“It was enough. You want to be more careful with your car after this. You auto fellows seem to think you own the whole road.”
“What about your motor-boat, Nat?” asked Dave. He remembered how the money-lender’s son had played more than one mean trick while running the craft.
“Oh, my boat is all right, Dave Porter!” sniffed Nat; and then he moved on, with a scowl on his face.
“The same old Nat,” soliloquized our hero. “Too bad that he can’t make himself a bit more agreeable.”
That day was a particularly trying one in the classroom. The lessons were unusually hard, and Dave had all he could do to pass, especially in those studies presided over by Professor Haskers. Roger made one miss in his Latin and poor Phil made several, while Ben Basswood’s recitation was a complete failure. 64
As was usual with him, Job Haskers was exceedingly dictatorial, and said some cutting things that brought the blood to Dave’s face.
“You must do much better than this, Porter and Morr,” said the professor. “Otherwise I shall have to place you in the next lower class. You, Lawrence and Basswood, have failed so utterly that I will have to take your cases under immediate consideration. The class is dismissed.”
“The old bear!” growled Ben, under his breath.
He looked inquiringly at Phil, and the latter nodded knowingly.
Dave did not know what to do. He did not wish Phil and Ben to get into further trouble, yet he did not know how to interfere. Besides, he was suffering himself and hardly knew what to do on his own account.