AM sorry to say that for something like a fortnight past Dick’s lessons had been suffering. He didn’t really intend that they should, but when one is studying the science of ice-yachting and at the same time superintending the building of a boat, one is likely to be pretty busy; and that was the case with Dick. There wasn’t time for ice-boat and lessons, too, and so he made the mistake of sacrificing the lessons. And very soon he wished he hadn’t.
The weather held clear and bitterly cold, and on Monday the Boreas was once more flying up and down the river. There was a light breeze, but enough to make the boat show plenty of speed to leeward. Harry had her first sail that afternoon and enjoyed it immensely. Dick was careful to run no risk of capsizing and kept a safe distance from rough ice. They ran down to Silver Cove in a series of long reaches and then came back up the river before the wind. Off Coleville they sighted Joe Thurston’s boat, but its skipper refused to come out and try conclusions, although the Boreas hovered tantalizingly about for some time. The red boat hugged the shore closely and finally snuggled up against the Hammond landing and dropped her sails. Although Dick was anxious to race he was not altogether sorry to have the opportunity deferred, for with Harry aboard he would not have wanted to let the Boreas out to full speed. But he made up his mind that to-morrow afternoon he would run over to Coleville and make Thurston race with him. But there’s never any knowing what twenty-four hours will bring forth.
At breakfast the next morning Dick’s name was among those mentioned by the Doctor and Dick was one of a half dozen boys required to pay visits to the Doctor’s office at noon. Dick went out of the dining hall feeling rather uneasy and wishing that he had given more attention to his studies of late. Roy and Chub captured him outside and decoyed him into the study room. They were both looking preternaturally solemn, and Chub insisted on wringing his hand silently.
“Of course you can come back next year,” said Roy. “It isn’t likely he will fire you for good.”
“That’s so,” said Chub. “Might as well look on the bright side of it. And if you try you can study at home enough to keep up with your class. Of course there’s the disgrace of it, but—well, you can live that down in time.”
“Of course you can,” Roy assured him, evidently striving to be cheerful in the face of adversity. “But we’ll miss you, Dick, like anything.”
“You bet we will,” Chub said. “And—er—you won’t want to take the ice-boat home with you, I suppose. So I’ll take charge of it for you, old man.”
“We both will,” added Roy. “Anything to oblige a friend.”
Dick listened with a sheepish smile on his face.
“Go ahead,” he said, “and have a good time. I don’t mind. Children must be amused.”
“Ah, don’t let it harden you,” pleaded Chub. “Face it like a man and live it down. After all, there are worse things in life—”
But Dick’s patience was at an end and Chub’s philosophizing was cut short by the sudden necessity of defending himself against Dick’s onslaught. A minute later Mr. Cobb, passing through the corridor, put his head in at the door long enough to remark:
“Boys! No fooling in the study room, remember!”
The three disentangled themselves, panting and puffing, and proceeded to repair their attire. Chub, with one end of his collar pointing toward his ear, observed the torn button-hole out of the corner of his eye and turned severely to Dick.
“I just hope he does fire you, you big Western brute! Look what you’ve done to my collar.”
“Go and borrow one of Sid’s,” suggested Roy with a laugh.
“Well, we’re even,” Dick answered unruffledly. “My suspenders are busted.”
After the final morning recitation Dick turned his steps toward the office. Of course there was no question of being expelled, but nevertheless he was anxious to know what awaited him. There were two boys ahead of him and he had to wait in the library for almost half an hour, and, naturally enough, that wasn’t pleasant. But finally the suspense ended and he found himself facing the Doctor.
“Somes, I hear from Mr. Buckman and Mr. Cobb that you have been doing very poorly in your studies of late, and my own observations bear out their report. What’s the trouble?”
Dick was silent, searching for a reply that would be at once truthful and not too self-incriminating.
“Maybe we made a mistake in putting you in the Second Senior Class. I was in doubt about the advisability of it at the time, you will remember. Perhaps you had better drop back a class. Does that appeal to you?”
“No, sir,” Dick answered with emphasis.