CHAPTER VI
MISS MORTON'S TROUBLES
"Whew! Now you have done it!" gasped Jack, as he saw the bully go to earth.
"I guess Frank can take care of himself," said Andy calmly.
Ward Platt looked as if he wanted to take a hand in the hostilities himself, now that someone had started them. His eyes were bright with anticipation, and he clenched his fists as if ready for the fray.
Luke Moss looked horrified that his crony should thus be treated. He sprang toward the fallen bully.
"Let me alone!" snarled Gerald. "I'm all right. I'll make him pay for this."
He managed to get to his feet, though he staggered a bit, for Frank's blow had not been a light one.
"You—you dared to hit me—me!" gasped Gerald as he advanced toward our hero.
"I'm sorry I had to, but it was hit or be hit," said Frank calmly. "You spoke of fighting, you know."
"Yes, and I'll give you all you want!" fairly yelled the bully. "I'll show you who's boss here!"
He sprang toward Frank, but the latter never moved. He shifted his weight to the other foot and calmly awaited the onslaught.
Gerald had almost reached him, and there was every prospect of a fight, when Luke, who had been hanging in the background, being too great a coward to risk hostilities with any of Frank's companions, suddenly uttered a cry.
"Cheese it! Here comes Thorny!" he exclaimed. "He'll have us all up on the platform if he thinks we're fighting."
"Cut for it!" gasped Jack.
"I'll stick it out," declared Frank.
But the others did not think it wise. Even the vindictiveness of Gerald seemed to ooze away. He glared at Frank, but his hands dropped to his side.
"Come on," called Luke. "He doesn't suspect anything yet"
"All right, but I'm not done with you, Fresh!" called the bully to Frank. "I'll make you wish you'd never come to Riverview."
"I'll meet you any time you say," replied Frank calmly. "And I'll be delighted to give you satisfaction. I'm not going to tip my cap, either, and I'd advise the others to cut out that silly custom."
"You'll tip it all right when I'm through with you," snarled the bully.
Then he and his crony turned aside while our four friends continued on their way to the river. Professor Thorndyke Callum passed them with a frigid nod, and the boys congratulated themselves that he had been sighted in time, for he had a particular horror of fighting and meted out severe punishment to those whom he caught.
"Say, this is the best thing I've seen since I came here," said Ward admiringly to Frank. "Gee! but you sent him down all right. Where did you get that punch?"
"Oh, I took boxing lessons," said Frank modestly. "But it's time that fellow was taken down a peg. How did you fellows let him get such a hold over you?"
"Oh, he was here when we came," explained Jack, "and he beat up all the fellows who wouldn't do as he wanted them to. He never met any one who could trim him I guess."
"I don't know that I can trim him," said Frank, "but I'll try, if I get a chance. I'm not going to tip my cap to him, or to any of the juniors."
"There'll be a row," predicted Ward.
"Let it come," said Andy easily. "We like trouble; eh, Frank?"
"Sure, if it comes our way we're not going to dodge it. But how does it come that such a 'sport,' as I have no doubt this Welter thinks himself to be, attends here at such a run-down school as Riverview?"
"He was expelled from Waterside," explained Jack, "and he came here. He's an example of a big fish in a little puddle. He has plenty of money and he lords it over most of the fellows. I guess that's why he stays on. He likes the power he has."
"Well, he's not going to boss me, even if he is a junior," declared the elder Racer lad. "I'm willing to conform to the usual unwritten rules of a school, but not for such fellows as Welter. Now come on, and we'll see if we can't find something to row."
But Frank was not destined to get on the water that day. As he and his companions were nearing the stream Andy uttered an exclamation.
"Look who's here!" he said to his brother. Glancing to where he pointed Frank saw approaching two girls. One was a stranger to him but he quickly recognized the other as Miss Gertrude Morton.
"Do you know 'em?" asked Jack quickly.
"One," answered Frank.
"Oh ho! Then don't let us butt in on a date with the fair damsels," said Ward quickly. "Come on, fellows, Frank has his hands full."
