The Chums of Scranton High at Ice Hockey written by Donald Ferguson
D >>
Donald Ferguson >> The Chums of Scranton High at Ice Hockey
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9
"You mean too much work will cause them to go stale; is that it,
Hugh?"
"Physical directors and coaches are always on their guard against
that, Thad. The boat team is always strongest at a certain point.
If the race comes off when they attain that top-notch pinnacle,
they're apt to do their very best; but should it be delayed, by
weather or something else, the coach becomes alarmed, because he
knows there's a great chance of their losing speed from too much
nervous tension and overwork."
From which talk it was evident that Hugh must have imbibed
considerable valuable knowledge from Mr. Leonard, who, as a college
man, ought to understand a thing or two concerning sporting matters.
So the two chums continued to talk all the way back to town. Hugh
had picked up a whole lot of information by making the journey out to
the cross-roads. Somehow he seemed to feel drawn toward the old
blacksmith, who seemed to be such a sterling character.
Hugh had met him in church circles and at sociables, but, not knowing
the tragedy that lay back in the deacon's younger life, he had so far
failed to cultivate his acquaintance. But he was now determined to
see more of Deacon Winslow, for he believed the weather prophet would
be able to tell him a host of interesting things about Nature's
storehouse, from which he had gleaned astonishing facts during many
years' study.
CHAPTER VIII
OWEN DUGDALE'S ANNOUNCEMENT
Another week of school had commenced, with winter now in full swing.
The weather seemed to have settled down to show what it could do,
after such a long delay. It was making up for lost time, some of the
boys declared. But then it could hardly be too cold for fellows
warmly dressed, and who had their three hearty meals a day. The poor
might complain, because they suffered, especially when such spells
were prolonged.
Deacon Winslow was seen in town more frequently than usual, he
leaving the work to the charge of his assistant for an hour or so at
a time. He always carried a big basket in his wagon or sleigh; and
those who knew his warm heart could easily understand that his visits
were wholly at homes where there was none too much in the way of
comforts and food.
During the earlier days of the week the talk was pretty much of
winter sports. Ice hockey occupied a prominent place in the
conversations that were carried on wherever three or more Scranton
High fellows clustered, to kick their heels on the pavement, or sun
themselves while perched on the top of the campus fence that would go
down in history as the peer of the famous one at Yale.
During afternoons the hockey players gathered at the park, and each
day saw them engaging in some sort of practice game,--their opponents
being such fellows as could be gathered together to constitute a fair
Seven.
Hugh seemed satisfied with the progress made, and Mr. Leonard, too,
looked as if he felt well repaid for the trouble he was taking
showing them certain clever moves that might reward them in a
fiercely contested match.
Meanwhile the mystery concerning that robbery at Paul Kramer's
Emporium had not yet been wholly solved. Leon Disney still
languished in the lock-up at Police Headquarters, his folks having
been unable to secure bail for him. They could not raise the amount
themselves, and somehow there seemed to be no person in the whole
community philanthropical enough to take chances with Leon, who was
reckoned an exceedingly slippery individual, who would most likely
run away before his trial came off, leaving his bondsman to "hold the
bag," as the boys called it.
He was just as stubborn as ever in his denial of complicity in the
robbery. Leon doubtless believed that a lie well stuck to was bound
to raise up friends. There are always well disposed people whose
sympathies are apt to be aroused when they hear of a case like this.
But Leon was not being held on circumstantial evidence. He had been
caught "with the goods on him." All that loot hidden under the old
barn on his place was positive proof of his guilt. Still he held
out, and declared himself the victim of some base plot calculated to
ruin his reputation; which was rather a queer thing for Leon to say,
since the only reputation he had in Scranton was for badness.
Another thing was that he still declined to betray his pal, for
everyone felt positive he had had company when foraging through the
cases in Paul Kramer's establishment, taking such things as naturally
appeal to a boy's heart--candy, cigarettes, revolvers and sporting
goods.
Chief Wambold suspected one boy from the start, after finding that
the former chief offender in these lines could prove a positive
alibi. This was the third of the bad lot, Tip Slavin.
He had even gone to Tip's humble home and made a thorough search,
high and low, but without the least success. If Tip were guilty he
must have been smarter than his confederate, who had hidden his share
of the plunder under the loose boards of the floor of his folks' barn.
