The Racer boys on the prairies — A Reader’s Guide

There was a general laugh as Jack slowly arose, looking rather dazed, for his fall had been a sudden one. He glanced sharply at Andy Racer.

"What did you say you had been doing?" he asked.

"Practicing," replied Andy, with just the suspicion of a grin on his face, that was still tanned from much out-of-door life. "Practicing that trip-up. It's a form of Japanese wrestling, and a fellow back home showed it to me. I've been practicing up on it during the Easter vacation, and I wanted to see if I could work it."

"Oh, you can work it all right!" exclaimed Jack, carefully feeling his elbow. "Let's see how it's done."

"All right," agreed Andy with a readiness that was all too apparent. "Stand up just as you did before, and----"

"Not on your life!" exclaimed Jack, backing away. "No you don't! Once in a day is enough. I meant just show me the motions."

"It's impossible to demonstrate it without a subject to work on," replied the younger Racer lad, while his brother and some of his chums were quietly laughing off to one side. "Come on; I won't throw you hard."

"No, you don't!" went on Jack, still backing away. "Try it on someone else for a change."

"All right," readily agreed Andy. "This is how it's done," and before John North was aware of what was about to happen, Andy turned on him suddenly, and, in an instant, though he tried to save himself by grappling with Andy, John, too, went down.

"Say, that's a dandy trip, all right!" exclaimed Henry Walker. "Come on now, Andy, show us how it's done without sending us head over heels."

"No, the price of admission is one fall!" insisted Andy, who was quite proud of his accomplishment.

"Up to his old tricks; isn't he?" asked Jack of Frank, who was quietly regarding his younger brother.

"Yes, I'm afraid he'll never get over 'em. Andy sees a joke in everything, or, if it isn't there, he'll make it."

"Oh, that's all right. It's a good thing. What's the use of being gloomy? I'm going to get him to show me how it's done."

"Why are you so anxious to learn?"

"Oh, it'll come in mighty useful when we start hazing some of the Freshmen. There are some husky ones here this term, and we'll have our hands full making them walk the chalk line."

"Many here yet?" asked Frank.

"Yes, quite a few, and more are coming."

"Yes, lots; to judge by the looks. Since the school has been renovated, thanks to you and Andy, we get a better class of fellows. Yes, there are some nice chaps here, and one fellow who seems to have something of a mystery about him."

"A mystery?" asked Frank, wonderingly.

"Yes, he acts just as if he----"

But Jack suddenly interrupted himself by exclaiming:

"There, Andy's showing how he does that tripping act. I must get next to how it's done. Come on--though I suppose you know," and he started away from Frank.

"No, I don't know the secret of it," admitted the elder Racer lad. "Andy fooled me with it once or twice until I invented a new way to stand him on his head, and then he quit."

"I see!" laughed Jack. "But come on over," and he led the way toward where Andy stood, surrounded by a group of admiring lads.

"But you started to say something about a mysterious Freshman," suggested Frank, who liked to follow up matters.

"Tell you about it later," promised Jack, and he pushed his way into the throng about Andy. "I want to see this first."

Andy was demonstrating his famous "double-hammer-grip-half-Nelson-three-quarter-leg-lock-hold-trip," as it was afterward christened.

"You just put up your right arm so," said Andy to John North, "and then you stick out your left foot, and then you take hold of the other fellow's left hand. Then you take a long breath, lean against him, draw back your other foot and--there you are!"

As Andy spoke John was forced to execute a twist, and found himself sitting on the grass, looking at his companions with such a strange expression that they couldn't help laughing.

"That's how it's done," said Andy, with just a trace of a laugh.

"So--so I see," grunted John, as he arose.

"Oh, rats!" exclaimed Jack. "I thought you were going to do it slow, so we could see the different motions."

"That's the trouble with it," went on Andy. "It has to be done quickly, or it won't work, proving to you that I have nothing up my sleeves," he went on, in the tone of a professional magician; "and that the hand is quicker than the eye. Ahem!"

"Oh, cut it out!" yelled several.

"Yes, show us how it's done. We're all friends of yours," went on Jack. "We may need it in our business when it comes to hazing the Freshmen."

