Outside again, they followed a path that took them under the shade of the elms back to Academy Hall. There was not much time left now, and after viewing the school offices from a respectful distance and peering into some of the classrooms on the first and second floors, Joe decided that their guest had better be thinking of getting back to the station. You mustnt go, though, without seeing the view from the cupola, he added. Theres plenty of time for that.
Harmon looked doubtfully at his watch, but Joe was already leading the way toward a narrow flight of stairs at the end of the second-floor corridor and Bob had an urging grip on his shoulder.
Thats right, agreed Martin. Everyone ought to see the view from the cupola. It its one of the sights! Perhaps he meant to add further persuasion, but a fit of coughing overtook him. Bob, over Harmons head, scowled ferociously back at him.
The stairway ended at a closed door and the procession halted while Joe shot back a heavy iron bolt and drew the portal outward. Then he stepped politely aside and the visitor entered a small apartment some eight feet square. It was quite bare and lighted by four tiny panes set one in each wall and just under the ceiling. Harmons gaze went questing for the stairs or ladder by which he was to reach the cupola, but there was nothing of that sort in sight. Indeed, there was no egress save by the door through which he had entered! He was on the point of calling polite attention to the fact when a sound behind him brought him quickly about. The sound had been made by the door as it closed, and while he stared, open-mouthed, a second sound reached him, and this time it was made by the bolt sliding harshly into place!
CHAPTER III
HELD BY THE ENEMY
A long moment of deep silence followed.
Harmon stared bewilderedly at the closed door. Of course, it was some sort of a silly joke, but it seemed so peculiarly at variance with all that had gone before that he couldnt understand. Wondering, he waited for the door to reopen. Instead, however, came the voice of Joe Myers, subdued by the intervening portal but recognizable and distinct.
Harmon, can you hear me?
Yes!
Thats good. Now listen. Its too late to make that train, old man, and there isnt another until about nine oclock. That would get you to Lakeville pretty late and faculty wouldnt like it, I guess. Whats the use of starting the term with a black eye, eh? No sense in getting in wrong right at the start, is there? Its a sort of a handicap to a fellow
Theres plenty of time to get the train if youll open that door, replied Harmon impatiently. Whats the big idea, anyway? If its a joke its a mighty poor one, Myers!
It isnt a joke, came the answer. You see, its like this. We hate to see a nice, decent chap like you spoiling his whole er his whole future career by making a mistake, Harmon. And you will make a mistake if you go to Kenly. Why, you say yourself that youre not certain of making the team over there! What sort of a school is it, I ask you, where a fellow of your your caliber has to get out and dig for a place on the eleven? Now, here youre sure of it. All youll have to do will be just put your name down at the office. Of course we dont know what arrangement Kenly has agreed to make, and maybe we cant promise all they have. You see, faculty heres sort of sort of strait-laced. But Ill promise you this much, anyhow, Harmon: Your first quarter wont cost you a cent. Well see to that. All you need is to
I havent the slightest idea what youre talking about! protested the prisoner. Open that door and let me out, or or
Now dont get peevish, please! begged Joe. Honest, were doing this for your own good, Harmon. Just think a minute and youll see it. Were offering you a quarters tuition and the full-back position on the team. If Kenly can do any better, why, all Ive got to say is that theyre a lot of low-down cheats, after the way they talk over there!
But Im not going to Kenly to play football! exploded Harmon. I dont care if I never play! Im going to to learn!
Sure! Well, thats another reason why you ought to stay here. Everyone knows that Altons a better school for learning things than Kenly. You dont have to take my word for that, either. Its universally accepted. Why, gosh-ding-it, weve got a bigger faculty and a better one than Kenly ever thought of having! And weve got better buildings and a better plant generally! Why, say, you can learn more here in a month than you could learn at Kenly in a year!
Are you fellows crazy? demanded Harmon. Let me out or Ill kick the door down!
