It was a gay party that left South Middle that evening and started for the theatre. Merriwell had not said a word to Rattleton concerning the receipt of the second warning. A spirit of sheer reckless defiance led him to accept the invitation to the theatre, even though he had not wished to spend his time that evening in such a manner.

"This may be a jolly," he told himself; "if I were to stay away the fellows would have a horse on me sure."

Creighton had a beautiful tenor voice, and as they started out beneath the elms, he sang:

Danny Griswold seemed to take a fiendish delight in giving a humorous twist to anything sentimental, and so he interrupted with:

"If that were original I wouldn't mind," said Creighton; "but you got it from some star vaudeville performance, you little runt."

"That's where I get all my gags," frankly confessed Griswold. "I store them up for use, and they come in handy some time."

"Some time, when you spring a stale joke, I shall be led to assassinate you," declared Bruce Browning.

"Impossible!" cried Griswold. "That would be a crime."

"Well, what's the odds?"

"You are too fat to commit a crime."

"How is that?"

"It is difficult for fat persons to stoop to anything low, you know."

"You seem to find considerable amusement because I am somewhat overweight," said Bruce, with attempted severity.

"Not at all," chirped Danny. "Some men are well enough in their weight, but this doesn't apply to coal dealers."

"Say, Griswold," called Rattleton, "what's the average fate for a wool—no, I mean the average weight for a fool?"

"A simple ton," replied the little fellow, quick as a flash.

Frank clapped Danny on the back.

"Good boy!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Rattleton didn't get ahead of you that time."

"It is hard for anybody to get ahead of me," declared Griswold. "I am really a lively man in a footrace, for my father is a watchmaker, and he has given me instructions in the business."

"I fuf-fuf-fuf, fail to see huh-huh-how that applies," said Joe Gamp, a lad with a serious impediment in his speech.

"Why, you see I have learned how to make good time," chuckled Danny.

Gamp roared with laughter. He was a big, raw-boned, hulking fellow from New Hampshire, and his laugh was like the braying of a mule. Creighton had invited Gamp to the theatre for the amusement the country lad would provide.

"He'll break the performers all up if he ever gets started laughing," said Charlie to Merriwell. "When he gets going in good style nothing will stop him."

There was something about the country boy that Merriwell liked. Frank quickly decided that Joe was a big-hearted, honest fellow, such a blunder-heels that he was certain to provoke ridicule, and yet thoroughly worthy and deserving.

In laughing, Gamp opened his mouth to the widest extent. He suddenly closed it, and clapped his hand to his jaw.

"Jee-ru-sa-lem!" he gasped; "there gug-gug-gug-goes that old aching tut-tut-tooth of mine! I was careless to let the night air gug-gug-get into it."

"Why don't you have it pulled out?" asked Diamond.

"I'm going to have it pup-pup-pup-pulled and all the rest of my 'tut-'tut-'tarnel teeth just as soon as I can afford the money to bub-buy a new set," declared Gamp, honestly.

"Why spend your money in such a foolish way?" said Griswold, with apparent seriousness. "Save the dentist's bill. I know a dog that will insert a full set of teeth free of charge."

Open flew Gamp's mouth again, and his braying laugh caused a passing pedestrian to dodge so suddenly that he jumped from under his own hat.

"Say!" exclaimed Charlie Creighton, getting hold of Griswold; "save those till we get to the theatre. Then you can set him going, and we'll have sport."

"Can't save them," declared Danny. "They have to come when the opportunity offers."

And so they went on their way to the theatre, laughing and joking, singing snatches of college songs, and having a jolly time generally.

Creighton had made no mistake in saying a large number of college lads would be present. It seemed that there were at least two hundred in the theatre, and it was apparent that they were there for "a racket."

The moment Creighton's party entered the box a tall young man in the first row of orchestra seats arose and faced the house, soberly saying:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a most auspicious, not to say suspicious, occasion. It is probable that many of you were not aware that we were to be honored to-night by having the privilege of witnessing the performance in company with royal personages, but such is the fact. The party that has just entered the box on the right is the Prince of Chow-chow, who is accompanied by the Duke of Dublinstout, the Earl of Easytogetajag, the Emperor of Buginhishead, the High Mogul of Whooperup, the Chief Pusher of Whangdoodleland and the Great Muckamuck of Hogansalley. Gentlemen, it is your privilege to salute them."

Then every college boy in the house arose and bowed with great gravity toward the box.

"Well, this is sure to be a hot time!" laughed Merriwell, delighted.

"You bet it is!" assured Charlie Creighton. "We'll make Simon Legree regret that he is living."