Not having any evidence beyond suspicion the officer did not dare
arrest Tip, who continued to loaf about his customary corners and
look impudently at every fellow who stared meaningly at him when
passing. Hugh himself never once doubted the guilt of Tip Slavin;
though he fancied the authorities might have a hard time catching
him, unless the stubborn Leon at the last, finding himself on the way
to the Reform School, confessed, and implicated his companion.
He and Thad were talking about that very same thing on Thursday
afternoon while on the way home from the park a little earlier than
usual.
"Where do you think that sly Tip could have hidden the stuff, Hugh?"
Thad asked, continuing their conversation.
"Oh! there would be plenty of places, and no one likely to ever run
across it, on one condition," replied the other.
"What might that be?" demanded Thad.
"If only Tip could himself keep away from his cache," he was told.
"That may be his undoing, after all. You know, when an ordinary
thief has done something big, and is being looked for, the smart
police always ask whether he has a wife or a sweetheart; because they
know that sooner or later he is bound to communicate with such a
person, and so a clue may be found to his hiding-place. Well, Tip's
heart will be located where his treasure is. He'll soon get a
_yearning_ to indulge in some of the candy and cigarettes he's got
hidden away."
"Then if Chief Wambold knew his duty," snapped Thad vigorously, "he'd
keep tabs of Tip day and night, and shadow him wherever he went."
"That would be his best move," agreed Hugh.
"You ought to post the Chief on that same sort of clever job, Hugh."
"Well, I did think of that," admitted the other boy, "but somehow I
hated to have a hand in railroading Tip to the Reformatory. It's
true he ought to be there, for he's a terror to the whole community;
but he's got a mother, Thad, and I'd hate to see her swollen eyes,
and remember that I'd had a hand in parting her from her boy. It
isn't as if I were paid for doing such things, as Chief Wambold is;
this is hardly any business of mine, you know, and I've concluded to
keep my hands off."
"Well, now, somehow I don't just look at it the way you do, Hugh.
Perhaps I'm not quite so tender-hearted as you are. It may be the
best thing that ever happened to Tip if he is sent to the Reform
School before he plunges any deeper into the mire of crime. Plenty
of boys have become fine men after being sent there, to be taught
what it should have been the duty of their careless or incompetent
parents to put into their heads."
"Do you mean that you might take a notion to drop a hint to the
Chief, Thad?"
"I'll think it over, and decide later," the other told him. "Perhaps
I'll ask advice of Dominie Pettigrew, who's a good friend of mine,
and would tell me what my duty was, not only to Tip, but to the
community at large, which he had so flagrantly abused time and again."
"Suit yourself about that, Thad. Perhaps, after all, you may be
right, and that it would be a good thing all around if Tip could be
sent away with Leon. But it's likely Leon will weaken when his trial
comes off, and betray his pal; though he may give Tip a hint
beforehand so he can clear out in time."
"And about Nick Lang?" continued Thad.
"I haven't changed my mind about him, as yet," Hugh replied sturdily
enough. "So far Nick seems to be minding his own business, and
having as little to do with other boys as possible. I heard Dr.
Carmack say he was astonished at the difference in Nick's work in
classes. He seemed particularly pleased, too, because, with all the
other teachers, he's had a hard time with Nick in the past."
"But in all the days we've practiced our hockey work Nick hasn't once
joined the scrub team we've fought against. That's why we've been
able to lick them so easily, I guess, Hugh. That fellow certainly is
a wizard on runners, and would make a good addition to our Seven, if
by some chance he could be squeezed in. But one of the Regulars
would have to be dropped, and I think there would be some bad blood
shown if anyone had to give way to a fellow who's had such a bad
reputation in the past. Even now lots of people think he's only
shamming reform for some deep purpose."
"Lots of people are due for a surprise, then, let me tell you," said
Hugh. "But, of course, just as you say, I wouldn't dare take any
fellow out as long as he was working his best, and substituting Nick.
It would raise a howl, to be sure. But, Thad, if the time should
ever come when we're up against a hard proposition, with defeat
staring us in the face, and one of our team was injured, I'd grab at
Nick like a drowning man does at a plank floating near."
"One lucky thing happened for us, Hugh, anyhow."
"You're referring to the toss of the coin that gave us the choice of
grounds for the game, and will force Keyport to journey over here on
Saturday, eh, Thad?"
