"What is the meaning of this unseemly noise?" thundered the good doctor. "Make a light, somebody."
Several lights were lit. In the meantime the noise in Job Haskers's room continued. The second assistant was having a hot fight with the bats. The creatures banged him in the face, whizzed past his ears, caught in his rather long hair, and practically scared him out of his wits. He made wild passes at them with his hands, dancing around in the meanwhile, and in his bewilderment brought down a steel engraving covered with glass with a tremendous crash.
"Mr. Haskers must be going crazy!"
"Perhaps there is a burglar in his room!"
"Look out that you don't get shot!"
"I know what's the matter!" cried one fun-loving student. "He must have the hydrophobia. He said a dog tried to bite him a couple of days ago."
"Oh, if he has gone mad I don't want him to bite me!" shrieked one of the younger students.
"Better chain him up and pour water on him!"
"Mr. Haskers!" thundered the doctor, rattling the doorknob. "Mr. Haskers! What is the matter? Open the door."
But the noise was so fearful that no attention was paid to the request. Then came another crash, as the assistant teacher picked up a book, let it fly at the bats, and sent a big pane of glass in the window into a hundred pieces.