CHAPTER XV.
PROFESSOR SEPTEMAS SCUDMORE.
The door opened with a quick, jerky movement immediately after theknock, and, without waiting to be invited to enter, a tall, angular,thin-legged, knock-kneed man walked into the room with a peculiarmovement that seemed to indicate that his legs were in danger ofbreaking at every step.
This man had a very long, thin neck, on which was set a long, narrowhead, crowned with an out-of-date silk hat. He wore a suit of rustyblack, a flaring high collar, that was sadly wilted and lay out over thecollar of his coat, and a black string necktie, which was tied in acareless knot. His face was shaven smooth, and a pair of gold-bowedspectacles clung convulsively to the end of a long, thin nose.
"Excuse me," he said, in a high-pitched, cracked tin-pan sort of voice."I seek a fellow laborer in the field of science. You know the Good Booksays: 'Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.' Iknocked--didn't stop for it to be opened--am in a hurry. Ahem!You"--pointing a long, slim finger at Scotch--"you must be the one Iseek."
The little professor looked startled.
"What have I ever done to you?" he asked, hesitatingly.
"Not anything, my dear sir, but I believe you are Professor Scotch, areyou not?"
"That is right; but I do not know you, sir."
"I am Professor Septemas Scudmore, of Pudville Classical Institute, inthe State of Ohio."
"Never heard of you, sir."
"And I never heard of you till a few moments ago, when one of the politeand obliging citizens told me you were here, and asked me why I did notcall on you, as you seemed to be a bigger fool than I am, and we mightmake good company for each other."
"What's that?" roared Scotch. "Who dared to say anything like that? Theinsulting wretch!"
Professor Scudmore waved a long, lank hand at the little man.
"Do not get agitated," he chirped. "It is not well for a man of youryears. You should preserve a calm and even demeanor. Excuse me if I donot always follow my own teaching. We tutors never do."
Scotch stared at the strange man as if doubting his sanity.
"You seem to enjoy being called a fool!" he growled.
"Not at all--not at all. But I have been called that so much that I donot mind it. Genius is ever regarded as folly till it astounds theworld. I am a man of genius. You may think that is boasting, but Iassure you it is not. I am naturally modest--very modest. But I havefound that, in order to be thought anything of by others, I must thinkwell of myself. I am so exceeding frank and honest that I never hide mythoughts, therefore, I tell you candidly what I think of myself."
"Well, well!"
"It is possible you do not believe in this sort of thing--few do.Duplicity I despise. You are not a man of genius yourself, but you haveled others to think you pretty smart, and you have succeeded in gettingthrough the world thus far pretty easy. You are naturally slothful; infact, I may say you are lazy, and you----"
"Hold on there!" thundered the little man. "You may be as frank as youplease about yourself, but you had better be careful what you say aboutme!"
"Touchy, eh?" sniffed Septemas Scudmore. "Not strange at all. Studiousinclination, close application to work, baffling researches, midnightoil--these things irritate the nerves and make a man crusty. But then, Idon't think you ever hurt yourself by close application to work. Youmust be naturally irritable."
Professor Scotch pranced up and down the room like an angry bantam.
"Sir," he cried, "you are altogether too free with your mouth."
"The Scudmores are naturally generous, so I can't help it. Keep calm,sir. In some things we have an affinity. I can see it in your eye. I didnot anticipate meeting an affinity out here in this wild and heathenishcountry."
"Affinity!" cried Scotch, scornfully. "A man with your tongue would bean affinity for a cackling old woman!"
"That is your hastily formed opinion. Permit me to warn you againstforming opinions too quickly. It is a bad habit to get into, and----"
"Sir!" shouted the little man, "there is the door!"
Scudmore bowed profoundly.
"I noticed it when I came in," he chirped. "Very ordinary door, but Idon't suppose we can expect anything better out in this wild section ofthe country."
Scotch was ready to tear his hair.
"Will you take a hint, or do you need a kick?" he bellowed, in hishoarsest tone.
"A man with hair and whiskers colored like yours should always beware ofundue excitement. Don't think of kicking anybody, for you may lose yourdignity. Speaking about aerial navigation, beyond the shadow of adoubt, I, Septemas Scudmore, A. M., B. A., LL. D., and B. C, have solvedthe problem. I say beyond the shadow of a doubt, and I mean exactly whatI say. It is not a matter of fans and wheels----"
"I think it is a matter of wheels," broke in Scotch, "and they are inyour head."
Scudmore waved one thin hand loftily, his nose high in the air.
"Peace, professor, peace," he said. "It ill becomes you to interrupt afellow scientist. Hear me out."
"I had much rather see you out--of the door."
"I see you are skeptical--you doubt the practical and practicable valueof my invention. But you shall be convinced--you shall be my fellowpassenger on my first voyage through space."
"Not if I know myself!" shouted the little man. "You may be a fool,but----"
"There are others, sir--there are others. I beg you to grant me thisfavor. Think what an honor it will be to have it go abroad that youaccompanied Professor Septemas Scudmore on his first voyage in his newairship."
"Oh, you make me very languid!" cried the little man, using a bit ofslang which he had heard from the lips of one of his youthfulcompanions.
"I am shocked--shocked beyond measure," declared the lank professor,sinking his chin upon his bosom and looking reproachfully over hisspectacles at Scotch.
The three boys were enjoying this immensely. It was sport to Frank, whosaw in Septemas Scudmore a character worth studying. Barney laughedheartily.
"Begorra!" cried the Irish lad, "it's shocked we all are. Th' profissorhas gone crazy, sure."
"If I have, it is not surprising, after what I have passed through. Ithas been enough to drive any man insane."
"I fancy you are a person whose brain would not stand a severe strain,"put in Scudmore.
"Oh, you do! Well, I have stood just all of this I can from you! Thereis the door--get out!"
"And you decline the honor I have attempted to confer upon you?"
"I decline to talk further with a crank. Get out!"
Septemas Scudmore shook his head dolefully.
"I will do as you have so politely requested; but you will regret thisto your dying day. I shall hold no hardness against you. In fact, I amsorry for you, as you----"
The little man could stand no more, and he actually drove Scudmore fromthe room. When he came back, he found the boys laughing heartily, andthis caused him to drive them out also.
"It is doubtful if he will consent to allow me to accompany you, Clyde,"said Frank, when they were outside. "He is an obstinate man when he setshis mind on anything."
"Well," declared Walter, "I am sorry. We met by accident, and I took toyou in a moment. When you had heard my story and expressed a desire toaccompany me on my search for Uric Dugan, I was delighted."
"And I had no idea the professor would object. This is the first time hehas done anything of the sort; but it is true that we have run into manyperilous adventures, and he wishes to prevent such things in future."
"Whoy not run away an' go, Frankie?" asked Barney, whose thirst foradventure was whetted to a keen edge. "It's mesilf thot would loike togo hunting fer this colony av Danites."
Frank shook his head.
"I hardly feel like doing that," he said. "There is a bare chance thatthe professor will relent. We will wait and see."
"There can be little waiting," said Clyde. "I start in the morning.Everything is ready, and Graves and Kerney are eager to be
off."
"Well, we'll see what the next few hours will bring forth."
Little did they dream of the surprising things the next few hours wouldbring forth.