Chapter 6 BILLY'S LITTLE JOKE

Billy Manners still had an idea of playing some sort of a joke upon Jack Sheldon, albeit a good-natured one, and not the kind that Herring and boys of that ilk would be likely to perpetrate.

Now Billy knew nothing of the hazing that Herring had intended to give Jack, for the latter had not mentioned it, and as a natural consequence Herring himself, in view of his failure, had said nothing about it to any one, not even his own cronies.

The bullies of the Academy never had much to say to the better class of boys in any event, and in this particular case Billy would not be apt to hear of the affair of the unsuccessful hazing, Herring and the rest naturally keeping their own counsel.

Consequently Billy knew nothing about it, but had an idea of his own and determined to work it entirely upon his own responsibility without taking any of the other boys into his confidence.

He was a pretty good hand at working a joke, and knew that sometimes, particularly in carrying out a practical joke, too many cooks spoil the broth, although there is another aphorism which declares that in a multitude of councillors there is wisdom.

However, Billy concluded to try the first old saw in working out his plans, and the reader can judge for himself by the sequel whether he took the wisest course or not.

After supper, when the boys were all supposed to be in the general schoolroom, Billy got a chance to go up to the dormitories in order to prepare for the little joke upon Jack.

The beds were all iron, with woven wire mattresses such as are used in hospitals and preferable as being much more sanitary than the ordinary wooden beds with slats of the same material.

Billy's idea was to loosen the side supports in such a manner that it would not be obvious that anything had been done to them, but that the bed would collapse as soon as any weight was put upon it and let the occupant down upon the floor in the most summary fashion.

What he did was to lift up the sides and then to fasten them to the head and foot pieces with very thin cord which was sufficient to hold them in place only as long as there was no weight put upon them.

The instant that any one got upon the bed the side pieces would drop to the floor and the occupant would go down with them, much to his astonishment and the delight of the other boys.

Having fixed up his little trap, Billy replaced the clothes in as neat a fashion as a chambermaid could have done, and there was apparently nothing the matter with Jack's bed.

"That will be one on Master Jack for the ducking I got the other night," he said, and then he moved the washstand near enough to the bed so that in the event of the latter's collapsing it would go down as well.

Satisfied with his work, he left the dormitory and returned to the big schoolroom, his absence having caused no comment apparently, and his presence and operations upstairs not having been noticed.

"There will be a nice little surprise party for some one at bedtime," he said to himself, but did not let his satisfaction show on his face, so that for all that appeared no one knew of the little trick.

He had had his own flashlight with him and had not had to turn up the lights in the dormitory, a proceeding that might have caused attention, and he was sure that no one had seen him at work, and indeed no one had.

When the boys went up to bed, Jack, still occupying the same dormitory as at first, Billy was ready to see the result of his little joke, but said nothing to any of the boys about it.

"Will you change beds with me to-night, Billy?" presently asked Jack, taking off his coat and hanging it on a hook. "Mine is a little too warm, but you don't mind that."

"Now I wonder if he has got onto it?" thought Billy. "He could not have been up here since."

"It will only be for to-night," Jack added.

"What's the use of changing?" asked Billy. "I don't like too warm a bed myself."

"Oh, this isn't too warm, just warm enough for you," laughed Jack.

"He has got onto something," thought Billy, "and wants to see me go down. Not much, I won't."

"Why can't you be obliging, Billy?" asked Arthur. "I'm sure I'd do a little thing like that if I was asked."

"I wonder if they are both in it?" thought the young joker.

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter," said Jack, taking off his waistcoat and hanging it up over his coat.

"You can have my bed if you want it, Jack," said Arthur. "I don't see why Billy is so disobliging."

"Well, I did not mean it for him," thought Billy, "but it will be his own fault if he makes the change."

"Billy's is better," laughed Jack, "but still I don't mind changing with you if you don't object."

"Not in the least," said Arthur. "You're an obliging fellow, Mr. William Manners."

"Very bad manners, I should say," laughed Harry.

"Oh, well, I am a bit particular, I suppose," said Billy, "but I get accustomed to a thing and don't like to change. It's the same with a seat at table or a desk in the schoolroom."

