CHAPTER XIII
THE DISCOVERY
"What are you going to do?" demanded Frank. "Nothing that we can get caught at, I hope."
"Nixy," replied Andy. "You see, he's coming this way, and he's all togged up—even to his tall hat."
"Maybe he's going calling," suggested Jack.
"He won't, after we get through with him," went on the younger brother. "I saw a basket full of chaff and bran over there in the corner. Now what I'm going to do is to put it on the edge of this low door through which they used to take in the hay. Just when Old Thorny gets under it that basket will fall, and——"
"You mean it will be pushed—it won't fall," suggested Ward.
"Well, what's the difference?" asked Andy, "as long as the chaff goes all over Thorny?"
"I suppose we'll have to do it," spoke Frank with a sigh. "But we haven't much time. He's nearly here."
"Time enough," came from Andy. "He's walking slowly. I guess he's thinking up some new kind of torture to inflict on us. This bran and chaff won't hurt him, but it will be mighty inconvenient, sifting down inside his clothes."
It did not take the lads in the old barn loft very long to bring the basket of chaff from the obscure corner where Andy's sharp eyes had seen it. It was poised on the edge of the open doorway beneath which the unpopular professor would soon pass. It was now quite dark in the loft, the lantern not giving much illumination, but this exactly suited the boys, as they did not want to be detected.
"All ready," said Andy, when the basket had been put in place. "Where is he?"
"Look out and see," advised Frank. "It's your joke."
"No, you look," urged Andy. "I'm going to do most of the work, anyhow. I'm going to push the basket."
"I'll take a peep," volunteered Jack. "He can't see us, I guess."
He peered out of the low hay door, and a moment later drew in his head quickly.
"He's standing still," the spy reported, "and he seems to be studying the stars."
"Gee! I hope he doesn't turn back," exclaimed Andy. "Look out, Ward. You'll have me in the basket in a moment." Ward had changed his position, and had jostled up against Andy.
"There I go!" exclaimed the younger lad a moment later as he lost his balance and fell forward. His hands went into the basket of chaff up to his elbows and there was a struggle before he recovered himself.
"Cheese it, you fellows, or he'll hear you!" hoarsely whispered Frank. "Here he comes!" he added a moment later after a quick observation. "Get ready to tip it, Andy!"
The younger lad, who was vigorously brushing the chaff and bran from his clothes, moved a little nearer the door. Then, by leaning out; he had a glimpse of Mr. Callum. The instructor was just then immediately beneath the opening. The new moon, for it was now quite dark, glistened on his shiny silk hat and Andy could see that Mr. Callum had on his best clothes.
An instant later the basket of dry and dusty chaff and bran went toppling out, and fell like a miniature snow storm all about the teacher. In a moment he was covered from head to foot with the stuff, while the basket itself, turning upside down, was inverted over his head, silk hat and all.
"Oh wow!" exclaimed Andy in a whisper. "It worked like a charm. Listen to him!"
From below came a confusion of sounds.
"Help! Thieves! I'm attacked! Help! What has happened? The barn has toppled over!"
"His hat is smashed!" exulted Andy.
"Come on!" suddenly exclaimed Frank. "We've got to get out of here or he'll be up."
Indeed it was high time, for Professor Callum, after the first shock, was beginning to reason out certain things. Baskets of chaff did not fall from the hay windows of deserted barns without some human agency, he reflected.
"Who did that? Who is up there?" he demanded, gazing upward as well as his eyes, smarting from the chaff, would let him. "I insist on knowing."
"It's us for the tall timber," said Andy in a whisper. "Douse the glim and go down the rear ladder."
In an instant the loft was in darkness and the boys were cautiously stealing down. Fortunately there were two ways of descending, which fact the wily Andy had taken note of before perpetrating his joke. Otherwise the plotters would have been caught, for when they were half way down the rear ladder, they heard the irate professor mounting by the front stairs. He was muttering indignantly:
"This is an outrage! I know it was some of those rascally students! If I can only catch them I'll have them expelled! It's outrageous!"
"Hurry up!" whispered Jack, who was in the rear of the retreating procession.
"Keep quiet!" whispered back Andy. "He's got sharp ears."
"Who is there?" suddenly demanded the professor. He had evidently heard the voices, cautious though they were.
The boys at once stood still. Not a sound was audible in the old barn for perhaps half a minute. Then the instructor advanced and under cover of the noise he made the lads completed their retreat. They were soon speeding back to the school in the darkness and a little later they were at supper where they talked of many things, including the discovery of the old shell.
"Oh, you fellows can never get that in shape," said Burnam Foster, one of the seniors. "They had that on the water before I came here, and that's four years ago. It will leak like a sieve."
"We can calk it," declared Frank, and the enthusiastic talk went on. Opinion was divided. Some thought that it was possible to get the shell in shape, but the great majority declared that it was useless to try.
"Nothing ever happens for any good at Riverview," declared one lad. "The school has the dry rot."
"It did have," remarked Jack Sanderson significantly, "but we've found some sound wood that we're grafting on," and he motioned to Frank and Andy, who, at that moment, were telling one of their chums about the joke on Mr. Callum.
"And where did you leave him?" Frank was asked.
"Up in the barn, hunting for us. Has any one seen him since?"
"I just saw him going to his room," answered the lad who was late to supper. "He looked as if he'd been run over by an automobile on a dusty road."
"That's him all right," asserted Andy. "But come on, Frank, I want to get off these old togs," for the lads were still in the clothes they had used at the football game.
The two brothers were walking along the corridor leading to their rooms when they were surprised to see some one coming from their apartment.
"Who's that?" whispered Andy. There was no need for his brother to answer, for a moment later they saw that it was Mr. Callum. He was a sorry-looking object, though he had succeeded in getting rid of most of the chaff. At the sight of our heroes he stopped short and stared at them.
"I'm going to laugh!" exclaimed Andy in a whisper.
"Don't you dare!" cautioned Frank. "Sneeze. Sneeze, I tell you!"
Andy pulled out his handkerchief with a flourish and applied it to his face preparatory to uttering a loud "A-ker-choo!" But there was no need to imitate a sneeze, for instantly the air was filled with a white cloud of dust which, getting up the noses of the two boys, as well as that of the professor, caused a chorus of exclamations.
And then, on the floor at Andy's feet appeared a neat little pile of chaff and bran. It had sifted out of his pocket on the removal of the handkerchief, having gotten in when he fell into the basket.
For a moment Mr. Callum stared at the bit of mute evidence. Then he glanced at his damaged hat and his whitened clothes. He darted a look full of anger at the Racer boys and said:
"Come with me to Dr. Doolittle! Come at once!"
There was no choice but to obey, and Frank and Andy followed down the corridor.