l would go
to "Bones," as the leading society is called, and that "Bones" would be
glad to get him, and would be receiving an honor as well as conferring
one. Buck Badger, restless as a wolf, stood back and gloomily watched
this gathering, and heard the buzz of talk and conjecture without really
comprehending a word. Often he was not aware that he saw the things that
were transpiring directly under his eyes.

But at length he aroused himself. Elsie and Inza had suddenly come
within the range of his vision, and the sight of them stirred him out of
his moody trance. He moved in their direction, but before he could come
up with them, to his great disappointment, the pushing crowd swallowed
them. Then he went in search of Merriwell, whom he found without
trouble, for Merriwell was with the expectant juniors.

"Which way did they go?" Frank asked.

"Toward that building--I mean in that direction. But I lost them in the
crowd."

"I thought they might come down this afternoon! Winnie wasn't with
them?"

"No."

Frank was about to start away to find the girls, if he could, and
question them in the interest of Badger and Winnie, but at that moment
he was approached by Jack Diamond, one of the seniors.

Diamond walked up to Merriwell with all the dignity of the Great Mogul
of Kuddyhuddy, and gave him a resounding slap on the back. Diamond
belonged to "Bones," and the slap was a notification that the society
had chosen Merriwell.

"I can't go now, Badger," said Frank, a bit regretfully.

Then he left the campus for his room, as each man slapped is expected to
do, followed by Diamond, where he was notified formally of his election
and told to appear for initiation at the society hall on Friday evening.

Of what that initiation consists no one not a member ever knows, and no
member will ever tell. Its mysteries are more impenetrable than Free
Masonry.

CHAPTER XVII.

BUCK AND WINNIE.

Shortly after nightfall, Badger started again for the residence of
Fairfax Lee. He had no definite plans, but rather blindly hoped
something might turn up to favor him. He confessed to himself that he
was "all gone to pieces," but he had no desire to go into some liquor
den and load up with bad whisky, as he was once accustomed to do when
trouble or disappointment struck him.

"It was red-eye that got me into this, I reckon, and I'll let the stuff
alone hereafter. I've promised to, and I will, no matter what comes.
That's wha