CHAPTER XII
DR. SHADDUCK FEARS AN EPIDEMIC
"There he is!"
"Cut him off; he's trying to dodge us!"
"No you don't, Frank; we're just bound to give you a ride around.These things don't happen every day. Up with him, fellows!"
Fully fifty wild Columbia students had gathered around thecaptain, effectually blocking his escape from the field. Frank,suspecting some such design, had tried his best to slip offunobserved; but hundreds of eyes were on him, and even his fellowplayers showed treachery, handing him over to the crowd.
He was immediately hoisted upon the shoulders of several brawnychaps, and with a motley crowd following, after they set out toparade the field, shouting the battle cry of the school, andsinging the famous song that always thrilled the hearts ofColumbia's patriotic sons and daughters.
Those who had remained in the grandstand cheered as the processionswept past, and among these was Minnie Cuthbert. Frank neverlooked that way once, she noted, and yet there had been a time,not so very far back, when he would have thought of her the firstthing.
And yet Frank was perfectly conscious that she was standing there,leaning over the railing, and watching the fun with eagerness.Sometimes it is possible to see without looking direct.
When he could escape Frank hurried home. He was of courseoverjoyed to realize that his team had won the game; but thestrain of those last ten minutes had been simply terrific. Whatwould it be with the Bellport eleven, every member of which hadundoubtedly been present, picking up points that would be usefulin the big Thanksgiving Day game?
Of course there must a celebration that night. Victory deservedsomething of the sort, and the boys were bound to make the factknown to every citizen of the town. Fires would be blazing, hornstooting, firecrackers exploding, and a general hurrah takingplace, with crowds of students, roaming around, and ringing thevarious college songs they loved so well.
Frank found a warm welcome at his home. His father declared he wasproud of the fact that he had a boy so well able to manage affairsof great moment. It was a great day at the Allen house, and Helen,for the time being, even forgot her grief in connection with theunexplained desertion of her once fondly loved chum, MinnieCuthbert.
Just after lunch Frank was called to the telephone. Ralph haddropped in to talk over matters connected with the game, which, ofcourse, must be the one important topic of conversation among theColumbia students until the concluding meeting came about thatwould settle the championship.
"Hello! who's this?" Frank asked, as he picked up the receiver,and placed it at his ear.
A laugh was the first sound he heard.
"That you, Bones?" he demanded, thinking he recognized apeculiarity about this chuckle that stamped the identity of theone who seemed so merry.
"Sure; that you, Frank? Say, it's an epidemic that's struck us!"called the one at the other end of the wire.
"What do you mean. Make it plainer; I'm all up in the air,"answered Frank, who knew Bones was a great fellow for joking, andwondered what he had in hand now.
"They had my dad guessing some, I tell you. He began to think itwas his duty to warn the town authorities so that they could takeproper precautions; for honest now, it did look like the wholeplace was overrun with frisky canines, snapping at every one theymet!"
"What's that you say?" asked Frank, pricking up his ears at themention of dogs; for the memory of several recent experiences wasfresh in his mind.
"Why, you see, every one's getting bitten. It's the latest fad. Mydad had just three come to him early this morning to have woundscauterized to make sure!"
"Good gracious! you don't say?" ejaculated Frank, waiting forfurther explanations, which he knew would not be long in coming.
"Yes, and the funny part of it is all of them were boys. The dogsseem to have taken a great fancy for the breed. Guess you couldgive a close hazard about who they were. Perhaps you know theirlimp, for they showed it plain enough at the game," went on Bones,with another series of chuckles.
"I saw Bill Klemm rubbing his calf and talking to Jay Tweedle;yes, and when they walked off I thought each of them seemed tohave a stiff leg. How about that; were they to see the doctor?"asked the captain of the football team, eagerly.
"Sure as you live, and Asa Barnes ditto. Asa said he was passingan empty lot last night when a brindle cur just deliberatelyjumped out and nabbed him. Of course he kicked the beast away,and it ran off howling; but his father, on being told thecircumstances this morning, thought he ought to have a littlecaustic applied so as to take no chances. Think of it--a brindle cur,and that sneak kicked him! Oh! my!"
"And where did Bill say he got his dose from?"
