Just short of the gate the sound of hurrying footsteps brought them sharply around. Behind them, seen dimly, were many approaching forms.

“Let’s beat it,” whispered Leonard.

“Run from a bunch of freshies?” demanded Slim haughtily. “Not much! We’ll turn down Academy street, though, and let them by. If they’re up to something we can’t stop them here.”

Slim led the way sharply to the right, when they were through the gate, and they went on for several rods to pause in the deeper shadow of a not quite leafless tree that overhung the sidewalk. Midway between the infrequent street lights, they were probably invisible to any one at the entrance. A moment or two later a stream of boys appeared. That they were freshmen was conclusively proved by the preponderance of small youths, although quite a good many were fairly big. Some of the throng kept straight ahead across Academy street and disappeared into State street, beyond the corner of the white house where Coach Cade had his lodgings. Others paused before the gate as though for a council, and presently a dozen or more started obliquely across Academy street and went north toward Meadow, half running. Slim and Leonard drew more closely against the fence. The enemy detachment passed on the other side without detecting them and an instant later were visible hurrying around the corner of Meadow street. Meanwhile the rest of the crowd before the gate had, it appeared, reached a decision, for they, too, crossed the road and disappeared into State street, breaking into a run as they passed from sight. Save for an occasional giggle from some over-wrought youngster and a low-toned murmur now and then, the phalanx had come and gone in silence. Leonard thought that silence just a bit depressing!

Left alone on the empty street—empty save for the unseen presence of a lone pedestrian trudging along somewhere in the distance toward River street—Slim whistled softly. “Must have been fully a hundred of them,” he marveled. “Now what the dickens are they up to?”

“Looks to me as if they were looking for you,” said Leonard.

“Sure, but what can they do if they find me? They don’t expect me to stand any of their foolishness, do they? If it came to a scrap—” Slim stopped and looked thoughtfully up and down the dimly lighted street. “Well, let’s get along, General. It must be getting close to our dinner time.”

“Something tells me,” said Leonard sadly, “that I’ll never see that dinner!”

Slim chuckled. “Well, to tell the truth, I’m not as sure of it myself as I was! Just the same, General, if those kids are going to keep me away from it they’ll have to go some!” He led the way across to the beginning of State street. “Better go this way, I guess,” he continued. “They won’t be likely to pull any tricks where the bright lights are!”

The bright lights, however, were still a short block away, and when suddenly a gray cat jumped down from a fence-post in front of Leonard and scuttled away almost between his feet that youth gave a yelp of alarm. Slim seemed to consider the incident excruciatingly funny and laughed consumedly. Leonard maintained a haughty silence all the rest of the way to the corner of West street. Here the stores began, and many of them were still open, and their lights combined with the big street lamps made the thoroughfare almost as bright as daylight. No lurking freshman was sighted as the two turned south toward Meadow street, although, since a good many persons were about, scouting members of the enemy forces may have been present. The clock in Tappler’s jewelry store proclaimed the time as 6:38 as they passed. As they neared Meadow street Leonard called Slim’s attention to two youths who had just come into sight from the direction of the academy. Slim looked and nodded.

“The short fellow’s Watkins. I don’t know the other one. They’re going to the party, I guess.”

“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to go along with them, Slim? I mean four is better than two if—if there’s any trouble.”

But Slim shook his head. “No,” he answered, “but I tell you what, General. You catch up with them. I’ll have a better chance to make it if I’m alone, probably.”

“I will not,” declared Leonard indignantly. “What do you take me for?”

Slim shrugged. “All right,” he said. “I guess there’s nothing much up, anyway. We’ve got lighted streets all the rest of—” He stopped. On the other side of the street as they turned the corner was a group of five older fellows making their way briskly toward the center of town: Red Reilly, Gordon Renneker, Joe Greenwood and two others. “Juniors,” said Slim. “Coming to see the fun, I suppose. I’ll bet Red’s had a lot to do with this business. Don’t let them see us, General.” Slim slowed his pace a little, and the group across Meadow street passed on, laughing and talking gayly.

“How much further is it?” asked Leonard.

“About five blocks,” replied Slim absently. After a moment he said: “Look here, General, I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be a clever game to get into Kingman’s by the back entrance. It’s on Moody street, around the corner from the front door, and I don’t believe those fellows know about it.”

“Sounds sensible to me,” began Leonard.

But Slim disappointed him again. “No, by golly,” exclaimed Slim suddenly, “I’m blowed if I’ll sneak up any alleys on account of a lot of freshies! We’ll go in by the front door, General!”

“Sure,” agreed Leonard unenthusiastically. “Just as you say, Slim.”

“How are they going to stop us?” Slim went on belligerently. “They can’t do it, by gum!”

“Of course not,” Leonard assented. “Why, there’s only a hundred or so of them. The idea!”

“Well, suppose there are a hundred, or two hundred. They aren’t going to—to use their fists, I guess, and if they don’t how are they going—”

“I know,” said Leonard. “You’re probably dead right, Slim, but just the same I’d swap my right to that dinner for a ham sandwich. As the well-known proverb says, Slim, ‘A sandwich in the hand is worth two portions of chicken on the plate.’”

