"He has no business in here, confound him!" thought Frank, angrily. "No one but a freshman would go into a barroom even out of curiosity, at such a time as this."
He crossed the room, intending to speak to Higgins and walk back to the hotel with him, and give him some earnest advice on the way.
Higgins was a little in advance of the group as they went out, and so Frank did not catch up with him before they were all out upon the sidewalk.
He noticed that all the men who had been speaking with Higgins wore orange ribbons in their buttonholes, but it struck him, too, that somehow they did not look like students.
He had no time to reflect upon this doubt, for just as he stepped out upon the dark street he saw one of the crowd pretend to stumble and fall rather heavily against Higgins.
"I beg pardon," this man said, quickly.
"It's all right," Higgins responded, as he staggered to the curb under the force of the shove.
At that instant Frank saw another in the crowd making a movement which showed that he was going to trip Higgins and cause him to fall.
The attempt was not made, for acting instantly upon his impulse, Frank leaped from the doorway and caught the fellow a terrible blow upon the side of the face.
It sent him reeling halfway across the street before he finally lost his balance and fell full length.