Richmond Hill High School - Archway / Dome Yearbook (Richmond Hill, NY)

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Page 10 THE DOME going to lead it with his drum-corps, everyonels going to doll up. Make your costumes screams. WCl1'C counting on you two for knockoutsfi D 'cWhat's the idea? queried Hank. Wet- cher celebratini? '7 Nothing. Starting a new custom,- the Car- nival of the Sixth platoon. 4' Then let- fHe stopped, Hackis toe had landed on his shin.j H-,er go, he finished. if Weire with you.', C' Thought we could count on you. Keep it dark, and don't leave your quarters until you hear Duke. Then come double-time. We've got to get started before the instructors can stop the funf, Trust usf' agreed Hank, and the two walked on. 4'What,s the big idea, Hack? 77 he then asked. at Dunno. Beard isn't lowering his self-impor- tance out of any tender affection for us.', Goin' to parade? M at You bet! - During evening mess the Sixth was surpris- ingly cordial. Hank nodded encouragingly to Maurice, and was rewarded by a wink. An hour later, the usual twilight quiet was broken by the roll of a drum. There was a yell and a rush of feet, and the gladsome Sixth ap- peared before the dormitory to await the coming of the becostumed Hack and Hank, who would look wondrously foolish when they realized that they alone were all dressed up. if Give ,em a real laugh when they comef' ordered the grinning Maurice. That,ll make ,em see what easy marks they are.'7 The Sixth crowded nearer the door. lVlost of them had suffered, and were eager to repay. There was a moment's silence. Then the door was thrown wide, and a jeering, triumphant shout went up,- only to die in a gasp. Out of the building marched twenty members of the Fifth, two abreast, their faces angelic, their arms full of books they might study that even- ing. And in the rear stalked Hank and Hack, bearing a transparency which read, H Don? bail a trap with a cheese! Beard stared, his face white with anger, and started forward, but Duke caught his arm. They outnumber us,,' he warned. Trust Hack to arrange thatf' While they hesitated, the silent Fifth marched through. Only Hackls eyes wavered. M Oh, hello, Maurice! he exclaimed. 'LAW- fully sorry to disappoint you, but the Fifth feels that someone should uphold the dignity of St. Johnisf' H Now you'Ve done it! 7' groaned Duke. ulVlau- rice, how could you! 'fl don't know,', he admitted disgustedly. I thought they'd bite. H They did! We're teeth-marks all oVer.', M lill get ,em yet! 'Q he promised, and stalked away, too sick to argue. But within two days he began to have an im- pression that his usual good luck had deserted him. The Fifth was not in revolt, it merely ignored the existence of the Sixth. It took unto itself all the traditional privileges that it should not have enjoyed for another year, and refused that the boys so to argue or debate-beyond stating brigade was too mature to listen to young that they could find pleasure in dressing up and so making 'themselves objects of ridi- cule. Beardfs throne began to totter, and the heirs-apparent were Hack and Hank, who made life one long nightmare for the older boy, but did it so skillfully that he could not quite iden- tify them as the causes of the disasters which overtook him,- even on that occasion when he found a lamb, imported direct fromCentral Park, in his room and labeled, H Little Brother? He thought matters over for a day, then went into the lionls den. M See here, he began abruptly, at this thing's got to stopf' M And what are you ravin' about now? in- quired Hack mildly. That lamb, an' all that stuff. Hack drew a long breath. M Honest, Maurice, he said regretfully, ul don,t think weive a right to interfere with your selection of personal associates. l-3'

