The veteran reached up his hand fretfully as though to brush away a fly that was annoying him. The boy drew back and snickered audibly.
The boys looked at each other indignantly.
“What do you think of that?” demanded Mouser.
“Queer sense of fun some people have,” snorted Pee Wee.
“He’s a cheap skate,” declared Fred angrily.
“He ought to have a thrashing,” exclaimed Bobby.
Several times the scene was repeated, and the would-be joker was in high glee at the success of his trick.
At last the old man gave up the attempt to sleep, and straightened up wearily in his seat.
The joker looked around the car as though seeking for applause, but the silly grin on his face stiffened into a scowl as he met only contemptuous glances.
But his delicate sense of humor was not yet exhausted. The old man rose from his seat to go to the back of the car to get a drink of water. As he passed the fellow’s seat, the latter reached out the tip of his foot. The veteran tripped against it, stumbled and had all he could do to keep from falling by clutching the back of a seat.