CHAPTER XII
AN EXPULSION FROM COLLEGE
After the excursion to Sof, Archag became the hero of the college. The boys tried in kind ways to make him forget how unfriendly they had been to him, and, naturally enough, vented their ill-humor upon Nejib. But Archag and Garabed took his part; they made him join in their walks and games, and the other boys, seeing the attitude of these two toward the one who had wronged them, gradually withdrew the ban of ostracism which they had laid upon him.
As for Aram, he was beginning to tire of his Urfali, and was only too glad to resume his friendship with Archag.
Archag and Garabed had taken their duties as “fédaī” very seriously, and were trying to win converts to the new ideas, and now Nejib and Aram seemed to them the best fitted to join the “Dachnaktzoutioun” (revolutionary federation). It must be acknowledged that Aram had changed very much of late; though he still loved to laugh and joke, he also took an interest in the serious conversations of his friends. They, of course, exercised extreme caution; they talked to Nejib and Aram about the misfortunes of Armenia, then they lent them copies of the “Droshak” (Standard), “Pro-Armenia,” and other newspapers which gave descriptions, terrible but true, of the condition of Christians in Turkey; and, at last, one evening, they had the happiness of admitting their two friends into their Society.
They also won an unexpected recruit in the person of Monsieur Bernier. The young teacher often felt lonely among all the Americans so much older than he, and had become especially attached to Ghevont, Archag and Garabed. In their company he learned to love and to pity Armenia, and got rid of certain false conceptions about it; for he saw, instead of the Nihilists who had been portrayed to him, generous men struggling not only for their liberty, but for their very existence. He came to understand the tribulations of the Armenians, and to feel a warm sympathy for them.
The young students understood his feeling for them, and used to lend him their newspapers, or translate for him passages from the romances of Raffi and Baronian,[1] thus introducing him to the literature of their country. Monsieur Bernier offered to give them private lessons in German, and they were with him constantly.
Dr. Mills suspected the presence of “fédaī” in the college, and was especially mistrustful of Ghevont and some of the other Juniors; but he could not bring accusation against them without proofs, and, so far, he had been unable to procure any. The boys were usually very cautious, but one bit of carelessness nearly brought disaster to their Society. While playing football one afternoon, Aram dropped a “Droshak” which he was carrying hidden under his zouboun. He did not notice its loss until after supper, and then he ran immediately to the campus, but his paper had disappeared. It was a serious matter, for if the “Droshak” were taken to Dr. Mills, the fédaī would be in great danger.
Aram went up to the schoolroom, and taking Archag aside, whispered in his ear what had happened, and Ghevont and Garabed were soon made acquainted with the story. Ghevont turned pale; he had received a packet of patriotic songs the evening before, and had not yet been able to convey them to the central committee in town. The others, too, had some compromising literature in their trunks, some of Raffi’s novels, and the rules of their Society. For a moment they looked at one another in great perplexity.
“I have it,” said Archag at last, under his breath. “Let us take all these books to Monsieur Bernier, and ask him to take care of them for us.”