CHAPTER XITED AT WAYLAND
TED had been a member of the student body two weeks and had already made a number of friends. Mr. Oglethorpe, who was the dean of the Academy and a close friend of John Dean, did everything he could for him.
But it was not altogether easy sailing. There was one boy, who, from the first moment when Ted arrived, seemed to take a violent dislike to him. He immediately started in and continued to make things unpleasant for him. Ted wanted no quarrel, he knew that no matter how much in the right he might be, it would count against him, since he was the newcomer. So he grinned good-naturedly at the many attempts of Sydney Graham to make trouble for him. Yet often he wished he could fight things out with his tormentor and be donewith it. But better sense always came to the rescue.
The studies took about five hours each day and there was at least two hours of military training. In addition to which Ted had to have some private tutoring to make up some of his studies. So that his days were full and he did not have much time for anything else.
Ted was entered in the Cavalry Division. He rode cowboy fashion, as Mack and Pop and Smiles had taught him to do. The other boys all rode in the way they had been trained, as military men ride. Captain Wilson, in charge of the military and scout training at the school, had decided not to attempt to change Ted’s style of riding. As he explained to Ted and to some of the other boys who were about, the important thing was to sit on a horse as if horse and rider were one.
But Syd Graham sneered at Ted’s way. There were some remarks he made that brought a sharp rebuke from some of the other boys. Then, too, Ted’s good nature seemed to bring out the very worst in Syd.
There was to be a meeting of the BoyScouts. The boys, who knew that Ted had already qualified as a tenderfoot in Chicago, wanted to elect him to membership.
“I’m against any Yankee joining,” protested young Graham. “Let’s have a little class to it, not bring in every ordinary shop-boy or farm hand.” He made a pretense of being very English, don’t you know. But, despite his objections, Ted came in. It made him very glad, for he had never forgotten those first principles he had learned and although not active for many months he felt as if he still were a Scout.
The Boy Scouts at Wayland were a source of great pride to the Academy. They had entered tests, tournaments and games with other Scout groups. Their standing was high. Captain Wilson spent much time and took painstaking care that what they did learn was the thing they should learn. He made it clear, too, that the Boy Scout training, while it had nothing to do with the military training which was part of the curriculum of the Academy, was nevertheless, in his opinion, just as important.
A very little matter brought things to a head between Syd and Ted. Ted had madea two-base hit in a baseball game. The center fielder, by quick work, had relayed the ball to second and had made it necessary for Ted to slide into the base. In doing this he had spiked and upset Syd, who was covering second. Under ordinary circumstances, both boys would have laughed at it. Instead, Syd, even as he arose, gave Ted a vicious kick, then sprang at him.
But Ted was ready. Syd was heavier by almost ten pounds. But the one thing in Ted’s favor was the training of the street gamin of the big city. He had the greater endurance and was the quicker of the two. He also had the experience and the cunning acquired from many street fights.
No one interfered. All the boys knew that the test now on would have to come, why not now? Then, too, if the truth must be told, they were not at all averse to seeing a fight, and this proved to be an exciting one.
At first, it looked very much like Syd’s fight, then Ted’s stamina began to tell. Very soon Syd was on the defensive, no longer did he rush, but he became as careful as was Ted. Then there was a cry of warning, theboys closed in on the combatants, picked up their clothes, and all of them started off, the boys keeping Syd and Ted from open view.
“Run, here comes Ogie and Cap.” When they reached their dormitories the boys separated. Ted went to his room and began to doctor up his face. What bothered him most was not the sting of the blows he had received, but the utter uselessness of the enmity of Syd. As he thought over it an idea entered his mind. It was a sudden decision; he would go to Syd Graham’s room and talk things over with him. They need not like each other, but they would come to a clear understanding and then each go his way.
As he opened the door he saw Syd coming down the hall. When he saw Ted he stopped for a moment, then came forward a little more quickly. Reaching Ted he said, “Let’s go to your room for a moment, old man. I want to talk to you.”
They went in, Ted a little uncertain.
“That was a good scrap, wasn’t it?” laughed the visitor. “My, but my nose and a dozen parts of my body hurt like thunder. You’re some pugilist and with the weight all against you.”
THE TWO BOYS WENT ON A FISHING TRIPTHE TWO BOYS WENT ON A FISHING TRIP
THE TWO BOYS WENT ON A FISHING TRIP
THE TWO BOYS WENT ON A FISHING TRIP
“Look at my eye,” answered Ted. “I think you can do some teaching yourself.”
“Say, Ted,” said Syd, straightforwardly, “I came to apologize. That was a mean display of temper on my part.” He stopped for a moment. “I don’t know why I’ve been this way, but I want to be friends from now on.”
Ted smiled and reached out his hand. “I was just going over to see you and have it all out, for I have wanted to be friends all along. Well, it’s all over—we’re friends.”
They talked for a long time after that. Syd confided that he wanted to join the British army. Ted, he found, hoped some day to be the kind of man John Dean was. Ted told the other boy of the ranch, of Red and of Smiles, and also all about Chicago. They separated at the first call for dinner.
Not so many days later the two boys, now fast friends, went on a fishing trip to a neighboring lake.
The town of Wayland was an important railroad center; it was one of the keys to the far Canadian West. The boys had to gothrough the town and stopped off to make some purchases and also watch the incoming train. There were several people who got off and, as is usual in a place of the size of Wayland, the newcomers were observed rather closely.
The boys had to cross a bridge on their way back, as they were making a short cut home and were not going through the town. As they passed, Syd said to Ted, as he motioned to a man sitting a little way off, “There is one of the people who got off the train a little while ago.” Ted looked at the man curiously and wondered what had brought him to Wayland, as the train that had stopped was a through train and it meant that the man must have come some distance. The man seemed to be drawing or writing, and he kept looking up at the bridge. He saw the boys, but paid very little attention to them as they stopped to watch him.
The boys continued on their way.
“What nationality would you take that man to be, Syd?” asked Ted.
“Search me,” answered Syd, who had not seen as many classes of people as had Ted.“What do you take him to be?” he in turn asked.
“I guess he’s German,” was the reply.
The fact that the man was German brought up only one thing to Syd—the study of German.
“My father says we’ll fight the Germans some day. So, why do they make us study it?”
As Syd spoke a thought struck Ted. He remembered the talk John Dean had had with Colonel Sands on the train. What should he do? Of course, this man was probably harmless and if he said anything he might be laughed at. Yet, after all, Ted decided it was his business to speak.
He said nothing to his companion. The thing for him to do was to say nothing to anyone except Mr. Oglethorpe.
When they reached the school he excused himself to Syd and hurried off to see the dean. Mr. Oglethorpe was in and to him the boy explained.
“Where did you see him, Theodore?”
“On the bridge, sir. He was either writing or drawing.”
“Did you speak to him or tell anyone?” the dean asked.
“No, sir! Not even to Sydney Graham, who was with me. I thought I should tell you first.”
“That was quite right. Let us see. I will send for Captain Wilson.” The dean seemed very much disturbed.
The captain soon arrived.
“I think,” said the captain, as soon as things were explained to him, “I had better take some action in this matter. This will have to be done quietly, for our countrymen still do not realize how the time is drawing near and they would laugh at us and call us alarmists. The fact that this stranger will in all probability claim American citizenship makes it doubly necessary for silent work.”
“Ted,” he now turned to the boy, “whether there is anything to this or not, you have shown you have a good head and you use it.”
Then the captain left him and Ted went to his room.