But Joel was mistaken; for Cloud was not to be found the next morning, and the condition of his room pointed to hasty flight.  He had taken alarm and saved himself from the degradation of public dismissal.  And so he passed from Hillton life and was known there no more.  Clausen escaped with a light punishment, for which both Joel and West were heartily glad.  “Because when you get him away from Cloud,” said West, “Clausen’s not a bad sort, you know.”

Richard Sproule was suspended for the balance of the fall term, and was no longer monitor of his floor.  Perhaps the heaviest punishment was the amount of study he was required to do in order to return after Christmas recess, entailing as it did a total relinquishment of Mayne Reid, Scott, and Cooper.  And when he did return his ways led far from Joel’s.  Very naturally that youth had now risen to the position of popular hero, and unapproachable seniors slapped him warmly on the shoulder—­a bit of familiarity Joel was too good-natured to resent—­and wide-eyed little juniors admired him open-mouthed as he passed them.  But Joel bore himself modestly withal, and was in no danger of being spoiled by a state of things that might well have turned the head of a more experienced lad than he.  It is a question if Outfield did not derive more real pleasure and pride out of Joel’s popularity than did Joel himself.  Every new evidence of the liking and admiration in which the latter was held filled Outfield’s heart with joy.

At last Joel found time to begin his course in golf, and almost any day the two lads might have been seen on the links, formidably armed with a confusing assortment of clubs, Outfield quite happy to be exhibiting the science of his favorite sport, and Joel plowing up the sod in a way to cause a green-tender, had there been such a person on hand, the most excruciating pain.  But Joel went at golf as he went at everything else, bending all his energies thereto, and driving thought of all else from his mind, and so soon became, if not an expert, at least a very acceptable player who won commendation from even West—­and where golf was concerned Outfield was a most unbiased and unsympathetic judge.

One afternoon Whipple and Blair, the latter once more free from probation, played a match with Joel and West, and were fairly beaten by three holes—­a fact due less, it is true, to Joel’s execution with the driver than West’s all-around playing.  But Joel, nevertheless, derived not a little encouragement from that result, and bade fair to become almost if not quite as enthusiastic a golfer as West.  At first, in the earlier stages of his initiation, Joel was often discouraged, whereupon West was wont to repeat the famous reply of the old St. Andrews player to the college professor, who did not understand why, when he could teach Latin and Greek, he failed so dismally at golf.  “Ay, I ken well ye can teach the Latin and Greek,” said the veteran, “but it takes brains, mon, to play the gowf!” And Joel more than half agreed with him.