am – er – amazed. What made you do it?"
"I d-d-d-didn't say I d-d-d-did it," spluttered poor Carson. "I said I d-d-d-didn't know."
"Oh!" Job Haskers' face fell, and he looked as sour as he could. "Sit down. Now, then, whoever knows who put that ram in my room last night, stand up."
Not a boy arose.
"Will anybody answer?" stormed the teacher.
There was utter silence, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. Dave looked at Gus Plum and Nat Poole, but neither budged.
"I shall call the roll, and each boy must answer for himself," went on Job Haskers. "Ansberry!"
"I can tell you nothing, Mr. Haskers," was the reply, and the pupil dropped back into his seat.
"Humph! Aspinwell!"
"I can tell you nothing, Mr. Haskers."
"Babcock!"
"I can tell you nothing, Mr. Haskers."
"This is – er – outrageous! Beggs!"
"Sorry, but I can tell you nothing, Mr. Haskers," drawled the fat youth.
After that, one name after another was called, and every pupil said practically the same thing, even Plum and Poole stating that they could tell nothing. When the roll-call was finished, the teacher was fairly purple with suppressed rage.
"I shall inquire into this at some future time!" he snapped out. "You are dismissed to your classes." And he turned away to hide his chagrin.
"Do you think we are safe?" whispered Phil to Dave, as they hurried to their room.
"I think so," was the country boy's reply. And Dave was right – the truth concerning the night's escapade did not come out until long after, when it was too late to do anything in the matter.
Dave was anxious to make a record for himself in his studies, and, with the end of the term so close at hand, he did his best over his books and in the classroom. He was close to the top of his class, and he was already certain of winning a special prize given for mathematics. Roger was just behind him in the general average, and Phil was but five points below, with a special prize for language to his credit. The best scholar of all was Polly Vane, who, so far, had a percentage of ninety-seven, out of a possible hundred.
Dave had not forgotten what Gus Plum had said, and just before the session for the day was ended received a note from the bully, asking him to come down to a point on the lake known as the Three Rocks, and located at the extreme limit of the academy grounds. Plum asked him particularly to come alone.
"Aren't you afraid Plum will play some trick on you?" asked Phil, who saw the note delivered, and read it.
"I'll be on my guard," answered Dave. "I am not afraid of him, if it should come to an encounter between us."
Having put away his books, Dave sauntered down to the spot mentioned, which was behind a thick fringe of bushes. Plum was not yet there, but soon came up at a quick walk.
"I couldn't get away from Poole," explained the bully. "Are you alone?" and he gazed around anxiously.
"Yes, I am alone," answered Dave, coolly.
There was a silence, and each boy looked at the other. Dave's eyes were clear, but the bully's had something of the haunted in them.
"You said something about me last night," began Plum, lamely, "something about my being on the river."
"I did."
"Did you see me on the river?"
"I am not going to answer that question just yet, Plum."
"Huh! Maybe you are only joking?"
"Very well, you can think as you please. If you want to talk to me, very well; if not, I'll go back to the school," and Dave started to walk away.
"Hold on!" The bully caught the country boy by the arm. "If you saw me on the river, what else did you see?"
"You were following Shadow Hamilton in a boat."
"I wasn't – I didn't have anything to do with Hamilton. I – I didn't know he was out till afterwards," went on the bully, fiercely. "Don't you say such a thing – don't you dare!" His face was very white. "You are not going to get me into trouble!"
"Is that all you have to say, Plum?"
"N-no.