"All right, I'll show you," and with that Andy proceeded to demonstrate slowly, and with much explanation, how the trick fall was brought about. It was really a knack of making the other lad trip himself, by pulling him forward, and then suddenly compelling him to change his center of gravity; and Andy had it down to perfection.

"Say, that's all to the fried eggs!" exclaimed John North, admiringly, when the explanation was completed.

"It sure is," agreed Jack. "I wonder if I can do it?"

He tried, but was not very successful, and then some of the others began imitating it, with Andy standing by and giving words of advice.

"Say, haven't you had enough of this?" asked Frank Racer after a while. "Come on, Andy; we've got to see about our room, and get our things in shape. I want the trunks brought up from the station."

"All right, I'm coming," replied his brother. "No, that's not the way to put out your foot, Jack," and he started toward his chum.

"No, you don't!" exclaimed the latter, backing away. As he did so he glanced across the campus, and at the sight of a solitary figure advancing toward one of the dormitories he uttered an exclamation. Then Jack glided to the side of Frank Racer and whispered to him:

"That strange Freshman I was telling you about. Just watch him, and see how queer he acts."

The two watched while Andy once more went through his little wrestling lesson. The lad to whom Jack had pointed was about the build of Frank Racer, though slightly larger, and he seemed to be of athletic mould. Yet there was a curious air about him, and, as he walked on, he glanced over his shoulder from time to time, as though to make sure that he was not being followed.

"That's queer," commented Frank.

"It sure is," agreed Jack.

"Does he do that often?"

"All the while since he's been here."

"And how long is that?"

"Three days now. He arrived the day after I came. How does he strike you?"

"Why, just as if he was looking for someone to come up behind him, and hit him with a brick," said Frank.

"That's it, exactly."

"And yet, what is he afraid of?" went on the elder Racer lad. "What's going to happen to him here, I'd like to know?"

"And I don't know. That's the mystery of it. Ever since he's been here he's acted as though he was afraid of something going to happen, or as if someone was going to attack him. I've been watching him, trying to find out what it means, but I can't."

"What sort of a fellow is he otherwise?"

"What's his name, and where does he come from?"

"Chase--William Chase. I s'pose we'll call him Bill when we get to know him better. But at present it's William. And he comes from some place out west--I don't just know where--on the prairies, I fancy, from one or two remarks he's made."

By this time the strange lad had reached the dormitory. As he entered the doorway he wheeled about quickly as if to make sure that no one was following him, and, even at that distance, Frank and Jack could see a look of fear on his face.

"That _is_ mighty queer," murmured Frank. "What is he afraid of? We'll have to look into this."

"What's your object?" asked Jack, as he linked his arm in that of his chum, and the two strolled over the campus.

"Object in what?" inquired Frank Racer.

"In looking into the mystery that seems to be hanging about this William Chase."

"Oh, I don't know as I have any particular object, except that I always like to solve a mystery--if I can. And again, I don't like to see any Riverview Hall lad act as this fellow does. It isn't a good sign. So, if it's all the same to you, Jack, we'll see what we can do toward getting at the bottom of this."

"Sure, I'm with you. And Andy will be in it, of course."

"He will if he can stop fooling long enough," rejoined Frank, glancing over to where his brother was still surrounded by a group of lads intent on learning the trick of the fall.

"Oh, Andy can settle down when he wants to," remarked Jack. "But let's go up and see what sort of a room you're going to have. Ward and I picked out ours, and there's one next to us that----"

"Say no more!" exclaimed Frank. "Andy and I will take that one. Hi, Andy!" he called in a tone of voice that his brother knew would allow of no further trifling.

"Coming!" yelled Andy, and with a last push that sent a would-be masterer of the art of tripping sprawling to the grass, the younger Racer ran to join his brother and Jack.

Frank looked toward the dormitory which the strange new lad had entered. He was no longer in sight, and as the elder Racer lad thought of his queer actions he wondered more and more.

"Here's something that needs looking into the first day we get back to school," he mused, as, surrounded by his chums, all talking at once, he walked toward the dormitory where he had roomed with his brother during the last term.

