CHAPTER XIII
DORA, GRACE AND NELLIE
That Tad Sobber was in a thorough rage was easily to be seen. His eyeswere full of hate and he looked ready to fly at Tom and tear him topieces.
All of the boys expected to see a great fight, and some backed away fromthe landing, to give the contestants more room.
But before anything could be done Dick leaped to the front and barredthe bully's further progress.
"Stop it, Sobber," he said quietly but firmly.
"Get out of my way, Dick Rover!" roared the bully. "This is none of youraffair."
"Then I'll make it my affair," answered the eldest Rover boy. "You shallnot attack my brother here."
"Don't worry, Dick--I can take care of him," put in Tom, undauntedly,and doubled up his fists. "Maybe he'd like to go down stairs again andsmash some more dishes."
"Not when John Fly am carryin' dem," put in the colored waiter, whostood looking at the wreckage with a sober face. "I don't want no moahsuch knockovers, I don't!" And he shook his woolly head decidedly.
The noise had summoned numerous cadets to the scene, and now GeorgeStrong, the head teacher, appeared.
"What is the trouble here?" he demanded.
For the moment nobody answered him, and he gazed in wonderment at thebroken dishes and the scattered food.
"Been a accident, sah," said John Fly. "Dat young gen'man dun fall downde stairs an' knock me ober, tray an' all, sah."
"Did you fall down stairs, Sobber?"
"No, sir, I was thrown down by Tom Rover," replied the bully.
"Thrown down?" repeated the head teacher in surprise.
"He attacked me and I hit back," explained Tom. "It was his own faultthat he fell down stairs. Had he let me alone there would have been notrouble."
"It is false--he hit me first," said the bully.
"That is not so," cried Fred. "Sobber struck the first blow."
"Yah, dot is der fact alretty," put in Hans. "He vos caught Dom py derthroat und knock his head py der vall chust so hard like nefer vos!"
"He hit me first, didn't he, Nick?" said the bully, turning to hiscrony.
"I--I think he did," stammered Nick Pell. He did not dare to tell anoutright falsehood. "I think it was all Tom Rover's fault," he added,after a surly look from Sobber.
"All of you know it is against the rules to fight in this school," saidMr. Strong, sternly.
"Well, I only fought after I was attacked," answered Tom, doggedly.
"Mr. Strong, whether you believe it or not, my brother speaks the plaintruth," came from Dick. "I was coming from Larmore's room and saw itall. Had you been in Tom's place you would have done as he did."
These plain words from Dick made George Strong hesitate. He knew theRover boys well, and knew that they were generally in the right. Morethan this, he had caught Tad Sobber in a falsehood only the day before.
"You may all go to your rooms and I will see about this later," he said."Sobber, as you broke the dishes, you will have to pay for them."
"Can't Rover pay half the bill?" growled the bully.
"No, for I cannot see how he is to blame for that."
After this some sharp words followed. Tad Sobber was impudent, and as aconsequence was marched off to a storeroom which was occasionally usedas a "guardhouse" by the teachers and Captain Putnam. Here he had tostay in solitary confinement for twenty-four hours and on the plainestkind of a diet. This imprisonment made Sobber furious, and he vowed hewould get square with Tom and Dick for it if it cost him his life.
"They may have been able to down other fellows in this school, but theyshan't down me," was what he told Nick Pell.
"Well, you want to go slow in what you do," answered Pell. "I've beentalking to some of the others and I've learned that they got the best ofseveral fellows who were here at different times--Dan Baxter, Lew Flappand some others."
"Humph! I am not afraid of them," growled Tad Sobber. "I suppose theythink, because they are rich and have traveled some, they can lord itover everybody. Well, I'll show them a trick or two before I'm done withthem."
After Tad Sobber came out of confinement the Rover boys thought he mighttry to play some underhand trick on Tom, and consequently kept theireyes open. But nothing developed for some days, and then it came in amost unexpected way.
The boys settled down to their studies, but it was not in their natureto go in for all work and no play. On the following Saturday they askedfor permission to visit Cedarville, to buy some things Sam and Tomneeded. They took with them Songbird and Hans, and went on foot, theweather being ideal for walking. Just before leaving they saw Sobber andPell hurry away, also in the direction of the town.
"I wonder where they are going?" mused Dick.
