"I"d like nothing better!" he cried. "I"ve been a-thinkin" I might ship again. I can"t stay an" be spongin" on you folks any longer, it wouldn"t be proper. I want to pay up, now Dave has found my money for me."
"Keep your money, Dill," returned Oliver Wadsworth. "You may need it later." And then he explained what Dave wished to do, and how the tar might accompany the youth on his long trip.
"I"ll go--an" glad o" the chance," said Billy Dill, readily. "Just draw up your articles, an" I"ll sign "em any time ye want." And so the matter was settled.
Dave returned to Oak Hall late that night in a very thoughtful mood. So much had been done and said that he wanted time in which to think it over. It was not until the next day that he got a chance to talk matters over with Phil and Roger, both of whom listened attentively to his tale.
"It seems to me you are learning something, Dave," said Roger. "I hope the whole matter is cleared up before long. Then Plum and Poole will have to stop casting slurs on you."
"And now, Phil, I want to go out to the South Seas with you," continued Dave. "And, what is more, I am going to ask your father to find a place on the vessel for Billy Dill."
"I fancy he"ll do that, if I ask him," answered Phil. "I"ll write and tell the whole story, and I know he will be as much interested as I am."
"I wish I was going on that trip with you," said Roger. "Such an outing would suit me to a T."
"I guess there will be room enough for another pa.s.senger," answered Phil. "Why don"t you ask your folks about it?"
"I will!" burst out the senator"s son. "They are going to Europe, you know. I was to go along, but I"ll see if I can"t go with you two instead."
After that there was a good deal of letter-writing, and the boys waited anxiously for replies. In the meanwhile, the final examinations for the term began. Dave did his best to keep his mind on his lessons, and succeeded so well that he came out second from the top, studious Polly Vane heading the list. Roger came next to Dave, with Ben Ba.s.swood fourth, Phil sixth, and Sam Day seventh. Gus Plum was almost at the end of the list, and Nat Poole was but little better. In a lower cla.s.s, Luke Watson stood second, Buster Beggs fourth, and Chip Macklin fifth. Shadow Hamilton, although generally a good student, dropped to tenth place in his cla.s.s.
"I am more than gratified at this showing," said Doctor Clay, when the examinations were over. "The general average is higher than usual. You have done well, and I shall award the prizes with much pleasure."
After that there was an entertainment lasting the best part of the afternoon, and in the evening the students celebrated by a bonfire on the campus and a general merrymaking. They sang the school song over and over again, and gave the Hall cry:
"Baseball!
Football!
Oak Hall Has the call!
Biff! Boom! Bang! Whoop!"
"To-night"s the night!" whispered Phil, as he entered the school with his chums. "Just wait and see!"
CHAPTER XV
WINDING UP THE SCHOOL TERM
"I must say, I don"t feel much like fun to-night," observed Dave, as he hurried up the stairs to dormitory No. 12. "I am anxious to get started on that trip to the Pacific."
"Oh, that will hold for one day longer," said Ben. "I wish I was going, too. Roger, have you got word yet?"
"No, but I expect a letter to-morrow. If it doesn"t come, I"ll have to wait till I get home."
Dave was in advance and was the first to throw open the dormitory door.
As he did so, a powerful smell of onions greeted him.
"Great Caesar!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "Smells like an onion factory up here.
Somebody must have been eating a dozen or two. Open the window, Phil, while I make a light."
"h.e.l.lo, what"s this!" spluttered Ben, and fell headlong over something.
"A decayed cabbage! Who put that on the floor?"
"Look out, everybody!" shouted Roger. "I just stepped on something soft.
Phew! Some decayed sweet potatoes!"
By this time Dave made a light, and all of the boys who had come up gazed around the dormitory. Then a cry of amazement and anger arose.
"This is a rough-house, and no mistake!"
"Somebody has been heaving decayed vegetables all over the room!"
"Yes, and ancient eggs, too! This is an outrage!"
"Here is a rotten cabbage in my trunk!" called out Roger. He held the object at arm"s length. "I"d like to soak the fellow who did it!" he added, savagely.
With caution, all made an investigation. They found their clothing and other belongings disarranged, and decayed vegetables, stale eggs, and sour milk were everywhere in evidence. It was a mess bad enough to make them weep.
"We ought to report this," was Phil"s comment. "I don"t mind real fun, but this is going too far."
"This stuff must have come from the cellar," put in Buster Beggs. "I heard the head cook telling Pop Swingly that the place must be cleaned out, or he would report it to the doctor. Swingly said he didn"t know the bad stuff was there."
"Well, Swingly didn"t put the stuff here," put in Dave. "It"s the work of some of the other fellows."
"I know where the janitor is!" cried Ben. "Shall I go down and question him? Maybe he can give us a pointer."
"Yes, go ahead," said Dave.
"And I"ll go along," added the senator"s son, and a moment later the two boys were off.
While the pair were gone, the others surveyed the damage done. The most of the decayed vegetables were swept into a corner, and then the boys did what they could toward straightening out their things.
"Here"s a stale egg in my hat-box!" groaned Sam. "I"d like to throw it at some fellow"s head!"
Dave had found his trunk open, and was searching the box with care.
Suddenly he gave a loud cry:
"It"s gone! It"s gone!"
"What"s gone?" queried Phil.
"The photograph! I had it among my books and papers, and the whole bunch is missing!"
"You mean the photo of the man who looks like you?" asked Sam, quickly.
"Yes." Dave gave a groan that came straight from his heart. "Oh, boys, I must get that back! I can"t afford to lose it! I must get it back! It is worth more to me than anything in the world!" He was so agitated that he could scarcely control himself.