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THE DOME Page 9 H ltis inoultingf' declared Duke Barlow. 4' Or maybe it7s only moths. c'C1uck! 77 came from the couch. Hack held them back with outstretched arms. Easy! '7 he cautioned. 44 Personally l think he's gone dottyg but he said he could do it, and l want to prove he's a fat liar. U Cluckl cluckln came the indignant challenge. H He said he could sit on a dozen eggs for fifteen minutes without breaking one. lt canit be did. uYou bet it can'tl agreed Tank, shaking with anticipation over the wreckage Hack had hinted at. N Now produce the hen-fruit, ordered Hack. C' Here, one at a time. Play fair! You own the eggs, Tank, so you come first. Each put two in the nestg if one cracks,- oh, boy! 'i Wilson advanced. HNice chickiel he taunted as he slid two eggs under the pillows. L' Be 'ten- der with Tankyis eggiesf' 'C Cluckl M The others formed in line. Hank arranged their offerings to suit his convenience and his dawning comprehension. An omelette was not his idea of a joke. H All setf' declared Hack at last. MNQ fair to make him move now. Wl1o's holding the watch? 'i HI am, answered Duke. M One minute! Tank edged nearer, both big hands ready for the call of iive. Hack sniffed suspiciously. He sniffed again. He bolted from the room. Tank! 77 he yelled, your gas stove! Your roomis aiiref' With a shout Tank dashed to the rescue. He saw a puff of smoke. '4 Some water, quick! 7' The rest rushed to his aid. As they passed him, Hack coolly stepped hack into his room and locked the door. '5Now,7, he said, let's eatf' '4C1uckety-cluck! 77 gurgled the joyous hen. '4How'd you do it, Hackus, old duck? ullllatch, waste-basket, a dash of brainsf' he owned modestly. 4' They live to learn, those fel- lows. Better barricade the door, thoughf' But when equal boredom overcame the pair about three weeks later, and Hank's suggestion that they celebrate the advent of spring by stuffing the furnace with discarded rubbers had emptied the building on an un-springlike night, the Head took it upon himself to chat with Maurice Beard, the commanding student of the Sixth. HA joke's a jokef' he said, smiling, '4 but l have my own standard of humor. HCertainly, agreed the big fellow. L' But that doesn't mean l understand, sir. 1711 be more explicit. l like that Henry- Matthews combination. Both have great possi- bilitiesg both are full of originalityfi uThey're all of thatf' sighed Maurice. M And moref' agreed the Head. Yet l have a feeling that, should l attempt their suppres- sion, it would be like breaking butterflies on a wheel. They are only thoughtless. Do you im- agine the Sixth could make them think to some purpose? Maurice gasped. To have Hank and Hack officially delivered into his hands was like a rainbow after a storm. 5' We'd like the chance to try, he admitted. uYou have it. But you'll have your hands full, and l do not countenance hazing. Those two can be made to use their abilities for the good of St. John's. ltis your work to blaze the trail. But do not underestimate your taskfi Maurice was more pleased by the trust im- posed than worried over the job set. He made up his mind that the best way to Hght fire was with Hre. Hack and Hank, having been ordered confined within bounds for two weeks, that vis- ible and official justice might not be lacking, were conveniently at hand. He hooked them within twenty-four hours. M You two are live wires, he confided, and the Sixth is going to let you in on the best thing ever pulled here. C' Spill it, advised Hack briefly. Beard laid a conhdential hand on his shoul- der. H lt's a parade, he imparted,- M a fancy- dress parade to the 4 Pen ' this evening. Duke's

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THE DOME Page ll '4 Oh, shut up! yelled Beard. MI want truce. I came here to talk sensef, 'C We rejoice to see you sensible, Beard, ac- knowledged Hack. 'G Honestly, having you start a zoo in your bedroom was awfully humiliating to us fellows who try to uphold the traditions of St.John the Divine's Military School for Boys. But, on the other hand,- 'cl told you I wanted truce! 7' 'L Truce to what? 7' queried the bewildered Hank. ulxlobodyas picking on you. You've got a guilty conscience for having tried to make us two look foolish. You didnit, and you couldn't. Weire not sore, weive nothing to be sore about. There's no reason a fellow whoid keep a lamb in his bedroom should imagine every other chap was as simple. We donit mind because you're foolishg we're only sorry. We pity youf' Beard looked at them dazedly, then bolted. He saw his career at St. ,lohn's falling about his ears. He began to doubt even the wisdom of the Head. He wished that he had never been born. H And I guessfi chuckled Hack, N about now is the time to give that poor simp a run for his moneyfi Hank approved, but they reckoned without considering one person at St. ,lohn's who never should have been overlooked. The Head had no desire to have a cocky Fifth set up a soviet government in order to save him any slight ad- ministrative labors. It was, of course, by mere chance that he happened upon Hack and Hank one afternoon just prior to the Easter vacation. At the moment they were doing nothing more desperate than pegging tops on the walk before BANK STAFF