Haskers.

"Ahem! Let us go over them and see what can be done," responded the
doctor. "If the students are willing to work we do not want to
overburden them, Mr. Haskers."

A discussion lasting over a quarter of an hour followed, and in the
end the lessons were cut down, much to the satisfaction of the whole
class, who felt like cheering the head of the school. The only person
who was not satisfied was Job Haskers. He was invited to go out with
the doctor to his private office, and came back some time later,
looking anything but happy.

"I'll wager he got a calling down!" whispered Phil to Dave. "I hope he
did."

He was right about the "calling down," as he expressed it. The master
of Oak Hall had spoken very plainly to the instructor, and given Job
Haskers to understand that he must get along better with the boys in
the future, and treat them with more consideration, or he would be
asked to resign from the staff of the school.

Several days slipped by and during that time Dave paid close attention
to his lessons. He had also a theme to write on "The Future of Our
Country," and he devoted considerable time to this, hoping it would
receive at least honorable mention, even if it did not win the prize
offered for the best production.

"Come on down to town!" cried Roger, one afternoon, as he rushed in,
"Big excitement on! Going to blow the railroad up!"

"Blow the railroad up?" queried our hero. "What sort of a joke is
this, Roger?"

"No joke, at all. You know the old stone bridge over the creek?"

"Sure."

"Well, the railroad wants to get rid of it and do it quickly, so they
can build another, so the contractors are going to blow the old bridge
up with dynamite at half-past four o'clock."

"Let's go!" burst out Phil. "It will be a great sight--to see that old
bridge go up."

"Right you are!" cried Ben.

All the boys were enthusiastic, and in the end fully fifty students
got permission to go down to Oakdale to see the old stone bridge
destroyed.

"None of you must go very close," warned Doctor Clay, "for dynamite is
powerful stuff--eight times more powerful than gunpowder."

"We'll keep away, don't fear about that," answered several.

"Dynamite isn't to be fooled with," added Dave.

"Say, that puts me in mind of a story!" cried Shadow. "A Dutch laborer
working on the railroad was much annoyed by the other laborers coming
along and knocking his stiff old derby hat over his eyes. At last he
got good