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His whole time, except when study was absolutely compulsory, was taken up with the reading of books of adventure; and Captain Marryat and Fenimore Cooper were far closer acquaintances than either Cicero or Caesar. Richard Sproule was popularly disliked and shunned. In the dining hall that evening Joel ate and relished his first hearty meal since he had arrived at Hillton.
Sproule grew red-faced, and turned to West angrily. "Don't you see I'm studying? If you and March want to talk, why, either go somewhere else, or talk here." "But our talk is private, Dickey, and not intended for little boys' ears. You know the saying about little pitchers, Dickey?" "Well, I'm not going out, so you can talk or not as you like." "Oh, yes, you are going out, Dickey.
Among those who landed and charged with Captain Lyster were Mr Walling and Mr Sproule, surgeons of the Penelope, and who afterwards exposed themselves equally in their attendance on the wounded under fire. Scarcely had the blacks retreated than Lieutenant Corbett rushed ahead and spiked all the guns in the fort.
Why don't you catch hold, you stupid apes?" "And some one told me," said Sproule, "that Whipple took his shoes, sweater, and breeches off, and swam out there with his nose-guard on." "Used it for a life-preserver," suggested West. "Did you get lectured, Clausen?" "Yes, he gave it to me hard; but he's a nice old duffer, after all. Said I had had pretty near punishment enough.
He remembered, too, the disparaging remarks of "Dickey" Sproule, who had predicted Joel's failure at the "exams.". "Who ever heard," Sproule had asked scornfully, "of a fellow making the upper middle class straight out of a country grammar school, without any coaching?" But when the lists were posted, Joel's name was down, and Sproule had taken deep offense thereat.
As I pronounced the name I always called my mother, I seem to remember that her expression changed from the wild and reckless look I was becoming used to, to something like what I had always seen in my mother's eyes. "Who you driving for, Johnny?" she asked. "Captain Sproule," said I. "Where is he?" For on looking about I saw that there was no one there but this woman and myself.
I had only one hope, and that was to find the hump-backed man with the black beard the man Rucker was talking to on the boat we had passed on our voyage eastward before I found my home deserted. This was a very slim chance, but it was all there was left. Captain Sproule had noticed him, and said he had seen him a great many times before.
But in view of the fact that the two were destined to spend much of their time together, Joel recognized the necessity of making the best of his roommate, and of what appeared to be an unsatisfactory condition. During the two days that Joel had been in school Sproule had nagged him incessantly upon one subject or another, and so far Joel had borne the persecution in silence.
Once or twice Joel had consented to assist his roommate, and had done so to the detriment of his own affairs; but the result to both had proved so unsatisfactory that Joel had stoutly refused the next request. Thereupon Sproule had considered himself deeply aggrieved, and usually spent the time when Joel was present in sulking.
But to the meaning of this fact I shut the eye of my mind. I was I, and Gowdy was Gowdy. It was no time for thought. Every moment I pressed closer and closer to that action which I was sure would have been taken by Eben Sproule, or Bill the Sailor the only real friends I had ever possessed.
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