“A lot more what?” snarled Herring, clenching his fist.
“Respectable!” snapped Merritt, hastily retreating.
“Don’t mind what a fellow like Herring says, Jack,” said Dick Percival, kindly, putting his arm in the new boy’s. “No one of any account pays any attention to him. A fellow that can show the nerve you can has nothing to fear from Pete Herring.”
“I am not afraid of him, Dick,” Jack answered, “but——” and then he stopped and went on in silence.
“It’s all right,” said Dick, at length. “A boy that stands as high as you do in your classes need not be afraid of Pete Herring’s condemnation. I believe I shall have to hustle or you will be up to me before I know it.”
“That’s what I’m here for, to get ahead as fast as I can,” laughed the other, who in his examination that morning had showed that he was by no means a backward scholar.
The first day of the new term was spent mostly in getting things into shape for the days that were to come and the regular routine was not as strictly observed as it would be later, new boys being tried out, new methods experimented upon and everything being made ready for the fall and winter.
There were several new boys in addition to Jack Sheldon and one or two of these were as advanced as he was but the greater part went into the lower classes and would make the material of which the Academy would be composed at a later period, Dr. Wise taking them under his particular care and forming their characters for the future as he put it.
In the course of two or three days the machinery of the school was running as smoothly as if it had been in operation for a month, the boys knowing what was expected of them and the professors keeping them rigidly to their work and attending to their own duties with unflagging zeal.
Jack took an interest in his work and was stimulated by knowing that much was expected of him and that there were others who desired to overtake him in his studies, this very emulation helping him to do his best.