nnounced Paul Halliday. "I
understand they're going to try to divorce the officers from
participating in baseball and football as much as possible. A fellow can
hold a commission and be on a team at the same time only when it seems
absolutely necessary."

"Then Jack Rover and Fred Rover will have to give up playing baseball,"
put in Brassy quickly.

"More than likely. Although, of course, they'll hate to lose such good
players as they are," put in another cadet who was present.

When the officers' dinner was at an end Jack and Fred lost no time in
hurrying to their rooms, where they donned their old uniforms. It was
what was termed a "holiday night" at the Hall, which meant that for the
time being the cadets were all on an even footing and must treat each
other as if such a thing as an officer was unknown.

By the time Jack and Fred joined the crowd along the river bank the fun
was at its height. Many of the cadets were running around indulging in
all sorts of horseplay while others were dancing around the bonfires
singing the songs they had learned in the school and while at the
encampments. Several of the boys, including Andy, were in clowns' costume
with big slapsticks which they used vigorously on everybody who came
within their reach.

"Hurrah, boys, let her flicker!" cried Fred, as he rushed forward.
"Everybody join in!" he added, and then boomed out with this well-known
Hall refrain:

"Who are we?
Can't you see?
Colby Hall!
Dum! Dum! Dum, dum, dum!
Here we come with fife and drum!
Colby! Colby! Colby Hall!"

"That's the stuff!" cried Jack. "Let's have it again!" And then the
refrain boomed out louder than ever.

"Come on! Let's march around the school," came from Gif, and he caught up
a firebrand as he spoke.

A number of others were quick to follow his example, and in a minute more
a torchlight procession was in progress, winding along over the campus,
around the school, and through the edge of the woods beyond. Then the
boys came back by way of the barns and sheds in the rear.

"Look out that you don't set something on fire," warned Jack.

"Something is on fire already!" burst out Andy suddenly.

"You don't say!" queried Spouter.

"Where is the fire?" demanded half a dozen others, looking around
anxiously.

"Right down there," declared the fun-loving Rover, and pointed to the
bonfires along the river.

"Wow! Let's duck him for that!" cried Phil Franklin.

He made