And now, if you will grant me a few minutes, I will tell you, as briefly as I can, something more about the Racer boys, and the affairs in which they have figured as set down in the previous books of this series.

The first volume was called "The Racer Boys," and in that I detailed how the two were at their summer home in Harbor View, and how they solved the mystery of the identity of a lad in a wrecked motor boat.

Andy and Frank Racer were the only sons of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Racer, of New York. Mr. Racer was a wealthy silk merchant. Andy was about a year younger than Frank, and of a fun-loving nature, always ready for a trick or a frolic, and generally so impetuous that he acted first and thought afterward. Frank was inclined to be the opposite, in that he was filled with determination, and he usually carefully thought out his plan of action before venturing to do an important thing.

Still, Frank liked fun, and was not a second behind his brother when it came to having a good time. He was fond of athletics, as indeed they both were, and they had made good showings on track and field.

How they had a battle with a whale, and how they brought the lad ashore from his wrecked boat; how they got on the track of the unscrupulous man who sought to harm him, and how they finally learned who "Paul Gale" was--all these are told in the first book.

In the second volume, entitled "The Racer Boys at Boarding School," our heroes found themselves in a different atmosphere. Their parents decided to send them to some institution of learning after their summer of activity at the shore, and for this purpose Riverview Hall was picked out. Almost at the start there was trouble. On the boat going to the school Frank and Andy defended a girl from the rude talk of a man who turned out to be Professor Thorndyke Callum, one of the teachers at Riverview Hall. Naturally Mr. Callum "had it in" for the two lads.

"Oh, what a punk school!" Andy Racer had exclaimed on reaching Riverview Hall. And indeed, though his language might not have been polite, it was very descriptive.

Riverview Hall was afflicted with "dry rot." It had fallen upon evil days, the trustees had no money to hire good instructors, and, indeed, there was hardly enough cash to keep the institution going. Dr. Wesley Doolittle, the head master, was doing his best, but he was more of a scholar than a financier.

In consequence the buildings were almost in ruins, there was hardly a decent bed in any dormitory, the football gridiron and the baseball diamond were overgrown with weeds, the rowing shells were wrecks, and the few lads at the place were dispirited.

Shortly after the advent of the Racer boys all this was changed. Frank and Andy were at first much discouraged at the poor condition of the school, but they agreed to "stick it out," and they did. They reorganized the football eleven, put the grounds into shape, fixed up a racing shell, got the baseball nine in running order, and soon Riverview Hall was again among the champions.

Then a millionaire, seeing a great football game in which our two heroes played, and learning how much they had done for the school, invested a large sum in it. So that Riverview Hall came into its own again, and among the improvements was the withdrawal of Professor Callum.

But before all the projected improvements could be made something else happened, as you will find related in detail in the third volume of this series, entitled "The Racer Boys to the Rescue."

Because of the failure of the heating system of the school there came an enforced vacation in the winter. The school had to close for repairs and the students went to their several homes.

Frank and Andy Racer took advantage of the unexpected vacation to go to the Maine woods on a hunting trip. Their uncle was a lumberman in that cold region, and the boys planned to go to one of his camps. They did go, taking Jack Sanderson and Ward Platt with them.

But, before they left they heard bad news from Tom Crawford, a student at Waterside Hall, a rival school of that attended by our heroes. Tom's little brother, Len, who was an invalid, had been at a sanitarium in Maine, and had wandered off in the woods. Then he was captured by some unscrupulous lumbermen, who held him for a ransom until the Racer boys got on the trail, and went to the rescue.

After their fun and adventures in camp the Racer boys and their chums returned to school, for the improvements were so far under way that it was more comfortable. The winter term passed, and the spring one came, with the Easter vacation. Then once more, the students went to their homes, and now, the start of the term that would end in the beginning of summer found our friends back again at Riverview Hall.

The school had not formally opened as yet, though many of the boys, including our heroes, had arrived to take possession of their rooms and get their belongings in shape. When Frank and Andy got there they found many of their chums to greet them, and the manner of that greeting I have already indicated.

