CHAPTER XI
A CLASS WARNING
"Well, if any of you young gentlemen have any more powder to scatteraround, you had better do it, and have done with it," remarked ProfessorSkeel a day or so later, when Tom and his chums came in to recite. "Onlyif you do," he added sarcastically, "the punishment I meted out beforewill be doubled, and, in case the offense is repeated a third time, Iwill go on doubling the task, if necessary in arithmetical progression."
He looked at the lads, with a sneering smile on his face. There weremutterings of discontent from all, save perhaps Sam Heller, for the ladsfelt not only the injustice of the uncalled-for remarks, but the formerpunishment still rankled in their minds.
"No one seems inclined to take advantage of my offer," went on ProfessorSkeel, "so we will go on with the lesson. Fairfield, you may begin.We'll see if you are prepared."
Tom was, fortunately, and it seemed not only to him, but to some of theothers, as if the teacher was displeased. Very likely he would have beenglad of a chance to punish Tom. But he did not get it--at least that day.
"Unmannerly brute!" murmured Tom, as he sat down. "I'll pay you backyet. Not because of what you did to me, but because you're unfair to therest of the class."
Tom hated unfairness, and he also felt that, in a way, he was to blamefor the punishment the class had unjustly suffered. He had not been ableto learn anything about how the powder came to be put in his pocket,though he suspected Heller more than ever, as he saw how vindictive theFreshman bully was toward him.
"I almost wish he'd pick a fight with me," thought Tom. "Then I couldgive him what he deserves."
But Sam saw no chance of doing any further harm to the lad whom he hatedwith so little cause.
"Why can't you think of something to help me out?" Sam asked of hiscrony.
"Think of something yourself," retorted Nick. "I've got my own troubles.We're going to haze the Freshmen tonight, and I'm on the committee ofrules and regulations," and he laughed.
"You are? Then this is my chance! Come over here where we can talk,"and the bully led his crony to one side.
This talk followed the dismissal of Professor Skeel's Latin class,during which nothing had occurred save that the instructor took everychance of insulting the students.
"Say, if this keeps up much longer, we'll have to do something, Jack,"declared Tom, as they proceeded on to another recitation.
"That's right. But what can we do?"
"Oh, I'm going to think of something. I wish we could haze him."
"So do I. But I guess we'll be hazed ourselves first."
"How's that?"
"Why it's this week that the Sophs get after us. We may expect them anynight now. Going to crawl?"
"I am not! Might as well have it over with."
"That's what I say."
Though Tom and his Freshmen chums rather expected the advent of theirtraditional enemies, the Sophomores, they hardly looked for visits thatsame night, and so, when a knock came on the door of the room occupiedby Tom and Jack, they opened it unsuspectingly.
"Here are two!" exclaimed a voice, as several masked figures entered."We're in luck! Grab 'em!"
The orders of the ringleader were obeyed. Tom and Jack could not tellwho their captors were.
"I say, Tom, shall we fight 'em?" asked Jack, always ready for a battle.
"No, what's the use--in here?" asked Tom significantly.
"Ha! Scrappers, eh?" remarked another Sophomore. "You're the kind we'relooking for!"
"And maybe you'll get more than you want!" exclaimed Tom. Neither henor Jack resisted as they were led forth. It was a sort of unwrittenrule that no fighting against the hazers should take place in thedormitories, as property was likely to be damaged.
"Wait until we get in the open!" whispered Tom to Jack, as they werebeing led down stairs. "Then we'll upset 'em if we can, and run. Theydon't look to be very husky."
"That's right," agreed Tom's chum.
"Ha! No plotting!" cried the ringleader, giving Tom a dig in the ribs.
"I'll give you that back with interest when I get the chance," murmuredour hero.
Other parties of hazers made their appearance in the corridor, someleading Bert Wilson and George Abbot.
"Where are you taking me? What are you going to do? Is this allowed?"fired George at his captors.
"Sure it's allowed, you little question mark!" exclaimed a Sophomore."Trot along now."
Tom and his chums were led over the campus. They could see other littlegroups of prisoners in like plight, and the Sophomores, all of whom woremasks, gathered together with their captives.
"To the river!" ordered the ringleaders. "We'll make 'em wade a bit."
"Oh, they're going to duck us!" whimpered George. "I wonder why they doit?"
"Oh, there goes Why!" exclaimed Jack. "He can't keep still."
"They're not going to duck me!" murmured Tom. "Come on, Jack, now's ourchance. Make a break!"
It was the best chance Tom had seen, and, with a sudden push, and aputting out of his foot, he tripped the lad who had hold of his arm.Then, with a well-directed punch, he paid him back for the dig in theribs. Tom was free to run.
"Come on, Jack!" he called. His chum, performing a like trick, was alsofree, and their two captors were down on the ground. But the flight didnot go unnoticed.
"Two are loose! Grab the two Freshies!" yelled the lads who had held Tomand Jack. The cry was taken up, and some of the Sophomores, who hadno Freshmen to take care of, ran after the two chums. Our heroes mighthave gotten away but for the fact that two lads, masked, who were comingacross the campus to join their fellows, saw them, and waited to catchthe two fleeing ones.
Tom and Jack tried to dodge, but could not. There was a clash, and Jackwas caught. In a moment other Sophomores came up, and had him. Tom wasstruggling with his captor.
