Chapter 28

TREVOR IS COMFORTED

It was an hour short of sunset when Trevor awoke. The room was darkened, but now and then the curtain at the open window was stirred by the languorous breeze and admitted a broad bar of sunlight which lengthened across the floor and was gone again as the curtain fell back into place. The hotel was almost silent, though at intervals the hum of voices came subduedly to the boy in the bed, and at times he caught the clatter of dishes.

For many minutes he lay quiet. Everything was very peaceful and soothing, and he closed his eyes once more, but only to reopen them as his mind took up his work again. Where was he and how came he there? It wasn�t his room at Hillton; this wasn�t his narrow iron bed; the wall-paper was all wrong; the carpet was different, and the window was entirely out of place. And then, too, it was much too big, this high-ceilinged, square apartment. He raised himself on his elbow and examined his surroundings. He was quite alone, but on a small table beside him were two tumblers half full of something, a pitcher, two silver spoons, and a watch.

He reached forth and drew the latter toward him. It was his own, and its hands indicated twenty after six. His gaze roamed about the room and fell upon a pair of canvas rowing shoes. Then memory returned, and he sank back upon the pillow with a groan, closing his eyes and moving his head restlessly from side to side as his thoughts went back over the day�s events. He remembered the awful period in the boat; it seemed now as he looked back upon it as though it must have been hours and hours, though he knew that from the time of starting until he had plunged into the river but five or six minutes could have elapsed; he remembered a world of green, silent water about him, a brief glare of blue sky and flashing sunlight, many faces bending above him, and then, but very indistinctly, a man with gray mustaches who raised him up and made him swallow something.

He was rather tired and listless now, but his headache was gone and his fever had passed away, and�yes, he felt pretty well. Perhaps he had best get up and dress himself; it would soon be time to return to Hillton. If only some one would come and tell him. But of course no one cared much about him now; how could they? It was natural that he should be left alone, he who had lost the race for Hillton. He sighed and clenched his hands above the white spread. What must they think of him? His cheeks reddened at the thought of facing Dick and Kirk and all the others. Of course, Dick would make light of it, and he was sure that Kirk would carefully abstain from saying anything to hurt his feelings; and perhaps the other fellows would be very decent about it. But in their hearts they must hate him; it was only natural. He was glad that the school year was almost over; perhaps next year it would be partly forgotten; perhaps he needn�t return to Hillton at all!

Suddenly, from a little distance, came a sound of noisy laughter. He frowned. How could any one laugh, he wondered indignantly. The thought came to him that maybe some one down there had spoken his name, and he felt his face burning hotly with shame. He turned over and laid his head on his arm and closed his eyes wearily. He wished Muggins was there. It was very still again. A long tremor shook him and he felt a tiny scorching tear roll down his cheek. He brushed it away quickly, but another took its place, and still another, and presently, while the sunlight moved from the western window, he fell asleep again.

When next he woke the room was in twilight darkness, although the curtain had been rolled away from the open window. There were two figures by the little table, and he heard low voices:

�Is he awake?�

�I guess not. It�s time for his medicine, isn�t it?�

�Yes, shall I wake him?�

�I don�t know. Let�s wait a minute or two.�

The figures moved across the room and darkened the square of the casement. Trevor laid very still; perhaps they would go away again if he feigned sleep. He could hear them conversing softly, but couldn�t distinguish their words because�because there was such a noise outside! What was it? He could hear shouting and sometimes the blare of a band. It must be at the front of the hotel. St. Eustace was celebrating her victory probably, and Hillton�s defeat! He groaned and tossed an arm despairingly. One of the figures turned and walked toward him.

�Awake, Trevor?�

It was Dick�s voice. For a moment Trevor was silent; then he answered with a sigh:

�Yes.�

The second figure came and leaned over him and he saw that it was Kirk.

�How are you feeling now, chum?� asked Dick, with all the old affection in his voice. Trevor felt his eyes growing moist, and he had to gulp twice before he could answer.

�All right, Dick; I think I can get up now.�

�Get up! Indeed, you�ll not. You�re to stay here to-night, and I�m going to stay with you. The others are getting ready to go back now; can you hear them?�

�Let�s see what the boy looks like,� said Kirk. �I�ll light the gas and give him his medicine.�

�Don�t, please don�t!� cried Trevor. It was all so much easier in the darkness.

�All right,� Kirk answered cheerfully. �I dare say it would hurt your eyes. But here�s the stuff. Open your mouth.�

Trevor obeyed, and after several misadventures the medicine was administered. Dick had seated himself on the side of the bed and had taken one of the other lad�s hands in his own.

�Trevor.�

�Yes?�

�A length and a third, old chap!�

Trevor sighed, and then, �I�I suppose it might have been worse, Dick?�

�Worse?� cried Dick. �What are you talking about? Why, we�re awfully proud of it, every one of us! Aren�t we, Mr. Kirk?�

�Yes, and we have good cause, I think. It was magnificent!�

�And, Trevor,� went on Dick in tones so full of happiness that Trevor wondered, �all the fellows want you to hurry up and get well; and we all cheered you at dinner till the plaster nearly fell on us!�

�Cheered me!� whispered Trevor. �Cheered me, Dick? Do you mean�do you mean that they�that you all forgive me?�

�Forgive you? What for? Because you were the pluckiest of any of us and did the brainiest sort of thing when you jumped overboard?�

�Because�oh, Dick, don�t you see? If I hadn�t been so bull-headed it wouldn�t have happened; if I�d owned up that I wasn�t feeling well you could have put another fellow in. But I heard Mr. Kirk telling about some fellow who had the fever and how it left him at noon; and I thought mine would, too; and so I went ahead, and�and it didn�t go away, but got worse every minute; I was all silly in my head. And�don�t you see, Dick, if I�d done right we wouldn�t have been beaten?�

There was a moment�s silence. Then�

�He doesn�t know!� said Kirk softly.

�By Jove!� whispered Dick. �Of course he doesn�t; how could he? Thunder, how stupid of me!� He laughed softly, happily. �Trevor, old chap, we weren�t beaten! Don�t you understand? We won!�

There was a second brief silence. Then�

�Won!� breathed Trevor, incredulously.

�Yes, by a length and a third. I told you, don�t you remember? But you didn�t understand.�

�You�you�re just saying it to�to make me feel better,� doubted Trevor.

�No, honestly, chum; we won. Mr. Kirk will tell you.�

�Yes, Nesbitt, we won finely; there�s no doubt about that. Listen.�

From below, through the open window, came the martial strains of a band; Trevor recognized the tune; it was �Hilltonians.� And then, faintly but distinctly, came a hoarse voice:

�Now, fellows! Once more! Three times three for Hillton!�

The music was blotted out by a mighty cheer that arose to the starlit sky in a roar of triumph. Trevor was glad of the darkness, for there were tears in his eyes that threatened every moment to overflow; but they were tears of happiness, and somehow those didn�t count.

�And�and they don�t mind that I�that I did what I did?� whispered Trevor. �They don�t hate me for it, Dick?�

�Hate you!� cried Dick. �Hark!�

Through the casement, a gray rectangle of twilight, the strained voice of the leader again floated:

�Now, fellows! Fellows! Once more for Nesbitt, and all together! One�two���

And while the hoarse, joyful cheers responded, and the bass-drum thumped triumphantly, Trevor, with his hand tightly clasped in Dick�s, laid his head back very contentedly upon the pillow.

THE END.