"Yes, that's what I had in mind. Captain Mossman seemed to be a
pretty fine sort of chap, too, I thought, when he dropped in on us
yesterday afternoon to look the place over; because it seems he's
never played before in Scranton."
"Well, Scranton was hardly on the map until this year," Hugh laughed.
"However, some of our neighboring towns have already learned that
Scranton is alive and wide-awake."
"Just what they have, Hugh, and there are other surprises coming for
them, too. I noticed that you cut out all play while the Keyport
chap was with us. Didn't want him to get a line on our methods, I
suppose?"
"It might give them a little advantage, you see, and weaken our play.
Some of the Scranton boys have gone over to Keyport to see what's
doing there. They bring back great reports of the confidence shown
in the team; but Coach Leonard has positively forbidden any member of
our Seven to make the trip. He says it smacks too much of spying to
please him."
"Oh! that's drawing the line pretty tight, Hugh. Lots of players in
the baseball world try their level best to get a line on a pitcher
who is going to oppose them, and consider it legitimate enough."
"Well, they are professionals, to begin with," said the other; "and
business is business with them. But, right or wrong, there's going
to be no spying on our part, so long as Mr. Leonard has charge of the
athletic end of the game at Scranton. You can depend on that every
time."
"There's Owen now; he wasn't at practice this afternoon, I wonder
why?" exclaimed Thad, as they sighted another boy coming toward them.
"He looks as if he might be bursting with some sort of news, Hugh.
Now I wonder what he's run up against."
Owen quickly arrived. His face did have an eager look, and his eyes
were fairly dancing with some sort of emotion.
"Hugh, I've got something to tell you!" he burst out with, at which
Thad shot a knowing glance toward his chum, which said as plain as
could be: "There, what did I say to you?"
"All right, Owen, relieve yourself of the load right away, before you
burst," Hugh went on to advise, in his pleasant fashion.
"It's about a certain chap who's under suspicion right now of having
been implicated in that breaking into the Kramer store and robbing
it."
"Tip Slavin, you mean, Owen?" asked Hugh, looking interested at once.
"Yes, no other, Hugh. Well, I've discovered beyond a shadow of a
doubt that he is the guilty partner of Leon Disney, just as everybody
suspected!"
CHAPTER IX
AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD
Thad gave utterance to an ejaculation, and then followed it up by
saying:
"Well, now, I like that! After all, Hugh, I may not have to bother
giving the Chief that tip you mentioned, if Owen here has discovered
something big. Tell us about it, Owen, please; since you've got us
excited by your news."
"I couldn't get over to practice this afternoon, Hugh, as of course
you noticed," the other commenced to say. "But it wasn't any fault
of mine, I give you my word. I had to do several things around the
house for mother. One of the pipes had frozen and had to be thawed
out. Then there were other jobs that kept me busy for an hour.
Finally, when I began to hope I might get down a short time before
you closed shop, she remembered an errand that would take me out on
the road leading to Hobson's Mill-Pond. I had to go to Farmer
Brown's for some butter and eggs."
All this was said with such a lugubrious expression that Hugh had to
laugh.
"It's plain to be seen you started on that walk feeling anything but
pleased, Owen," he went on to remark. "Of course you'd much rather
have been skating with the balance of the crowd over at our new rink.
Well, what happened?"
"Just this, Hugh. I was well out of town, and walking briskly along,
thinking of the game we expect to win on Saturday, when someone
suddenly turned a bend ahead. I saw that it was a boy who was
smoking a cigarette like everything,--yes, Tip Slavin, if you please.
He discovered me at about the same second, and, say, you ought to
have seen how he flipped that coffin-nail thing from his lips, and
came on as bold as anything."
Thad chuckled.
"Huh! guess you got him dead to rights that time, Owen. Did you
accuse him of being a thief?" he asked hurriedly.
"Well, hardly, because, you see, I wasn't begging for a fight; and
there's no doubt in the world that's what would have followed. But I
made out as if I hadn't noticed anything out of the way, and just
nodded careless like to Tip as we passed by."
"I admire your way of grasping the situation," said Hugh
impressively, "because already I can guess you had some sort of
scheme in your mind to make use of your discovery."
"Just what I did," chortled Owen. "I walked on, and turned the bend
he had come around. Then I crept back, and peeked, taking care he
didn't glimpse me. When I saw him stop as if deciding on something I
was disappointed, because I expected he meant to come back after it;
but then he seemed to think it not worth while, and later on passed
out of sight in the distance."
