enches were split. In the
beginning the sophomores had the advantage and the tug-of-war raged
near the pit and all about it. But the superior numbers of the freshmen
began to tell. The web of close-locked bodies slowly mounted up the room,
smashing the benches, swaying downward now and then, yet irresistibly
gaining ground. The yells of the freshmen increased with the assurance
of victory. There was one more prolonged, straining struggle, then Ken
was pulled away from the sophomores. The wide, swinging doors of the
room were knocked flat to let out the stream of wild freshmen. They
howled like fiends; it was first blood for the freshman class; the
first tug won that year.

Ken Ward came to his senses out in the corridor surrounded by an
excited, beaming, and disreputable crowd of freshmen. Badly as he
was hurt, he had to laugh. Some of them looked happy in nothing but
torn underclothes. Others resembled a lot of ragamuffins. Coats were
minus sleeves, vests were split, shirts were collarless. Blood and
bruises were much in evidence.

Some one helped Ken into a long ulster.

"Say, it was great," said this worthy. "Do you know who that fellow
was--the first one who tried to throw you out of number five?"

"I haven't any idea," replied Ken. In fact, he felt that his ideas
were as scarce just then as his clothes.

"That was the president of the Sophs. He's the varsity baseball
captain, too. You slugged him!... Great!"

Ken's spirit, low as it was, sank still lower. What miserable luck
he had! His one great ambition, next to getting his diploma, had
been to make the varsity baseball team.

II

A GREAT ARM

The shock of that battle, more than the bruising he had received,
confined Ken to his room for a week. When he emerged it was to find
he was a marked man; marked by the freshmen with a great and friendly
distinction; by the sophomores for revenge. If it had not been for
the loss of his baseball hopes, he would have welcomed the chance to
become popular with his classmates. But for him it was not pleasant
to be reminded that he had "slugged" the Sophs' most honored member.

It took only two or three meetings with the revengeful sophomores to
teach Ken that discretion was the better part of valor. He learned
that the sophomores of all departments were looking for him with
deadly intent. So far luck had enabled him to escape all but a wordy
bullying. Ken became an expert at dodging. He gave the corridors a