“Just as I thought,” he announced. “Every one of you has rooms to let in his upper story.”
“Oh, well,” remarked Mouser, stung into acceptance, “we’ve stood so many of Billy’s jokes that one more won’t count. Go ahead, Billy, and get it off your chest.”
The invitation was none too cordial, but Billy pounced on it.
“All right,” he said, “here’s the question. What’s the best material for footwear?”
“You tell him, razor, you’re sharp,” murmured Shiner.
“You tell him, garter, you’ve got the snap,” remarked Howell.
“You tell him, goldfish, you’ve been round the globe,” put in Fred.
Billy glared at the dispensers of these frivolities.
“You fellows are just trying to gain time to think up an answer,” he remarked cuttingly. “Come across now with the answer and prove that you’re not the dumb-bells I think you are.”
“Why, leather is the best material for footwear I suppose,” hazarded Bobby.
“Wood lasts a long time; lots of people wear nothing but wooden shoes in Holland and other places in Europe,” suggested Skeets.
“How about canvas?” queried Shiner. “I’ve got a pair of tennis shoes that I’ve had for more than two years, and they’re almost as good as ever.”
“All wrong,” pronounced Billy. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
They cudgeled their brains, but the list of possibilities seemed about exhausted, and at last they gave it up.
“Well, Billy, let’s have it,” said Fred. “What is the best material for footwear?”
“Come again,” urged Mouser, “I don’t get you.”
“Why, you fatheads,” said Billy, “even you ought to know that banana peels make the best slippers.”
What might have happened to the perpetrator of this outrage will never be known, for at that moment a summons came from Dr. Raymond for all the boys to come to the assembly hall of the school.
When they obeyed and had all taken their places, Dr. Raymond, who was seated on the platform with Mr. Leith and Mr. Carrier, and who looked worn and haggard after a sleepless night, arose to speak.
“The fire of last night was of course a great misfortune,” he said among other things, “not especially in a financial sense, for, as you may be glad to know, the building and furniture were fully covered by insurance. But it is regrettable that so many dormitory rooms were destroyed, for it makes it necessary for some of the pupils to suspend their studies for the month or more that may be necessary before the part of the school damaged by fire can be rebuilt. It may be necessary for them to work a little harder when they return in order to make up for lost time. With the exception of those who are thus excused, the work of the school will go on as usual. While we all are sorry that the fire occurred, that after all counts for little compared with the fact no one was seriously injured. I want before you all to say publicly what I have already said to them personally, that Blake and Martin by their quick thinking and brave action have brought credit to themselves and honor to Rockledge School.”