that he could not see a thing
before him.

"Let him take the cold water cure," said a voice, and he was forced to
move forward.

"It's rather deep there," whispered a voice, just loud enough for him
to hear.

"Not over his waist," whispered another voice.

"What! It's twice over his head," was the answer. "I tested the water
this afternoon."

"Never mind, he's got to take the test anyway."

Now Tubbs was by no means a good swimmer, and the idea of being thrown
into the water with his hands tied behind him and his head in a sack
was frightful in the extreme.

"Le--let me go!" he whined. "Let me go, I say!"

"Forward with him!" was the heartless reply, and he was pushed on until
he suddenly found himself in water up to his ankles.

"Stop! stop!" he cried, in a muffled voice. "Stop! I don't want to
drown!"

"Will you obey your superiors?"

"Yes, yes--anything!"

"Will you join the Order of Black Skulls?"

"Anything, I told you, only don't let me drown!" cried the frightened
William Philander.

"And will you promise to keep mum about what has happened here
to-night?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Very well, you shall not be allowed to drown. But you must take the
plunge."

"Oh, dear me! I can't--"

"Forward, and be lively about it. We will fish you out with a crab
net."

"But I--I can't swim with my hands tied behind me!" chattered poor
Tubbs.

"Yes, you can. Forward now! Ha, fellows, he will not go. Jab him with
the pitchfork!"

At this a student stepped behind Tubbs and pricked his back with a pin.

The fashionable youth let out a yell of terror, and then, certain that
he was about to take an awful plunge into some deep part of the lake,
made a desperate leap forward.

A wild shriek of laughter rang out as Tubbs made the leap. He had
jumped across a narrow brook not six inches deep and landed sprawling
on the grass beyond.

"You are now initiated," said one of the masked cadets, when the
laughter had somewhat died away. And at once Tubbs' hands were untied
and the bag was taken from his head.

"Well, I never!" he murmured, as he gazed in amazement at the brook.
"Thought it was the lake front sure!"

"As you are now one of us, Tubbs, you must wear these," said a cadet,
and furnished the fashionable youth with a mask, cap, and pair of
horns.

"We have now disposed of number two," said another cadet. "What of
number three?"

"Number three must--"

At that moment a gun-shot rang out on the still