Fairview Boys at Camp Mystery; or, the Old Hermit and His Secret

"There's Jed Burr!"

"Coming back to school; eh? Then he can't be suspended any more."

"No, he isn't. But I wish he was. There's sure to be a lot of trouble now, and I was thinking how much more fun we could have with him away."

Three boys stood talking together in the school yard, where many children were waiting for the final bell to ring to call them to their studies. The three boys were looking at a larger lad, who was walking slowly along the gravel path.

"He looks to be the same bully as ever," said Bob Bouncer, one of the three boys.

"I guess he is, too," added Frank Haven. "Being suspended can't have changed him much."

"Well, if he tries any of his mean tricks on me," spoke Sammy Brown, "I know what I'll do!"

"What?" asked Frank, as he turned about to face the larger lad, so as to be ready, in case of any sudden attack, of the kind for which Jed Burr had a reputation. "What'll you do, Sammy?"

"I'll have him arrested! I'm not going to stand for any more of his games!"

"I'm with you!" agreed Bob. "But maybe we could play a trick on him first. He's played so many mean ones on us."

"Now don't start anything," advised Frank, who was more quiet than either of his two chums. "If we begin, the blame will be on us. We'll let Jed alone if he lets us."

"He doesn't seem to be going to do anything," added Sammy. "Maybe he's going to behave better this term."

"I hope so," returned Frank. "Well, let's go in. Doesn't our room look dandy, since they fixed it up after the fire?"

"I should say so!" cried Sammy. "And Miss Williams brought a fine lot of pictures for the walls. It's more like the parlor at home than a classroom."

"Yes, and Miss Williams isn't like some teachers, either," went on Frank. "She's as kind as can be."

The three boys strolled toward the schoolhouse, which had opened for the Fall term after some delay, caused by a fire. Now the building, in some parts, was altogether new, and all the rooms had been redecorated and painted. The structure had also been made larger.

"Well, I'm glad, in some ways, that school's begun again," said Sammy. "Though vacation was lots of fun."

"Yes, we can have some good times in school," agreed Frank.

"And there's that clubroom your father fixed up in the barn for us," put in Sammy. "That sure was good of him, Frank. We can have fun there, if we can't at school. And I'm going to do a lot of training in our club gymnasium, too, this winter."

"Huh! You train!" laughed Frank. "First we know you'll be off to the mountains, looking for more buried treasure."

"Aw, you're always casting that up!" grumbled Sammy. "Still, you must give Bob credit for finding your father's jewelry that the tramp hid down in the schoolhouse well."

"That's right," agreed Frank. "And you found miser Dolby's pocketbook. Oh, say, look! There goes Jed into the principal's office! I guess something must be going to happen."

"I know all about it!" exclaimed a voice back of the three boys. They turned quickly, to see Nellie Somers.

"Tell us about it!" begged Sammy. He and his chums so much wanted to know the story of the suspended boy coming back, that they did not mind asking a girl about it.

"Jed has promised to be a better boy," said Nellie, glad that she had a chance to give some information. "The school board considered his case, after he took the spelling list out of Miss Williams' desk, and said he couldn't come back until he promised to be good. At first Jed wouldn't, but he finally did, and he has to apologize to the whole school this morning. Then he can be in his class again."

"Oh ho!" cried Sammy. "So that's what makes Jed so quiet!"

"No wonder he didn't try any tricks," added Frank.

"He sure will feel mean to have to get up before the whole school," added Bob Bouncer. "Come on in. It's almost time for the last bell."

"Good-bye!" cried Nellie, as she ran on to join her girl friends.

It was the first day of the new term, and there was more or less confusion. And since it was the first day, no one wanted to be late. Also the talk of Jed's apology had spread, and everyone wanted to see what would happen.

Into the school trooped the boys and girls, laughing and talking. Many looked about to see the changes made since the fire. As Sammy, Frank and Bob started up a short flight of steps to their room, they were startled to hear a banging noise above them. They looked up, and saw Johnnie Jones, one of the fattest little chaps in the school, start to roll down. He had stumbled at the top step, and had fallen head over heels.

"Look out!" cried Bob.

"Hold fast!" advised Sammy.

"Catch him!" called Frank, and this was the best advice of all. "Get together," went on Frank to his chums, "and we'll hold him when he gets here."

They were now about half-way up the flight of steps, and, forming themselves into a solid body, as though about to stop a rush in a football game, they braced themselves to catch fat Johnnie.

With a bump and a bounce he landed against them, and in another moment Frank had set the little fellow on his feet again.

"There you are, Johnnie!" said Frank, while Sammy and Bob brushed the dust from his clothes. "You aren't hurt; are you?"

Johnnie gasped once or twice, opened his mouth as though to howl, and then, thinking better of it, closed his lips again.

"No, I'm not hurt!" he said bravely.

"He's too fat to get hurt!" laughed Bob. "You're like a rubber ball; aren't you, Johnnie?"