The Heroes of the School Part 9

"Your curiosity may get you into trouble," spoke Frank, a little seriously.

"It won't be the first time," and Ned laughed.

"Well, whoever he is, he was in a great hurry," said Fenn. "Maybe the lunatic is sick and he's going to get some medicine for him."

By this time the man was out of sight, and, after a little further talk the boys went on.

Some one must have told Sandy Merton what Bart said about his being released from the team, for the next day he approached the nine's captain on the school campus.

"I hear you said I couldn't play on the team any more," Sandy said to Bart.

"That's what I did. Who told you?"

"That's none of your affair. But I tell you I am going to play."

"You refused to obey an order from the captain," said Bart. "Not that I'm better than any of the other players, but they elected me captain and I'm going to run the nine or resign. You can't play as long as I'm captain."

"We'll see how long you'll be captain then," muttered Sandy, as he walked away.

"Think he means anything?" asked Fenn of Bart.

"I don't care whether he does or not. I'm sorry to have to act that way, but if the team's going to amount to anything it's got to obey orders. If you fellows don't want me for captain, say the word and I'll resign."

"Resign nothing!" exclaimed Ned. "I'd like to see you do it. Eh, fellows?"

"That's right!" came from the crowd that had heard what Sandy said.

"Let's go for a row on the river after school," suggested Bart to his chums during the noon recess, and they agreed. The boys jointly owned a well-equipped boat in which they frequently made trips down to the lake.

It was a four-oared barge, roomy and comfortable, though not speedy.

"Shall we bring our fis.h.i.+ng tackle along?" asked Ned.

"You can if you like," replied Bart. "I'm not going to. I'm just going to take it easy."

Quite a crowd of boys went to the river after school. Some took their swimming suits, while others went to fish or row, as a number of them had boats. The four chums soon got their craft out from the house, at a public dock, where it was kept.

"Who'll row?" asked Frank.

"Draw lots," suggested Bart, and the choice fell to Ned and Fenn.

"Up or down?" asked Fenn.

"Row up and float down," said Ned. "We don't want to be working all the while."

They went up the stream for two or three miles, and Frank, who had borrowed Ned's fis.h.i.+ng tackle, cast in. But the fish did not seem to be biting.

"Put up a little further," suggested Frank. "We're almost to the Riffles. I'd like to get a bite as long as I'm at it."

As the boat was sent round a turn of the river the boys caught sight of another craft in which a man was seated. His boat appeared to be anch.o.r.ed, and as he stood in the bow he reached down into the water with a long pole and seemed to be pulling something up.

He did this several times, and on each occasion would carefully examine the end of the pole which he had stuck into the river.

"That's an odd proceeding," remarked Bart, as he looked at the lone boatman.

CHAPTER IX

A PLOT AGAINST BART

The man seemed to pay no attention to the approach of the boys' boat. He kept on dipping the long pole into the water, shoving it down as far as it would go, and then carefully examining the end of it. As the chums came nearer they saw he was conducting his investigations by means of a large magnifying gla.s.s.

"Must be small fish he's after," observed Frank.

"Why it's the luna--" began Fenn, as he looked at the man, whose boat was now opposite that of the boys.

"Hus.h.!.+" exclaimed Frank, and Fenn did not finish the sentence.

The chums saw the man was the strange person they had met in the woods.

At the same time the fellow looked up and seemed to recognize them.

"Have you seen the King of Paprica?" he asked, as he laid down his pole and began to pull up the rope attached to a small anchor.

"Not to-day," replied Bart. "What are you fis.h.i.+ng for, if I may ask?"

"You certainly may," was the answer. "I am probing for bullets."

"For bullets?"

"Yes, you see the king observed some one shooting up the river last night, and he directed me to probe for the bullets."

"Shooting up the river?" inquired Ned.

"Yes, in a boat, you know. Did you think I meant a gun? How could one shoot up in a gun? But don't mention to the king that you saw me. He's not expecting to hear from me, and it might annoy him," and the man allowed the boat to drift down stream again before he brought it to anchor. Then he began sticking the pole down into the mud and resumed his operation of examining the end with the magnifying gla.s.s.

"Crazy as a loon," remarked Frank, in a low tone. "Row on, fellows."

"I'd like to go ash.o.r.e and have a look into that hut," remarked Ned.

"Better not," cautioned Frank. "There!" he exclaimed, "I've got one,"

and he pulled in a fine large fish.

He had several bites after that, and, becoming interested in his success, Ned and Fenn rowed further up stream where the fis.h.i.+ng was better. Frank caught eight fish before the boys decided to go home. They looked for the strange man in the boat, as they floated past where he had been, but he was not in sight, nor was his craft to be seen.

"Something's up," remarked Ned to Bart, as they met the next Monday on the school campus.

"What do you mean?"