"Nothing of the sort!" objected Frank quickly. "I didn't expect to meet them. Here, don't go away."
But the other three had turned down a side road, looking back with mocking grins on their faces.
"Hang it all!" exclaimed Frank. "Leaving me in the lurch this way. Andy at least might have stayed. Well, I'm not going to run." Frank was not a coward in more meanings than one.
"How do you do, Mr. Racer?" asked Miss Morton, as she approached. "I didn't expect to meet you here. This is my friend, Miss Grace Knox. Grace, this is the gentleman I was telling you about—he met me on the steamer."
"I trust you have not had any more trouble with Mr. Callum," Frank said.
"Oh, no, I haven't even seen him," said Gertrude. "Oh, but he frightened me so!"
"It must have been terrible," commented Miss Knox.
"I've told Grace all about it," Gertrude went on. "She and I are great chums. We go to the same school. It's not far from Riverview Hall, and sometimes we walk home this way."
"I—I hope you do it often," said Frank gallantly.
The girls laughed but they were not ill-pleased.
"How do you like it here?" asked Gertrude.
"Oh, it's too early to say yet," replied the lad. "My brother and I hope to have some fun. But I would be very glad if I could do anything to help you, Miss Gertrude. Is the trouble with Professor Callum a serious one?"
"Most money troubles are serious," said the girl with a sigh. "It's no secret. My mother is a widow, and when poor papa died several years ago he left her some stock or bond shares, in some concern. I don't know just what they were.
"When it came time for me to leave high school and go to Fuller Academy where Grace and I attend, mother needed some extra money. She went to a lawyer who said she could raise money on the stocks or bonds. As it happened Mr. Callum had some to lend and we borrowed it, on a note thinking we could sell the bonds when we had to pay it.
"Everything seemed to be all right, but recently Mr. Callum wanted his money back. Mother and I thought it would be easy enough to take the bonds to some bank, raise the money and pay off the professor. But we found we couldn't."
"Why not?" asked Frank.
"Because it seems that the bonds were worthless. No one would take them, and so we couldn't raise the money to pay back Mr. Callum. He was very angry and though we did our best we have not been able to sell the bonds. So he hasn't been paid. That was what he was speaking to me about on the boat. Oh, if he had taken hold of me I should have fainted I'm sure."
"He's a brute!" exclaimed Frank.
"Poor Gertrude," whispered Grace, putting her arm around her chum.
"And so that is the story of our trouble," went on the girl. "Poor mother is much worried and doesn't know what to do. Mr. Callum threatens to bring suit and take our little home away from us. We have tried everything but nothing seems to be of any use."
"I wish I could help you!" said Frank eagerly. "My father is in business in New York, and perhaps he could give your mother some advice about the bonds. I wish you'd let me ask him."
"I'll speak to mamma about it," said Gertrude. "But we must hurry on, Grace. I have a lot of lessons to study."
"Do you walk this way every day after school?" asked Frank boldly.
"Sometimes—that isnearlyevery day," answered Gertrude, with a blush.
"I'm going to write to my father," said Frank eagerly. "If you will get me the name of the company who issued the bonds I may be able to help you. Perhaps I shall see you here to-morrow."
"Perhaps," admitted the girl shyly, and then she and her chum turned away.
Frank stood for a moment, in a sort of daydream. It was rudely interrupted by a chorus of excited shouts on the river, followed by others close at hand.
"Ha! What's that?" exclaimed Frank. He broke into a run, and, turning down a path was met by his brother and the two chums.
"What's the matter?" cried Frank.
"The Waterside Hall rowing shell just passed here and it upset!" exclaimed Jack. "It hit an old skiff that was moored at our boathouse, but it must have got adrift. Come down this way and you can see 'em better. They're all in the water, but they can swim like fishes, so there's no danger."
"Gee! But they went over suddenly!" said Andy. "All in the water at once. There they are!"
Frank peered through a fringe of bushes and saw nine forms struggling in the river about a long, slender racing shell. As he looked one of the rowers threw up his hands, uttered a cry, and sank from sight.