, and then I'll be expelled from
college."

"That's rocky," admitted Magoon; "but what can I do? I can't let you off
without lettin' the others go."

"Well, why shouldn't you let my friend Diamond go? We were up against
six fellows, and it seems that we got the worst of it. Those chaps are
the ones who should be arrested."

"But we didn't catch 'em."

"You caught us because we had been foully knocked out by the crowd,"
declared Jack. "We were taken at an advantage, and did not have any
kind of a show. Now are we to suffer while the ones who were to blame go
free?"

"You made a big mistake in coming into this kind of a joint," declared
the officer, severely. "And you were arrested at the same time with Plug
Kirby, a tough of the lowest order. That's what gits you in a hole. If
we lets you go, we've got to let him go."

Then Diamond explained how Kirby happened to be in the room, and Frank
added light to the matter by telling how he came to know the thug, who
had been hired to whip him once on a time, but who had received a severe
thumping instead.

"And that is how it happens that he claims you for his friend?" asked
Magoon, grinning. "You hammered friendship into him?"

"That's right," said Frank. "He has been ready to do anything for me
ever since that night."

"Well, I must say that's the first thing I ever knowed about Plug Kirby
that made me feel like goin' easy with him! And he was fighting for you
against the crowd? I'll have a word with Murphy."

Two of the officers drew aside, while the third stood guard at the
door. After a few moments, Jackson was called up by Magoon, and the trio
spoke in low tones.

Frank was keeping watch of all that passed, and he saw Jackson take
something out of his pocket and slip it into Murphy's hand.

"That lets us out, Jack," said Merriwell, guardedly. "Jackson has fixed
it with the officers."

"If you're right, we are dead lucky," muttered Diamond. "It began to
look as if we were booked for our walking-papers."

"Which would have pleased certain young gentlemen who do not admire us
very much."

"They would have held a jubilee over it. With you out of the way,
Flemming would have gone on the crew. He has suddenly come to hate you
because he thinks you have shut him out from that position."

"Scarcely do I settle with one set of enemies before another rises up to
make it interesting for me," said Frank. "I believe I have more enemies
than any other fellow at Yal