Chapter V. A Celebration on the Campus - The Rover Boys down East by Edward Stratemeyer
"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 did a few steps on the floor of the gymnasium. "Won't the folks at home be tickled 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 that way! At baseball if I do anything at all it is usually in the seventh innings."
"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 brother by the waist and whirled him around. Over the gymnasium floor they went, to land suddenly into the form of William Philander Tubbs, who had just entered.
"Oh, I say, don't you know——" spluttered William Philander. He had the breath all but knocked out of his body.
"Excuse me, Tublets," cried Tom.
"Don't call me Tublets, please," expostulated the tall student. "And please don't run into me again."
"Oh, Sam and I were only doing a war dance," cried Tom, gaily. "We have passed 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," answered Tom, 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't that make you feel good?"
"And you at the head of the class, Dick! Say, if I had wings, or an aeroplane, 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 with which the college gymnasium was equipped.
It was Monday afternoon and studies were practically at an end and all the boys had to do was to pack up their things and wait for the time to go home.
On Sunday morning the three Rovers had driven over to Hope Seminary and taken Dora and the Lanings to church At that time it had been arranged that all should start for home on the early morning train on the following Wednesday. They would travel together as far as a place called Cartown and then separate, the girls to go on to Cedarville and the lads to journey to Oak Run, the nearest railroad station to the farm.
"Some of the fellows are going home Tuesday night," said Dick. "So if we are going to have any fun we had better have it Monday night," and so it was arranged.
The Rovers had had no further opportunity to talk to Dudd Flockley. They noticed that Flockley avoided them and seemed to be in deep thought.
"I suppose he is thinking of Koswell and Larkspur," said Dick. "Poor fellow, I feel sorry for him! I hope he doesn't let them drag him down any deeper."
"He has only himself to blame for the position he is in," said Sam "We did 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 to gather on the campus and down by the river. Nearly everybody was in good humor, and they sang, and made a racket generally. Bonfires were lit, and also a string of paper lanterns.
"I've got a surprise for the crowd," said Tom to Sam. "Come on and help me 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, under some old canvas, was a box several feet long, that had come in by express.
"I had the time of my life getting this here without having it pass inspection 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 the natives."
"See if you can get Dick to help us. But be careful—I want to surprise all 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 shouldered the 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," said Tom.
A minute later a large-sized bomb went whistling upward in the air. It flew 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 an other!" cried Allen Charter. "Somebody is celebrating in earnest"
All of the students on the campus stared at the bombs in wonder, while others came rushing from various buildings, to learn the meaning of the reports.
"Who shot off the cannon?" stormed Professor Sharp. "It's against the rules to shoot off that cannon without permission."
"It wasn't the cannon, Professor," explained Frank Holden. "It was a bomb. Somebody——"
Boom! went another bomb, and it was right over the professor's head. The professor was scared and ducked wildly.
"I want the person who is doing that——" he commenced, but got no further, for just then a big rocket went hissing through the air, to burst 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 of red, white and blue and the other some strange fish-like shapes that darted hither and thither.
"This is certainly all to the merry!" murmured Stanley. "It's as good as a Fourth of July exhibition."
"Look at the Roman candles!" cried Max, pointing over to the woods. From among the trees three large Roman candles were sending their balls of various colors high into the air.
"This is a surprise and no mistake," murmured Doctor Wallington, as he gazed at the fireworks.
"Didn't you know about them, Doctor?" questioned Alkn 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 setting off 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 loud report.
"Here are some packages of red lights," said Tom. "I want every fellow here to take one and light it. Then we'll form a procession and march around 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 an instrument.
By the time the drum and bugle were brought the red lights were lit, and amid a general cheering the students got into line and the march around the college buildings began.
"Come on in, Dudd!" cried Dick, to Flockley, who stood looking on, and he passed over a red light which the student took rather unwillingly. "Everybody in this march!"
Around and around the buildings marched the students. William Philander Tubbs wanted to keep out of the procession, but he was caught by Sam and Tom and made to carry a flag consisting of an old red sweater tied to the handle of a broom. Other boys carried the college colors, and they added to the din with tin horns and wooden rattles.
"My! but this is disgraceful!" muttered Professor Sharp, in disgust.
"Disgraceful?" cried Doctor Wellington. "Not at all, sir. Let the young men enjoy themselves. They are doing no harm."
"I don't like so much noise," snapped Asa Sharp, and retired to the college 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 quickly distributed.
"Come on and give old Filbury a scare," sug gested Spud, and before anybody could stop him he went off after the old man who worked around the dormitories. He found Filbury on a stepladder, fixing a lamp, and he very 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 down the 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 sniffed the air. "Say, smells like something burning around here!" he cried. "Did any 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 fire crackers and poor Filbury leaped several feet into the air. Then he turned hastily around.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, and then a long string of the firecrackers went off, causing him to whirl first to one side and then another. He put his hands behind him, "Ouch! I'm burnt!" he screamed.
"Whoopla! that's the way to celebrate!" roared Spud. "Nothing like having fun while you are at it!"
"I'll 'fun' you!" yelled Filbury, in anger, and of a sudden he drew off his coat and commenced to chase Spud. Down the corridor went the pair. And then Filbury cast the coat with the fire crackers still exploding, at Spud's head.
Spud ducked and the coat sailed over his head, to enter a doorway that was partly open. Then another person appeared. It was Professor Asa Sharp. He stepped on the coat and as he did so several of the firecrackers went off, one hitting him directly in the chin.
"Oh!" he screamed. "I am hit! Take those fireworks away!" And he bolted down the hallway with all the speed he could command. He ran out on a porch and then down on the campus, where Tom and Sam were bending over something on the ground.
"Look out! Run!" yelled Tom, and then he and his brother leaped back. In bewilderment Professor Asa Sharp stood still. Then a terrific explosion rent the air, and a great shower of sparks flew in all directions.