"And then you hunted for the cigarette he had thrown away, I
suppose?" ventured Thad.
"Oh! I'd noted the exact spot where he was at the time, and also on
which side of the road he'd tossed the stub; so I didn't have much
trouble about picking it up; after which I continued on my way.
Hugh, here it is."
"With that Owen took something from his pocket, carefully wrapped in
the folds of his handkerchief. It turned out to be a half-smoked
cigarette. Hugh fastened his eyes instantly on some small printing
in blue ink, giving the name of the manufacturers down in Virginia.
"It's the same make as those found under the Disney barn-floor," he
said impressively; "and that alone would be proof that Tip has a
cache somewhere back along the road to the mill-pond, perhaps in a
hollow tree in the woods. A clever police officer could easily find
it by following back Tip's trail, and learning just where he came out
of the woods. I myself happen to know his left shoe has a triangular
patch across the toe,--that would serve to identify the tracks
anywhere."
"Listen to that, will you, Owen?" gasped the wondering Thad. "If my
chum here doesn't take up the line of an investigator of crime for a
livelihood believe me there'll be a great loss to the world. I
wonder now, Hugh, if you've got tabs on all the fellows, so that you
could tell who made any footprint in the mud?"
Hugh only laughed as he went on to say:
"It was just a mere accident that I knew that about Tip's mended
sole, and it might never happen again. But when Owen here told us
about a hidden cache I only gave you my opinion as to what would be
the easiest way to discover its location. But what will you do about
it, Owen,--let the Chief know of your discovery, or keep mum?"
"Why, I look at it this way," said the other, with a line of
perplexity marked upon his usually smooth forehead; "if it was only a
_suspicion_ I might keep quiet, not wanting to injure Tip, though
I've got little cause to love the brute. But since I actually _know_
something that would prove a valuable clue to the officers, I'm
afraid it would be what I've heard a lawyer call 'compounding a
felony' if I refused to inform on Tip. How about that, Hugh? I want
to do the right thing, even if I hate to be an informer."
"It's up to you, Owen, and your duty is plain enough," said Hugh.
"Then I ought to see the Chief, you mean?" asked the other.
"I'd advise you to do so, for your future peace of mind, if nothing
else," Hugh told the hesitating boy, who thereupon drew a long
breath, and remarked:
"I'm more than half sorry now I went back to look for this cigarette;
because only for my picking up such positive evidence I needn't get
into this nasty game. But I'm in now, and I'll have to shoulder my
share of the responsibility, I guess. So, while the thing is still
fresh in my mind, I'll trot around to Headquarters to wake up our
sleeping Chief. Things have come to a pretty pass here in Scranton
when boys have to lend a helping hand to the police force so as to
nab a petty thief."
With that Owen left them. When he had a duty to perform, however
unpleasant it might be, Owen was accustomed to grappling with it, and
not compromising.
Thad looked after the other and remarked:
"How queer things do come about, Hugh. Just to think of Owen
discovering Tip sauntering along the road and smoking one of those
stolen cigarettes. Pretty cute of him, too, sneaking back and
hunting for the evidence. I suppose it'll wind up in Tip being
locked up with Leon, and eventually going to the Reform School."
"Few people will be sorry," observed Hugh, although he felt a twinge
when his mind reverted to the mothers of the two boys.
"I wonder what Nick thinks of it all," mused Thad. "He must realize
that he had a narrow squeak of it; because, only for that sudden
change of heart on his part, brought around by what you did about
those nickeled skates, he might have been in the cooler right now,
along with crafty Leon."
As they had arrived at the point where their paths diverged, the two
chums separated. Hugh had returned home somewhat earlier than
customary, as he had something to do for his mother, just as Owen had
admitted was the cause of his absence from the ice that same
afternoon.
Usually boys like to linger on the ice until long after the shades of
night have settled down and time for supper is perilously near. With
a jolly bonfire blazing on the bank, and the skaters going and coming
all the while, the prospect is so alluring that it is indeed
difficult for any lad to break away. And the father who has not
forgotten his own shortcomings of long ago is apt to wisely overlook
some such transgression of parental authority, when the ice beckons,
and, in spite of good intentions, all outdoors seems to grip a fellow
in fetters of steel.