"Take that!" cried the latter, when, finding he could not subdue Tom, hestruck our hero a blow in the face.
"I won't take that from any one!" cried Tom fiercely. "Hazing customsor not!" He retaliated, and with such good measure that he knocked theother down. The black mask came off in the fall, and it was light enoughfor Tom to see Sam Heller.
"You!" he cried. "You're not a Sophomore! You have no right to haze!"
"This is my second year here. I'm a Sophomore by rights!" growled Sam,much put out that his trick had been discovered. "I'll get even withyou, too!"
In his rage he leaped up and rushed at Tom. It was just the chance theother wanted, and our hero promptly knocked Sam down again. He was wildwith rage. By this time a knot of Sophomores surrounded Tom.
"Hold on there, Fresh!" cried some one who seemed to be in authority."This won't do, you know. You shouldn't fight back when you're beinghazed."
"Has a Freshman the right to help the Sophs haze us?" demanded Tom, ashe recognized Bruce Bennington in the objector. "Here's Sam Heller, ofour class, joining against us."
"Is that so?" asked Bruce in surprise. With some other Seniors he hadcome out to see the fun. "That's not allowed, you know, Wendell," hesaid, turning to the leader of the Second year lads.
"I didn't know Heller was here," replied Wendell. "That's straight. Hehas no right. We beg your pardon, Fairfield. Sam, how did this happen?"Wendell was justly indignant.
"Well, I claim I'm a Sophomore, and I would be if I had a fair show.I thought I had a right to help haze." Sam was whining now, like allcowards when found out. His trick, which he had formed with the aid ofNick, had failed. The two had planned to get Jack and Tom off alone,during the general excitement over the hazing, and thrash them.
"You're not a Soph, and you can't do any hazing," declared Wendelldecidedly. "You ought to be hazed yourself, and you would be, only yougot yours last year. Come along now, Fairfield, and take what's comingto you."
"All right," agreed Tom good-naturedly. He was satisfied with what hehad done to Sam. The crowd of Sophomores was now so large that there wasno chance for our hero and his chum to escape.<
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"Take your medicine, Fairfield," advised Bruce with a laugh. "It won'tbe very bad."
"All right," said Tom again, and he and Jack were led back to theirluckless mates, the little group of Seniors following.
The hazing was not very severe. The Freshmen were made to wade inthe river up to their knees, and then, with coats turned inside out,forced to dance in a ring, while the Sophomores laughed their delight,and played mouth organs. Some few were tossed in blankets, and muchhorse play was indulged in. But the discovery of Heller's trick ratherdiscomfited the second year lads, and they felt that there was a littleblight on their class. Otherwise the hazing might have been more severe.
"Now then, form in line, and give three cheers for the Sophs, and youcan go home to your beds," declared Wendell. "Only remember, everyFreshman must wear his cap backwards every time he comes on the campus,for the next two weeks, and salute every Sophomore he meets, underpenalty of being hazed over again. Remember! Now for the cheers!"
They were given, and the hazing was over. No one had been much annoyedby it, save perhaps Sam Heller.
"It didn't work," he grumbled to Nick, later that night. "We had afight, though."
"Did you lick him?" asked Nick, who had been separated from his cronyduring the fracas with Tom.
"I sure did."
"How'd you get that bruise near your eye?" asked Nick.
"Oh--er--I--sort of fell," stammered Sam. The bruise was where Tom hadhit him.
And thus the hazing of Tom's Freshman class passed into history.
Several weeks passed, and our hero came to like the school more andmore. He made many new chums, and no more enemies, though Sam and Nickdisliked him more than ever, and thought bitter thoughts, and devisedendless schemes to "get even," as they expressed it, though the debtwas on their side. But, though they annoyed Tom and his chum often, thelatter as often got back at them in hearty fashion.
Tom heard from his parents, that they had arrived safely, and they saidthe business was going on satisfactorily. The weather was gettingcolder each day, and the boys began to have thoughts of skating and iceboating as soon as the river should be frozen over. The football seasonhad closed.
Then, unexpectedly, there came another clash with Professor Skeel. InLatin class one day several students came unprepared, and failed inreciting.
"We'll stop right here!" exclaimed the professor. "It is evident to methat an organized attempt to miss in Latin is under way. I shall doublethe usual number of lines that you are all to write out. Perhaps thatwill teach you not to trifle with me."
Several protested at this, saying that the reason for their failure wasadditional work in other classes. Others, who had not failed, declaredthat it was manifestly unfair to make them suffer with the rest.
"Silence!" snapped the professor. "You may stay here until your tasksare done," and he prepared to leave the room, intending to send amonitor to take charge of the lads.
"Say, this is rank injustice!" exclaimed Jack.
"It sure is," came from Tom. "And the ice on the river is thick enoughfor skating, I believe. If we didn't have to stay here we could cut thenext lecture and have some fun."
"We sure could. What'll we do?"
"Let's haze Skeel!" suggested Bert Wilson, for there was no one inauthority in the room now.
"Let's send him a warning," suggested Tom. "We'll write it out in Latin,and threaten to go on a strike, or burn him in effigy if he doesn't actmore fair. How's that?"
"Good!" exclaimed several. "Tom, you write out the notice."
"I will!" agreed our hero, and then a monitor came in, and silence wasenforced. But Tom, after hurrying through the prescribed number of linesof prose, began work on the warning.