"And will you please show me how to translate this Latin?" asked Roger, catching his cue from Phil.
"And I've got a problem in geometry that is bothering me," said Dave, smoothly.
"I have no time for lessons now," answered the teacher, harshly. "I have other duties to perform. If you will attend to the explanations given in the classrooms you will need no extra aid," and thus delivering himself, Job Haskers backed out of the dormitory as speedily as he had entered it.
"Stung that time!" murmured Ben, as he closed the door once more. "I'll wager an apple against a peanut that he thought he would catch Dave, Roger, and Phil eating on the sly."
"Or off the table," added Sam, and then Ben shied a book at his head.
For over an hour the lads in the dormitory turned their attention to their lessons. During that time some other occupants of Nos. 11 and 12 came in, and all were informed of the spread to be given at midnight. To make things more lively, some boys from No. 10 were also asked to participate.
"Of course you are going to ask Nat Poole and Guy Frapley," said Roger, with a grin.
"Not on your collar-button!" replied Sam. "They can furnish their own spreads--they and the whole crowd with 'em."
"We want to look out that they don't get wise to what we are doing," said Plum. "It would be just like Nat to give us away, if he knew."
"If he did that he ought to have his head punched," murmured Luke.
"Say, Luke, give us a little music, before it gets past hours," suggested Dave, and willingly enough Luke got out a banjo, tuned up, and rendered several favorites. While the playing was going on, the door was left open, and a small crowd congregated in the hallway to listen, for Luke was really a skillful performer. All too soon the playing had to come to an end, as the time for "lights out" arrived.
It was exactly twelve o'clock when Sam arose from where he had been resting and made a light. At once the others also got up. All were dressed, and it did not take long to bring the eatables from the closet and push two studying tables together for a "banquet board," as Roger dubbed it. He and Dave and Phil were not particularly hungry, yet they entered with vim into the proceedings. The door between Nos. 11 and 12 was open, and those invited from No. 10 came in as silently as shadows.
Soon the feast was in full swing. The pies were large, and were cut into just enough pieces to go around. The fancy crackers were passed around in their boxes, and the apples and pears were placed on a tennis racket and handed around, "like an old-fashioned contribution box," according to Plum's way of describing it.
"We ought to have a speech!" cried Ben. "I move Dave Porter be called upon to speak."
"Second the motion!" cried several others.
"Give us something on 'How to Learn Without Studying,'" suggested Shadow.
"Or 'How to Do Algebra While You Sleep,'" said Ben.
"Or 'How to Make Haskers Reform,'" suggested Luke.
"Don't ask him to speak on the impossible," broke in Plum. "You'll never get Jobey to reform--it isn't in him."
"I'm too full to make a speech," said Dave, with a smile. "Besides, we don't want any noise up here, or we'll be spotted sure."
"I know what we ought to do!" cried Phil.
"What?" asked a chorus.
"Pay old Haskers back for the mean way he treated us. Can't we do something to him while he is asleep?"
"We sure can!" answered Roger. He looked at Dave. "What shall it be?"
Dave thought for a moment, and then a broad grin overspread his features.
"I wonder if we can manage it," he said, half to himself.
"Manage what, Dave?" asked several, eagerly.
"I think we can do it--if some of you fellows will furnish a stout line. Several fishing lines twisted together will do."
"But what do you intend to do, Dave?"
"Make Job Haskers think there is an earthquake,--that is, if he is in bed and asleep, and we can get into his room."
"Oh, he must be asleep by this time," said Sam.
"And here is a stout cord. I used it for flying my big kite," added Ben.
"Then, come on, and we'll give Job Haskers a surprise. But don't make any noise, or we may get caught."
CHAPTER XII
AN EARTHQUAKE FOR JOB HASKERS
The door to the hall was cautiously opened, and the boys looked out. The coast appeared to be clear, and Dave tiptoed his way out, followed by his chums. A faint light was burning, as required by the school regulations, and this kept the students from bumping into anything.
All knew the location of the apartment occupied by Job Haskers, and it did not take them long to reach the door to it. Here they paused to listen intently.
"He is in there and asleep," whispered Dave.
"Yes, and snoring," added Roger. "That shows he won't wake up very easily."
"We'll wake him up, don't fear--if my plan works," replied Dave, with grim humor.
With great caution the door was tried and found to be unlocked. Then, scarcely daring to breathe, Dave stepped into the apartment, with Roger and Phil behind him, clutching at his arms. The light in the hallway was near by, and Dave motioned for it to be turned up, so that he could see around the room.
Job Haskers's bed had been turned around for this term, so that the head was next to the wall beside the doorway. It was a new brass bedstead, ornamental but light.
With deft fingers, Dave doubled the cord provided by Ben, and tied one end to the head railing of the brass bedstead. The other end of the cord he carried to the doorway, and threw up through the transom, which swung upon side pivots.
"Good, I see your plan now!" murmured Phil. "I reckon we'll give him an awakening all right enough!"
As soon as the boys in the hallway had secured the outer end of the doubled cord, Dave stepped out of the room again, followed by Roger and Phil.
"Why not lock the door?" whispered the senator's son. "The key is here."
"Just what I intended to do," answered Dave, in an equally low voice.
The door was closed and locked, and the students all gathered in front of the portal, each with his hand on the cord.
"I wish we could dump him out of bed," muttered Plum.
"We'll give him a little quiver first," said Dave. "He won't know what to make of it. I don't think he'll notice the cord. It is just the color of the wall."
They pulled the cord taut, and then raised the head of the bed an inch or two. Then they let it drop.
"Oh--er--who is that?" they heard Job Haskers murmur. "Is it time to get up, Swingly?" He mentioned the name of the school janitor, who had orders to rouse him when he was over-sleeping.
Of course there was no answer to the teacher's question. He waited for a moment, and then turned over in bed, as if for another snooze.
"Now we'll give him a sharp jerk," whispered Dave, and the students caught hold of the cord with vigor. Up came the head of the bed about a foot and swayed violently towards the door.
"Hi! hi! What's this?" roared Job Haskers, sitting bolt upright, and gazing about in bewilderment.