You cant do that, replied Joe equably. Its two inches thick. And no one will hear you, no matter how much row you make, for there wont be anyone on the next floor until tomorrow morning. So you might just as well get rid of that idea, old man. We need you right here at Alton, and we mean to have you. And youll be mighty glad some day that we did this. Of course, right now youre feeling a bit peeved with us, but youll get over that when you calm down and think things over. Maybe youd like to consider awhile. Theres no hurry. How about it?
There was no reply for a long moment. Then Harmon said in quite a placid voice: Will you please tell me again what youre getting at? Maybe Im kind of dense, but its all hodgepodge to me!
Sure! Here it is in a nutshell. We need you on the team
What team? asked Harmon patiently.
Why, the football team, man! We need you a heap more than Kenly does, and were willing to do anything in reason to get you. Maybe you wont mind telling us what Kenly has offered you.
For what?
Why, for well, for going there.
Kenly hasnt offered me anything. Why should she? Im entering like anyone else.
There was a silence. Then Joes voice came again, somewhat more chilly. All right. Its your affair. If you dont want to tell, you neednt, but we wouldnt ever speak of it. I suppose you mean that we havent offered enough. Well, Ill have a talk with some of the fellows and see what they say. You understand, Harmon, that whatever we do we do without faculty getting wise. And, of course, whatever money we managed to raise would come out of a few pockets, because lots of fellows wouldnt approve, and lots of em havent got the money. For that matter, I dont altogether approve myself! If it was almost anyone else Id tell him to go to thunder! Still, if Kenly can do this sort of thing and get away with it
Would you very much mind listening to me a minute? begged the boy on the other side of the door. Kenly isnt paying me money for going there. She hasnt offered to and I wouldnt take it in any case. Is that plain?
Y-yes, replied Joe, but
Then why not stay here instead? asked Bob eagerly. Youre sure of making the team and it wont cost you a cent for tuition the first quarter! Weve got everything Kenly has and a lot she hasnt. Besides, its a heap nicer playing on a winning team than on a losing one, and were going to lick Kenly this fall as sure as shooting!
That trains gone, hasnt it? asked Harmon quietly.
Just leaving the station, answered Joe in relieved tones.
Then you might as well let me out of here.
That means youve decided to stay?
Just leaving the station, answered Joe in relieved tones.
Then you might as well let me out of here.
That means youve decided to stay?
No, it doesnt. I havent any idea of staying. But
You think it over, advised Joe. Well be back in half an hour or so. What have you got against Alton, anyway?
Nothing against the place, answered Harmon, but a lot against the crazy idiots in it! Open the door and stop acting the fool!
There was a low-voiced conference outside and then Joe announced: Well let you think it over awhile, old man. Theres no use getting mad about it. Were doing this for your sake as much as for our own, and youd ought to see that. That offer still holds good, remember. Maybe Ill be able to better it when I come back. Ill see
Look here, you you crazy loon! Do you mean that youre going around telling the fellows that youve got me locked up here?
Well, Ive got to tell them something, havent I? I cant say
Dont say anything! I dont want your money! I wouldnt stay here if you paid me a thousand dollars a week!
You mean that? asked Joe dubiously.
Of course I mean it! Now let me out!
Well, leaving money out of it altogether, Harmon, and all on the level: Whats the matter with going to school here instead of over there?
Why should I? asked Harmon exasperatedly. I started for Kenly and thats where Im going. You can keep me here all night and all tomorrow and all
But thats not reasonable, protested Joe mildly. Here were giving you a chance to
Reasonable! Ha! Do you call what youre doing reasonable?
It may not look so, but it sure is! Hang it, man, were trying to save you from making a perfectly rotten mistake! Look here, have you paid your first quarter over there?
I have not, but thats got nothing to do with it.
Of course it has! returned Joe in triumph. You arent a student there until youve registered and paid your first quarter bill! All right! Just pay your money here, old man: the tuitions the same! What do you say?
No!
Well, Ive said all I can think of, replied Joe despondently. You think it over awhile, Harmon. Theres no hurry: you can register any time this evening before nine and tomorrow morning before twelve. Well be back after a bit. You sort of think it over, eh?
