Part 21 (2/2)
”It was Link Merwell He put the crackers under the fire and let the fuses stick up,” said Poole
”You're a fine sort to blab!” sneered Merwell ”Since you're willing to tell so ht the fire-crackers”
”Is that true, Poole?” questioned Roger
”Ye--yes, but I--I didn't know----”
”He knehat I was going to do with them,” broke in Link Merwell ”It was only a joke”
”So is that a joke, Merwell,” answered Roger, and hauling off he boxed the tall youth's right ear ”If you want toout of it, do so Look at my hands and neck You went too far”
Merwell's face blazed and he looked as if he wished to annihilate the senator's son
”Humph! I suppose you think you can do as you please, with your own crowd around you,” he muttered ”You don't kno to take a joke”
”I can take a joke as well as anybody, but not such a perilous trick as that”
”It's on a par with the joke of the felloho put gunpowder in a poor Irishman's pipe,” broke in Shadow ”It put the Irishman's eyes out I don't see any fun in that”
”I think we ought to give the!” cried a boy naave Poole a whack across the back Then he turned and whacked Merwell
It was a signal for a general use of the wooden swords and stuffed clubs, and in a moment the two unlucky students were surrounded, and blows fell thick and fast Poole yelled like a wild Indian, but Merwell set his teeth and said nothing, only striking back with his fists when he got the chance Dave took no part in the onslaught, nor did Ben and Phil As soon as he saw a chance Nat Poole ran for his life Link Merwell stood his ground a little longer, then he too retreated, shaking his fist at the members of the Gee Eyes
”Just wait!” he fairly hissed ”I'll get square for this, if it takes me a lifetime!”
CHAPTER XIV
GOOD-BYE TO OAK HALL
”I'll wager Merwell is the maddest boy Oak Hall ever saw!” said Shadohen the excitement had subsided
”Poole is a sneak, and no o and tell old Haskers or Doctor Clay?”
”He won't dare--for he is afraid ill tell about the fire-crackers,”
answered Dave ”Yes, he is a sneak”
”I don't see, no I could ever make a friend of him,” declared Gus Pluhter and he doesn't care who knows it”
”Yes, but he's got a wicked teer ”He reminds me of Nick Jasniff They would make a team”
”Where did he come from, anyway?” questioned Messmer