CHAPTER XV
AN ASTONISHING GIFT
The steamboat had to take on considerable freight at Cedarville, so sheremained at the little dock for the best part of half an hour. Duringthat time the Rovers and their friends saw Tad Sobber and Nick Pellwalking around the village, but did not speak to them.
"Hullo, here is something new," said Songbird, as they walked past thestores. "A dime museum!"
"Such a thing as that will never pay here," was Dick's comment. "Notenough people."
"It is to remain only one week," said Sam, after reading the sign overthe door.
"Wonder if they really have one hundred snakes in the collection?" musedTom, also reading the sign. "If so, there would be some fun if the bunchbroke loose."
"Want to go in and look at the snakes?" asked Songbird.
"I ton't," answered Hans. "Of I look at so many of dem nasty dings Icouldn't sleep for a month or sefen days, ain't it!" And he shuddered.
While the boys were walking away they chanced to look back and saw TadSobber and Nick Pell come from the "museum," so called. The bully wastalking to a man connected with the show, a fellow who usually stoodoutside, "barking" as it is called,--that is, asking folks to come upand walk in and see the wonders inside.
"Sobber must know that fellow," was Dick's comment, but thought no moreof this until long afterwards. A little later they saw the bully embarkon the steamboat, and Nick Pell started back for Putnam Hall alone.
The boys purchased the things they wanted and returned to the school.They did not see Nick Pell until the following day, and then the latterpaid no attention to them. Sobber did not return to Putnam Hall for thebest part of a week. Then he appeared very thoughtful and he eyed all ofthe Rover boys in a crafty, speculative way.
"He has got it in for us," said Tom, but how much Tad Sobber "had it in"for the Rovers was still to be learned.
The boys had not forgotten about the proposed feast, and it was arrangedthat it should come off in the dormitory occupied by the Rovers and someothers on the following Tuesday night as soon as all the lights wereout. Word was passed around quietly, and the Rover boys thought thatonly their intimate friends knew of what was going on, but they weremistaken.
By pure accident Nick Pell overheard Larry Colby and Fred Garrisonspeaking of the feast. It had been arranged that Larry and Fred shouldcontribute a big raisin cake and the two boys were wondering how theycould get it from the bake shop in Cedarville and up to the dormitorywithout being seen.
"Never mind, we'll manage it somehow, if we have to use a rope," saidLarry.
"They are going to have a spread," said Nick Pell, running up to TadSobber with the story. "We ought to tell Captain Putnam and spoil thingsfor them."
"That won't do us any good, Nick," answered the bully. "The captainthinks too much of the Rovers--he wouldn't punish them much, especiallyas this is their last term here. I'll think up something else. I want todo something to 'em that they will remember as long as they live."
"You seem to be extra bitter against the Rovers since you got back fromIthaca," said Pell, curiously.
"Am I? Well, I have good cause to be bitter," growled Tad Sobber. "Justlet me put on my thinking cap, and I'll fix 'em, and don't you forgetit!"
That night the bully asked for permission to go to Cedarville onimportant business. He went alone, and once in the town hurried directlyto the museum already mentioned. The proprietor had done little or nobusiness in the village and was about to move to another place.
When Tad Sobber returned to Putnam Hall he carried under his arm a heavypasteboard box which he carried with great care. This box he hid away ina corner of the barn, among some loose hay.
"I'm ready to fix the Rovers now," he told Nick Pell. "Keep your mouthshut but your eyes wide open."
"What are you going to do?"
"Just wait and see."
At the appointed time the Rovers and their chums assembled in thedormitory for the feast. A large quantity of good things had beenprocured, including chicken sandwiches, cake, oranges and lemonade. Tomhad even had a dealer in Cedarville pack him up several bricks ofice-cream, and these now rested in some cracked ice in a washbowl.
"Say, but this is a touch of old times," said Sam. "Do you remember thefirst feast we had here, when Mumps got scared to death?"
"Indeed I do!" cried one of the other students. "Here's to the good oldtimes!" and he raised his glass of lemonade to his lips.
In a short while the feast was in full swing. There was a hall monitorsupposed to be on guard, but Tom had bought him off with a slice ofcake, some candy and an orange, and he was keeping himself in a fronthallway, where he could not hear what was going on.
"If it wasn't for the noise, we might have a song," said Sam. "As it is,I move Songbird recite 'Mary Had a Little Cow,' or something equallyelevating."
"I can give you an original bit of verse which I have entitled, 'Whenthe Blossoms Fill the Orchard, Molly Dear,'" answered the doggerelmaker.
"Gracious, that sounds like a new nine-cent piece of sheet music,"murmured Dick.
"Can't you whistle it?" suggested Tom. "It may sound better."
"Play it out on a fine-tooth comb," suggested Larry.
"Who is ready for ice-cream?" asked Tom, after a general laugh hadensued. "This isn't going to keep hard forever."
All were ready, and the bricks were cut, the pieces laid on tiny woodenplates which had been provided, and passed around. Then came more cakeand fruit.
In the midst of the jollification there came a sudden and unexpectedknock on the door.
"Who can that be?" whispered several in alarm.
"Put out the lights!" said Tom. "Those who don't belong here get underthe beds." And he began to get the evidences of the feast out of sight,Dick and Sam assisting him.
With quaking hearts the merry-makers waited for the knock to berepeated, and waited to hear the sound of Captain Putnam's voice or thatof the first assistant teacher.
"Bartlett might have warned us," whispered Fred. Bartlett was themonitor who had been bribed.
No other knock came on the door, nor did anybody demand admittance. Theboys waited for several seconds, each holding his breath in anxiety.
"Who can it be?" asked Sam of his oldest brother.
"I suppose I might as well go and see," said Dick. "Maybe some of theother fellows are up to some tricks."
With caution he approached the hall door and opened it. Only a dim lightwas burning, and for the instant he could see nothing. Then he caughtsight of a white object on the floor and picked it up. It was apasteboard box, tied with a strong string.
"This must be some kind of a joke," he said, and came back into thedormitory with the box in his hands. "Light up and let me see what thisis."
The lights were lit and several of the boys began to eat the stuff thathad been swept out of sight. They all gazed curiously at the pasteboardbox.
"Here's a card on the top," said Dick, and commenced to read it. Theinscription was as follows:
_To the Rover Boys From Their Friends, Dora, Grace and Nellie._
_Keep it a secret among you and your chums at the feast._
"How in the world did they know we were going to have a feast?"questioned Sam.
"And how did they manage to smuggle the box into the Hall?" asked Larry.
"Open it and see what's inside, Dick," came from Tom. "I'll wager theyhave sent us something good."
"Maybe it's a loaf cake," said Fred.
"Oder a pudding," broke in Hans. "I lof chocolate puddings, yah!"
"You can't pack a pudding in a box very well," commented Songbird.
Holding the box in one hand, Dick undid the string and threw off thecover.
The next instant he let out a yell of horror and Tom, who was near by,did likewise and fell over a chair in his fright.
For out of the box glided a real, live snake, fully three feet long, andwith beady and dangerous looking eyes!
FROM OUT OF THE BO
X GLIDED A REAL, LIVE SNAKE.]