Part 36

"Let's have Mamsie's cake, Joe, to-night," said David in an aside to him. The room was full of boys; it was just before study hour, and how to tell David of the dog, was racking Joe's powers of mind.

"Ugh!--no, not to-night, Dave." He was so very decided that although David was puzzled at his manner, he gave it up without a question. And then came study hour when all the boys must be down in "Long Hall," and Joel lingered behind the others. "I'll be down in a minute." He flew over to the closet, broke off another generous wedge of Mamsie's cake, stifling a second sigh as he thought of the plums. "You haven't eaten my half yet," he said as the dog swallowed it whole without winking. "Keep still now." He slammed to the door again, and was off, his books under his arm.

And after the two boys went up to bed, David was too tired and sleepy to talk, and hopped into his bed so quickly that long before Joel was undressed he was off to dreamland.

"That's good,--now I haven't got to tell him till morning." Joel went over to the other bed in the corner, and listened to the regular breathing, then tiptoed softly off to the closet, first putting out the light. "I know what I'm going to do." He got down on all-fours, and put his hand out softly over the pile of shoes, till he felt the dog's mangy back. "I'm going to take you in my bed; you'll smother in here. Now, sir!" The dog was ready enough to be quiet, only occupied in licking Joel's hands. So Joel jumped into his bed, carrying his charge, and huddled down under the clothes.

After being quite sure that he was really to remain in this paradise, the dog began to turn around and around to find exactly the best position in which to settle down for the night. This took him so long, interrupted as the process was with so many lickings of Joel's brown face, that it looked as if neither would get very much sleep that night; Joel, not averse to this lengthy operation, hugging his dog and patting him, to his complete demoralization just as he was about to quiet down.

At last even Joel was tired, and his eyes drooped. "Now go to sleep"--with a final pat--"I'm going to call you Sinbad." Joel, having always been mightily taken with Sinbad the Sailor, felt that no other name could be quite good enough for his new treasure. And Sinbad, realizing that a call to repose had actually been given, curled up, in as round a ball as he could, under Joel's chin, and both were soon sound asleep.

It was near the middle of the night. Joel had been dreaming of his old menagerie and circus he had once in the little brown house, in which there were not only trained dogs who could do the most wonderful things,--strange to say, now they were all of them yellow, and had stumpy tails,--but animals and reptiles of the most delightful variety, never seen in any other show on earth; when a noise, that at once suggested a boy screaming "Ow!" struck upon his ear, and brought him bolt upright in his bed. He pawed wildly around, but Sinbad was nowhere to be found.

XI THE UNITED CLUBS

The whole dormitory was in an uproar. "Ow! help--help!" Mr. Harrow, having gone out after dinner, had retired late, and was now sound asleep, so another instructor scaled the stairs, getting there long before Mrs. Fox, the matron, could put in an appearance.

In the babel, it was somewhat difficult to locate the boy who had screamed out. At last, "In there, Farnham's room," cried several voices at once.

"Nightmare, I suppose," said the instructor to himself, dashing in.

But it was a real thing he soon saw, as a knot of boys huddled around the bed, where the terrified occupant still sat, drawing up his knees to his chin, and screaming all sorts of things, in which "wild beast" and "cold nose" was all that could be distinguished.

"Stop this noise!" commanded the instructor, who had none of Mr. Harrow's pleasant but decided ways for quelling an incipient riot. So they bawled on, the boy in bed yelling that he wouldn't be left alone.

Just then something skimmed out from the corner; the boys flew to one side, showing a tendency to find the door. Even the instructor jumped. Then he bethought himself to light the gas, which brought out the fact that there certainly was an animal in the room, as they could hear it now under the bed.

"Boys, be quiet. Mrs. Fox's cat has got up here, probably," said the instructor. But the boy in the bed protested that it wasn't a cat that had waked him up by thrusting a cold nose in his face, and jumping on top of him. And he huddled worse than ever now that it was under him; yet afraid to step out on the floor.

Even the instructor did not offer to look under the bed, when Joel Pepper rushed in, his black eyes gleaming. "Oh, it's my dog!" he cried.

"It's Joe Pepper's dog!" cried the whole roomful, nearly tumbling over each other.

"And when did you begin to keep a dog, Joel Pepper?" hurled the instructor at him, too angry for anything, that he hadn't impressed the boys with his courage.

But Joel was occupied in ramming his body under the bed as far as possible. "Here, Sinbad," and he presently emerged with a very red face, and Sinbad safely in his arms, who seemed perfectly delighted to get into his old refuge again. David had now joined the group, as much aghast as every other spectator.

"Do you hear me, Joel Pepper?" thundered the instructor again. "When did you get that dog?" This brought Joel to.

"Oh, I haven't had him long, sir," he said, and trembling for Sinbad, as he felt in every fibre of his being that the beast's fate was sealed, unless he could win over the irritated teacher. "He's a poor dog I--I found, sir," wishing he could think of the right words, and knowing that every word he uttered only made matters worse.

"David," cried the instructor, catching Davie's eye, down by the door, "do you know anything about this dog?"

"No, sir," said David, all in a tremble, and wishing he could say something to help Joel out.

"Well, now, you wait a minute." The instructor, feeling that here was a chance to impress the boys with his executive ability, looked about over the table where Farnham's schoolbooks were thrown. "Got a bit of string? No--oh, yes." He pounced on a piece, and came over to Joel and the dog.

"What are you going to do, sir?" Joel hung to Sinbad with a tighter grip than ever.

"Never mind; it's not for you to question me," said the instructor, with great authority.

But Joel edged away. Visions of being expelled from Dr. Marks' school swam before his eyes, and he turned very white.

David plunged through the crowd of boys, absolutely still with the excitement. "Oh Joel," he begged hoarsely, "let Mr. Parr do as he wants to. Mamsie would say so."