"Well, fellows, what are we going to do?" asked Ward Platt, as he sat on Andy's bed, and tried to kick over a pile of clean clothes on the floor. Andy had taken them from his trunk and was about to put them in the bureau drawers. "Let's think of something flossy."

"Yes, it'll be flossy all right if _you_ think of it," rejoined Andy.

"Oh, it will, eh?" and with that Ward succeeded in reaching, with the toe of his foot, the pile of collars, cuffs and other things. In another second they were scattered about the room.

"Here! what did you do that for?" yelled Andy.

"To show you that I could do something flossy," was the answer, and, with a quick motion, Ward took a back somersault over the bed, landing between it and the wall, where Andy could not reach him.

"I'll punch your nose!" went on Andy, as he saw his scattered garments. "I'll----"

"You'll cool down," advised his brother, in a quiet voice. "If you don't you'll have Flopps in here to help Mrs. Stone keep order."

"That's right," added Jack. "I saw Flopps just now spading up a flower bed, and he's right close."

"Oh, get out!" rejoined Andy. "Look at my clean collars and----"

"No business to call names," mocked Ward, from his place of vantage behind the bed. "Beg my pardon, and I'll call it square."

"I will--like pie!" exclaimed Andy. "The next time I catch you alone----"

"Now, now," came soothingly from Jack. "Go easy, boys. Don't get to scrapping so soon. We've got to stick together this term. There are lots of Freshmen--a big class--and they'll have it in for us, most likely. I was just wondering what we could do to 'em."

"Haze 'em," suggested Frank. "They'll have to have it sooner or later."

"Then the sooner the better," chimed in Andy. "Say, fellows, I've got a great scheme!" and in his eagerness to impart a joke he forgot his enmity against Ward, who ventured to come from behind the bed.

"Out with it," commanded Jack.

"Yes, we'll never have any peace until he does," commented Frank.

"And maybe not much afterward," added Ward. "That's the worst of Andy's jokes--there's always a come-back to them."

"Oh, you get out!" exclaimed the younger Racer lad. "I can think up just as good jokes as any of you fellows."

"Yes, but the trouble is that you get caught at 'em," added Ward, who seemed bound to pick at Andy.

"Let's hear what this one is," suggested Jack, who scented trouble between the two chums unless the dispute was quelled. "Go ahead, Andy. We'll all listen. Land knows we need something to wake us up. I've been here three days now, and not a thing has happened. We've been waiting for you two brothers to come and start something."

"Oh, I'll start it all right," declared Andy. "Now I've just thought of something in regard to this hazing. It'll be great!"

He went to the door, opened it softly and looked out; then closing and locking it, rejoined his companions. They had gathered in the room Frank and Andy had picked out--a room next to that occupied by Ward and Jack.

"Why all this gum-shoe business?" inquired Frank.

"Some of the Freshmen might be listening," replied his brother. "I saw one or two looking at us rather sharp as we came up here. We can't be too careful. Now for my plan."

His voice dropped to a whisper, as his companions drew more closely to him, and in a low voice Andy imparted his plan, pausing now and then to listen at the door. But, as far as he could tell, no one tried to listen at the portal.

"What do you think of it?" demanded Andy, at the conclusion of his talk.

"Great!" exclaimed Jack.

"I'll take back all I said about you," added Ward.

"If we can get the things it will be sport," declared Frank.

"Oh, we can get 'em in town all right," asserted Andy. "And I've got the cash, too."

"You ought to have--the first of the term," commented his brother, with a laugh.

"And now let the black work begin!" hissed Jack, after the manner of a stage villain. "Them is hard words, Kate!"

"You must give me them papers, villain!" exclaimed Frank, with mock heroics.

"Aw, cut out the fooling and get down to business, fellows," pleaded Andy. "There's lots to be done if we want to go at this hazing proper."

"All right, we're with you," assented Ward.

A little later four figures were seen strolling across the campus in the direction of a trolley line that ran to the town of Riverview. The boys were gone for some time, and there were many whisperings among them, as they came back, almost late to supper, for which Mrs. Stone, the matron, cautioned them.