"We'll do that, but you will have to pass on the outside."
That was something the sophomores could not do without yielding to the freshmen, and they felt that they had rather die than yield unless compelled to do so.
The sophomores stormed and scolded, and the freshmen, who outnumbered them, laughed and flung back taunts.
Then the sophomores determined on a quick, sudden rush, but it happened that the freshmen had decided on a rush at the same moment, and the two bodies of lads plunged forward as if at one signal.
"'Umpty-eight! 'Umpty-eight!" yelled the freshmen.
"'Umpty-seven! 'Umpty-seven!" shouted the sophomores.
Crash! They met!
Then there occurred one of the liveliest struggles of the season up to that date. Each side did its best to force the other off the sidewalk, and for some moments they swayed and surged in one spot.
At last the superior weight of the freshmen began to tell, and the sophomores were slowly swept backward, contending every inch.
Feeling that they must be crowded to the outside, Browning gave the signal for them to break and make it a hand-to-hand affair. Then he grappled with Merriwell.