"Who said I was going to get married?"

"Is it to be a church affair or just a little private home gathering?"

went on Tom, seriously. "If it's to be in a church, and you want us all for rushers--I mean ushers, why----"

"We'll all be on the job," finished d.i.c.k. "Wouldn't miss the chance for a farm with a blind mule thrown in."

"Vots der madder mid me peing a flower girl?" asked Hans, grinning broadly.

"No, Hansy, you'll have to carry Billy's coat-tails for him," said Fred.

"The latest style from London, don't you know, is to have them trailing on behind like----"

"Oh, stop! stop!" screamed William Philander, putting his hands to his ears. "You are all perfectly horrid, don't you know! I'll not remain another minute!" and he fled from the dormitory, the laughter of the crowd ringing in his ears as he departed.

CHAPTER XII

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE STAIRS

In a few days the Rover boys felt perfectly at home once more--indeed it was as if they had never been away, so Sam said. The majority of the students were old friends, although there was a fair sprinkling of new boys.

It was not until the end of the week that d.i.c.k Rover came into contact with Tad Sobber, a stocky youth, with a shock of black hair and eyes which were cold and penetrating. Sobber was with a chum named Nick Pell, and both eyed d.i.c.k in a calculating manner which was highly offensive.

"He's the fellow who does the hero act," whispered Sobber to Pell, in a manner meant to reach d.i.c.k's ears. "Wants to make a regular grand-stand play all the time."

Without hesitation d.i.c.k wheeled about.

"Was that remark intended for me?" he demanded, sharply.

His suddenness took Tad Sobber off his guard.

"What if it was?" he demanded in return.

"I don't like it, that's all."

"Humph! I don't care whether you like it or not," grunted Sobber.

"See here, Tad Sobber, let us have an understanding," said d.i.c.k, calmly.

"I understand that you are trying to bully everybody in this school.

Now, this cannot be. We have had several bullies here and we have gotten rid of them all. We want no more."

"Humph! Trying to be the bully yourself, eh?" sneered Sobber.

"No, I am only giving you warning. The other boys have told me about you."

"Tad has a right to act as he pleases," put in Nick Pell.

"No, he has not. Captain Putnam expects every student here to be a gentleman."

"Oh, don't preach, Rover," cried Tad Sobber. "I can take care of myself without your advice."

"Well, I warn you to keep your distance so far as I am concerned and keep a civil tongue in your head," said d.i.c.k.

What this war of words might have led to there is no telling. Just at that moment the school bell rang, and all of the students had to hurry to their respective cla.s.ses.

It may be mentioned here that Sam, Tom and d.i.c.k were now in the same grade. This may be wondered at, but the fact of the matter was that Sam, by hard work the term previous, had caught up to Tom, while d.i.c.k, because of being away on some business for his father at various times, had dropped a little behind.

"Had a little run-in with Sobber," said d.i.c.k to his brothers, when he got the chance, and related the particulars.

"He said something about me behind my back," said Sam. "I don't know what it was, but I am certain it was nothing complimentary."

"We must watch him," said Tom. "If we do not, he may try to play us foul."

As this was to be their last term at Putnam Hall, all of the Rovers determined to do their best in their studies, so they spent no time in fooling while at their cla.s.ses. Once or twice Tom found it hard to resist playing a joke, but a look from d.i.c.k usually made him turn to his books again.

It was now the season for football, and several school teams had been organized. Tom and d.i.c.k were on one team, headed by Larry Colby. There was another team headed by Tad Sobber, and on this Nick Pell was a quarterback. How Sobber had ever gotten the captaincy of this team was a mystery.

"They want to play us next Sat.u.r.day," said Larry, one afternoon. "What do you fellows say?" He put the question to his fellow members of the eleven.

"I don't care much to play Sobber and Pell," said Tom, promptly.

"Exactly the way I feel about it," added d.i.c.k. "But I'll play if the rest want to."

Some demurred, but in the end the match was arranged, and it started on the school grounds at two o'clock the following Sat.u.r.day afternoon.

"I think it will be useless to try any ma.s.s playing," said Larry.

"Sobber and Pell and some of the others are too heavy for us. We'll have to trust to some swift pa.s.ses and quick runs."

In the first half of the game Sobber's eleven got ten points, while Larry's team got nothing.

"Sobber is too brutal for me," said Tom. "He deliberately kicked me in the shins."

"If he does it again, knock him down," advised d.i.c.k, promptly.

Larry's eleven went into the second half with vigor. They soon got a goal and followed it up by two more. Then Sobber claimed a foul, but it was not granted.

"If anybody is fouling it is you," said d.i.c.k. "You fouled Tom twice. If you do it again----"

"Never mind, d.i.c.k," interrupted Larry. "Go on and play, or give up," he added to Tad Sobber.

"I want d.i.c.k Rover to understand that he----" began Sobber, when another player pulled him back. Some hot words followed, and then the game proceeded. Larry's eleven made another touchdown and kicked the goal,--and thus won a substantial victory, much to Sobber's disgust and that of his crony, Nick Pell.

"No use of talking, those Rover boys make me sick," said Sobber, when he and Nick Pell were alone. "Everybody in this school seems to toady to them."

"If I had been you I'd have pitched into d.i.c.k Rover on the gridiron,"

answered Pell.