"How mean and contemptible of them! They ought to be ashamed of themselves."

"Well," said Frank, soothingly, as he saw how the indignant girl took it to heart in connection with Ralph, "Never mind now, but go and get your things on. We might as well make a start now. You know, we don't practice to-night at the school, because they're fixing the ceiling in the a.s.sembly room. It's to be at Dyckman's Hall."

"I promised that we would drop around and take Flo with us,"

remarked Helen, with a quick look upward, and a little smile.

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter; that is, it won't take us much out of our way," returned Frank.

"No, it isn't so far as the Cuthbert's," and with this parting shot, Helen ran upstairs, leaving Frank to ponder over her meaning.

The glee club usually met in the hall at the high school. It was connected with the educational department, in that the school authorities encouraged its existence, for the study of music was along the lines of the ordinary duties of the cla.s.ses.

Of course, when fifty or more young people come together of an evening, they are bound to make merry. Consequently there was always an air of jollity connected with these weekly singing society meetings throughout the winter months.

Both Bones Shadduck and Ralph West were present. They showed up with a bunch of others, and secretly Ralph reported to Frank that they had seen no sign of the enemy while on the way thither.

"But don't let that make you careless," retorted the other, "for these chaps are as cunning as Indians, who always attack, they say, just before dawn, when the men on guard are apt to be sleepy.

Watch out, Ralph. We need you too much to have you taking chances."

But the evening pa.s.sed quickly, with the customary songs and merriment. Minnie was, of course, present. She had come with Dottie Warren, and once, when it chanced that she and Frank met face to face, she looked annoyed because she had to speak.

However, Frank's nod was just as cold as her own.

He sang with even more vim than customary, just to show her that he was not caring in the least. Still, there were curious eyes that noted the breach, and more than one group of girls commented on the fact.

"They've certainly had a falling out," said Emily Dodsworth, the primp, and she tried to look horrified, even while secretly pleased, because she was herself very fond of Frank. "Isn't it dreadful, girls? But then I thought their friendship was too sudden to last long. Perhaps Frank may understand now that 'old friends are sure, old ties endure.'"

It was nearly ten o'clock, when the singing school was supposed to close. Frank found himself wishing that it were over with.

Somehow, he felt very tired, though suspecting that his weariness might be more of the mind than the body. Still, with that great game to be won on the morrow, he believed that he ought to get between the sheets as soon as possible now.

It was just at this time he saw Lanky Wallace heading toward him.

Lanky was not in the least a diplomat. Whenever he had anything worrying him, the fact seemed to stick out all over his face, bringing wrinkles to his usually placid brow.

It was so now. Immediately Frank began to scent trouble, though, for the life of him, he could not understand just how it could come while the boys were still at the singing school. Surely, none of those schemers would dare sneak into the hall and kidnap either of the two new recruits.

He hastily glanced around and heaved a sigh of relief when his eyes fell on the figure of Ralph close by, as he chatted with Helen and Flo. At least it could not be him.

"What's ailing you, Lanky?" he demanded, as the other rushed up to him.

"It's Bones--they can't find him anywhere, and I guess he's been carried off by some of those disgruntled chaps!" exclaimed the other, with a look of dismay.

CHAPTER VII

THE ABDUCTION OF "BONES"

"What's that?" demanded Buster Billings, who happened to be nearby.

"Goodness, they are saying poor Bones Shadduck has been kidnapped!" exclaimed a shuddering girl, and the news was flashed all through the several groups.

The singing for the evening was done. The Columbia High School Glee Club had never before been so well attended. Time was when it consisted of a baker's dozen of students, but there were an unusually large number of good voices in the various cla.s.ses this year.

Frank was, of course, much worried by the news.

"Are you sure, Lanky? Perhaps he's just stepped out to saunter around with one of the girls, like some of the others have done,"

he observed.

"Well, we thought of that, and hunted high and low. Why, even Allie Sawyer, who generally takes up so much of his time, hasn't seen him for ten minutes."

"So long as that?" answered Frank, with a smile; "but we must get busy, and learn if any one saw Bones go out."

"I did!" spoke up a girl just then.

"When was this?" asked Frank, turning on her quickly.

"Not more than seven or eight minutes ago. I was standing in the doorway, and had to move aside for him. And he spoke to me, too,"

came the reply. "And what did he say?" continued the other.

"Why, you know Bones has a dog?"

"Yes, a bulldog named Kaiser."

"He brought him along to the hall to-night," continued the girl.

"That's a fact, Frank; for the ugly brute came near taking a hunk out of my leg when, by the merest chance in the world, I happened to rub up against him!" declared Tom Budd, the boy gymnast, who was constantly doing stunts, as though possessed of an insatiable desire to stand on his head, walk on his hands, or throw somersaults.

"The dog was howling, oh, so mournfully," continued the girl. "I heard him, and it really got on my nerves. Well, I guess it acted the same way with Bones, for he said that he was going out and remonstrate with Kaiser."

Frank and Lanky exchanged glances.

"Told you so!" declared the latter, triumphantly.

"Well, it certainly looks as though there might be something in it. Bones must have forgotten the warning, in his sudden desire to stop the howling of the dog. He went out, and as he hasn't come back, we'd better be looking after him. Come along, some of you fellows. If they've carried him off, it's up to us to rescue our right guard!"

There was an immediate rush made for the door of the hall.

Dyckman's was situated just on the outskirts of the town. It had once been some sort of church, and was now used for a variety of purposes connected with the life of the community, from political meetings to dancing cla.s.ses.

As the stream of boys poured out of the building, the howling of the bulldog nearby became more furious than ever. It immediately attracted the attention of the observant Frank.

"Hark!" he said, holding up his hand to indicate that silence would be necessary if they hoped to succeed in accomplishing anything worth while.

"What is it?" demanded Lanky, eagerly; "do you see Bones, or did you hear him shout for help?"

"Neither. I was thinking of his dog," was the reply.

"What of old Kaiser, Frank? How does he come in this game?" asked Buster.