Boys of Oakdale Academy
Page 28
CHAPTER XXVIII.
AROUSED AT LAST.
On Monday morning Rod was early at the academy, waiting for Springerand Piper. He paid no apparent heed to the disdainful, contemptuouslooks of the boys who saw him posted there on the steps; nevertheless,he took note of their manner and felt fierce, resentful wrath burningin his heart.
The girls likewise regarded him with open aversion. Sadie Springer andLelia Barker, coming up the path together, beheld the defiant youngTexan and exchanged words concerning him. It was natural enough thatLelia should espouse her brother’s cause and hold the same opinionsregarding Grant; however, for some reason which he himself could notunderstand, her remark, distinctly heard as she mounted the steps, cuthim keenly.
“Why, Sadie,” she said, evidently speaking for his ears as well asthose of her companion, “he’s a perfect young ruffian. No one elsewould do things he has done.”
In many ways Lelia was unlike her brother. She was headstrong andimpulsive, and, while Berlin was coldly cautious and calculating, shehad often betrayed a daring and almost reckless disposition. He hadnever been pronouncedly popular, but Lelia was both liked and admiredby nearly all the girls and boys of the school. They had neverexchanged a word, but Rod, had he analyzed his true feelings, wouldhave found that he also entertained a strong liking for Lelia.
He forgot her in a moment, however, as he saw Phil Springer and RogerEliot turn in at the gate, with Piper and some other fellows a shortdistance behind.
“Springer,” said Rod, descending the steps to meet him, “I want to havea little talk with you. You, too, Piper; I’d like to ask you fellowssome questions.”
They regarded him coldly, repellantly, Sleuth’s lips taking on a curlof disdain.
Rod continued quickly: “According to Barker, you fellows were with himwhen he found my silk handkerchief Saturday morning. Is that right?”
“Absolutely correct,” answered Piper, while Springer merely nodded.
“You were following the tracks of some one supposed to have shotBarker’s dog, were you?”
“We were hot on the trail of the scoundrel,” said Sleuth. “Only for thesnowstorm, we’d tracked him to his lair.”
“Did you see Barker find my handkerchief?”
“You bet we did.”
“He claims to have found it hanging on a bush. Were you near at handwhen he made the discovery?”
“Phil was about five feet behind him, and I was close behind Phil,”replied Sleuth.
“Are you positive Barker did not hang the handkerchief on the bush andthen call your attention to it?”
Springer suddenly burst into derisive laughter.
“Now what do you think of that!” he cried. “If that isn’t about thepoorest attempt I ever knew of to struggle out of a thing, I’ll eat myhuh-hat! It won’t do, Mr. Grant—it won’t dud-do.”
“Not at all,” agreed Piper sternly. “Berlin called our attention to thehandkerchief before he’d even reached it. He didn’t have a chance tohang it there.”
“That’s all I want to know,” said Rod quietly, “and I’m much obliged toyou.”
“Don’t mention it,” returned Sleuth cuttingly.
Barker reached the academy barely in time to escape being late for theopening of the morning session. As he seated himself at his desk hiseyes were turned in the direction of Rodney Grant some distance away,but already Rod had a book open before him and was apparently quiteoblivious to his surroundings. And all through the forenoon the youngTexan gave constant attention to his books and recitations, not evenseeming aware of the fact that the other boys drew away from him inclasses, leaving him alone and solitary. Even at intermission hesucceeded in maintaining his demeanor undisturbed, although with halfan eye and no ears at all he could not have failed to take note of thesneers and disdain of his schoolmates.
As the deep snow had obliterated the path across lots, it was necessaryfor him to take a roundabout course through the village in order toreach his aunt’s home; and, on his way for midday lunch, turning upMain Street from the square, he perceived several fellows blocking thesidewalk in front of Hyde’s livery stable. Instantly he knew there wastrouble impending, but not even for an instant did he hesitate orslacken his steady stride. Rollins, Tuttle, Cooper, Piper,Springer—they were all there. Barker was there, too, standing in themiddle of the sidewalk, his gaze fixed on the approaching lad, for whomhe was plainly waiting, and Rod knew they had made haste to reach thisspot ahead of him.
