Down, down toward the bridge which crossed Brushy Fork and the Big Hill Pike with the hard part of the journey behind him, Kid overtook the Twilligers. He exchanged a few remarks, then cantered past, and joined the long procession of vehicles and horsemen, all headed in the same direction. This beat a circus, it beat Talitha’s description carefully recalled from last year.
Kid was beginning to get excited. He passed team after team with a cheery hail, and forged straight up the hill. Nick did not need to be urged; he galloped directly into the crowd, and then past, only slowing down on the main street for Kid to gaze with fascinated eyes at the booths of popcorn, candy, peanuts, and ice cream. Everywhere were students spreading their wares in tempting proximity to the passersby. On all sides signs read: “This Way to the Campus.” “Visit the Chapel Tower.” “See the Industrial Building.” “Don’t Miss the Homespun Fair!”
Kid looked at everything with eager eyes. How could he ever see it all in a day! So far there were no familiar faces. Nick plodded along in the jam of teams quite subdued. There were lean, spiritless nags drawing “sorry” buggies, jolt wagons and oxen, mules and more mules. Kid watched them all—the black sunbonnets, the over-trimmed hats, the attractive young faces and those lacking purpose. Where were Martin, and Abner, and the rest? He looked up at the big boarding hall set back in a yard full of trees. A throng was pouring out of the side entrance. They were singing a rollicking class song which appealed to Kid’s music-loving heart. As they came toward him he saw Martin and Isaac leading the crowd.
Almost at the same instant they discovered him and made a rush forward. “Hello, Kid, you’re just in time; we’re going over to the Tabernacle this minute!” exclaimed Isaac.
“Didn’t any one else come?” asked Martin.
“You’ll see later,” Kid assured him with a grin, “but what’ll I do with Nick?”
They led him into a long, roped driveway which crossed a little rustic bridge. There, in the wooded part of the campus, were hundreds of teams hitched to the trees or eating from the backs of wagons. In a bag thrown across the saddle, Kid had brought feed for the mule. “Here’s a good place, it’s near the road and shady, too,” said Isaac. “We’ll come back after a while and find the rest of the folks. Now let’s hurry.”
The three boys started toward a huge, unpainted building with a large sign across the front, “The Tabernacle,” it read. People were standing near the two large entrances which were closed. “We’ll go around; I know the way,” said Martin. There were several doors securely locked, but one was ajar. The three slipped in. The room was full of piney odours from the banked-up platform. High up behind the seats for the graduates a dozen or more boys and girls were fastening festoons of flowers above a solid wall of green. Kid had never seen anything of the kind before. He stared at the sawdust on the floor which muffled their footsteps, at the semi-circle of raised seats which were soon to be filled with mountain people, then back again to the hurrying boys and girls in front.
“If there isn’t Kid Shockley!” It was Abner’s voice.
“Why, hello!” called Pete, turning suddenly. “Where are the rest of the folks?”