“Good for you, Jack!” cried Nat.
“That’s all to the horse radish!” observed Sam.
Jack’s trip to town that afternoon had been most successful. He had found at the express office a big package from home, and from the note that accompanied it he knew it contained good things to eat, made by his loving aunts. But, desiring to give an unusually fine spread to celebrate the occasion of having made the acquaintance of Will Williams, Jack purchased some other good things at the village stores.
He and Will carried them back to school, and managed to smuggle them in. It was a new experience for Will to have a friend like Jack Ranger, and to be taking part in this daring but harmless breach of the school rules. Under this stimulus Will was fast losing his melancholy mood, and he responded brightly to Jack’s jokes.
“Now you stay in your room until I call for you,” our hero had said to Will on parting after supper that night. Jack wanted to spring a sort of surprise on his chums, and introduce Will to them at the feast. In accordance with his instructions the lads had gathered in his room about ten o’clock that night, stealing softly in after Martin, the monitor, had made his last round to see that lights were out. Then Jack had announced his plan of having the feast in the basement.
“Grab up the grub and come on,” said the leader a little later. “Softly now—no noise until we’re downstairs.”
“Will Socker keep mum?” asked Bony.
“As an oyster in a church sociable stew,” replied Jack. “I’ve promised to listen to another of his war tales.”
“Jack’s getting to be a regular martyr,” observed Sam.