Within Grant’s heart a voice seemed calling warningly: “Steady! Becareful! You know what may happen if you lose your head.” But they hadsneered at him as a coward, they had branded him as a braggart and aquitter, and now the time had come when his manhood would no longerpermit him to betray the slightest wavering; so, with his face a triflepale, but his eyes shining dangerously, and every nerve in his bodykeyed, he went forward.
Barker held his place in the middle of the sidewalk; unless he turnedaside a bit Rod must brush against him. Their eyes met, and suddenlyBerlin cried:
“Hold on a minute, you dog-killing whelp! I told you what I’d do if thelaw wasn’t sufficient to make you settle for that dirty piece ofbusiness, and now you can’t get away unless you turn your back and runfor it.”
“Barker,” said Grant, and there was something in his voice thatsurprised those waiting, staring lads, “I turned my back on you once,and I’ve been mortally ashamed of it ever since, even though it was foryour own good, as well as my own, that I did so. You’ve pushed me toofar, and I’ll never turn again; but I warn you that you’d better stepaside right lively and let me pass.”
“Ha! ha!” laughed Berlin, in derisive contempt. “You’re as brave as acornered rat.”
“Sometimes a cornered rat is dangerous. Get out of my way!”
“I will when I’m through with you—I’ll get out of your way and let youcrawl home after you’ve had the thrashing of your life.” As he utteredthis threat Berlin, having his coat already unbuttoned, suddenlysnapped it off and flung it into the waiting hands of Sleuth Piper.“I’m going to smash your face!” he shouted. “I’ll teach you to shootinoffensive dogs, you cheap cur!”
He sprang forward with the final insulting word on his lips and aimed ablow at Grant’s mouth. Quick as a flash the young Texan ducked andsidestepped, permitting Berlin’s fist to shoot over his shoulder.Untouched, he drove his own right fist with staggering force againstthe solar plexus of his assailant, stopping that rush in a twinkling;in another twinkling the knuckles of his left hand crashed full andfair on the point of Barker’s jaw, and the would-be avenger of SilverTongue crumpled like a frost-struck autumn leaf and went down.
THE WOULD-BE AVENGER OF SILVER TONGUE CRUMPLED LIKE ALEAF AND WENT DOWN. —Page 280.]
It was done so quickly that the boys who had gathered to see Berlinthrash the Texan scarcely had time to catch a breath before they beheldGrant, his fists clenched, his face ashen and terrible, his lips drawnback from his set teeth, standing over the fallen fellow as if ready toleap upon him as he lay and beat out of his body what breath of lifemight linger there. But it was Grant’s eyes that terrified them themost, for they were the eyes of a wild beast aroused to the mostfrightful fury; and Piper, dropping the coat and falling back, screamedaloud:
“Stop him, fellers—stop him, or he’ll kill Bern sure!”
Somehow it seemed as if that cry brought Rodney Grant to his senses,for slowly his fists unclenched and his hands dropped at his sides,while, with a hissing sound like the intake of steam, he drew a longbreath that filled his chest to its utmost capacity.
“Don’t worry,” he said, and there was something of that sameindescribable, awesome touch in his voice; “I won’t touch him again.The poor fool can’t fight, anyhow. I’ve tried to keep peaceable anddecent; but, now that you’ve made it impossible for me to do so, ifthere are any friends of his present who want to take up his fight Isure hope they won’t be backward about
it; for we may as well have thematter settled right now, to prevent any further uncertainty orannoyance.”
But there was no one who showed the slightest desire to take up thischallenge, even Rollins, who had once browbeaten and insulted the boyfrom Texas, slinking behind Chub Tuttle’s roly-poly body in a way thatplainly betokened an amazing respect for Grant’s fighting powers, atleast. Seeing this, the faintest shadow of an inexpressiblycontemptuous smile flitted across the defiant lad’s face.
“All right,” he said, “I’ll leave you to doctor up your indiscreetfriend, who, I reckon, will come round all right in a few minutes.” Hepassed on, and they took care to give him room.
“Jinks!” breathed Piper, as Barker stirred slightly and uttered a faintsound which caused Springer to kneel hastily beside him. “I told youthat feller was a perfect fiend to fight. I knew, for didn’t I see himhandle Lander!”
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