CHAPTER V A CELEBRATION ON THE CAMPUS
"Say, Tom, this is great!"
"What now, Sam?"
"All of us have passed the exams with credit marks."
"All of us? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I was in the classroom not five minutes ago and got the good word."
"Say, that makes me feel like dancing a jig!" cried Tom Rover, and he dida few steps on the floor of the gymnasium. "Won't the folks at home betickled when they hear of it!"
"Dick got the highest marks of the class," went on the youngest Rover."Stanley is next."
"Where do we come in?"
"You are seventh."
"Oh, lucky seventh!" murmured the fun-loving Rover. "It's always thatway! At baseball if I do anything at all it is usually in the seventhinnings."
"Don't grow superstitious, Tom."
"Where do you come in?"
"I stand fifth."
"That's splendid, Sam! Oh, come on and jig!" And Tom caught his brotherby the waist and whirled him around. Over the gymnasium floor they went,to land suddenly into the form of William Philander Tubbs, who had justentered.
"Oh, I say, don't you know----" spluttered William Philander. He had thebreath all but knocked out of his body.
"Excuse me, Tublets," cried Tom.
"Don't call me Tublets, please," expostulated the tall student. "Andplease don't run into me again."
"Oh, Sam and I were only doing a war dance," cried Tom, gaily. "We havepassed our exams."
"You are very rude, don't you know."
"It shan't occur again, Philliam Willander."
"William Philander, Tom."
"To be sure, I am glad I am sorry that I remember I forgot," answeredTom, gravely. "It shan't occur again the last time, I assure you."
"Oh, Tom, let up!" put in Dick, who had come up. "We have passed--doesn'tthat make you feel good?"
"And you at the head of the class, Dick! Say, if I had wings, or anaeroplane, I'd fly!"
"Come on for a last swing on the rings!" exclaimed Dick, and led the way,and soon all of the brothers were exercising on the flying rings withwhich the college gymnasium was equipped.
It was Monday afternoon and studies were practically at an end and allthe boys had to do was to pack up their things and wait for the time togo home.
On Sunday morning the three Rovers had driven over to Hope Seminary andtaken Dora and the Lanings to church. At that time it had been arrangedthat all should start for home on the early morning train on thefollowing Wednesday. They would travel together as far as a place calledCartown and then separate, the girls to go on to Cedarville and the ladsto journey to Oak Run, the nearest railroad station to the farm.
"Some of the fellows are going home Tuesday night," said Dick. "So if weare going to have any fun we had better have it Monday night," and so itwas arranged.
The Rovers had had no further opportunity to talk to Dudd Flockley. Theynoticed that Flockley avoided them and seemed to be in deep thought.
"I suppose he is thinking of Koswell and Larkspur," said Dick. "Poorfellow, I feel sorry for him! I hope he doesn't let them drag him downany deeper."
"He has only himself to blame for the position he is in," said Sam. "Wedid what we could for him--more than most fellows would do, Dick."
"That is true, Sam."
Supper was had at the usual hour and then the students commenced togather on the campus and down by the river. Nearly everybody was in goodhumor, and they sang, and made a racket generally. Bonfires were lit, andalso a string of paper lanterns.
"I've got a surprise for the crowd," said Tom to Sam. "Come on and helpme to wake Brill up."
"How?" questioned the younger Rover.
"I'll soon show you--come with me."
Tom led the way to a storeroom behind the gymnasium. In one corner, undersome old canvas, was a box several feet long, that had come in byexpress.
"I had the time of my life getting this here without having it passinspection by the Head," said Tom.
"What's in it, Tom?"
"Fireworks--a regular Fourth of July outfit--rockets, Roman candles,pinwheels, bombs, and all. I sent the order to the city a week ago."
"Good for you!" cried Sam, with a grin. "This will certainly wake up thenatives."
"See if you can get Dick to help us. But be careful--I want to surpriseall the rest, even Stanley."
"I'll get him," answered Sam, and hurried off.
A little later, when it was quite dark, the three Rover boys shoulderedthe big box and carried it to the edge of the woods beside the campus.Then they opened the box and took out the fireworks.
"Guess we'll send up a few bombs first, just to wake everybody up," saidTom.
A minute later a large-sized bomb went whistling upward in the air. Itflew high over the college building, to burst with a deafening report.
"Hello, what's that?" yelled several.
"Who fired that shot?"
"Did a cannon go off?"
"It was an aerial bomb--and there goes another!" cried Allen Charter."Somebody is celebrating in earnest."
All of the students on the campus stared at the bombs in wonder, whileothers came rushing from various buildings, to learn the meaning of thereports.
"Who shot off the cannon?" stormed Professor Sharp. "It's against therules to shoot off that cannon without permission."