Some little time later Hugh might have been seen in a neighbor's
family sleigh heading out of town. There was plenty of snow for this
sort of thing, though the ice had been kept well cleared through the
use of brooms handled by many willing hands. The skating had not
been injured in the least, for they flooded the pond each night
afresh, giving it a glittering new surface by morning.
Hugh had to go a couple of miles out. He, too, was bound for a farm,
to fetch back a sack of potatoes that his mother had purchased, and
which should have been delivered before then, only that the one horse
on the place had taken a notion to fall sick, and that rendered the
farmer helpless.
It was already well on toward sunset when Hugh started out. He
expected to be overtaken by twilight before getting back home; but
that was a small matter, since he knew the road very well, and with
the snow on the ground it would not be really dark at any time.
It was certainly bitter cold. Hugh wore warm gloves especially
suited for driving, or any purpose when the zero mark was approached
by the mercury in the tube of the thermometer. He also kept his ears
well muffled up by means of a toque of dark blue worsted, which he
wore under his ordinary cap.
As he had on a heavy wool-lined pea-jacket that buttoned close up
under his chin the boy found nothing to complain about in that cold
atmosphere, for his blood coursed through his veins with all the
richness of healthy youth.
"But all the same," he was telling himself, as he passed an humble
cottage where, through a dingy window, a lone lamp could be seen; and
some children gathered about the kitchen stove, "I'm thinking this
bracing weather that we boys have wanted to see so much, is pretty
hard on poor folks. The world is unevenly divided, as mother often
says; some have too much for their own good; and others far too
little for comfort."
He presently arrived at his destination. The neighbor's horse, while
not at all fleet, was a steady goer, and Hugh had not allowed him to
"loaf on the job" so long as he could touch the whip to the animal's
broad back.
The sack of potatoes was soon tucked away in the back part of the big
sleigh. He also bundled some extra coverings about it, which he had
brought along with him, to prevent any chance of the precious tubers
freezing. A basket, with some other things, was also stowed away in
the back of the vehicle; after which the boy said good-night to the
farmer, and started on his return trip.
Hugh was about half-way home when something occurred to excite him
not a little, though at the time he did not even suspect what an
intimate relation it might have in connection with certain facts that
he and his chum had only recently been discussing at length.
His horse suddenly gave a series of snorts, and at the same time
shied to one side as if startled. Hugh gripped the lines tighter,
and strained his eyes to see what was wrong, while, perhaps, his
heart did start to beating faster than ordinary, although he could
not be said to be alarmed in the least, only excited.
A wavering figure started out toward him. Then Hugh discovered,
greatly to his surprise, that it was a woman, and that she held by
the hand a child of about five, a boy at that.
She tried to speak to him, but seemed overcome with weakness, as
though she might have been trudging along until exhausted by want of
food and the severe cold. Hugh guessed that possibly the couple must
have come out of a side road he had passed a few hundred feet back,
for they were certainly not there when he went by on the way to the
farmer's place.
He saw her stretch out her hand toward him, caught the feeble words,
"Help--my poor little boy!" and then, to Hugh's utter dismay, she
sank to the ground in a heap!
CHAPTER X
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
Fortunately, Hugh was a lad equal to any occasion. Of course, he had
never had an experience like this before; but somehow he seemed to
understand that the first, indeed, only thing to be done, was to get
the woman and child in the sleigh some way or other, and then make
for home at breakneck speed.
So out he jumped, and, after considerable difficulty, managed to lift
the now unconscious woman into the sleigh. He had never realized
until then how like lead an inert person might seem, although not
heavy in reality, when possessed of life and animation.
He tore the coverings off the sack of potatoes, and tucked them
eagerly about his charges; for he had also placed the little fellow,
now sobbing bitterly, under the possible impression that "mommy" was
dead, in the sleigh. As for the potatoes they could "go hang," as he
told himself under his breath; though, perhaps, they might not freeze
in the brief time he meant to be on the road now.
In again Hugh jumped. Old Bill felt the whip come down this time in
deadly earnest, and actually jumped in his amazement. Hugh kept him
going at a mad pace. He was thrilled with the importance of getting
home as speedily as possible. The woman had looked so deathly white
that the boy was alarmed. And how he pitied the little chap who
cuddled against his side, still surging over now and then with his
grief, while Hugh drove along.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9