Billy had been in a hurry to get ready for bed in case the boys tried to persuade him to change his mind, and now he threw back the covers and plumped himself in without further delay.

In a moment there were several surprises.

First, the bed went all to pieces and let the rather stout young fellow down upon the floor in the most unceremonious fashion.

Then there was a loud report, as if a pistol had been set off, and a lot of smoke puffed up in Billy's face.

Next the washstand tipped over and Billy received a ducking much worse than he had got on the night that Jack's water pitcher had been overturned upon him.

"Hello! what's the matter with Billy?" asked several of the boys.

"Oh, you prefer that sort of bed, do you?" asked Arthur.

"Maybe that is why he did not want to let Jack have it," added Harry.

"Enjoy yourself, Billy," said Jack with a smile, sitting on his own bed.

Nothing happened, much to Billy's surprise and disappointment.

"How is this?" the joker asked as he got up. "Did I fix the wrong bed, after all?"

"No, that was all right, Billy, but I have been here since," laughed Jack, taking off his socks.

"Huh! And you found it out?"

"Quite so!" with another smile.

"How did you do it? Sit on it?"

"No, but you left the end of a string sticking out."

"How do you know I did it?" asked Billy.

"Because you are the only fellow that uses green cord in tying up parcels. I have noticed that, among other things."

"Billy is a bit green himself when it comes to playing jokes on observant boys," remarked Harry.

"But how did you happen to come up here ahead of time?" asked Billy, paying no attention to Harry's observation.

"Accident, that's all. I wanted something."

"But I did not see you leave the room," said Billy. "You did not see me at work?"

"No, but I saw you come in. Even then I did not suspect anything. I was about to go up when you came in."

"And then you fixed my bed?" with a grunt.

"Certainly. What is good enough for me is equally good for you, isn't it, my boy?"

"Yes, but, Jack, you offered to swap beds with him," chuckled Arthur.

"To be sure. I knew he would not take me up."

"And if he had?"

"Well, my side of the joke would have been off, but I would not have sat on the bed."

"Well, but what was the racket?" asked Billy.

"Giant torpedo under the bed," said Jack. "That was an improvement on your invention."

"Well, that's one on you!" said Harry with a broad grin.

"And it will be one on all of us if we don't get into bed before the lights are turned off," added Arthur.

"Yes, that's all right and very funny and I acknowledge that Jack has nicely got the best of me," said Billy somewhat dolefully, "but what am I going to do? I can't go to sleep in a wet bed."

"I have an extra set of blankets and things," said Jack. "I saved them out for you when I fixed your little joke to work backward. Here you are and now hurry and get fixed."

"H'm! I bet you never had a thought of Jack in that line," said a boy of the name of Sharpe. "Did you, now?"

"Well, no, I didn't," said Billy, making his bed with the dry blankets and sheets. "That's one on me. Still, no one offered me any dry things the other night."

"Nor me, either," said Jack. "I was to be put through the mill in fine shape, but the joke went on the wrong tack."

"And several of us got on more tacks than one," rejoined Arthur. "I did, at any rate."

"It just shows you that there is little use in trying to play tricks on Jack Sheldon," said Billy, "and I won't be such a chump again."

"Some one else thinks the same way," said Jack quietly to Arthur.

"What do you mean by that, Jack?" the other boy asked.

"I'll tell you to-morrow if you don't hear of it in the meantime," Jack answered, and then the lights went down as a warning that they would presently go out entirely, and the boys all made haste to get to bed.

The next day when the boys came down Arthur and Harry happened to come upon Herring and Merritt unexpectedly, the two bullies not seeing them, and heard Merritt say angrily:

"Huh! that was a pretty hazing scheme you got up on Jack Sheldon, Pete Herring. I got the worst of it."

"You didn't get it any worse than I did," snarled Herring, "but never mind, I'll get even with him yet."

"What are you two ruffians talking about now?" asked Arthur, and the two bullies quickly went away.

Later Arthur saw Jack, and said:

"Did Herring and those other sneaks try to haze you, Jack?"

"Yes," said Jack, smiling. "How did you hear of it?"

"They were talking it over when Hal and I came upon them unexpectedly. I imagine from what was said that it did not work very well."

"No, it did not and now that it has partly come out. I'll tell you about it, as I promised."

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