In a plain, straightforward manner, Phil told his side of the story.

Several times Job Haskers wanted to interrupt him, but Doctor Clay would not permit this. Then Ben was questioned, and after that the master of the school turned to Dave.

"Is your complaint the same, Porter?"

"Yes, sir."

"And yours, Morr?"

"Yes, sir."

"What have you to say, Beggs?"

"The same. The lessons lately have been altogether too hard--we simply can't get through them. We never had such long lessons before."

"I have given them only the regular lessons," put in Job Haskers.

"Ahem! Let us go over them and see what can be done," responded the doctor. "If the students are willing to work we do not want to overburden them, Mr. Haskers."

A discussion lasting over a quarter of an hour followed, and in the end the lessons were cut down, much to the satisfaction of the whole cla.s.s, who felt like cheering the head of the school. The only person who was not satisfied was Job Haskers. He was invited to go out with the doctor to his private office, and came back some time later, looking anything but happy.

"I'll wager he got a calling down!" whispered Phil to Dave. "I hope he did."

He was right about the "calling down," as he expressed it. The master of Oak Hall had spoken very plainly to the instructor, and given Job Haskers to understand that he must get along better with the boys in the future, and treat them with more consideration, or he would be asked to resign from the staff of the school.

Several days slipped by and during that time Dave paid close attention to his lessons. He had also a theme to write on "The Future of Our Country," and he devoted considerable time to this, hoping it would receive at least honorable mention, even if it did not win the prize offered for the best production.

"Come on down to town!" cried Roger, one afternoon, as he rushed in, "Big excitement on! Going to blow the railroad up!"

"Blow the railroad up?" queried our hero. "What sort of a joke is this, Roger?"

"No joke, at all. You know the old stone bridge over the creek?"

"Sure."

"Well, the railroad wants to get rid of it and do it quickly, so they can build another, so the contractors are going to blow the old bridge up with dynamite at half-past four o'clock."

"Let's go!" burst out Phil. "It will be a great sight--to see that old bridge go up."

"Right you are!" cried Ben.

All the boys were enthusiastic, and in the end fully fifty students got permission to go down to Oakdale to see the old stone bridge destroyed.

"None of you must go very close," warned Doctor Clay, "for dynamite is powerful stuff--eight times more powerful than gunpowder."

"We'll keep away, don't fear about that," answered several.

"Dynamite isn't to be fooled with," added Dave.

"Say, that puts me in mind of a story!" cried Shadow. "A Dutch laborer working on the railroad was much annoyed by the other laborers coming along and knocking his stiff old derby hat over his eyes. At last he got good and mad and when he saw a chance, he stole a stick of dynamite from the shanty where it was kept. He stuck the dynamite in his hat and then went around to the other laborers. 'Now, chust hit dot hat vonce again of you dare!' he said."

"And n.o.body dared," added Roger, as a general laugh went up.

"I once saw a fellow take a stick of dynamite and burn it like a torch," remarked Ben. "It gave me a cold chill to see him do it."

"And it didn't explode?" queried Roger.

"No. But I heard afterwards that if he had struck it ever so lightly, it might have blown us all as high as a kite."

"It sure is great stuff," remarked Phil. "Say," he went on suddenly, "I wish they were going to blow up old Sparr's hotel instead of the bridge."

"So do I," added Ben. "He's about as mean as they make 'em."

"That man ought certainly to have something done to him," was Roger's comment.

"Well, he won't make a success of his hotel if he treats everybody as he treated Phil," said Dave.

"He doesn't deserve any success," growled the shipowner's son.

When the students arrived in the vicinity of the old bridge they found a large crowd a.s.sembled, including many acquaintances from Rockville Military Academy, and people from the town. Red flags had been placed around, and n.o.body was allowed to get very close to the old structure.

"There is where they have the dynamite stored," said Phil, pointing to a shanty not far away. "See the sign?"

"That's a good spot to steer clear of," returned Dave, with a grin.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of the stuff," answered the shipowner's son.

In the crowd of men and boys the students became more or less separated. There was a great thrill when the word was pa.s.sed that everything was in readiness for the blowing up of the old bridge.

"She's going!" cried Roger to Dave.

Boom! came the dull, heavy roar, and the boys saw the stones of the old bridge flying upward in all directions. The ground shook all around them, and the water from the creek was splashed on high. A great cloud of smoke and dust filled the air. Then came silence, followed by a wild cheering from the younger element.

"Certainly a great sight," was Dave's comment.

"Too bad it didn't last longer," sighed Buster.

"It wasn't quite as big as I thought it would be," said Luke. "I thought some of the stones would fly about a mile high."

"Good enough for a free exhibition," put in Gus. "Beats fireworks all hollow."

The boys walked down to the ruins of the old bridge and hung around for the best part of a half an hour. Then, in groups of five or six, they walked to town, to look around there before returning to Oak Hall. Dave and his chums pa.s.sed Jason Sparr's hotel. He was on the veranda and scowled at them, and Phil and some of the others scowled in return.

"Have you done anything about that Sparr matter yet, Phil?" asked one of the lads.

"No; but I will soon, you wait and see," was the growled-out reply.

On the main street of the town some of the boys separated, to do a little shopping, and then some walked to the school, while others got in the carryall that happened to be at hand. As a consequence some of the students did not get back to Oak Hall until some time after the supper hour.