"Sobber is going to take a run by steamboat to Ithaca," answeredSongbird. "I heard him speak to Captain Putnam about it."
"Is Pell going along?"
"I don't think so."
The three Rover boys and their friends were soon on the way. They feltin the best of spirits, and Powell could not resist the temptation tobreak out into his usual doggerel:
"I love to roam o'er hill and dale, In calm or storm or windy gale, I love the valley and the hill, The brooklet and the running rill, I love the broad and placid lake----"
"Where we can swim or take a skate,"
finished Tom, and then went on:
"And just remember, of the rest, I love old Putnam Hall the best!"
"That last sentiment hits me," said Fred. "Tell you what, fellows, noplace like our school."
"I dink I make me some boetry alretty," said Hans, solemnly, and began:
"I lof to hear der insects hum, I lof to chew on chewing gum! I lof to see der moon shine owit----"
"And love to eat my sauerkraut,"
added Tom gaily. "Songbird, can't you get up some real nice bit of verseabout sauerkraut and Limburger cheese for Hans' benefit?"
"The idea of poetry about sauerkraut and Limburger cheese!" snorted theverse maker in disgust.
"Well, anyway, the lines about the cheese would be good and strong," wasDick's comment.
"A poem about sauerkraut wouldn't do for this automobile age," said Sam,dryly.
"Why not?" asked Tom.
"Because sauerkraut belongs to the cabbage," answered the youngestRover, and then dodged a blow Tom playfully aimed at him.
"I shan't try to make up any more verses," said Songbird. "Every time Itry----"
"Hullo, here comes a carriage with three young ladies in it," called outDick.
"They look familiar to me," announced Tom. "Yes, they are Dora Stanhopeand Grace and Nellie Laning!" he cried.
"Well, this is a pleasure," said Songbird, and forgot all about what hewas going to say concerning his verse making.
The carriage was soon up to them. It was a two-seated affair, and on thefront seat were Dora and Nellie and in the rear Grace and Mrs. Stanhope.
"We were going to stop at Putnam Hall for a few minutes," said Dora,after the greetings were over. "It was such a lovely day we couldn'tresist the temptation to go out for a long drive."
"Sorry we won't be at the Hall to receive you," answered Dick, and hegave Dora such an earnest look that the pretty girl blushed.
"The girls have something up their sleeve," said Mrs. Stanhope. "Andthey wanted to see you and Captain Putnam about it."
"We are getting up a little party," announced Nellie. "It is to come offat Dora's home some time this fall. We wanted to find out if CaptainPutnam would let you and a few of your friends come over."
"Oh, he'll have to let us come!" cried Tom. "Why, I wouldn't miss aparty for anything!" And he said this so comically that all of the girlslaughed.
"We haven't set any date yet," said Grace. "But you'll speak to CaptainPutnam about it, won't you? We thought you might make up a party of sayeight or ten boys, and come over in the carryall."
"It's as good as done," announced Sam, with a profound bow. "Ple
ase putme down on your card for the first two-step."
"Und put me town for a dree-steps," added Hans, and at this there wasanother laugh.
"I don't know whether we'll have dancing or not," said Mrs. Stanhope."But we'll try to have a good time."
"Who do you want us to invite--if we can come?" questioned Dick.
"Oh, Dick, we'll leave that to you. Of course we want all who were onthe houseboat," and Dora looked at the Rovers and Songbird and Hans.
"With Fred that will make six. Shall I ask Larry Colby and GeorgeGranbury?"
"If you want to--and two more. But please don't ask those boys we justmet," went on Dora, hastily.
"You mean Tad Sobber and Nick Pell?" questioned Tom, quickly.
"One called the other Nick. He was a very large lad," said Mrs.Stanhope.
"Sobber and Pell sure," murmured Tom. "What did they do?"
"Stood right in the middle of the road and would not get out of theway," explained Grace. "I think they were perfectly horrid!"
"They made us drive around to one side and we nearly went into a ditch,"added Dora.
"And then, after we had passed, they burst out laughing at us,"continued Nellie. "They certainly weren't a bit nice."
"We'll have to settle with Sobber and Pell for this," said Dick, and hisface took on a serious look that bode no good for the cadets who hadplayed so ungallant a part towards his lady friends.