Part 9 (1/2)
Crack! bang! crack! went a number of the firecrackers 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 firecrackers 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.
CHAPTER VI GOOD-BYE TO BRILL
”Say, that was an explosion!”
”Who was that stood so close?”
”Was he hurt?”
These and a number of other cries and questions came from the students of Brill who had witnessed the setting off, by Tom and Sam, of the last of the fireworks.
As for the two Rover boys, they knew not what to say. Both stared helplessly for a moment at Professor Sharp.
”Hi! hi!” spluttered that individual. ”Stop it! Do you want to blow me to pieces? Oh, I'm all on fire!” And, seeing that his coat had ignited from some of the sparks, he commenced to dance around in terror.
”Here-wait, Professor!” called out Tom. ”Let me knock out that fire!” And he began to beat out the flames with his hands.
”Don't-don't hit me so hard, Rover!” snarled the professor, for in his excitement Tom was pounding away harder than intended. Sam also came forward to put out the sparks, and so did d.i.c.k and some others.
”Here, give me that broom, Tubbs!” cried the eldest Rover, and catching the article, d.i.c.k whipped off the red sweater and then used the broom to sweep from Asa Sharp what was left of the fire.
In a few seconds more the danger was over. In the meanwhile a big crowd commenced to collect around the instructor and those who had set off the fireworks.
”This is an outrage!” fumed Professor Sharp. ”An outrage! I'll have the law on you for it!” And he glared savagely at Tom and Sam.
”I don't see how you can blame us, sir,” answered Tom, stoutly. ”We were just setting off the fireworks when you ran right into the midst of them.”
”Nonsense! nonsense! You did it on purpose!”
”You certainly ran right into the things, just as we had lit them,” said Sam. ”I don't see how you can blame us for that.”
”You'll see! I shall report to Doctor Wallington at once!” stormed Asa Sharp, and hurried off with his face drawn down in sour determination.
”Phew! I guess we are in hot water, Tom!” whispered Sam.
”I don't see how he can blame us, Sam.”