This was the signal Tom had agreed upon as marking the defiance and revolt, in case there was no change in the professor’s manner.
For a moment Professor Skeel was dumb—as if he could not believe what he had heard.
“Will you kindly repeat that?” he asked Tom, in a quiet, menacing voice.
“I said,” began our hero, “that we have agreed that the double lesson was unfair. We have agreed that if you insisted on it that we would not recite. We will go no farther. Either we get better treatment, or we will not come to your class any more.”
“Wha—what?” gasped Professor Skeel, turning pale.
Tom repeated what he had said.
“What does this mean? Have done with this nonsense!”
“It means a strike!” cried Tom, turning to his classmates. “Boys, are you with me? A strike for better treatment in the Latin class! Are you with me?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” came the cries from all parts of the room.
“Silence! Sit down!” shouted Professor Skeel, as he saw the students rise in a body. “Sit down!” He banged his rule on the desk.