by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER XIV A STEAM ROLLER TO THE RESCUE
The tired girls were awakened by a terrific racket. Groanings, clankingsand an unfamiliar hiss greeted their ears. They opened their eyes to findthat the day had dawned. But what meant this terrible uproar? A shrill,piercing whistle split the calm of the morning.
"Thave me! A train of carth ith coming through the woodth," cried Tommy."Oh, thtop them! They'll run over the tennith court. Thave me!"
Harriet, who had sprung out of bed ahead of her companions, ran to thetent-opening and peered out. Her eyes grew large as she gazed. What shesaw was a huge steam roller, enveloped in a cloud of steam. The rollerwas bumping over the uneven ground, jerking from side to side and makingfrantic efforts to escape from the rough trail over which the guidinghand of the engineer was directing it.
"For mercy's sake, what does it mean?" gasped Harriet.
"It evidently is a mistake," replied Miss Elting. "He has missed his way.Isn't that man from Meadow-Brook?"
"Yes, he is. But I do not know him. I have seen him driving his steamroller through the streets. He is employed on the improved roads, Ibelieve."
"He's coming right this way. He will run down the tent," cried Margery.
The engineer made a detour at this stage, skirting the tennis court, thenonce more heading down toward the tent. He continued on his uneven wayuntil right opposite the Meadow-Brook tent and but a few yards distantfrom it, when he shut off and stopped. Instantly a great burst ofescaping steam roared from the safety valve, enveloping the roller insuch a cloud that for the moment it was entirely obscured. The furnacedoor opened with a clank. When a gentle breeze blew the steam across thecourt toward the woods the girls saw the engineer lighting his pipe. Thisaccomplished, he grasped the whistle lever, pulled the valve wide openand held it there, filling the air with an ear-splitting noise thatlasted for a full minute and was deafening to say the least.
The girls were peering out through the narrow slit at the opening oftheir tent, but immediately on the starting of the whistle they pokedtheir fingers in their ears to shut out the awful sound.
"Stop it!" yelled Crazy Jane. But the whistle drowned the sound of hervoice, the latter being barely heard by her companions in the tent.
About this time they discovered P. Earlington Disbrow hopping from histent with the aid of his stick. He had hastily drawn on his clothes, hishair was standing up in an unkempt shock. He approached the steam rollerin a series of leaps and bounds, aided by his stick. The engineer,observing him, finally decided to let go of the whistle lever.
"Here, you bally driver, what do you mean by waking civilized people upby that din?" he demanded angrily.
"Isn't this the place?" questioned the engineer innocently.
"Yes, it is the place, but blowing all the steam out of your boilerwasn't a part of the job for which you were engaged. Either stop thatracket or pull off where we won't hear you. It's five o'clock in themorning."
"I got to get through and go back on a road job."
"You will be finished before you start if you don't watch out. Pull awayfrom there. There are ladies in that tent. I don't flatter myself thatthey are asleep. If this were a cemetery nobody would be asleep now,after your salutation to the dawn. Pull out, I tell you, and give them achance."
The engineer jerked the throttle open and started his lumbering craftahead without a word of reply to the irate Englishman, who was regardinghim with frowning eyes. The engineer drove his engine to the edge of theclearing, where once more the steam began to blow off, but he mercifullyrefrained from pulling the whistle. After the roller had come to a haltagain, Disbrow hopped back to his own tent, where he took his time aboutmaking his morning toilet.
In the meantime the girls were gazing at each other wonderingly.
"What does it mean?" questioned the guardian.
"I do not know," replied Harriet. "You heard Mr. Disbrow admit that theman had made no mistake in coming here. But what need have we for a steamroller unless it be to run over us, which perhaps might be a good thingafter all," she added with a laugh.
"Dress yourselves, girls," ordered Miss Elting. "We have overslept as itis. Perhaps it is just as well that the steam roller woke us up."
"I think I prefer another kind of alarm clock," chuckled Harriet. "Thisone is too violent and nerve-racking."
Mr. Disbrow was out a second time before the girls had made ready fortheir first appearance. He walked over and held a brief conversation withthe driver of the roller, after which he sat down by his own tent toawait the coming of the girls, who, he felt sure, would soon be out.
They were. They shouted a cheery good morning to their guest, whothereupon hobbled over to them, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"To whom are we indebted for the steam roller?" asked the guardianlightly.
"I owe you an apology, ladies. When I sent word to the man to come here,I did not for a moment imagine he would find it advisable to drive hishideous vehicle into camp before breakfast. I have expressed as much tohim, though in somewhat less temperate language," added Disbrow with afaint smile.
"The apology is accepted, sir," answered Harriet gravely. "But we arestill in the dark as to the reason for this--this visitation?"
