CHAPTER XII
IN THE DORMITORY
By supper time Bobby and Fred knew ten boys to speak to--withoutcounting Jack Jinks, Bill Bronson, and the school captain, BarrymoreGray. The latter they did not see at all again until they beheld himsitting at the doctor's right hand at the head of the "upper table," asthey soon learned to call the one around which the head scholars and theassistant master sat with Dr. Raymond. The junior teachers sat at theheads of the other tables and kept order.
Rockledge was divided into the Upper School and the Lower School. Bobbyand Fred would of course be in the Lower, but just how they would beplaced in classes they would not know until the real business of theschool opened on Monday.
The supper was plentiful, but plain. Bobby missed Meena's sweet cakesand hot tea-biscuit, and Fred whispered that there was hayseed in thestrawberry jam, so he knew it was not "home made."
Pee Wee sat across the table from them and ate steadily, showing beyondperadventure that his plumpness arose from a very natural cause!
Until eight o'clock the boys were allowed to frolic outside as theywished, no tasks being set them as yet. Bobby noticed that one of thejunior teachers was always within sight, while Captain Barry Gray, andsome of the older fellows, were grouped on the main steps of thedormitory building, swapping vacation experiences.
Bobby noticed that Barry was always very well dressed--indeed, richlydressed, beside many of the boys--so he made up his mind that the schoolcaptain must come from a wealthy home.
Bill Bronson jingled money in his pockets and wore a handsome gold watchand a diamond pin in his tie. Most of the smaller boys, however, wereno better dressed than Bobby and Fred.
Taken altogether, the boys who appeared at the supper table were abright and interesting looking crowd. Bobby was sure he was going to behappy here, and Fred was already on terms of intimacy with half a dozenof the chaps about their own age.
The boys from Clinton chanced to be the only new ones to enter Rockledgethis semester. There was usually a long waiting list, but Mr. Martin'sinfluence had gained Bobby the chance to attend with Fred, because thetwo boys were chums.
Before they left the supper table the doctor arose and walked down theline of smaller tables and shook hands with each boy, called him byname, and welcomed him again to the school.
To some he said a word of warning, but all in a cheerful way that tookthe sting out of the admonition. He evidently knew the failings of eachboy, and had studied their characters carefully.
When he came to Bobby and Fred he placed a hand on each boy's shoulderand said, so that all the school could hear:
"Our two new friends. I hope all of you will welcome them kindly. Makethem feel at home."
This was before the evening run outside. Bobby and Fred were taken intoa noisy game of "relievo," and the great clock in the tower chimingeight was all that brought the fun to a close.
The students filed into the library and general study-room on the firstfloor of the main building. For an hour every night the boys wereallowed to read or play quiet games here. It was a cheerful, brightroom, with rugs on the floor, and pretty hangings, and comfortablechairs. Although one of the teachers was always present, there was afeeling of freedom among the boys, and they could talk or read, as theypleased--just so they were not noisy.
When nine struck in the tower, they filed upstairs to bed. There wasplenty of time to undress and prepare for bed before the half hourstruck. Bobby and Fred found that the older boys in the small roomswere allowed to remain up a half hour longer than those occupying thebig dormitories.
Captain Gray came in and advised the small boys to lay their clothingcarefully on their chairs as they removed the garments.
"Part of the fire drill, you know," he said, cheerfully. "Coat and vestover the back of the chair. Pants folded nicely and laid across theback, too. Here, Pee Wee! None of that! Shake out your stockings andhang them on the chair-round. Shoes each side of the chair as you takethem off--right and left. That's it."
He walked up and down between the rows of beds. He told Bobby and Fredjust how to distribute the remainder of their garments so that theywould be easily at hand if there came an alarm.
"Of course, there's no danger, and there are plenty of fire escapes andall that," said the big boy, cheerfully. "But the Old Doctor insistsupon our being ready for any emergency. Some night you'll be waked upby the fire bell and find drill is called. Want to be ready for it."
Then he glanced again at Fred's chair. "Hi, Ginger!" he said. "Putyour boots straight. Your left one's on your right side, and viceversa."
There was a good deal of fun at Fred's expense when Barry had gone."Hi, Ginger!" resounded from all parts of the room; Fred Martin had wona distinctive nickname on the spot, and he didn't like it much.
"I knew I shouldn't like that big fellow," he confessed to Bobby. "AndI'll lick some of these kids yet, if they keep on calling me Ginger."
"No, you won't," declared Bobby. "You know you won't. They all havenicknames, too. Yours is no worse than 'Pee Wee,' or 'Shiner,' or'Buck,' or 'Skeets.' They'll stick me with one yet."
"But 'Ginger'--"
"Aw, stop your kicking," advised his chum. "It won't get you anywhere."
There was still a buzz of voices as the twenty boys finished gettingready for bed. The door opened and Bill Bronson and Jack Jinks, fromtheir room across the hall, looked in.
"Sleep with an eye open, you kids," Bill ordered, in a shrill whisper."Something doing by and by."
"Oh, what, Bill?" cried Purdy, near the door.
"Somebody's got to ride the goat," chuckled the squint-eyed boy, lookingover his chum's shoulder.
At that several of the others looked at Bobby and Fred, and chuckled.The two Clinton boys did not hear this by-play. Bill and his chumlooked over at the newcomers with wide grins.
Just at this moment Bobby was completely ready for bed and he droppedupon his knees before his chair at the head of the bed and proceeded tosay his prayers as he always did at home. Fred, after a moment'shesitation, followed suit.
Instantly a hush fell upon the room. The boys who had been gabblingtogether stopped because they saw the facial expression of those boysgrouped at the doorway. Everybody turned to look at the corner occupiedby the chums from Clinton.
