Bobby Blake on the School Nine; Or, The Champions of the Monatook Lake League

en they remembered that they had none, and looked

mourned Fred. "I wonder if w

nce-Billy Bassett, Jimmy Ailshine, "Sparrow" Bangs, Howell Purdy and a host of others. They fairly mobbed the newcomers and were for dragging them off at once

fellows!" exclaimed Mouser. "You

owslide," volun

tramps," d

ll we had,"

eyed, and questions shot out at them like bullets from guns. The boys suddenly found themselves exalted to the rank of h

for them. The conductor had known the station their tickets called for

d seen to it that it was sent on to Bobby at Rockledge. Mr. Blake's telegram was a lengthy one and ful

stated briefly that the robbers had not yet been caught, but that

d up the telegram, "I suppose all

atch you mean,"

l start Billy Bassett going if you do, and I can see that

laughed Billy, coming forward

something on us," replied Pee Wee,

ooked a

ood riddle when you hear on

never give us a chance to try. Spring a re

dubious but t

is it that happens twice in a moment, once i

problem was beyond them, and Billy strutted

uch brains in this crowd,"

ime," plea

d not because it's so good that we

id Billy patronizingly, "but I g

the contrary, they had to

everal minutes, but no

Billy. "You're a bunch

it up," s

t, Billy," su

," said Bobby. "W

er M," cr

omfiture sat on

" groane

ever heard,"

a gun," rema

at's the use in giving you fellows something to c

arls," corre

diamonds," Billy came back at them,

ly that he had made a hit, and h

one," he volunteered, "

body and he was forced to hold his

e trolley. A car was coming, not a block away, and they piled aboard almost before it had come to a stop with wild clatter and hubbub. But the

e were gas and electric lights, a number of churches and all the usual appurtenances of a bustling village that hoped

iful private estate, whose owner had died and whose family had moved away. There were several buildings on the grounds and these he had remodele

e level, whether his parents happened to be rich or poor. But the doctor was a great believer in the personal influence of teacher over pupil, and this could not be exerted so well if the classes were large. So the

cipline was firm without being severe, and the boys were put largely on their honor to do the right thing. There was a so

his teachers and school-fellows, had stood out above all others. Fred, who was more flighty and less inclined to study, and whose "red-headed" disposition was a

l grounds and the boys prepared to get off. Tommy Stone was

rivalry between the two schools, a Belden boy was usually as popular with the Rockledge boys as poison ivy at a picnic party. But just now To

r father when you write to him how much obliged we are to him for all he h

ather would have done the same for me if I'

ng to trim 'em good and plenty when the

Tommy in return. "But I'll tell the

in a few minutes saw the school

is suitcase and executing a jig. "The

rs ago when we didn't have a cen

to walk the ties to ge

one bruises you'd have

ected Mouser. "They're the lates

oo happy or perhaps too lazy

. It was about ten miles long and five miles wide at its broadest part. There were several small islands scattered o

e length of the school grounds. A winding staircase led fr

ilver under the light of the moon which had just risen. It was a

of brick and sandstone, the classrooms and dining-room were located. The baseme

ber. There were beds for twenty boys in each one. Then there were fiv

y a portico, was a roomy house in which the doctor and his f

cottage, where the servants slept, and a

paths formed a very attractive campus. To supply the athletic needs of the boys

to Rockledge School were usually convinced before they had b

ng we'll have to do is to repo

can go on all right now that

eck," admitted Fred, "but let's get it over in a hurr

hing to eat first?" as

son's to last for a week, I

eren't very far behi

him busy with some papers, which he laid aside

humorous twinkle in them, although they could flash fire if he caught any of the bo

ed to be, aren't you?" he asked. "I wa

d of the stirring adventures through which the little party had gone that day

I am very glad and thankful that it was only a loss of money and property. Those rascals might have used personal violence. I'll telephone to-morrow to a number o

ember, especially of the scar of one man and the limp of the other. As

inkling, "I suppose there's no need of

he part of the other boys and

r, "but go over to the dining-room, find the housekeeper and tell he

the boys wished the head of the school good-

he'd keep us there half an hour or more talking about th

id Fred. "Just now he kn

id Bobby. "He hasn't forgotten that he was on

e as could be paid by one of his pupi