The big assembly room was crowded when the announcements were made. The passing mark was seventy-five per cent., and many of the boys dreaded to think that they might be below that.
“I will read the names in the order of merit,” said Doctor Clay, after the opening exercises. “Only two boys have failed to pass for graduation, and they will be conditioned, if they so desire. I am proud of the record.” And then the master of the school proceeded to read the list. Polly Vane and Dave had each ninety-six per cent., Roger had ninety-four, Shadow ninety, Sam and Luke each eighty-eight, Phil eighty-seven, Gus eighty-six, and so on down to Buster, who squeezed through with seventy-eight. The boys who had failed to pass were Nat Poole, who had 296 only sixty-eight, and one of his cronies, who was marked sixty-nine.
“It ain’t fair! I did as well as lots of ’em,” said Nat, when the reading was over. But nobody listened to him, for all knew that the examinations had been just in every particular.
“I will now announce the prizes for the best themes on the subject, ‘The Future of Our Country,’” went on Doctor Clay. “The reading of the nine papers handed in has afforded me great pleasure, for all are good and many of them excellent. But I think the best of all is that written by David Porter, and the committee of teachers who have examined the papers agree with me. Porter, I congratulate you, and I will now ask you to come forward and read your meritorious composition to your fellow-students.”
And amid a general handclapping our hero went to the platform and commenced to read the theme. Everybody listened with close attention, and loud was the applause when he had concluded. It was certainly a fine paper, and later on Doctor Clay had it published in one of the school journals, where it attracted not a little attention.
Dave was certainly happy and he had good reason to be. He sent word home that night of how he had fared and the next day received several messages of congratulation. One message from Jessie he prized very highly, for she wrote, “You 297 deserve a big hug for coming through so finely. My very best wishes.” The other boys also got congratulations; and that night and the night to follow were “bonfire nights,” in more ways than one.
“Well, we are rid of Haskers, and also Merwell and Jasniff,” remarked Roger to Dave. “We ought to be happy, eh, Dave?”
“Yes, and especially over coming out so well for graduation,” answered Dave.
“Do you think we’ll ever see Haskers or Merwell again?” questioned Phil.
“I don’t know—I trust not,” answered our hero. But his wish was not fulfilled. He did meet the pair, and in a most unexpected fashion, as will be related in the next volume of this series, to be called “Dave Porter in the Gold Fields; or, The Search for the Landslide Mine,” in which we will learn how Dave went West with some of his chums, and joined an old prospector in a hunt for a lost mine that had been willed to Roger Morr’s mother.