I'll do the same."

Before his astonished room-mate could make any further inquiries, Will
darted out of the room and ran down the stairway covering three steps at
a leap. But Foster understood what it was that was demanded of him, and,
without hesitating an instant, seized his cap and swiftly followed.

The scheme worked marvelously well, and within five minutes a band of
twenty-five freshmen had assembled in the hall in front of Peter John's
and Hawley's room in Leland. Hawley was still holding the door and no
outcry from within the room had been heard.

"How many sophs room in this entry?" said Will quickly.

"Four," replied Hawley. "Two in the front corner room on the second
floor and two in the back corner."

"Can you hold on till we can fix them?"

"I can hold on forever. But you'd better be quick about it."

At Will's word four of his classmates followed him to the floor below
and two were speedily assigned to hold one door while two more held the
other. They were to be quiet, and, if no outbreak was made, then they
were not to make their presence known, but under no circumstances were
the sophomores to be permitted to come out from their rooms.

As soon as this arrangement had been perfected Will ran swiftly back to
join Hawley and his classmates on the floor above. Hawley was still
standing at his post of duty, but as Will approached he laughed silently
and whispered:

"What'll we do now, fellows?"

Several whispered suggestions were made, but at last it was agreed that
the assembled freshmen should step back on either side and that Hawley
should permit the door to be partly opened. It was confidently believed
that the sophomores would rush out, and, if they did, a half-dozen were
to be permitted to come forth and these were to be seized as silently as
possible and bound by the freshmen as their own unfortunate classmate,
Peter John Schenck, had already been treated. When a few had emerged
and been seized then Hawley was to strive to close the door again and
hold the others within, and, with the force thus divided, no strong
resistance could be made and the treatment which they were to receive
could be determined upon.

As soon as this decision had been made Hawley withdrew from the door,
but there was no pressure upon it from within, and for a moment the
assembled freshmen stared blankly at one another as if they feared that
their game had escaped them and that they themselves were the ones to
ap