"Ah, yes. I took it upon myself. You see, I need some practice, my lateaccident making it necessary that I, too, begin playing. No betteropportunity will present itself. However, the court being in suchwretched shape I dare not attempt any work upon it. It was for thatreason that I had the boys send to town for a steam roller."
"To pack down the court! Oh, that is it," said Harriet brightly. "How canwe thank you?"
"No necessity, Miss Burrell. I tell you it was principally in my ownbehalf that I ordered the roller. I didn't order the whistle. That isthrown in gratis. When the boys get here we will have the net taken downso that the man can begin his work of rolling the court."
"No need to wait for the boys. Come on, girls," cried Harriet.
They ran to the court and, pulling up the stakes, laid the net flat,after which they rolled it carefully. The net was then removed and laidbeside their tent, racquets and stakes were gathered up and stowed in thesame place. It was all done with the usual snap of the Meadow-BrookGirls.
"You American girls certainly have the initiative," declared Disbrowapprovingly. "You aren't afraid to do things. Now, if you were English,you would sit about and look languid, you would wait until the men cameto do the work for you. Not so the American girl. When there is a thingto be done she does it. That is all there is to it. I'll tell that driverto start in. I believe he has gone to sleep."
"Thhall I throw a thtone at him?" questioned Tommy.
"By no means," answered the guardian severely. "Run over and tell him weare ready for him."
"No, no! Leave that for me," protested Disbrow. But Harriet was alreadyrunning toward the roller. She awakened the driver, telling him he mightbegin work at once. He delayed a long time before starting, first feedingmore coal into the fire box and oiling the rheumatic joints of themachine before starting. While Mr. Disbrow was showing the driver how thecourt was to be rolled, the girls were hurriedly preparing breakfast. Hadthey not been enthusiastic before, they surely would be now that theirinstructor had gone to all this pains and expense in their behalf. Theywell knew that it was done wholly on their own account, despite hisexplanations to the contrary.
Captain George and his party arrived after the girls had finished theirbreakfast and the man was still clanking back and forth over the court,which was being slowly packed down into a firm surface that shone underthe polish put on by the heavy roller.
"You are up early this morning," remarked Disbrow, "but we have finishedour breakfast. You will have to wait until luncheon time."
"Had our breakfast, thank you," answered Sam. "What time did theautomobile get here?"
"That got here before breakfatht, too," answered Tommy. "You mutht havethlept pretty thoundly not to have heard i
t."
"We did hear it. We heard the whistle," replied George. "Fine time of dayto get here. Who cleared the court?"
"The young ladies," answered Disbrow, with a reproving glance at theTramp Boys.
"Too bad we all had sprained ankles," retorted Sam mischievously, whereata smile flitted over the pale face of P. Earlington Disbrow.
By eight o'clock Disbrow, after walking over the court and poking it withhis stick, pronounced it satisfactory. He paid the driver of the outfitand dismissed him. The boys were directed to place the net, while theinstructor looked on critically. When it came to measuring the court, heinsisted on doing this himself.
"It is of vital importance that one practise under the identicalconditions that will prevail in the match game. George, set up stakes andstretch a string so that all our lines may be true."
When the court was completed, about an hour later, the campers gazed uponit delightedly.
"Oh, this is a real court!" cried Harriet with glowing eyes.
"Yes. And now you shall do some real playing. We shall have our strokesfirst, then we shall see you put them into practice in a real game. I'llbe playing myself if I look at that handsome court any longer."
The day's work was welcomed with enthusiasm by the Meadow-Brook team.Three sets were played before luncheon time, and rather spirited gamesthey were. The girls with each succeeding game grew more and moreproficient as the different strokes became more mechanical to them, andwhen a halt was called for the noon meal P. Earlington Disbrow showedreal enthusiasm.
"Fine, fine!" he exclaimed, smiling broadly.
"Then you think we thall win the tournament?" questioned Tommy.
"My dear Miss Thompson, we are not cup-winners yet; we are still in thenovice class. We hope to advance a step a day until we get into one ofthe higher classes."
A long rest was taken after luncheon, and then the afternoon was arepetition of the morning with work made easy by the enthusiasm and thepainstaking effort of the Meadow-Brook Girls. It had been the firstreally successful day since they began their practice.
"One point in your favor," declared Disbrow as he was leaving theMeadow-Brook camp that night, "is your wonderful endurance. I believe ina long race you would wear out a steam engine. Add skill to that qualityof endurance and you will be heard from one of these days on the tenniscourt."
With this cheering word still ringing in their ears the Meadow-BrookGirls tumbled into bed and went to sleep almost as soon as they had drawntheir blankets under their chins.