Directly in front of the Hall, at the foot of the gently sloping campus, lay Lake Morora. It was about two miles in length by three-quarters of a mile wide and was dotted by several tiny islands. It was the most beautiful body of water the boys had ever beheld, and they fell in love with it at once.
“My! isn’t it a peach?” murmured Teddy.
“It sure does make a hit with me!” agreed Fred emphatically.
“It’s a dandy, all right,” was Granger’s comment, “and the fellows have no end of fun on it. But come along now,” he added. “You’ll have plenty of time later on to ask ‘what are the wild waves saying?’ But just at present, we’d better hunt up old Hardtack.”
“Hardtack?” asked Fred wonderingly.
“Sure!” grinned Granger, “the boss of this shebang.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Fred, a light breaking in upon him, “you mean Dr. Hardach Rally?”
“Dr. Hardach Rally,” said Melvin, with mock solemnity, “is the very man I mean.
“Naturally,” he went on, “I don’t call him ‘Hardtack’ to his face. It wouldn’t be exactly healthy to do it.”
“Hardtack,” chuckled Teddy. “Wouldn’t Uncle Aaron have a fit if he knew the fellows called him that?”