“Shut up. Here’s High street. The place is in the next block. We’ll get there in time, too.”

High street proved to be a rather narrow thoroughfare not quite so well lighted as the street they were leaving. The stores had a somewhat second-class appearance and the names on the signs and windows were frequently foreign. In brief, High street impressed one as being a street that had seen better days. The principal shopping thoroughfare lay one block south, and as the boys neared the corner of Moody street the rattle and clang of Market street’s traffic was borne to them. And as they neared that corner Leonard exclaimed: “Must be a fire or something, Slim. Look at the crowd!”

A little way beyond the corner of the cross street was a throng that stretched from side to side. Further on, jutting out above the sidewalk on the right, was a gayly illuminated sign that announced in electric lamps: “Kingman’s Restaurant.” Slim looked and slowed his steps. “Freshies,” breathed Slim. “A whole blamed army of ’em, General!”

Leonard could see for himself now that the crowd was composed of boys and knew that Slim was right. The latter drew him aside to the entrance of a shop. “Let’s consider a bit,” said Slim. “Suppose they’ve got another gang at the other side, too, eh? Must have, for there’s probably not more than fifty in that bunch there.” He peered down the street to confirm this statement. Then he laughed. “You’re lucky, after all, General,” he said. “There’s a lunch room right opposite where you can get your sandwich!”

“But what are we going to do?” asked Leonard anxiously.

“Well,” answered Slim, “I guess there’s just one thing we can do, and that’s buck the line. There doesn’t seem much chance of running the end, eh? Let’s go, General!”

They set forth again side by side, appearing as casual as they might, reached the corner, paused to let an automobile pass and approached the throng. Just then a small youth darted past them and gave the alarm shrilly:

“Staples! Staples!”

A roar of cheers and laughter went up, and the freshman horde moved to meet them. Cries of “Welcome, Soph!” “Dinner’s ready, Staples!” “Way for the President!” mingled with jeers and cat-calls.

“Stick behind me,” counseled Slim in a low voice. Then he gently pushed the first of the enemy from his path. “Gangway, Fresh,” he said smilingly. But they were all about now, presenting a solid barrier. The more Slim shoved the greater the resistance became. He knew better than to lose his patience, however. Instead, he spoke laughingly to Leonard over his shoulder. “Let’s go, General,” he said. “Play low and make it good!” But although Leonard shoved and pushed there was no advance. “A-a-ay, Soph!” chanted the defenders. Slim felt his dignity slipping fast. He wondered why the fellows upstairs in the restaurant, only a few rods beyond, didn’t hear and come to the rescue. But they didn’t, and presently, breathless though still smiling, Slim paused to parley.

“What’s the big idea, you fellows?” he demanded of one of the bigger freshmen.

“Oh, we like you too well to let you mix in with a lot of low-down trash like those fellows up there,” was the flippant reply. “You stay and play with us, Staples.”

“Thanks,” answered Slim dryly. “All right, but you don’t need Grant, too, do you?”

“We-ell,” began the boy. But Leonard settled the question himself.

“I’ll stay with you, Slim,” he announced.

“Say, Staples! Slim Staples, are you hungry?” called some one, and a laugh followed. “Want your dinner, sonny?” “They’re just starting on the oysters, Staples!” “Oh, you Sophomore President!”

Stung, Slim faced his tormenters. “What’ll you bet I don’t get in there?” he demanded warmly.

“When, to-morrow?” asked one of the enemy.

“No, to-night, and before that dinner’s over,” answered Slim above the burst of laughter that greeted the sally. “You’re pretty clever for a bunch of freshies, but then you’re only freshies, you know!” Slim managed to smile sweetly as he said it, but that didn’t make the insult less severe. He took Leonard’s arm and turned carelessly away while the crowd jeered more loudly and with the first note of anger. To call a freshman a freshman is, for some reason, the deadliest of insults.

“Sore-head!” some one called shrilly, and “Follow them, Tom!” advised a second. “Better watch ’em!”

Slim turned and leveled a finger at the big leader of the crowd. “Come on,” he said. “Follow us. I’d like to have you!”

But the big freshman only grinned and shook his head. “No, thanks,” he called after them. “I’ll wait here. Come again, Staples, won’t you? Dinner’s ready!”

Followed by Leonard, Slim walked briskly around the corner of Moody street, but, once out of sight, he slowed down. “Any one after us?” he asked softly.

“No,” said Leonard. “Now what, Slim?”

Slim shook his head. “There’s the back entrance, but something tells me I didn’t do those guys justice. I’m going to have a look, but I don’t believe they’ve left the back door unguarded.” He went down the block about half-way and there turned into a narrow alley. Some eighty feet beyond, the forms of a dozen or more youths showed where the dim light from a glass-paneled door fell across the passage. Slim stopped. “You can’t fight them,” he muttered disgustedly. “They’ve got us stopped again, General.” The two retraced their steps, followed by a jeering shout from the depths of the alley. “We’ll go around to Market street,” announced Slim, “and think this over. There must be some way!”