For the Honor of Randall Part 31

"Aren't those some of our friends on sh.o.r.e?"

Tom looked across, being close to the bank at the time, and saw two young ladies.

"It looks like----" he began.

"It's Miss Tyler, and Miss Harrison," broke in Frank quickly. "I say, Tom, put me ash.o.r.e, will you, I want to speak to them for a minute. Come on up, and have a chat."

"No," replied Tom shortly. "You can go, though," and he swung the boat in toward land. A moment later Frank had leaped ash.o.r.e and was walking toward the young ladies, who seemed surprised to see him. They turned to look at Tom, who raised his hat.

Our hero was not a little astonished when, a moment later, Frank and Miss Harrison strolled off down a woodland path, leaving Madge Tyler alone there.

"He's got nerve!" mused Tom, and his cheeks began to burn. Miss Tyler started to walk away from the river, and at the sight of her Tom took a sudden resolve.

"Hang it all!" he murmured, "I'm going to chance it. She can't any more than turn me down."

A moment later he, too, had leaped ash.o.r.e, tying the boat to an overhanging tree, and then he started to overtake the girl who occupied so much of his thoughts.

"I say--Miss Tyler--Madge!" he called.

"Oh, how do you do?" she replied, coldly, as though just aware of his presence.

"I--I don't do very well," blurted out Tom. "I--er--say, what's the matter, Madge?" he asked helplessly and utterly unable to dissemble any longer.

"The matter? Why, I didn't know that anything was."

"Yes you did. That May walk--why wouldn't you let me go with you?"

"Why, I fancied you had a previous engagement," and her eyes, in which she could not altogether conceal the lurking glance of mischief, looked straight at Tom, making his heart beat faster than usual.

"Oh, you mean that Miss Benson? That was an accident. She had scratched herself and----"

"You were a very efficient first-aider," came the quick retort.

"Oh, I say now, Madge--that isn't fair. I couldn't help it--honestly.

Say, come for a row; will you? It's early yet."

"And leave Mabel?"

"She left you, or, rather, Frank kidnapped her. We'll get them, if you like, but----"

"Oh, I don't know as it's necessary," was Miss Tyler's calm but quick response, and the mischief in her eyes grew. "If you're sure you want me, I'll come, but I'm not going to get scratched with a thorn, so you can save your handkerchief."

"Oh, I say now, that's not fair," laughed Tom. "I haven't seen Miss Benson since, though I suppose you and Mr. Shambler----"

"Tom!" she exclaimed, half angrily, and our hero had the sense to say no more. The two were soon in the boat, Tom rowing idly along under the arches of overhanging bushes.

The little misunderstanding had pa.s.sed away, and the two were their happy selves again. Tom's first care was to make sure that he would see Miss Tyler at the games, and she promised to be on hand, and to join a little party that Tom and his chums were planning after the events had been run off.

"But I think you had better put me ash.o.r.e now," said Madge after a bit.

"It is getting late, and it's quite a walk for Mabel and me back to Fairview. There she is now, waving to me."

Tom saw Frank and Miss Harrison on sh.o.r.e beckoning to them.

"Oh, but I say, we haven't been out long at all," he protested. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

Madge shook her head, smiling the while, and, rather against his will, Tom put about, and began to row back to where Frank and his friend waited. As he swung out into the stream he heard voices on sh.o.r.e, and they at once struck him as being familiar. A moment later he had a glimpse of Shambler, talking to a man--the same untidy individual who had been with the student near the gymnasium some time previous. Miss Tyler saw Shambler, at the same moment.

"Look, Tom!" she exclaimed softly.

"Yes, I see him," was the pitcher's answer. "I don't care, now, though.

I'm with you."

"Is that a Randall man with him?" Madge wanted to know.

Tom shook his head, and, the next moment there came floating clearly across the water this sc.r.a.p of conversation:

"I tell you I've got to have more money!" said the shabbily-dressed man.

"And I tell you I won't have any until after the games--a week from now," replied Shambler. Then it seemed as if the man made an effort to strike him.

"Oh, Tom!" cried Miss Tyler, involuntarily.

Like a flash Shambler turned at the sound of the voice. He and the man had been standing on the bank, behind a clump of bushes, but a sudden movement brought them into plain view. The new student saw the occupants of the boat. For an instant he stared at them, and then, as though caught in some questionable act, he made a dive into the woods, and was lost to sight. The man stood there for a moment, as if bewildered, and then, he, too, vanished.

"That was rather queer," remarked Miss Tyler.

"Very," a.s.sented Tom.

"I wonder if--if they came here to--to fight?" she faltered.

"Not very likely," replied Tom dryly. "They are friends I guess, though I don't know who the man is."

"That's a queer way for a friend to act," commented Madge. "Mr. Shambler is--queer, I think."

"Had much opportunity to judge?" asked Tom mischievously.

"No, of course not. I have only met him a few times, and I only went with him that once to----"

"Get even with me," finished Tom with a laugh.

"Mean! Smarty!" pouted Madge.

"Oh, it's all right, I deserved it, I guess," admitted Tom, for he did not want to run any further chances. "But Shambler _is_ queer, though he's one of the best athletes we've got. He beat me in the mile run try-out. He's our star sprinter."

"You'll need plenty. Our boys are going to win at the meet," predicted Madge.

"Never!" cried Tom, with mock heroics in his voice. "Like the old guard, Randall may die but never surrender."

With a little b.u.mp the boat hit the sandy bank, and Tom helped Madge out. Frank and Mabel came to meet them, and, after a little chat, the two girls said good-bye, for they had to return to Fairview.