The detour which they had made to escort the veteran to his home caused them to be a trifle late in reaching the schoolhouse, and Harry was very glad that none of the scholars were outside to see him walking with the principal, for he feared it might give them the impression that he was a “teacher’s boy.”
But when he entered his classroom, he was the centre of all eyes.
“Grandstand play!” growled Elmer to Socket. “He’s got a swelled head, already, because he steered the sled over the bank. Anybody with any decency wouldn’t have waited until school was in session before he came in.”
“Never mind, we’ll take him down a bit!” returned Elmer Craven’s chum. “Just wait till after school!”
The eye of the instructor chancing to wander in their direction, the two boys buried their heads in their books; and Elmer was forced to forego asking his chum what scheme he was thinking out.
But when school was over for the day, he quickly learned.
“Play hockey, Watson?” asked Socker, joining a group of boys who had gathered about Harry.
“Yes.”
“Then come on down to the river and we’ll have a game.”
“It will depend upon whether my trunk has arrived or not. If it hasn’t come since I was at aunt’s for dinner, I won’t be able to play because my skates are in it.”