"Study like blazes!" was Teeter's next order.

There came a knock at the door.

"Young gentlemen have you any visitors?" demanded the ominous voice of Professor Rodd.

Teeter placed the ends of the rubber tubes one in each of two gla.s.ses before Joe could answer.

"I heard voices in there--more than two voices," went on the Latin instructor grimly, "and I demand that you open the door before I send for Dr. Fillmore and the janitor."

Tom slid to the portal and unlocked it. Professor Rodd stepped into the room and his stern gaze took in the two visitors. But he also saw something else that surprised him.

On the table was apparatus that very much resembled some used for experiments in the physics cla.s.s. And, wonder of wonders, each of the four lads held a book in his hand--a book that the merest glance showed to be either a Latin grammar or a treatise on chemistry.

"What--why----?" faltered the professor.

"_Aliqui--aliquare--aliqua_," recited Teeter in a sing-song declension voice. "_Aliquorum--aliquarum--aliquorum._" Then he pretended to look up suddenly, as if just aware of the presence of the instructor.

"Oh, good evening, Professor Rodd," said Teeter calmly.

"What does this mean?" exclaimed the teacher. "Don't you know it is against the rules for students to visit in each others' rooms after hours without permission?"

"I knew it was--that is for anything but study," replied Teeter frankly.

"I didn't think you minded if we helped each other with our Latin." Oh!

what an innocent look was on his face!

"Oh!--er--um--and you are studying Latin?" asked the professor, while a pleased smile replaced his frown.

"Yes, Professor," put in Peaches. "And I can't seem to remember, nor find, what the neuter plural accusative of 'some' is. I have gone as far as _aliquos--aliquas_, but----"

"_Aliqua--aliqua!_" exclaimed the Professor quickly. "You ought not to forget that. We had it in cla.s.s the other day."

"Oh, yes, so we did!" exclaimed Teeter. "I just remember now; don't you, Joe?"

"Yes," murmured Joe, wondering whether or not they had turned the tables on the teacher.

"I am glad to see you so studious," went on Mr. Rodd. "And I see you do not neglect your physics, either. Ah--er--what is the red liquid in the bottles," and he looked at what remained of the strawberry pop.

It was the question Tom and Joe had feared would be asked. But Teeter was equal to the emergency.

"Professor," he asked innocently, "isn't there some rule regarding _quis_ used in the indefinite in connection with _aliquis_?"

"Yes, and I am glad you spoke of that," said Mr. Rodd quickly, rubbing his hands, much pleased that he had a chance to impart some Latin information. "_Quis_ indefinite is found in the following compounds: _aliquis_--someone; _si quis_, if any; _ne quis_, lest any; _ecquis_, _num quis_, whether any. I am very glad you brought that up. I will speak of it in cla.s.s to-morrow. But I must go now."

The boys began to breathe easier and Teeter, who had been whispering declensions to himself, left off.

"Oh, by the way," spoke the Professor, as if he had just thought of it: "I don't mind you boys studying together, if you don't stay up too late. But it is better to ask permission. However, I will speak to Dr.

Fillmore about it, and it will be all right from now on. I am pleased that some of my students are so painstaking. I wish more were."

With a bow he left them and they tried not to give way to their exultation until he was far down the corridor.

"Say, talk about pulling off a stunt! We did it all right!" exclaimed Joe.

"I should say yes," agreed the others.

CHAPTER VI

THE BULLY SNEERS

"Well, you ought to get out a patent on this," remarked Joe, when they resumed the eating of the pie and the drinking of the pop, following the withdrawal of the professor.

"You sure had," agreed Tom. "Let Joe give you some points. His father has taken out several patents."

"Oh, I guess we'll make it free for all--any fellow is welcome to the idea," replied Teeter. "So your dad's an inventor, eh, Matson?"

"Yes, harvester machinery--his latest was a corn reaper and binder, and he nearly lost it," and Joe briefly told how Isaac Benjamin and Rufus Holdney had nearly ruined his father, as related in detail in "Baseball Joe of the Silver Stars."

"Ever hear anything more of those fellows?" asked Tom, following the recital of the schemes of the plotters.

"No, they seem to have disappeared," answered Joe. "They cleared out after dad won his case in the courts. But he's on the watch for them, he told me. His business isn't all settled yet, and there is some danger. But I guess Benjamin or Holdney won't bother him, though some other rascals may."

"Anything more to eat?" asked Peaches, during the pause that followed.

"Say, what are you, a human refrigerator?" demanded Teeter. "I couldn't carry any more pie if I tried."

"It'll be our treat next time," observed Joe. "Why didn't George Bland come with you?"

"Had to bone on trigonometry, I guess," replied Peaches.

"Does he play on the team?" Joe wanted to know.

"Yes, we all do. George is short, I'm on third, and Teeter holds down first sometimes. But you never can tell what Hiram is going to do. He and Luke are always making shifts, and that's what lost us the Blue Banner last season. The fellows would no more than get familiar with their positions than Hiram would shift 'em. Oh, he runs things to suit himself."

The hour of ten boomed out from the big school clock and the visitors left.

"Spring fever!" exclaimed Joe one day, as he and Tom came from a physics lecture.

"Yes, I've got it, too," admitted Tom. "It's in the air, and I'm glad of it. What's that Shakespeare says about 'now is the winter of our discontent?'"

"Oh, cheese it! Don't begin spouting poetry. Besides I'm not sure it was Shakespeare, and I don't give a hang. All I know is that Spring is coming, and soon they'll begin getting the diamond in shape."

"Precious lot of good that will do you--or me, either. Hiram is as down on me as he is on you."

"I know it, and I was going to speak of that, Tom. There's no use in your losing a chance to play on the nine just because I'm on the outs.

Why don't you cut loose from me? You can get another room, and maybe if you do----"