r!" gasped Pellams, with as much authority as
his lack of breath would allow.

The panting victim remained standing.

"Down!" accompanied by a resounding blow of a barrel stave.

Still no movement, but a gurgle was heard as though speech was being
labored for.

Biff!

The unfortunate creature sprawled beside the well, but struggled up
again to a half-kneeling posture.

"This--must--stop!" he gasped, painfully. "It--is--an--outrage.
I--am----"

"No levity, sir!" said Smith. "You've got to do what we say, Professor,
or you won't get in at all."

"I don't--want--to--get--in," panted the poor wretch in desperate
protest. "It's--a--mistake--I----"

"See here, Professor; where's your nerve? Be a man! You'll never make a
Rho at this rate. Brace up, for Heaven's sake! Rise, Neophyte."

They gave the rope a cruel wrench, which brought their captive to his
feet.

"Let's kill him," whispered one of the men. Never before had there been
so shameful a display of the white feather.

"We'll duck him."

They brought their Freshman to the brink of the well. They tightened the
rope under his arms, and, before he could divine their intentions, they
were lowering him down the slippery side. When his feet struck the cold
water he struggled violently, shouting something which his splashing and
the echo of the well made unintelligible. Presently they hoisted him,
dripping and speechless with rage.

"Thou hast now been cleansed of thy sin and cowardice, O Neophyte,"
declaimed Pellams. "Forward to the joys that await thee!"

They dragged him home on the run, taking the road this time and making
all haste to the house. The half-dead initiate had to be carried
upstairs. Smith took off the rope and told him to strip for a bath. The
victim sat on the edge of the Sophomore's bed and shook his head
feebly. He was evidently exhausted.

"Come, hurry up, Haviland," said Cap. He felt a brutal impatience to see
what the barrel staves had done to the fellow's back. "Get bathed and
put on your dry clothes and be ready for the feed."

The initiate raised his hands slowly and untied the bandage. He blinked
a moment at Smith, then he said huskily, "I am not Haviland, Mr. Smith,
nor do I want any 'feed.' I want to know what this means." There was no
anger in his voice, only great weariness.

The freezing truth dawned on the horrified student. His first impulse
was to rush out of the house and to keep running. He managed to stammer:

"Wh