heads of the upper classmen; bumping against seats, and scattering the
contents of their pockets loosely along the way.

"Up with them," repeated the denizens of the front row as they reached
forward for a fresh supply.

But there was no more material available; the besieging party had
retreated. On the top row the dishevelled president was confusedly
pulling himself together, and grinning sheepishly. The rebellion was
over.

"Dance, freshies," resumed the seniors mockingly; and once more the
regular tap of feet and clapping of hands beat slow march-time.

One by one the freshmen came forward, and, shuffling a few steps to
the encouraging "well done" of the seniors, mounted the steps between
the rows of laughing upper classmen.

It happened that Landers came last. He wore heavy shoes and walked
with an undeniable clump.

"He's Dutch, make him clog," called a man from an upper row.

The class caught the cry. "Clog! Clog!" they commanded.

A big fellow next the aisle made an addition. "Clog there, hayseed,"
he grumbled.

Landers stopped as though the words were a blow. That one word
"hayseed" with all that it meant to him--to be thrown at him now,
tauntingly, before the whole class! His face grew white beneath the
remaining coat of tan, and he stepped up to the big senior with a
swiftness of which no one would have suspected him capable.

"Take that back!" he blazed into the man's face.

The senior hesitated; the room grew breathlessly quiet.

"Take it back, I say!"

The big fellow tried to laugh, but his voice only grated.

"Damned if I will--hayseed," he retorted with a meaning pause and
accent.

Before the words were out of his mouth Landers had the man by the
collar, and they were fighting like cats.

For a time things in that pit were very confused and very noisy. Both
students were big and both were furiously angry. By rule they would
have been very evenly matched, but in a rough-and-tumble scrimmage
there was no comparison. The classes made silent and neutral
spectators, as Landers swung the man around in the narrow pit like a
whirlwind, and finally pushed him back into his seat.

"Now will you take it back!" he roared breathlessly, vigorously
shaking his victim.

The hot lust of battle was upon the farmer, and he forgot that several
hundred students were watching his every motion.

"Take it back," he repeated, "or I'll--" and he lifted the man half
out of the seat.

The senior seized bo