The silence was but for a moment. Then Bill laughed and took one longstride to the nearest bed. He snatched up a pillow and sent it withunerring aim and considerable force at the back of Bobby's head.
The pillow reached its mark, and Bobby jumped. But he did not rise untilhis prayer was completed. A second pillow came his way, while Jack andsome of the other spectators laughed immoderately.
Fred Martin jumped up with an angry exclamation. Perhaps he did notfinish his prayer at all. He grabbed one of the pillows which had struckhis chum and made for Bill Bronson at the other end of the room.
"You big bully!" he exclaimed, all the rage which he had bottled up thatday boiling over in an instant, "You big bully! Can't you leave apeaceable fellow alone?"
He slammed the yellow-haired youth over the head, and struck him so hardthat the pillow-case burst and the feathers began to fly. Bill uttereda roar of rage, and tried to seize him.
"Don't, Fred! Stop! Stop!" called Bobby, from the other end of theroom.
Fred Martin had gone too far to stop now. He expected to take athrashing for his boldness, but meanwhile he was filling Bronson's eyesand mouth with feathers.
Jack Jinks put out his foot and tripped the smaller boy up. Fred fellwith Bill on top of him. The bigger boy began to use his fists.
"No fair! Let him up, Bill!" cried two or three.
"Shut up!" ordered Jack, putting his back against the closed door. "Youkids that holler will get all that's coming to you."
Bobby came running up the room to help his chum, and at just thatinstant the door knob was turned and the door was burst in, sendin
g Jacksliding half way across the room.
"Cheese it!" squealed Pee Wee, jumping into bed with his trousers on.
But it was only Barry Gray who appeared.
"Hello! Can't keep quiet the first night, eh?" demanded the captain."What you doing in here, Jack?"
Then he saw Bill Bronson on top of the struggling Fred. Bill had got inone savage punch and there was blood flowing from Fred's nose upon theburst pillow.
Captain Gray seized Bill by the back of his collar and with both handsjerked him to his feet. Bill squealed like a rat, thinking the OldDoctor himself had come to Fred's rescue.
"Ow! Ow! Ouch!" he squealed. "Aw--_you_! Let me alone, Barry Gray.This isn't any of your business."
"All right. I'll pass it up to the teachers if you say so," snapped thecaptain.
"Aw--well--"
"Hold on!" commanded Barry, stepping in front of Jack who was sneakingout of the room "_You're_ in this, too."
"No, I'm not," said Jack.
"You were holding the door," said Barry. "Stop here till we hear what'sthe trouble."
Half a dozen shrill voices tried to tell him at once. But Barry pointedat Fred. "_You_ tell," he said.
"I hit him with the pillow," growled Fred, ungraciously enough.
Barry glanced down the room toward Fred's bed. "It isn't your pillow,"he said. "Did he shuck the pillow at you first?"
"No," said Fred, determined not to "snitch."
But Howell Purdy didn't feel that way about it. He said to the captain:
"Bill Bronson began it. He fired a couple of pillows at Bobby Blakewhen Bobby was saying his prayers. Then Fred went for him."
Barry looked from Fred's flushed and bloody face to Bobby's pale one.He said nothing for a moment to either of them, but turned on BillBronson.
"You know the rules. You had no business in this dormitory--neither younor Jack."
"I suppose you'll tell on us," snarled Bill. "Of course! I knew what atattle-tale you'd be just as soon as the Old Doc appointed you captainlast June. He did it so that he'd be sure to have somebody to run tohim with every little thing."
"Maybe," returned Barry, flushing. "But he doesn't call it a littlething for two boys to fight in a dormitory."
"Yah!" snarled Bill.
"Give me a fair chance and I'll fight him anywhere!" declared thebelligerent Fred, sopping the blood with a handkerchief that Bobby hadbrought him.
"You are one plucky kid," said Barry, quickly. "But if there has got tobe a fight, it must be between two fellows more evenly matched. I leaveit to the room: Is a fight fair between Bronson and Martin!"
"No!" cried the boys in chorus.
"But Bill Bronson started the fight, so he ought to be accommodated,"Captain Gray said. "Isn't that right?"
Some of the boys giggled. Fred muttered: "Let me fight him. I'm notafraid."
"If Bill doesn't want me to go to the Doctor with this, he'll have toabide by my decision, won't he?" proceeded Barry, his eyes twinkling.
"Sure!" cried the crowd, led by Pee Wee, now delighted by what they sawwas coming.
"Aw, you're too fresh," grumbled the bully.
"That's not the question," said Barry. "Do you agree?"
"To what?"
"To have me set the punishment for this infraction of the rules, insteadof putting it up to the Old Doctor?"
"Well!"
"You, too, Jack?" demanded Barry of the squinting fellow.
"Yes," muttered the latter.
"All right. Then I announce that as Bill wants to fight, he shall beaccommodated. Jack is a good match for him. Isn't that so, boys?"
There was a storm of giggling. The two bullies looked at each other andgrinned. The idea of them fighting each other was preposterous--or, soit seemed.
"And for fear," said the captain, his eyes twinkling, "that they won'tplay fair, if they are matched in a regular fight, we'll make it a'poguey fight' to-morrow morning at nine--in the gym. Now, you twofellows run to your rooms--and show up at nine in the gym, or I'll comeafter you."
He drove the bullies out of the room before him, and then went himself.There was a subdued whispering and giggling all over the dormitory.
"What's a 'poguey fight'?" demanded Bobby, of Pee Wee, in some alarm.
The fat boy was rocking himself to and fro on the bed in huge delight,and could scarcely answer for laughing.
"You wait and see," he finally chuckled, "It's more fun than theKilkenny cats!"
Bobby Blake at Rockledge School; or, Winning the Medal of Honor Page 12