Among those who appeared upon the famous quadrangle were many who belonged to the incoming freshman class. It was easy to recognize them, for, as Rattleton observed:
"You can tell a freshman with the naked eye."
They were either proceeding in a fearful hurry, as if they thought they were in danger of getting in late to an examination, or they were standing in awkward idleness looking at the strange buildings and evidently not knowing which way to turn and dreading to ask anybody a question.
The juniors smiled indulgently as a group of three or four candidates for the freshman class passed them.
The newcomers were discussing an examination from which they had just come, telling each other how they had answered certain questions and wondering if they would get marked high enough to pass.
"I can sympathize with them," remarked Diamond. "I know just the kind of shivers they're suffering from."
"What jolly good subjects those fellows would be for a quiet hazing," remarked Page.
"You mustn't forget," said Frank, "that we're juniors now, and therefore out of it so far as hazing is concerned."
"That's right," added Browning, "the freshies are nothing to us; they're far beneath us."
"Except in one sense," said Frank. "The sophomores, you know, will get even for the hazing we gave them, by taking it out of the freshies, and so it becomes our duty, in a way, to take care of the freshmen and see that they get fair treatment."