twenty at any place you'll name that
Merriwell knocks the everlasting stuffing out of Browning."

"Done!" returned Emery.

"You name plime and tace--I mean time and place, and we'll be there,
you bet!" declared Harry. "All we want is a fair deal."

"You'll get that," assured Browning. "This little affair shall be
arranged very soon."

"The sooner the better. Don't delay on our account."

The sophomores, seeing it was useless to linger there and be taunted by
the freshmen, began to stroll away one by one.

Up in Merriwell's room Rattleton got down his banjo and began to put it
in tune. A merry party gathered there. One of the strings snapped, and
as he was putting on another Harry fell to laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Bandy Robinson.

"Down at the table to-night," explained Harry, "Merriwell was poking his
finger into the butter. I asked him what he was doing that for, and he
said he was only feeling its muscle."

The boys who dined in the house appreciated that, and there was a
general laugh. Then Harry adjusted the string and placed the banjo in
tune. Pretty soon the boys were singing "Bingo," "Upidee," "Nellie Was a
Lady," and other college songs. Every one of them seemed familiar with
"Paddy Duffy's Cart" and its pretty chorus:

"Twinkling stars are laughing, love,
Laughing on you and me,
While your bright eyes look into mine,
Peeping stars they seem to be."

Such glorious days and such merry nights will never come again to those
who have known them. Here's to good old Yale!

CHAPTER XIV.

THE RUSH.

At last the sophomores were thoroughly aroused. The freshmen had long
been carrying things with a high hand, but the rushing of a lot of them
who were in dress suits and bound for a swell party was the straw that
broke the camel's back.

An indignation meeting was held, and certain freshmen were placed under
the ban.

Of these Merriwell was the leader, and it was agreed that every effort
must be made to "take the starch" out of him. That Browning intended to
"do" Merriwell was well known, but some of the others proposed to get at
him.

"Wait," advised Bruce--"wait till I have had it out with that fellow.
Then you may do whatever you like with him. But I feel it a solemn duty
to settle our little affair before anybody else tackles him."

The freshmen were getting their ball team in condition for the coming
season, and they were practicing as often as possible. F