An usher came down the aisle and remonstrated with the tall student. The tall student replied to the usher with exaggerated politeness, declaring that he meant no harm, but that he had felt it his duty to inform the audience that such distinguished personages were in the box.

Then when the tall young man sat down, as if by a prearranged signal, there was a wild outburst of applause, stamping of feet, whistling catcalls, and so forth.

The musicians came out and began to put their instruments in tune. They composed an orchestra carried with the troupe, and were, as Rattleton forcibly expressed it, "decidedly on the bum."

Some of the musicians seemed to dread what was coming, for they looked pale and agitated.

"They know that some of the over-ripe vegetables and stale hen-fruit which the audience may toss at the performers is liable to fall short," smiled Merriwell.

Having tuned up after a fashion, the orchestra began to file away at some sort of a medley.

Griswold rolled his eyes and said:

"I am carried away with the music, as the monkey who was perched on the hand-organ remarked."

It was with the utmost difficulty that the assembled students repressed a desire to uplift their voices and drown the sounds which came from the wretched orchestra; but they felt that it would not do to alarm the players by too great a demonstration, and so the only interruptions to the overture were a few catcalls.

At last the curtain rolled up, and the play began. An ominous silence seemed to hang over the audience. The actors were nervous at first, but as the silence continued and offensive demonstrations were not immediately made, they gained courage and swung into their parts with as much enthusiasm and ability as possible.

It is possible that the sight of two or three policemen at the back of the house gave the performers courage. The officers had been called in to overawe the college lads in case they became too demonstrative.

At length, in a very pathetic part of the first act, Griswold leaned over to Joe Gamp, and whispered:

"It is very touching, isn't it?"

"Yes," said the country boy, chokingly, "it mum-mum-mum-makes me fuf-fuf-fuf-feel like th-th-thunder!"

He nearly blubbered outright, for he had never seen many plays, having found it necessary to spend his money with the greatest care, as he was confined to a certain allowance to take him through college.

"And Uncle Tom's Bible," said Danny—"it reminds me of a conundrum. How was the ark propelled?"

"Dud-dud-darned if I know."

"By a Noah, of course," explained Griswold.

Gamp caught his breath, and then he lay back and roared:

"Haw! haw! haw! A-haw! a-haw! a-haw!"

This roar of laughter, coming as it did at a solemn and pathetic point in the play, was most startling. Uncle Tom came near collapsing on the stage, and the other actors were so disturbed that they got tangled in their lines.

The students caught on, and there was an immediate burst of applause that swelled louder and louder. This died away most suddenly and unexpectedly, and Joe Gamp was heard to shout in his endeavor to make Griswold hear:

"By jiminy! that was a good one! A-haw! a-haw! a-haw! a-haw!"

The lad from the country went off into another paroxysm of laughter, pressing his hands to his sides, and shutting his eyes, utterly unconscious for the moment of his surroundings.

Of a sudden Joe remembered that he was at the theatre. His mouth came together with a snap, his eyes flew open, and he ceased to laugh and stiffened up, with a frightened look on his face.

The change was so ludicrous that the entire audience was convulsed, and the actors could not help laughing.

From that moment the play progressed under difficulties. In the scene where the slaves were being sold at auction some of the students began to pepper the actors with pea-shooters, doing it cautiously, so that they would not be spotted in the act. Every time Marks would open his mouth to say "seventy-five" he would be struck by one or more peas, which were fired with force sufficient to make them sting like hornets.

"Seventy——Wow! Whoop!" yelled Marks, clapping a hand to the side of his face, and suddenly dancing an original can-can.

"Five hundred," cried Legree.

"Seventy-fi—— We-e-e-ow! Stop it! Somebody is shooting things at me!"

Marks had been spotted on the end of his long nose, to which he was wildly clinging with both hands, as he pranced around the stage.

"What's the matter?" growled Legree, in a guarded tone, unable to understand what had happened. "Have you gone crazy, you fool? Stand up and bid!"

Then he cried: "Six hundred!"

"Seventy-five—— Hornets and blisters!" finished Marks, as he was nailed by three or four peas. "I can't stand this! It's too much!"

He bolted off the stage.

Legree looked dismayed, and then he advanced to the footlights and addressed the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I trust you will excuse the gentleman who is playing the part of Marks. He has not been well for several days, and he is somewhat troubled with hallucinations. Of course we know his troubles are all imaginary, and—— Ye-e-e-ow! I'm shot!"

A pea had struck him squarely between the eyes, and he started back so suddenly that he sat down on the stage as if he had been knocked off his feet.

"A-haw! a-haw! a-haw!" roared the voice of Joe Gamp, and the audience joined in the shout of laughter.