"What we want and need, fellows," he said, "is a holiday. It's a shame for Old Sil to put us on delinquency and keep us shut up here such a day as this."
"True enough!" responded Belcher. "Last year we had a holiday long before this time. The old man's trying to spite us because we happen to belong to the noble army of delinquents. That's what's the matter now, and I, for one, don't propose--"
"Let's petition him to go to-morrow," broke in a third speaker. "The woods are splendid now; Beach and Valentine were over the river yesterday, and they said so."
"Yes, let's petition him!" exclaimed two or three at once.
Some one threw up his cap and cried out, "A holiday! holiday!"
In a moment others took up the cry, and sent it out through the twilight. Boys, separately and in groups, came hurrying toward the little party, attracted by the unusual sound. When they heard what the proposition was, they were mostly in favor of it.
It had been the custom of Colonel Silsbee to give his boys a holiday every spring. They usually went in a body to the groves across the river, taking luncheon with them, and spending the day in rowing, in athletic games, or in roaming about the woods.
Such a day could not fail to have charms for any boy; but for these delinquent lads, who were not allowed to leave the grounds, save as they were marched discreetly to church on Sunday mornings and evenings, the very thought of pleasure like this was intoxicating.
The holiday idea was infectious; it spread like a swift contagion. Everybody was shouting for it now.
Some one turned to Brightly, saying, "Here, Bright, you draw the petition; you can do it."
"Yes," cried some one else, "let Bright draw it; he's literary; he can put it in better shape than any other fellow in school."
Now Brightly was not averse to compliments; and in no way was his vanity more easily flattered than by favorable comment on his literary ability, which, indeed, was not slight.
Moreover, he felt a certain grim pleasure in the fact that although he had been suspended and disgraced by the authorities, yet when anything was to be done requiring peculiar mental skill and art, he was unanimously selected by the boys of the school to do it. So, followed by a score or more of them, he led the way to the vacant schoolroom, intent on the accomplishment of their desires, thoughtless and careless of what the result might be to himself.