“No, I put it up; it was my scheme,” answered Wayne stubbornly. “I’ll get it down.”
Paddy’s remonstrances were of no avail, and the others at last gave their consent to the undertaking. Paddy promised to get the boat hook, and they agreed to meet at four o’clock and try to undo their work.
Paddy’s appearance at the flag pole armed with the boat hook and Wayne’s advent there with a pair of climbing irons over his arm was sufficient to draw a crowd, and soon the vicinity was thronged with curious watchers, who danced about in an endeavor to keep their feet warm or sought shelter from the cold blasts in the doorway of Academy Building. Dave and Don soon arrived, and the latter viewed with apprehension the task ahead of his chum. Far up in the air the white banner bearing the ridiculous skull and crossbones fluttered and whipped in the wind as though quite as much ashamed of its appearance as were the boys, and resolved to put an end to its luckless career with every convulsive tug at its lashings.
“I do wish Wayne wouldn’t try to climb up there,” muttered Don in Dave’s ear; but Dave was explaining the proceedings with great gusto to “Pigeon” Wallace, and so didn’t hear him. Wayne himself was strapping the irons to his stout shoes, and Paddy, looking as though he wished himself well out of the whole affair, stood by with the boat hook, to which a length of rope had been attached. Through the audience sped the startling information of Wayne Gordon’s contemplated adventure, and a murmur of excited interest arose; and boys who had absent friends sped away in search of them. As Wayne took his gloves off and put his foot on the first of the spikes that rendered more or less easy the ascent of the lower pole a wholly impromptu cheer arose and gained in volume until it resolved itself into a loud “’Rah—’rah—’rah, Gordon!”
Wayne paid no heed; he was already halfway up the great white-painted mast that terminated many feet above in a broad crosstree. It was easy going, save for the wind and the fact that the climbing irons interfered when he laid his feet on the rests. But the crosstree was quickly reached, and he pulled himself on to it, and clutching the topmast with his left arm, with the other pulled up the boat hook by means of the rope, one end of which was tied around his waist. Those below saw that after one fleeting downward glance he raised his eyes and did not again risk dizziness.
“Gee!” exclaimed Paddy, his head craned back as he gazed aloft. “See how the wind blows up there!”
“Is there any danger of the thing breaking?” asked Dave.
“Not a bit. It’s a nice new pine, and it’ll stand lots. But if Wayne gets up there and loses his grip— Say, I wish we hadn’t let him do it!” Paddy looked with troubled eyes into Don’s pale countenance.
“Here comes the whole blamed faculty!” cried Dave, and as the group of boys turned to look Professor Wheeler, accompanied by “Turkey” and Longworth, pushed into the assemblage.