“We’re not very popular with Jake nowadays,” observed Arthur one evening in Cambridge as Hiltz entered and passed without apparently discovering the presence of Arthur and Dan. “I’ll bet he will make trouble for Gerald before the year is over.”
“I don’t just see how he could,” said Dan, “although I don’t doubt that he would like to. The fellows are rather tired of Hiltz, I think.”
“Maybe, but he isn’t tired of himself so that you can notice it. And he thinks he has a grievance. We’ll have trouble with him yet, or I miss my guess, Dan.”
Dan yawned frankly.
“Well, I guess we can attend to him when the time comes,” he said indifferently. “He’s most all bluff.”
Thanksgiving Day dawned clear and crisp. Dan, Alf and Tom were to dine with Mr. Pennimore and Gerald at Sound View in the evening and so they had decided to cut out the Thanksgiving dinner at school in the middle of the day.
“We won’t be able to do justice to Gerald’s party if we fill up on turkey at two o’clock,” declared Alf. “I tell you what, Dan; let the four of us get some grub and have a picnic.” Tom groaned, but Gerald hailed the proposition with delight. Dan looked doubtful.
“Rather chilly, isn’t it, for picnics?” he asked, looking out of the window at the breezy landscape.
“No, that’s where the fun comes in,” answered Alf. “We’ll wear sweaters and take some rugs. Then we’ll build a dandy big fire——”
“Where’s this going to be?” inquired Tom from where he was stretched out on the window seat with a magazine in his hands.