"He's got a little bit of a poodle, you know. Well, he had thenerve to declare the baby beast bit him! Dad said he found it hardto believe, for judging from the marks of the teeth it was a jawthree times as big as Tiny's that did the business. Dad knowsbetter now."
"Then you told him all about Kaiser's work last night?"
"Sure; I had to. He was for putting off to warn the town police tolook out for all brindle dogs, and shoot 'em on the spot--whichspot I don't know. But you see, somebody had told him about Kaiseracting that way at the field, and he was ready to order himmassacred before he went mad too. So I had to relate the dreadfulstory of how Bill and Asa and Jay got their little tattoo marks."
"What did he say then?" asked Frank, greatly amused.
"Nearly took a fit laughing over it. Instead of being chloroformedor otherwise exterminated Kaiser is going to get a new collar now,dad's especial gift. Hurrah for Kaiser! He's the whole circusevery time!"
"Yes," said Frank, quickly, "he came near getting his finishthough to-day. Old Officer Whalen was on his trail and meant tofill him full of holes, if he could ever get close enough. It wasa narrow escape for Kaiser."
"A narrower one for the crowd. Did you ever see Officer Whalenpractice firing at a mark? Well, I have. The man couldn't hit abarn door thirty feet off. Can't you come over, Frank? I've gotsomething to propose to you. The afternoon is too fine and bracingto stay cooped up in the house. We'll soon have to hibernate, youknow. Come along!" called Bones.
"Ralph is with me."
"All right. Bring him along. Glad to have him."
"Look for us soon then. I've got something I want to ask youanyway. Good-bye," and Frank turned from the phone to explain tothe wondering Ralph just why he had been so overcome withmerriment.
Of course Ralph thought the joke a good one when he too heard theparticulars of the sudden run upon the good doctor's supply ofliquid caustic.
"No wonder they limped after all that; the remedy was worse thanthe disease, I reckon. I don't suppose anything serious will comeout of those bites now?" he said, after he had stopped laughing.
"Oh! hardly. Thousands are bitten every year by angry dogs, andhow few cases of hydrophobia you hear about. They'll limp around alittle while and then forget all about it But Bones wants us tocome over to his house, so if you have no objections we'll justsaunter across lots and see what he's got going."
"Just as you say." remarked Ralph, rising immediately; "thoughunless you object I thought of dropping in at the post-office onthe way. There's a mail in, and possibly a letter might come forme that I could get before the carrier came around."
Frank looked at him with pity in his eyes. He knew how secretlyRalph was suffering all the pangs that can come with hope longdeferred; and that each day seemed like an eternity to the boy whowas yearning to feel the loving arms of a mother about his neck, amother whom he had never known.
"Certainly; that's only a step out of the way. But be careful asyou go, and if you see a brindle pup in a vacant lot run for yourlife! They're mighty dangerous, I'm told," at which both boyslaughed again, and the cloud passed from Ralph's rather pale face.
As chance would have it, as they issued from the front door avehicle passed the house, and in it were seated Minnie Cuthbertand Lef Seller, the fellow whom she had more than onc
e declaredshe never meant to speak to again. It was Lef's rig, and theobject he had in view in thus deliberately passing Frank's homewas obvious.
Frank, after that one start, was prepared. He immediately doffedhis cap with the most excruciating politeness. Minnie turnedwhite, then red. She hardly knew what to do under the circumstances;but found herself nodding her head as though she could not helpit, even after cutting Frank on the preceding day.
Frank saw the grin of triumph on the face of his rival, but thoughhis blood was fairly boiling with indignation at his coming out ofthe way to let him see their renewal of friendship, he simplylooked after the vehicle and smiled.
Ralph was chuckling as if amused.
"Sometimes girls' friendships are so quickly changed they make methink of that wonderful Finnegan and his report of the accident onhis section of the railroad. You know how his boss had taken himto task because he stretched things out so. When the old train hadanother wreck he just wrote out his report: 'Off again, on again,gone again, Finnegan.' Yesterday it was you, to-day Lef, andtomorrow--well, tomorrow hasn't come yet, so we won't anticipate.Come along, Frank," and linking his arm in that of his chum, Ralphdrew him away.
And in the lively talk that followed Frank soon forgot his bitterfeeling at the strange actions of the pretty girl he had oncethought so charming.
Boys of Columbia High on the Gridiron : or, the Struggle for the Silver Cup Page 12