I dont need to think it over! I havent the least idea of doing anything so crazy! Come on and open the door now, and lets have an end to this this silly nonsense!
But there was no reply. Instead, there came to the captive the faint sounds of retreating footsteps. He listened suspiciously. Perhaps it was only a hoax, perhaps Myers was still outside. After a minute he called.
That doesnt fool me! he said. I know youre still there!
But there was no answer, and when another minute had gone by he realized that they had actually gone and left him there alone!
CHAPTER IV
HARMON COMES TO TERMS
The prisoner thrust his hands in his pockets and made a frowning survey of his cell. From the point of view of his captors it appeared an ideal apartment. There was but one door and that was firmly locked and plainly invulnerable. The windows were beyond reach and, in any case, too small to crawl through, and what had once been an opening admitting to the belfry above had been long since boarded up. He kicked tentatively at the door and might just as well have kicked at any other place in the four surrounding walls so far as results were concerned. There was no furniture, not even a chair. Listening, he heard nothing save, once, the distant shriek of a locomotive.
After a few minutes of hopeless inspection of the place, Harmon shrugged his shoulders and seated himself on the floor with his back to the wall and acted on Joe Myers advice to think it over. But thinking it over didnt enlighten him much. That his captors really meant business was evident, but why they had gone to so much trouble was a mystery. None of the reasons they had given seemed sufficient. That they had proceeded to such lengths merely to save him from the direful fate of becoming a Kenly fellow was too improbable. That they seriously wanted his services on the football team was just as unlikely: or, at least, it was unlikely that they would value those services highly enough to indulge in kidnapping as a means of securing them! No, there was something else, something that didnt appear. Perhaps Kenly had once enticed an Alton boy away and Alton was trying to get even. Or perhaps
There was a sound beyond the door and Harmon stopped conjecturing and listened. A voice came to him that was not Joe Myers.
I say, Harmon!
Hello! The prisoner tried to keep his tone hostile, but he wasnt altogether successful, for he was becoming tired of isolation and silence.
Joe sent me up to read something out of the school catalogue to you. Can you hear all right?
Yes, go ahead and read, answered Harmon scornfully.
And Martin Proctor, sitting on the top step outside, read. He read at some length, too. He started in with a list of Alton Academy graduates who had attained national prominence. The list included a Secretary of State, two Chief Justices, three United States Senators, numerous congressmen and a wealth of smaller fry. When he had finished Harmon inquired: No Presidents or Vice-Presidents?
I havent graduated yet, replied Martin cheerfully. Now Ill read you something from the report of the Board of Overseers.
What for? What do I care about the Board of Overseers?
Joe told me to.
When that was done Martin paused for comment, got none and began a flattering description of the Carey Gymnasium. Inside, Harmon leaned against the wall and grinned. A brief summary of scholarships and a statement to the effect that the Academy roster of year before last represented thirty-nine states of the Union, two territories and three foreign countries completed the programme.
Joe said I was to ask you if youd made up your mind, announced Martin then.
You tell him to give you an evening paper to read the next time, replied Harmon.
Say, why dont you? asked Martin persuasively. Honest, Harmon, youll like Alton a heap better than Kenly.
You go back and ask Myers what hes going to say to the faculty when I get out of here and tell my story!
Oh, weve got that fixed all right, chuckled Martin. Well, Ive got to be getting down to supper.
Hold on there! When do I eat?
I dont know. You see, if we opened the door to give you anything you might try to get out!
You think so, do you? asked Harmon grimly. Well, youve got more sense than I thought you had! How long does supper run?
Until seven. Its ten minutes past six now.
Listen, Porter
Proctors my name, old chap.
Proctor, then. Look here, now. If youll open that door and let me out Ill keep quiet about this. You can tell the others that that I asked to see that catalogue and that you went to hand it in and I knocked you down.
Yes, and theyd believe it, wouldnt they? asked Martin scornfully. Think of something better, please! Besides, Im just as much interested in saving you from your career of crime as they are, Harmon. Why, Id never forgive myself if I left one turn unstoned! Were trying to save you from yourself, old chap!