CHAPTER VIII
BERT SEES SOMETHING
Lessons were not very well learned that first day in school, butthis is generally the case when the Fall term opens after the Summervacation.
Just as were the Bobbsey twins, nearly all the other pupils werethinking of what good times they had had in the country, or at theseashore, and in consequence little attention was paid to reading,spelling, arithmetic and geography.
But Principal Tetlow and his teachers were prepared for this,and they were sure that, in another day or so, the boys and girlswould settle down and do good work. Many of the children were innew rooms and different classes, and this did not make them feelso much "at home" as before vacation.
Nan Bobbsey's first duty, after reporting to her new teacher, wasto go to the kindergarten room, and ask the teacher there if Flossieand Freddie might sit together.
"You see," Nan explained, "this is really their first real schoolwork. They attended a few times before, but did not stay long."
"I see," spoke the pretty kindergarten instructor with a laugh,"and we must make it as pleasant for them this time as we can, sothey will want to stay. Yes, my dear, Flossie and Freddie may sittogether, and I'll look after them as much as I can. But, oh, thereare such a lot of little tots!" and she looked about the room thatseemed overflowing with small boys and girls.
Some were playing and talking, telling of their summer experiences.Others seemed frightened, and stood against the wall bashfully,little girls holding to the hands of their little brothers.
Nan looked for Freddie and Flossie. She saw her little sistertrying to comfort a small girl who was almost ready to cry, whileFreddie, like the manly little fellow he was, had charge of a smallchap in whose eyes were two large tears, just ready to fall. Itwas his first day at school.
"Oh, I am sure your little twin brother and sister will get alongall right," said the kindergarten teacher, with a smile to Nan, asshe saw what Flossie and Freddie were doing. "They are too cutefor anything--the little dears!"
"And they are very good," said Nan, "only of course theydo--things--sometimes."
"They wouldn't be real children if they didn't," answered theteacher.
This was during a recess that had come after the classes were firstformed. On her way back to her room, to see if she could arrangeto sit with Grace and Nellie at one of the new big desks, Nan sawher brother Bert. He looked a little worried, and Nan asked atonce:
"What is the matter, Bert? Haven't you got a nice teacher?"
"Oh, yes, she's fine!" exclaimed Bert. "There's nothing the matterat all."
"Yes there is," insisted Nan. "I can tell by your face. It's thatDanny Rugg; I'm sure. Oh, Bert, is he bothering you again?"
"Well, he said he was going to."
"Then why don't you go straight and tell Mr. Tetlow? He'll makeDanny behave. I'll go tell him myself!"
"Don't you dare, Nan!" cried Bert. "All the fellows would call me'sissy,' if I let you do that. Never mind, I can look out for myself. I'm not afraid of Danny."
"Oh, Bert, I hope you don't get into a fight."
"I won't, Nan--if I can help it. At least I won't hit first, butif he hits me---"
Bert looked as though he knew what he would do in that case.
"Oh dear!" cried Nan, "aren't you boys just awful!"
However, she made up her mind that if Danny got too bad she wouldspeak to the principal about him, whether her brother wanted herto or not.
"He won't know it," thought Nan.
She had no trouble in getting permission from her teacher forherself and her two friends to sit together, and soon they hadmoved their books and other things to one of the long desks thathad room for three pupils.
Meanwhile Flossie and Freddie got along very well in the kindergarten.At first, just as the others did, they gave very little attentionto what the teacher wanted them to learn, but she was very patient,and soon all the class was gathered about the sand table, in thelittle low chairs, making fairy cities, caves, and even make-believeseashore places.
"This is like the one where we were this Summer," said Flossie, asshe made a hole in her sand pile to take the place of the ocean."If I had water and a piece of wood I could show you where therewas a shipwreck," she said to the girl next to her.
"That isn't the way it was," spoke Freddie, from the other side ofthe room. "There was more sand at the seashore than on this wholetable--yes, on ten tables like this."
"There was not!" cried Flossie.
"There was too!" insisted her brother.
"Children--children!" called the teacher. "You must not arguelike that--ever--in school, or out of it. Now we will sing ourwork-song, and after that we will march with the flags," and shewent to the piano to play. All the little ones liked this, andthe dispute of Flossie and Freddie was soon forgotten.
Bert kept thinking of what might happen between himself and DannyRugg when school was out, and when his teacher asked him what thePilgrim Fathers did when they first came to settle in New EnglandBert looked up in surprise, and said:
"They fought."
"Fought!" exclaimed the teacher. "The book says they gave thanks."
"Well, I meant they fought the--er--the Indians," stammered Bert.
Poor Bert was thinking of what might take place between himselfand the bully.
"Well, yes, they did fight the Indians," admitted the teacher, "butthat wasn't what I was thinking of. I will ask you another questionin history."
But I am not going to tire you with an account of what went on inthe classrooms. There were mostly lessons there, such as you haveyourselves, and I know you don't care to read about them.
Bert did not see Danny Rugg at the noon recess, when the Bobbseytwins and the other children went home for lunch. But when schoolwas let out in the afternoon, and when Bert was talking to CharleyMason about a new way of making a kite, Danny Rugg, accompaniedby several of his chums, walked up to Bert. It was in a field somedistance from the school, and no houses were near.
"Now I've got you, Bert Bobbsey!" taunted Danny, as he advancedwith doubled-up fists. "What did you want to squirt the hose onme that time for?"
"I told you it was an accident," said Bert quietly.
"And I say you did it on purpose. I said I'd get even with you,and now I'm going to."
"I don't want to fight, Danny," said Bert quietly.
"Huh! he's afraid!" sneered Jack Westly, one of Danny's friends.
"Yes, he's a coward!" taunted Danny.
"I'm not!" cried Bert stoutly.
"Then take that!" exclaimed Danny, and he gave Bert a push thatnearly knocked him down. Bert put out a hand to save himself andstruck Danny, not really meaning to.
"There! He hit you back!" cried one boy.
"Yes, go on in, now, Dan, and beat him!" said another
"Oh, I'll fix him now," boasted Danny, circling around Bert. Bertwas carefully watching. He did not mean to let Danny get the bestof him if he could help it, much as he did not like to fight.
Danny struck Bert on the chest, and Bert hit the bully on thecheek. Then Danny jumped forward swiftly and tried to give Bert ablow on the head. But Bert stepped to one side, and Danny slippeddown to the ground.
As he did so a white box fell from his pocket. Bert knew what kindof a box it was, and what was in it, and he knew now, what hadstained Danny's fingers so yellow, and what made his clothes havesuch a queer smell. For the box had in it cigarettes.
Danny saw where it had fallen, and picked it up quickly. Then hecame running at Bert again, but a boy called:
"Look out! Here comes Mr. Tetlow, the principal!"
This was a signal for all the boys, even Bert, to run, for, thoughschool was out, they still did not want to be caught at a fight byone of the teachers, or Mr. Tetlow.
"Anyhow, you knocked him down, Bert," said Charley Mason, as heran on with Bert. "You beat!"
"He did not--I slipped," said Danny. "I can fight him, and I will,too, some da
y."
"I'm not afraid of you," answered Bert.
Mr. Tetlow did not appear to have seen the fight that amounted toso little. Perhaps he pretended not to.
The Bobbsey Twins at School Page 8