"It wasn't the cannon, Professor," explained Frank Holden. "It was abomb. Somebody----"
Boom! went another bomb, and it was right over the professor's head. Theprofessor was scared and ducked wildly.
"I want the person who is doing that----" he commenced, but got nofurther, for just then a big rocket went hissing through the air, toburst a second later and let fall a beautiful shower of golden rain.
"Oh, isn't that grand!"
"Say, this is something like!"
"Must be that Doctor Wallington meant to surprise us."
Far into the sky flew two more rockets, one letting fall some chains ofred, white and blue and the other some strange fish-like shapes thatdarted hither and thither.
"This is certainly all to the merry!" murmured Stanley. "It's as good asa Fourth of July exhibition."
"Look at the Roman candles!" cried Max, pointing over to the woods. Fromamong the trees three large Roman candles were sending their balls ofvarious colors high into the air.
"This is a surprise and no mistake," murmured Doctor Wallington, as hegazed at the fireworks.
"Didn't you know about them, Doctor?" questioned Allen Charter.
"No. It must be the work of some students."
"I'm going to see who is doing it!" cried Stanley, and ran for the woods,followed by a score of others.
When the crowd arrived they found Dick, Tom and Sam in the act of settingoff more rockets and Roman candles.
"Say, you sure surprised us!" cried Stanley.
"It's out of sight!" murmured Spud.
"Huh! I am sorry," murmured Tom. "I thought it was very much in sight."
"Oh, you know what I mean, Tom. It's bang-up."
"It sure is that!" cried Sam, as one of the rockets exploded with a loudreport.
"Here are some packages of red lights," said Tom. "I want every fellowhere to take one and light it. Then we'll form a procession and marcharound the buildings."
"That's the talk!" cried Stanley. "Say, if we only had a band!"
"I'll go and git my drum," cried Max, who chanced to own one.
"And I'll get my bugle," added a student who possessed such aninstrument.
By the time the drum and bugle were brought the red lights were lit, andamid a general cheering the students got into line and the march aroundthe college buildings began.
"Come on in, Dudd!" cried Dick, to Flockley, who stood looking on, and hepassed over a red light which the student took rather unwillingly."Everybody in this march!"
Around and around the buildings marched the students. William P
hilanderTubbs wanted to keep out of the procession, but he was caught by Sam andTom and made to carry a flag consisting of an old red sweater tied to thehandle of a broom. Other boys carried the college colors, and they addedto the din with tin horns and wooden rattles.
"My! but this is disgraceful!" muttered Professor Sharp, in disgust.
"Disgraceful?" cried Doctor Wallington. "Not at all, sir. Let the youngmen enjoy themselves. They are doing no harm."
"I don't like so much noise," snapped Asa Sharp, and retired to thecollege building.
"I've got about a dozen packs of firecrackers," said Tom, a little later."We mustn't forget to shoot them off."
"Pass 'em around, Tom!" cried Stanley, and the firecrackers were quicklydistributed.
"Come on and give old Filbury a scare," suggested Spud, and beforeanybody could stop him he went off after the old man who worked aroundthe dormitories. He found Filbury on a step-ladder, fixing a lamp, and hevery quietly pinned his firecrackers to the old man's coat tail.
"What do you want, sir?" asked the old man, as he started to come downthe step-ladder.
"I wanted to ask you if you knew where my baseball was," asked Spud,innocently.
"No, I don't know nuthing about baseballs," growled Filbury. He sniffedthe air. "Say, smells like something burning around here!" he cried. "Didany of them fireworks set fire to the buildings?"
"I guess not," answered Spud. "But about that ball----"
Crack! bang! crack! went a number of the firecrackers and poor Filburyleaped several feet into the air. Then he turned hastily around.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, and then a long string of thefirecrackers went off, causing him to whirl first to one side and thenanother. He put his hands behind him. "Ouch! I'm burnt!" he screamed.
"Whoopla! that's the way to celebrate!" roared Spud. "Nothing like havingfun while you are at it!"
"I'll 'fun' you!" yelled Filbury, in anger, and of a sudden he drew offhis coat and commenced to chase Spud. Down the corridor went the pair.And then Filbury cast the coat with the firecrackers still exploding, atSpud's head.
Spud ducked and the coat sailed over his head, to enter a doorway thatwas partly open. Then another person appeared. It was Professor AsaSharp. He stepped on the coat and as he did so several of thefirecrackers went off, one hitting him directly in the chin.
"Oh!" he screamed. "I am hit! Take those fireworks away!" And he bolteddown the hallway with all the speed he could command. He ran out on aporch and then down on the campus, where Tom and Sam were bending oversomething on the ground.
"Look out! Run!" yelled Tom, and then he and his brother leaped back. Inbewilderment Professor Asa Sharp stood still. Then a terrific explosionrent the air, and a great shower of sparks flew in all directions.
The Rover Boys Down East; or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune Page 7